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Education and starting out as a dancer

Question from Diamond: What do you need to watch out for before you start your career as a dancer? What does it really take to become a dancer? What type of schools should you attend?

Nicole's response:

I read your series of questions and immediately began browsing through some Recent Questions on these pages, convinced that the answers, as they say, are out there... already. As I did so, I realized that whether lengthy or concise, my advice to just about any new dancer invariably boils down to these... (ahem!) Two Simple Starting-Out Precepts:

1) Have fun! Above all else. (Why else dance?)

2) Be realistic. But not discouraged.

Deep inside, I have this hopeful notion that these, er, Precepts are in themselves so simple and so profound that they will reverberate through the entirety of your long dance life -- because believe me, if you are about to launch into a serious dance career, there will be times when you will need to hear some fragment of the above. From yourself.

That being said, here are some specific replies which I think directly address your concerns.

Things to know before becoming a dancer contains some great starting-out advice form a cross-section of folks who have been there!

Beginning to dance as an adult contains my most nitty-gritty account of what it really takes to be a dancer. Dancer's salary and Questions about career as a dancer also include information that would be good for any starting-out dancer to know. Things to look for in a dance group has good advice for those ready to join a company-type situation.

How to start a dance education includes a brief overview of types of schools and programs you may attend. Not knowing more about where you are in your education (high school? college?), it is difficult for me to offer you more specific advice -- but this is a good place to start.

Job prospects for dance majors and Pursuing a BFA also offer information on different kinds of academic dance programs -- and some great links to pursue for more information.

Finally, Why do you dance? approaches it all in a far more philosophical vein! It is a question that I believe every serious dancer should be able to answer for herself or himself.

Good luck out there!

-- Nicole

"this is a manila site 2" "get acrobat" "get quicktime"