Professional Ballet Dancer

By: Sarah Balazs

Introduction to Dancing

I chose the career of a professional ballet dancer because, I have been dancing since I was 4 years old and I have loved it ever since! I could have chosen to be just a professional dancer but I love ballet the most, and since I have been in ballet classes since I started dancing I have gotten my calf muscles and other muscles in my legs really strong so now I am dancing on Pointe Ballet shoes! They are so much fun to dance in, but after a while they start to hurt. I have only been on Pointe shoes for one year, but the other girls in my class say that I am like a natural on Pointe, which I take as an amazing compliments because they have all been an on Pointe for over 2 years!

Nature of Work

Dance is a form of expression. Through their work, dancers convey stories, ideas, moods, and feelings to an audience.

There are many different types and styles of dance, including classical ballet, modern dance, folk, and jazz.

Dance can be either formal or free-form.

Dancers usually get work through auditions, which involve performing and demonstrating their skills in front of the people who are producing and staging a show.

Working Conditions

Employed by dance and ballet companies, TV and film studios, and theater companies

Work indoors in studios and theaters, and outdoors at events

Usually work with other dancers, but may also perform solo

Dancing is physically demanding, and dancers risk muscle strain or injury

The hours can be long and irregular

Training, Qualifications, and Advancement

There are no specific educational requirements for dancers. However, formal training by accredited instructors and dance schools is essential for those who want to pursue a career in dance. Private dance schools offer a variety of training programs. Many 2 and 4-year colleges also offer programs in dance. Broader post-secondary training (a bachelor’s or associate degree) in theater or performing arts increases dancers’ understanding of their craft and can improve job opportunities later on as instructors or choreographers. However, those who wait to begin their dance careers until after college may find they are at a disadvantage compared to younger dancers. The amount of required training depends on what type of dance you want to do. For example, ballet dancers begin their training at around five to eight years old and enter ballet school in their early teens. Those who want to do other types of dance may choose to start training later.

Job Outlook/Employment

Most work for dancers is short-term. For example, a dancer may be hired to appear in a production for only a few months. You might need a second job for a guaranteed income, especially since there is a lot of competition for work.

Dancers who can also sing and act have the best chance of finding year-round employment.

Dancers usually get work through auditions, which involve performing and demonstrating their skills in front of the people who are producing and staging a show.

A dancer who has a successful audition and gets the part has to study the role and practice the required moves. The dancers rehearse dance steps with partners or other troupe members. A large part of the dancer’s day is spent rehearsing, especially as the show’s opening approaches.

Earnings

Income for dancers varies greatly depending on the type of dance they do, the length of the contract, and whether they work for a small professional dance company or a large commercial one.

Those working for large dance companies usually earn higher salaries.

The median wage for dancers is approximately $12 an hour.

However, earnings vary widely; some dancers make less than $8 an hour while others make $25 an hour or more.

Annual earnings can vary from less than $15,000 to upwards of $60,000.

Those who progress to soloist or principal dancer generally have the highest income.

Uses of Technology in Career

Many of these performance tools share a common style of interface. Like Tinkertoys, you use a set of basic functional units to make many different constructions. In the case of these computer-based “Tinkertoys,” these units have to do with input choices, manipulation of the input stream, and output of the final product.

There are many types of technology that can be used to help create a dance performance or piece. There are packages used for virtual lighting design, cue storage, lighting control, and other production-related tasks.

The process of notating a dance piece and then transferring it to a 3D animation package has been partly automated in software packages for motion tracking and capture. Some systems rely on multiple video cameras to capture a movement sequence and then post-process it. Dancers wear special clothing or markers that are interpreted by the analysis software. This is the easier and more popular type of system.

Summary

Yes, being a Professional Ballet Dancer is still appealing to me. I would love to be able to dance up on stage in front of thousands of people, I think that it would be a great honor to be able to do that. Being a Professional Ballet Dancer does fit in with my personality results. One reason showing that it fits is that it says that a person like me is always ready to find new possibilities or rules. The second reason is that it says people like me are usually talkative, enthusiastic, playful and fun-loving. The third and final reason is that it says that people like me are optimistic, and spontaneous, and that explains me just as well as I would explain myself!

Works Cited

https://careercruising.com http://www.flickr.com/ http://www.nyu.edu/its/pubs/connect/archives/fall02/bary_dance.pdf