I love my job. Like LOVE LOVE my job. I am lucky that I often have moments where I just think “I am so grateful for this”. I get to dance for a living. Not just dance but I get to share this love of this art with people all over the country. I get to be inspired often and I get to also (hopefully) inspire others. I have trouble saying “no” to any gig because I honestly don’t want to miss out on a single opportunity. So if you know me well, you know I am always working…but I love to work.
A few months ago I was teaching at a convention and after a class a mom came up to me and said “my daughter wants to have your job when she gets out of high school”. Whoa, what? The reality is that art is ever changing and it can be a rather volatile industry to be in. It got me thinking really hard about where I am, what I am doing, the road I travelled to get here, and the accessibility of that same road these days.
I can say with complete seriousness, I WORK MY BUTT OFF. Everyday. I worked really really hard to get here and I still work hard. Dance is not easy. If you want Dance to be your job you have to WORK for it.
I wrote a blog a while back talking about how anyone can dance and there is a place for every dancer to be in this world, (you can read that here (it is still one of my favs) and I still 100% stand by that but…you have to work at it. It’s a job. A physical, mental, demanding job. Sometimes it’s a “no days off” kind of job and somedays it’s a scarier “where can I find work” kind of job. It is though, with out a doubt, a very rewarding and wonderful job. Whether you are a professional dancer, teacher, choreographer, or anything that has to do with dance, it is all WORTH EVERY BIT OF HARD WORK.
So if you want the job let’s talk about a few things that will help you get it, and keep it.
Technique: A dancer dances. And should always continue to dance. Even if “dancing” isn’t the goal. You have to continue to put yourself in classes that challenge you and teach you so that you can continue to feed your dancer brain the info and skills it needs to keep getting better. I met a dancer recently while teaching at a convention who shared that her goal was to be a dancer…awesome, right? I love that goal. But then I noticed she was sitting out of tap class. A dancer dances…a DANCER can do all the dances. You must remain versatile if you want to beat the odds and land a job. So, if tap isn’t your thing then you have to train and make it your thing. Knowledge is power so why not continue to get as much of it as possible. If you want dance to be your job, you must first know that you need to always be a student.
Networking: The dance world is tinier than Pluto. Be kind, be humble, meet everyone, love every class, learn from everyone, and always be appreciative that you get to live in that world. Not everyone gets to live there, take care of it, make it a good place. It is always about who you know so support everyone. I will be honest, no one ever told me this. When I was younger and, unfortunately, more immature I burned down some pretty big bridges on my journey just by not staying humble. I still regret it and I still wonder what would have happened if I had stayed in contact and had those connections to lean on today. There have been times where having them on my side would have helped me land a gig. If you want dance to be your job, be humble, be kind, and stay in touch with those in your world.
Professionalism: Dance is a job, treat it like a job. Be professional. This one is huge and covers a wide range of things so let me break down a few for you. If you are taking a class, use your classroom etiquette, thank the teacher, don’t cross your arms, don’t sit down, dress “neatly”, work your butt off, love all of what they are giving you, take corrections, apply feedback, do what they ask. If you are a teacher be clear and productive in your corrections, be a role model, communicate well with the studio owners or business owners, don’t get involved in gossip-y chit chat (see Networking above), be positive, be punctual, present yourself professionally. You will get hired more that way. I have worked along side the most talented choreographers and dancers out there and seen behavior you would not believe and then watched them not get hired back. If you want dance to be your job, then act like it.
Those are just the start to a few things that will help you on your road to making your art your career. Start NOW. Even if you are not even close to graduating high school. It doesn’t matter. Create habits now to building your career and the road will be easier. ALWAYS be the hardest worker in the room and ALWAYS reach for your dreams. Fame doesn’t last, Instagram doesn’t count, a YouTube following doesn’t mean anything. Being great at what you do, having a network of people who support you, and being your professional best self MEANS EVERYTHING.
Now, go out there and get hired.
Take Care of YOU, dancers,
Liz