It is better to enhance the time to exercise, slowly and gradually. If you’re unsure where to begin, ballet will allow you more versatility in the long run. How to Pick the Right Headshot for Your Backstage Profile, 3 Mistakes That Make Self-Produced Demos Look Unprofessional, How to Get Your Demo Reel Seen Where it Counts, 7 Ways to Get Work Without Representation, 4 Things to Keep in Mind When Creating Your Own Content, Living in New York City on a Modest Budget, 4 Ways to Start Acting Outside Los Angeles, Union status (AEA, EMC, SAG-AFTRA, SAG-eligible, nonunion, etc. Join clubs or organizations at school which will help you to be more efficient in dancing. Most dancers will tell you that ballet is always the most practical place to start. If you are particularly enthusiastic about dancing for someone, don’t be shy in expressing interest! You can also reach out directly to others. Just have a friend shoot your newest routine and you’ve got yourself a portion of your reel. If you don’t have a manager or agent who’s in direct cahoots with casting directors of various projects, Backstage is the No. This article has been viewed 687,786 times. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. For all things theater, New York has you covered. Dance reels are usually a few minutes in length, consisting of a series of clips from your dance experience. Not to worry: studio spaces or a fun location outdoors are always options. It’s first taste the casting team will get of your personality as a dancer, so you want to make sure you’re leading with the right foot. You may not be perfect at it, but you need to love it. To be a professional dancer, you will find most opportunities in New York and Los Angeles, but those are not the only two places you can live. For concert dance, freelance projects, and company auditions, posts will always inform you as to whether the audition is going to be an open call with no pre-registration needed, or if steps need to be taken before you arrive. Los Angeles on the west coast and New York City on the east are two of the world’s largest markets for working dancers today. If you have a tight schedule, you may get behind in other things like school, or other daytime activities. Professional dancers started at all different ages. Listen to your favorite song, so that when you hear it, you will dance and get your groove on. Many dancers go their entire careers without having to worry about these details at auditions. If you can relate your work to your passion, you’re less likely to feel like you are working and instead can feel that all that you do is culminating towards a common end goal. Am I meant to adjust the moves to please the critics? For dancers interested in concert dance, primarily modern and contemporary as well as ballet companies, you probably do not need an agent. You do not necessarily have to hire a professional. When it comes to writing an artist’s statement and proposal, it’s always a comfort to have an example to follow, and Grant Space can guide you through this process. YouTube is always a resource for videos with dance instruction at all levels. How long does it take to become a dancer? Choreography grants and funding can provide you with a space to rehearse at little to no cost for an extended period of time. Then, research contemporary dance programs offered by schools near you and submit applications to the programs that most interest you. You also want to avoid including too many group dances where it may be hard to tell who is who. role, and get discovered. Ballet dancers rarely have to speak onstage, and modern and contemporary dancers usually work with adding sound to pieces only when it is part of the director’s artistic vision. For instance, a modern company may create a piece of work fusing contemporary ballet and Spanish dance styles, and will be specifically looking for a dancer with experience in both! Allow yourself to feel those feelings, then find a way to release them. In a large city like New York, there are numerous dance centers such as Broadway Dance Center and Steps on Broadway that hold classes of every style of dance under the sun. Dancing may be your passion, but it’s also a profession! Do you have the right shoes and attire? It’s undeniably becoming more common, but you don’t necessarily have to be a stellar singer with a voice coach to make the magic happen onstage. Backstage has several subscription options available, including annual and six-month subscriptions to our web content and weekly print magazine, and six-month and monthly web-only subscriptions. There are good critics and there are lazy critics. Check out our dance audition listings! You only need those skills if you want to be a true triple threat. That will be sure to get you noticed by directors, etc. Choose a Dance Style. If you want to create your own dance project, simply start. Everything they say just makes you better. If you are still at school, you should have a dance department-or dance may go into drama, try to ask for advice and join your schools dance club first as it will probably be free. This guide will tell you everything you need to know about how to become a dancer. Be sure to get a good teacher with certifiable qualifications. To make it as a dancer, you will probably need a survival job (at least at the start). If you do practice a lot and still find it hard, you may have a problem with memory, coordination or the ability to decipher instructions; talk to your dance teacher about it. You only need those skills if you want to be a true triple threat. Cross training can help in cutting costs while staying in shape. They might appear in dance... 2. If you'd like to become a dancer, you should first spend some time choosing a dance style. Los Angeles is probably your best bet. 1 trusted source and top casting platform—for over 50 years—to kick-start your career, land your next (or first!) How to Become a Dancer 1. It's awesome that you enjoy dancing; if you want others to enjoy SEEING you dance, then you may have to work on some things. Many companies and individuals listed on our Call Sheet resource of industry professionals include contact information, location, area of expertise, previous credits, and who to know within the company. If you’ve already made it this far, you’ve probably got a solid start. To find dance grants, check out Grant Space. Many are held by already established choreographers and company members and more often than not, they are keeping an eye out to see who is picking up their movement well. One size does not fit all when it comes to funding and these applications can be incredibly time consuming. Philanthropists may have funding available for projects both big and small, and your library can give you free access to comprehensive databases of foundation and corporate funders willing to support individuals as well as organizations.