Dance Careers – My Perspective

Following on from my last blog, I have been thinking a lot about my career and the different opportunities that have been available to me.

Some I have taken up and others I haven’t, but I can say that when I was a young and probably naïve dancer, I didn’t have much of a network in the industry which I think led to less opportunities. Looking back, as a student we weren’t advised on how to work as a freelancer, how to network and/or expand our skillset. The focus was on being a dancer or a teacher and that was about as far as it went. I am not criticising my training or the college I went to, that is just how it seemed to be way back then.

The route to my career was a fairly standard one; after school dance lessons, vocational college, worked as a freelance dancer, taught……. (see my previous blog for full details 😉). However, there are many different paths within the dance industry that can be taken, even if they aren’t the ones we planned. It can be disheartening for a performer not to walk straight into their dream job and this can lead to, in a worst case scenario, giving up on this dream because they think they have failed. This can in some cases be attributed to the pressure that is instilled during training, that ‘performing’ is the only measurement of success following training, but a dancer should be open to other possibilities as it could lead in to an unexpected and exciting journey. I think it is, in part, the responsibility of the teachers to make students aware of the importance of networking, of talking to people and making connections. Encouraging students to understand that building up a portfolio career, trying new things that maybe out of our comfort zone, can be a positive thing.

I have learnt later on in my career how important reaching out to people within the industry can be. How stepping out of your comfort zone and making new connections can lead to exciting and new possibilities. In fact, I wish I had done it sooner. I have realised that many industry professionals are passionate about sharing their expertise and talking about how they have achieved their goals and offer advice. These connections can lead to learning new skills, working with different people and opening up new opportunities that you didn’t know you needed! Listening to a podcast recently on ResDance by Dr Gemma Harman with Anna Watkins highlighted an interesting point that centred around the benefit of working in different roles, in particular those that involve leadership. They discussed how this can give you empathy for your colleagues who are in those positions as you understand what it is like to be a leader and the demands this position comes with. You gain a different perspective both when you are being a leader and when you are not.

These experiences you gain as you transverse through your career should be encouraged. The knowledge and expertise of established and dare I say older artists need to be celebrated. I am a firm believer in career longevity and that it is possible to continue dancing after you’ve had children or if you are going through the menopause for example, there just needs to be more dance specific professionals to help! Dancers of all ages are important to the industry and bring with them different skill sets that can be shared so we can all develop and grow as an individual.

Advances in modern technology and social media have not only made it easier to share these different skills but have also progressed the ability to make connections. There are more networks available that are easily accessible through the world of Facebook and Instagram etc where performers can connect with other like-minded performers. Companies are recognising the need for freelancers in particular to be supported, and from this, networks are being formed, opening up new conversations and adding resources that can make a difference to both the emerging dancer and those that are more established.

This leads nicely into my final thoughts that if a dancer has decided to leave the performing side of things, that is fine, but what comes next as a dancer can be a big challenge as dance is often a big part of their identity. For those that have been open to new challenges, found networks, connected with different people, this transitional period may be easier to navigate as it can pave the way for you to move into a different role within the dance world…..of which there are many!