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Careers in the Music Industry

Dancer

by Stuart Paterson

Snapshot

Career Cluster(s): Arts, A/V Technology & Communications

Interests: Dancing; Performing; Music

Earnings (Hourly Average): $18.58

Employment & Outlook: Slower Than Average Growth Expected

Overview

Sphere of Work

Dancers use dance performances to express ideas and stories. There are many types of dance, such as ballet, tango, modern dance, tap, and jazz.

Work Environment

Dancing is a physically strenuous art form, and many dancers retire from performing by their late thirties. Many go on to become choreographers.

Occupation Interest

Dancers are creative, expressive individuals who love moving their bodies to music, in all manner of styles. Further, they have a desire to perform in front of and entertain audiences. This ranges from ballet to backup dancing for pop stars and everything in between. They are physically fit and are committed to rigorous training to stay in shape and learn their routines.

Hip-hop dancers at work.

CIMusic_p0111_1.jpg

A Day in the Life—Duties and Responsibilities

Dancers spend years learning dances and perfecting their skills. They usually perform as part of a group and know a variety of dance styles, including ballet, tap, and modern dance. In addition to traditional performances in front of a live audience, many perform on TV, in videos on the Internet, and in music videos, in which they also may sing or act. Many dancers perform in shows at casinos, in theme parks, and on cruise ships.

Some dancers hold other jobs between roles to make a living.

Profile

Working Conditions: Both Inside and Outside

Physical Strength: Heavy Work

Education Needs: Varies; Bachelor’s Degree; Master’s Degree

Licensure/Certification: Not Required

Opportunities for Experience: After School/Summer Programs

Interest Score: AR

Work Environment

Immediate Physical Environment

Dance takes a toll on a person’s body, so on-the-job injuries are common in dancers. In fact, dancers have one of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses of all occupations.

Many dancers stop performing by the time they reach their late thirties because of the physical demands of their work. Nonperforming dancers may continue to work as choreographers, directors, or dance teachers.

Schedules for dancers vary with where they work. During tours, dancers have long workdays, rehearsing most of the day and performing at night.

Duties and Responsibilities

  • Auditioning for a part in a show or for a job within a dance company

  • Learning complex dance movements that entertain an audience

  • Rehearsing several hours each day to prepare for their performance

  • Studying new and emerging types of dance

  • Working closely with instructors, choreographers, or other dancers to interpret or modify their routines

  • Attending promotional events, such as photography sessions, for the production in which they are appearing

Human Environment

Dancers interact with other people almost all the time when they are in a professional setting, from directors and choreographers to other dancers in their production. They also perform in front of audiences large and small—sometimes on stage, but also in settings such as parades and theme parks.

Technological Environment

Dancers should have the latest in personal dancing equipment, particularly footwear, and clothing that allows them to train and move with ease. Some dancers may also film their own routines and post them on the Internet, requiring them to have knowledge of video, video editing, and digital media.

Education, Training, and Advancement

High School/Secondary

Education and training requirements vary with the type of dancer; however, all dancers need many years of formal training. Many dancers begin training when they are young and continue to learn throughout their careers. Ballet dancers begin training the earliest, usually between the ages of 5 and 8 for girls and a few years later for boys. Their training becomes more serious as they enter their teens, and most ballet dancers begin their professional careers by the time they are 18.

Leading professional dance companies sometimes have intensive summer training programs from which they might select candidates for admission to their regular full-time training programs.

Modern dancers normally begin formal training while they are in high school. They attend afterschool dance programs and summer training programs to prepare for their career or for a college dance program.

Suggested High School Subjects

  • Algebra

  • Biology

  • Earth or Life or Physical Science

  • Economics

  • English

  • Geometry

  • History

  • Physics

  • Political Science

  • Trigonometry

Related Career Pathways/Majors

Arts, A/V Technology & Communications Career Cluster

  • Performing Arts Career Pathway

Postsecondary

Some dancers pursue postsecondary education. Many colleges and universities offer bachelor’s and/or master’s degrees in dance, typically through departments of theater or fine arts. As of March 2016, there were about 75 dance programs accredited by the National Association of Schools of Dance. Most programs include coursework in a variety of dance styles, including modern dance, jazz, ballet, and hip-hop. Most entrants into college dance programs have previous formal training.

Related College Majors

  • Design & Applied Arts

  • Drama & Theater Arts

  • Film, Video & Photographic Arts

  • Fine & Studio Arts

  • Music

  • Musical Theater

  • Stage Management

Transferable Skills and Abilities

Athleticism

  • Possessing excellent balance, physical strength, and physical dexterity so that they can move their bodies without falling or losing their sense of rhythm

Creativity

  • Possessing artistic ability and creativity to express ideas through movement

Persistence

  • Undergoing years of intense practice

  • Accepting rejection after auditions and continuing to practice for future performances

Physical Stamina

  • Being physically active for long periods

  • Being able to rehearse for many hours without getting tired

Teamwork

  • Working together in groups or pairs to perform successful routines

Adult Job Seekers

It is relatively uncommon, although possible, for an adult to transition into dance. Becoming a successful dancer requires years of training, so adults with a background in performance, such as theater, and with some previous dance experience stand the best chance.

Earnings and Advancement

Earnings of dancers depend on their experience, roles, and where they work and perform. Median hourly earnings of dancers were $18.58 in 2020. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $11.68, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $48.76.

Fast Fact

In his youth, rapper Tupac Shakur (1971-1996) took ballet at the Baltimore School for the Arts, playing the role of the Mouse King in school’s production of The Nutcracker. Source: dailyrapfacts.com

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Dancers may receive health benefits if they are part of a company or are otherwise employed by an organization that offers such benefits.

Some dancers take on more responsibility if they are promoted to dance captain in musical theater companies. They lead rehearsals or work with less experienced dancers when the choreographer is not present.

Employment and Outlook

There were approximately 11,400 dancers employed nationally in 2019. Employment of dancers is expected to grow slower than average for all occupations through the year 2029, at a rate of 2 percent. Many of the new jobs for these workers are expected to be in private dance schools. Employment in performing arts companies, the largest industry employer of dancers, is projected to go down.

A continued interest in dance and in pop culture also should provide new opportunities in venues outside of dance companies, such as TV or movies, casinos, and theme parks. Demand for dancers is expected to be greatest in large cities, such as New York and Las Vegas.

Dancers face intense competition, and the number of applicants is expected to vastly exceed the number of job openings.

Dancers who attend schools or conservatories associated with a dance company may have a better chance of finding work at that company than other dancers have.

Related Occupations

  • Actor

  • Art Director

  • Music Director/Composer

  • Musician/Singer

  • Postsecondary Teacher

  • Producer/Director

More Information

American College Dance Association (ACDA)

15 West Montgomery Avenue, Suite 301

Rockville, MD 20850

240.428.1736

info@acda.dance

www.acda.dance

American Dance Association (ADA)

info@americandanceassociation.com

www.americandanceassociation.com

American Dance Awards (ADA)

P.O. Box 971028

Boca Raton, FL 33497

888.332.6231

info@americandanceawards.com

www.americandanceawards.com

American Dance Movement (ADM)

donations@americandancemovement.org

www.americandancemovement.org

American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA)

230 Washington Avenue Extension, Suite 101

Albany, New York 12203-3539

518.704.3636

www.adta.org

Dance Educators of America (DEA)

P.O. Box 740387

Boynton Beach, FL 33474

914.636.3200 ext. 100

fran.peters@dancedea.com

www.dancedea.com

Dance Studies Association (DSA)

7044 S 13th Street

Oak Creek, WI 53154

414.908.4951

info@dancestudiesassociation.org

www.dancestudiesassociation.org

Dance/USA

1029 Vermont Avenue NW, Suite 400

Washington, DC 20005

202.833.1717

www.danceusa.org

International Association for Dance Medicine & Science (IADMS)

13918 E Mississippi Avenue, Suite 61846

Aurora, CO 80012

www.iadms.org

International Association of Blacks in Dance (IABD)

8730 Georgia Avenue, Suite 606

Silver Spring, MD 20910

301.755.0831

www.iabdassociation.org

National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD)

11250 Roger Bacon Drive, Suite 21

Reston, VA 20190-5248

703.437.0700

info@arts-accredit.org

www.nasd.arts-accredit.org

National Dance Council of America (NDCA)

862.216.8123

ds24dance@gmail.com

www.ndca.org

National Dance Education Organization (NDEO)

8609 Second Avenue, Suite 203B

Silver Spring, MD 20910

301.585.2880

membership@ndeo.org

www.ndeo.org

National Endowment for the Arts

400 7th Street SW

Washington, DC 20506

202.682.5400

www.arts.gov

Regional Dance America (RDA)

P.O. Box 414

Lemoyne, PA 17043

603.260.3748

info@regionaldanceamerica.org

www.regionaldanceamerica.org

USA Dance

19 Mantua Road

Mt. Royal, NJ 08061

800.447.9047

talley@usadance.org

www.usadance.org

Citation Types

Type
Format
MLA 9th
Paterson, Stuart. "Dancer." Careers in the Music Industry,Salem Press, 2021. Salem Online, online.salempress.com/articleDetails.do?articleName=CIMusic_0014.
APA 7th
Paterson, S. (2021). Dancer. Careers in the Music Industry. Salem Press. online.salempress.com.
CMOS 17th
Paterson, Stuart. "Dancer." Careers in the Music Industry. Hackensack: Salem Press, 2021. Accessed May 09, 2025. online.salempress.com.