Dreaming of working on Strictly? Thinking about how to get that perfect Dance job on stage, TV or in film?… Don’t ever stop, keep driving towards that ultimate goal. But while you’re on that journey, there are many ways that you can make sure you get the experience and, just as importantly, the paid work you need to keep going on your career path.
We know that dancers need to keep performing regularly and get paid work so they can keep doing what they love, so we’ve put together some of the best advice on how to have a shining Dance career, even before you get that big break.
DEVELOP YOUR ACT
We post new jobs and auditions for Dancers every day, and as a result we have a great insight into what jobs are regularly available for Dancers. We have found that these fall into two main categories, Cruise Work and Events.
For Cruise Work your priority will always be to remain in peak physical condition and be 100% audition ready. There are some great tips on this below, and to make sure you are completely mentally prepared to give you best-ever performance, take a look at our blog ‘Top Tips to Guarantee you Perform at Your Best’ – invaluable insights into creating the ideal state of mind for those all-important auditions, written by a Psychotherapist.
Events work can mean anything from weddings and corporate entertainment to Birthdays and children’s parties. This type of work can provide dancers with the bread and butter they need, and if you’re talented and take a little time to consider how you can adapt your act, then there will always be work waiting for you.
So, what can you do to get event work? It really helps to take a look at the types of jobs that we post regularly and think about how your dancing skills could work for these bookers. Do you have a dance style that fits or would it help to diversify and train in a second or third dance style, such as flamenco or Bollywood dance?
Next think about how your dancing can become an ‘act’ – a really entertaining centre piece for an event. Can you adapt to children’s parties by using particular costumes? Disney princesses are ever popular… Or can you incorporate teaching some basic dance steps into your offering? A dancer who has an interactive act, where clients or guests can take part, will create a truly memorable and bookable show.
Take time to put yourself into a booker’s shoes – what would they love at their party or event and how can you deliver this with your wonderful talent?
STAY IN SHAPE, MENTALLY & PHYSICALLY
For most dancers it hardly needs saying that you need to stay in great physical condition. This means practise, practise and…more practise, and this is more true for dancers than for any other type of entertainer. For most acts this means daily training and weekly classes.
But it’s not just your body that needs to be kept in peak condition. The dance world can be a tough one at times and developing a thick skin is essential for coping with those knock backs. More important still is the need to keep that enthusiasm and self-belief alive and burning, so make sure you surround yourself with supportive people and make time to day-dream…our imagination is our greatest guide towards the future we desire.
WORK ON YOUR MARKETING
We know what you really want to do is just dance and perform, and the idea of selling your act probably doesn’t seem that much fun. The hard truth is that if you want to keep performing you need to do the marketing, and if you do it well the first time it will work hard for you so you get all the gigs you want.
To get you started, here are some of the basics…
Get some fantastic photos
You need a selection of high-quality stills, ideally with some black and white shots as well as shots demonstrating all your different dance styles and skills. If you want to see what you’re aiming for, there are some amazing Instagram accounts for inspiration. Just take a look at @dancer_serena or @poppyseed_dancer.
Create an outstanding show reel
Your show reel is your shop window and a good one will really sell your act and talents. It can also be used time and again, on social media, in our directory, on your own website and for job applications. To find out how to create a show-stopping show reel, read our blog ‘How to make an awesome promo video’.
Write an attention-grabbing bio
This is particularly important for your profile in our directory, since this is one of the first things bookers will see and they are likely to make an immediate judgement based on what you say. It’s also vital if you’re creating your own website or even as the opening to your CV. We have an excellent guide to creating the best bio to grab the bookers in our new blog ‘Selling your act – write the perfect profile’.
The life of a dancer can be one of the toughest, most challenging and ultimately rewarding career paths you can take and the most important thing will always be to find the endless energy and enthusiasm you need to keep striving. But we hope that these practical tips will also help you along the way, giving you some ideas on how to get more regular bookings.
If you’re already signed up with us then remember to keep checking our jobs and gigs pages and watch out for our latest emailed opportunities. If you’re not onboard yet, then please do Register with us today!