Dancer

Typical Salary

To

Typical Hours

28 to 30 irregular

evenings / weekends / bank holidays away from home

How To Become a Dancer

You can get into this job through:

a university course
a college course
applying directly
specialist courses run by private training organisations

College / University

You'll usually need a degree or diploma in professional dance or musical theatre. These take 2 to 3 years to complete and are offered by dance schools and universities.

2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

to pass an audition

There is no set entry route to become an dancer but it may be useful to do a relevant subject like:

Level 2 Technical Certificate in Performing Arts
Level 3 Extended Diploma in Performing Arts - Dance

2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course

4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course

Apprenticeship

Apprenticeship are not listed for this job.

Routes into this Career

Routes into this Career are not listed for this job.

You can apply directly to become a dancer, if you have a high level of training and ability in at least one form of dance.

Other Routes

Most professional dancers start taking dance classes from a young age. You can take graded exams from awarding bodies like:

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
knowledge of the fine arts
to be thorough and pay attention to detail
persistence and determination
ambition and a desire to succeed
the ability to use your initiative
physical skills like movement, coordination, dexterity and grace
physical fitness and endurance
to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

Day To Day Tasks

You’ll specialise in a form of dance, like:

classical ballet
contemporary dance
modern stage dance, like jazz, tap, and musical theatre
African or Asian dance
street dance

You’ll spend time:

rehearsing
preparing for and going to auditions
going to dance classes
promoting yourself and finding work

Working Environment

You could work at a TV studio, on a cruise ship, in a hotel, in the community, at a film studio or in a theatre.

Your working environment may be physically demanding and you may spend nights away from home.

Career Path & Progression

With experience, you could move into choreography or dance teaching.

Volunteering Opportunities

Dancing is very competitive and you'll need to develop your skills by getting as much practical experience of dancing as possible. You could do this through:

amateur dance clubs
college and university dance societies
student dance festivals and competitions

This can also help to put you in touch with people in the dance profession, who could be useful contacts when looking for work.

Tips & Information

Career tips

Classical ballet dancers start training very young, usually at 10 or 11 years old. It's possible to make a career in contemporary dance if you start at a later age, if you're prepared to work hard and put in a lot of training.

Professional and industry bodies

You could join One Dance UK and Equity for professional development and to make industry contacts.

Further information

You can find out more about becoming a dancer from:

You can also get more details about working in creative careers from Discover Creative Careers.

Restrictions & Requirements

Restrictions & Requirements are not listed for this job.