Being a professional dancer is a brilliant, creative career, but it can also be a tough industry to break into. Knowing how to make money while you wait for your big break is important. You don’t necessarily need to look outside the industry – becoming a waitress or working in a call centre, for instance – because there are lots of interesting dance-related jobs to consider that don’t directly involve strutting your stuff on the dance floor. While you wait for auditions and build your performance CV, what are the jobs you might do? And what other dance-related work could be of longer-term interest? Here are some suggestions.
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Most dancers will be familiar with the work of a choreographer. They’re the main creative brain behind any dance production. It’s their job to create, teach, and direct movement sequences. They shape the physical expression of a performance and guide the style, timing, and intention of a routine. Often choreographers are dancers or former dancers themselves. If you love coming up with new dance moves and working in the studio with other dancers, this could be for you. Famous choreographers include Arlene Phillips, Matthew Bourne, Wayne McGregor, and Akram Khan.
Being a yoga or Pilates instructor can be a great fit for dancers. It allows you to keep fit while also propping up your bank account. Lots of dancers do yoga or Pilates as part of their physical training regimen. Both disciplines help improve strength, stability, flexibility, and body awareness. Most yoga and Pilates teachers have done some kind of training, and it’s important to do some research into your field before you start to teach. Check out the CIMSPA website for accredited Pilates courses and the British Wheel of Yoga for yoga qualifications.
Behind every great dancer is a teacher guiding the way. Whether it’s teaching kids to plié around a church hall or getting involved in the precise technical training of a prima ballerina, teaching is a rewarding and important job. Some work out of dance schools or mix it up with different locations, including community halls and private studios. Dance teachers can be generalists or someone trained to a high level in one style of dance, but they’re almost always patient, passionate, and keen to share their expertise with others.
If you’re a dancer, you’ll already know how powerful dance can be – and working as a dance movement therapist (DMT) really showcases it. DMTs use dance and movement to help people with psychological, physical, and emotional problems. Therapists and clients use body movement “as an instrument of communication during the therapy process.” It can be rewarding work, and it requires great empathy and communication skills. It also requires training with the Association for Dance Movement Psychotherapy UK and a certain maturity, as the minimum starting age is 23.
Not all dance jobs involve movement – or indeed being able to body pop, samba, or give your best American smooth to order. Working with dance every day or in an environment in which dance is valued can be a great option for any aspiring professional dancer – and potentially valuable time away from training if you’re recovering from an injury. Being a dance administrator involves managing and facilitating the work of dance organisations. You’ve got to be organised and flexible, and enjoy working in a creative setting. As a dancer, you’ll understand what other dancers need to make great work – and you could end up first in the queue for any opportunities that arise. Plus, if you ever want to form your own dance company, you’ll have the inside track on the business side of things.
Dancers know the importance of looking after their bodies and doing what they can to avoid injuries. Dance health practitioners work with performers to avoid illness and treat and prevent injuries. They include physios, massage therapists, nutritionists, and many other dance-adjacent jobs. Most of the jobs aren’t gap-fillers – they require serious training and dedication – but they may be worth investigating if you want to work within the dance industry, especially if you’re thinking about career options beyond performance.
As a dancer, you’ll already know the importance of physical fitness and keeping your body healthy. Working as a personal trainer enables you to share that knowledge with others. Personal trainers often work out of local gyms and are hired by their own clients. Being a personal trainer can allow you to work a flexible schedule and, through demonstrating exercises and moves to your clients, it’s an opportunity to stay fit at the same time. Win-win!
Working as a youth or community worker is an opportunity to share your passion for dance. Dance builds resilience, well-being, and self-esteem – great tools for young people. You can teach them about movement, teamwork, and communication, and you can develop very handy leadership skills. In adult community settings, your dance work may involve using movement to help people with Parkinson’s disease or older people in a care home. You may need a qualification for some youth work. Check out community dance opportunities here.