What can I do with this degree?
Dance
Careers
- Dance Therapist
- Sports Recreation Leader
- Sports Coachesv
- Physical Education Teacher
- Cheerleading Instructor
- Choreographer
- Music Entertainment Dancer
- Costume Designer
- Dance Academy Manager
- Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Modern or other contemporary style Dancer
- Dance Instructor
- Dance Competition Judger
- Dance Accreditation Administrator
- Dance Critic
AREAS
RECREATION
- Teaching
- Coaching
- Counseling
- Competing
EMPLOYERS
- Elementary school districts
- City leagues
- Recreation clubs
- Cheer camps
- Private counseling practices
- Non-profit after school programs
- Private dance studios
STRATEGIES
- Build a resume with a variety of dance experience, pursue dance accreditation, get fingerprinted for work in school districts
- Network at cheer competitions
- Try pitching a new dance class at a local city recreation center to stir interest within the community if you teach a rare form of dance.
THEATRE/ENTERTAINMENT MEDIA
- Stage performance dancing
- Musician back up dancing
- Choreographing
- Dance reviewing
- Dance judging
EMPLOYERS
- Regional or national theatre companies
- Music companies
- National dance accrediting agencies
- National dance competition sponsors
- Casinos
- Hotels/Resorts
- Cruise ships
- Theme parks
STRATEGIES
- Create an artistic resume and head shot for distribution to agents
- Join a dance or theatre union, attend casting calls, submit freelance dance review pieces to local magazines or newspapers, begin judging smaller dance competitions in order to gain experience
- Compete in local, regional and national competitions
- Trade magazines such as Backstage West often publish audition notices in the Los Angeles/Hollywood area
- For work with theater and dance companies, dancers should not limit their search to the local areas, but conduct a nationwide search, focusing on areas with a strong performing arts industry, such as New York and Chicago.
BUSINESS
- Academy management
- Marketing
- Human resources
EMPLOYERS
- Private dance companies
- Dance franchises
STRATEGIES
Understand updated accreditation standards for academy management, become familiar with new emerging dance trends, understand basic labor laws and hiring practices especially within the area of dance.
EDUCATION
- Professor
- Assistant professor
- Part time faculty
EMPLOYERS
- Public and private colleges and universities
STRATEGIES
- Work toward your Bachelor of Fine Arts and/or Master of Fine Arts degrees in dance from an accredited institution
- Develop your professional performance experience
- Compete in regional and national competitions
- Network with other faculty in the kind of institutions you would like to work for
- Build strong written and verbal communication skills to be able to articulate clearly your thoughts on dance in general and your own work and teaching
- Build professional performance experience as well, to enhance credibility in the academic arena. Create a “CV” instead of a resume, which includes all performance as well as teaching experience, education and additional or specialized training and skills
- Accomplishments such as scholarships and awards from competition are also to be included on a CV.
HOTLINKS
EDUCATION
RECREATION
DANCE ACCREDITATION
DANCE JOBS
Prepared by the Career Planning staff of Career Services at The University of
Tennessee, Knoxville. (2007)
UTK is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title
IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA Employer