Breaking Into A Career In Ballet

A few weeks ago I received this comment on my blog:

“I love ballet but whenever I try to mention it to my parents they change the subject to school or soccer. I try to tell them that I am very passionate about dance but my family thinks that I cannot make a living out of dance. Can someone please give me some advice as to what to do I dont want my life to just pass by.”

I really feel like this is an important topic to touch on.  I know this reader is not alone when she brings up these concerns about her future.  Many young dancers dream of making this life their careers but need to educate themselves and their families on the potential of a professional ballet career.

Ballet is just like any other career in many ways: it takes hard work, perseverance, and determination to get where you want to go.  There will be many tests along the way.  Some young students find it hard to balance their social lives at school with their commitments to ballet. Some dancers will miss football games because they have rehearsal or skip the prom because of a performance.  If you find that your priority is and always will be ballet, you are not alone.  Every professional dancer in America felt the same way when they were in school.  It may be hard for parents to understand a deep commitment to anything other than school, but this unique dedication is what sets ballet dancers apart and prepares us for success.

Ballet is a career that demands the upmost maturity at a young age.  This field is all about youth: ballet careers are never as long as we would like them to be, so starting early is a must.  As a result, 17 and 18-year-olds find themselves living away from home, on their own, and supporting themselves, while their friends back home are packing and heading off to to a dorm room on a University campus.  It is indeed a very different life.

Because the average ballet career begins directly after high school, or even before a student’s graduation, there is not a moment to lose.  The reason why the majority of ballet dancers do not attend a conventional college is not because they are not intelligent, nor because they want to take the easy road.   It is because they are way ahead of their peers: they are ready to start their careers and they understand that time spent in college between the ages of 18-22 is precious time.  Trying to begin a ballet career after college proves difficult when other dancers your age have already entered the ranks of Corps de Ballet or higher.  However, a post-college career is not unheard of.  I do know of a couple dancers who have launched their careers after receiving their four-year degree.

Making a career for yourself in ballet does not, in any way, mean that you need to give up on higher education.  Through the wonders of technology, there are more options now than ever before for people to receive a college degree while working full time.  Many professional dancers attend school online or through correspondence to prepare themselves for a career transition after their dancing days are over.

Most importantly, you can make a living as a professional dancer: look at the rosters of every ballet company in America, and even in the world!  Every one of those dancers receives pay checks to do what they love.  Ballet is a career where you can support yourself.  But as we all know, funding for the arts is always a struggle and often dancers’ pay checks reflect that struggle.  There are many professional dancers who have a second job and/or immerse themselves in different projects to supplement their income.

As a professional ballet dancer, you will work harder than you have ever worked before.  Between class, rehearsal, and performances, you will find that most of your time is spent working.  You come home at the end of the day exhausted and worn out.  Performance weekends consume you and you treasure your few days off.  Your fellow dancers become your family and you support each other endlessly.  This is the life; the life you have worked towards for as long as you can remember.

The long of the short of it: very few people in this world are able to do what they love every day and make a living from it.  If ballet is what you love, explore your options.  Read about professional dancers, find dance blogs, look up YouTube videos, follow different companies, and talk with your parents.  Show them the possibilities that a career in ballet can hold for you.  You never know how they will respond, but it is certainly worth a try.  You may even be surprised.