8 Common Career Paths for Dance Majors
As a dancer, you are naturally instilled with several quality traits, such as being organized, detail-oriented, and highly disciplined. Due to the culture of dance training and performing, dancers can work under pressure and meet deadlines while maintaining their composure at all times. These skills are favored in the workforce and can be easily transferable to several career paths.
Once you decide to major in dance in college, you can expect to perfect the following skills:
Communication (especially through movement)
Problem-solving
Teamwork & collaboration
Dance teaching methodologies
Using those skills and traits, along with the knowledge you gain from your college courses, you will find that there are plenty of opportunities to have a successful career. If you have an additional hobby, passion, interest, or field of study, your options broaden even more. In this article, we’ll list 8 common career paths for dance majors.
Teaching
With a major in dance, you can become a dance teacher or teacher’s assistant. You will have the skills necessary to teach basic and technical dance techniques and will likely be able to teach dancers of all ages. Paired with a degree in education, you’ll have ample opportunities to teach in various capacities.
Choreography
Dance majors can follow the career path of a choreographer. You can be hired to choreograph original pieces or popular, classic productions. Another option in this career path is becoming a stage manager, ensuring that all performances run smoothly and all dancers are well-prepared.
Arts Administration
If you decide to work in an office setting, there are plenty of options for you to work as an administrative professional for arts facilities and programs. Some of your responsibilities may include budgeting and finance, scheduling, internal operations, event planning, fundraising, grant writing, and providing support to executives and directors. Since you will have a high understanding of the arts and dance in general, you can combine your experience with administrative skills to be an ideal professional in this field.
Marketing
Dancers, like many other professionals, can benefit from marketing themselves. Dancers who want to be seen and hired on a consistent basis should promote their involvements, accolades, skills, and experience. Additionally, theaters, movies, dance studios, and other organizations require a great marketing campaign in order to maximize their success. As a dance major, if you also study marketing or communications, you can become a social media manager, blogger, graphic designer, or even a web designer for dancers and dance-related companies.
Related: Marketing Yourself as a Professional Dancer
Yoga or Pilates Instructor
The language of dance typically crosses over into other languages of movement. By combining your dance expertise with other mind-body techniques, you can be a yoga or pilates instructor. Yoga and pilates are great exercises for dancers who need to supplement muscle toning techniques and fitness routines in order to remain in great shape to perform. Although it will require additional training and/or certification, there are plenty of opportunities for work as a fitness instructor. You can teach yoga and pilates at community facilities, in private lessons, or for larger corporations.
Photography & Videography
If you’re skilled with a camera, you can become a photographer or videographer who focuses on dance. As a dance major, you understand the flow of dance, what movements are intended to be accentuated, and more. This means you likely also have the eye to capture these movements. Professional dancers typically need headshots or dance photos for their websites and portfolios. Music video productions, movies, and other film projects can also benefit from a videographer who specializes in dance. Later down the line, you could evolve into a dance film director.
Related: Tips for Capturing Quality Dance Photos with photographer Shoccara Marcus
Costume Design
If you are a dance major with a special interest in fashion design, becoming a costume designer may be a great career path for you to explore. You can design, style, or curate costumes for dance productions of all scales. Consider combining your dance major with a fashion design degree, or take courses that’ll help you perfect your design skills.
Physical Therapy
Understanding the flow of muscles, how to exercise and relax them, and how to channel energy through them is a science that is not to be underestimated. As a dance major, you can also study physical therapy and become a movement therapist. Movement therapists can help dancers recovering from injuries, seniors who require or desire physical exercise, dancers looking to perfect their skills, children, and more.
When you’re ready to begin your job hunt, check for open job listings at the following types of companies:
Theaters and dance groups
Touring companies
Amusement/Theme Parks
Colleges/Schools
TV Networks
Senior living facilities & hospitals
Performing arts centers
Magazines
Art Councils
It’s important, when picking a major, to be aware of all of the potential doors of opportunity it can open. Hopefully, this article helped broaden your understanding of what career paths you’d be capable of pursuing as a dance major.
What are your career goals? Tell us in the comments below!