How to Be a Professional Dancer in 5 (Not So Easy) Steps
Professional dancers come from many walks of life, with different sets of experience and backgrounds. Some have been studying ballet since shortly after taking their first steps. Others begin dancing as tweens or teens and soon find themselves consumed with dreams of dancing for a living. But regardless of how you get started, there are 5 steps you’ll need to follow if your goal is to become a professional dancer.
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What is a Pre-Professional Dancer?
As dancers progress past the intermediate and advanced levels, the question of “what’s next?” begins to rear its head. For those thinking of a career in dance, becoming a pre-professional dancer and entering a pre-professional training program is often the answer.
But what is a pre-professional dancer? What sets pre-professional dancers apart from the others? And how do you know if you’re ready to train at the pre-professional level? We cover these topics and more in today’s blog post.
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What to Expect at Your First Summer Dance Intensive
If you’re planning to join Joffrey Ballet School this summer for one of our summer dance intensives, you’re probably wondering what to expect from the experience. A summer dance intensive is a major, often life changing experience for many dancers. It’s an experience full of first times: first time studying dance on a full time basis, first time away from home for an extended period, first time performing in a professional venue.
It’s because of these life changing firsts that our Joffrey Success Stories often share a common thread, which is that the path to becoming a professional dancer truly began that first summer they spent with us working intensively on their craft.
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How to Choose a Pre-Professional Ballet Program
Once upon a time, ballet dancers in their late teens were faced with a choice between dancing professionally or attending college or a conservatory. Now, it’s often high school dancers facing the same choice – continue their high school and college education, or begin their professional dance training and embark on a career as early as possible.
For dancers facing these choices, there’s also a third option: choosing a pre-professional ballet or dance trainee program. A pre-professional ballet program allows young dancers to train for their professional dance career, while also completing their high school graduation requirements.
But how does a dancer choose a pre-professional ballet program?
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What to Bring to a Summer Dance Intensive
With Covid-19 impacting many people’s daily lives, the questions we normally get about what to bring to a summer dance intensive have taken on a different flavor. It’s true that your 2020 summer dance intensive packing list may include some items you normally wouldn’t bring. Some of those items could be difficult to find in stores or online, and could be subject to shipping delays. So now is the time to start collecting the items on your packing list.
Not to mention, what you need to bring to a summer dance intensive will also be subject to some additional “twists” this year. That’s because your “packing list” may vary depending on when and where your intensive will be held, whether in person or via remote in the comfort of your home. Read on to learn about what to bring to your Joffrey summer dance intensives in this unique time.
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What do Ballet Schools Really Look For?
Whether you’re considering an audition for a summer dance intensive, a year round training program, or are simply looking for a new dance studio where you can continue honing your skills, you may be wondering what ballet schools look for when taking on a new dance student.
There is no simple answer to this question as it depends a great deal on the school and the individual artistic director’s preferences. But there are a few physical and mental attributes that AD’s do commonly seek. Here are a few of the things that ballet schools look for when evaluating a potential new student.
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