Have you had a love for dancing growing up, but have been struggling with identifying the correct career path to pursue this passion in other ways? Commercial dancers can go down many different career avenues, but not having a plan in place or the correct qualifications can hold you back in advancing further.
Getting a foot in the door as a commercial dancer can be challenging as it is a very tough and competitive gig to get into. Completing a course such as a Bachelor of Dance widens your opportunities a great deal, helps you build networks and gain practical experience, improving your chances of landing the perfect role.
Most dancers with a passion for this artistry have drive, creativity, determination, and resilience, and are multi-skilled, allowing them to explore a range of career outcomes. There are many fields that span the world of dance, whether it be a dance physiotherapist, a choreographer or even a stage designer to name a few.
Here are some of the popular career directions for commercial dancers:
- Lighting /Set Designer: Working along with the producer, a production plan is set in place with the designer who coordinates the lighting, sound, vibe, colour palette and tone
- Dance School Teacher (toddlers-teens): Teaching kids from a young age movements, repetition and coordination skills
- Choreographer/Director (film sets and crews): For those who want to step off the stage, but still have a love for dance. This is the perfect movie to make
- Stage Management/Production Crew: Directing the showcase while working alongside an entire crew to place objects, curtains, the lighting and special effects on the stage
- Company Managing/Administration: Behind-the-scenes work, keeping the dance studio and production team on track and making sure all the little tasks like tickets, invoices, and hiring crew are all done properly and efficiently
- General Arts Administration: Working alongside the choreographer and the production team to bring any background art pieces envisioned to life
- Physical/ Massage Dance Therapist: A team therapist or team doctor to monitor and take care of any on-scene injuries or ongoing rehab
- Yoga/Pilates/Somatic Teacher: With years of experience in being a dancer, a career such as a yoga instructor is not far off, using the same techniques and guidance to teach students.. And the muscle memory and flexibility do not hurt helping you
- School Drama Arts Teacher: Using your passion for creativity and diving into the work of drama and high school students
- Photographer/ Videographer: Immerse yourself into the world you love by capturing a moment in time of the spectacular showcase and behind-the-scenes work or the whole production
- Costume designer: Create the pieces every dancer loves and still owns for years on. A costume that represents the movement
- Graphic designer: Designers for film sets, stages or shows
A Bachelor of Dance or similar courses can kick start your career path to being a commercial dancer. APAC offers a Bachelor in Screen and Stage, (Song and Dance) which focuses on specific core skills for dance qualifications with the help of industry experts. APAC equips students with the skills to maximise and improve their employability as professional artists and teaches students how to create, develop and navigate their own professional art careers, including commercial dance.
