A bachelor’s degree in Dance can lead to a fun career as a professional dancer or dance instructor.
What can you do with a bachelor’s degree in Dance?
Dance is an art form that can easily be enjoyed by an amateur dancing at home to the radio, or by a professional, in the form of a ballet, jazz, ballroom, tap or folk dancer. A career in dance can take many forms, either as a dance instructor, or as a performer, or in any number of other related employment fields. Dance teachers can offer their skills by conducting dance recitals for private dance studios, guiding dance programs within school systems, or by assisting in community theatre and other public organizations such as the YMCA. The professional dancer can find themselves in stage, television or movies. And many other related fields exist in between, such as choreographer, critic, historian, and therapist.
Dance Teacher
When employed within a scholastic environment, the Dance Teacher is often referred to as a Dance Specialist, providing instruction in many varying forms of dance as well as teaching the artistic aesthetics involved, providing the history of dance, and evaluating dance technique of the performers in their charge to help them establish a better level of mastery. The Dance Specialist may teach all dance classes within the school, or may only teach a couple of specific classes each day, depending on the institution in which they are employed.
A Dance Teacher can be employed outside of the scholastic community by teaching in dance studios or in a community organization, focusing on technique and performance artistry skill sets. A Dance Teacher may be invited to be a guest teacher on occasion, but only certified dance teachers may actually be allowed to teach in a school classroom environment as a permanent faulty member.
There are many different methods to enter the profession of a Dance Teacher. Some individuals gain certification and degrees specifically with the art of teaching as their objective. Others come to teaching after a very successful professional dance career as a performer. For those whose goal is to teach professionally within an academic school system, a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university is the usual prerequisite, as well as the acquisition of a teaching certificate from the State Board of Education in which the school resides. For those who want to focus their teaching talents to the private individual by way of a dance studio or commercial setting, it is recommended that the dance teacher have many years of dancing experience and in a wide range of dancing genres. A Bachelor of Arts (BA) or a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree would be a typical approach, adding specialized dance electives within the course work.
Professional Dancer
The BFA is the degree from which many professional dancers begin. They can find employment in many diverse areas of the entertainment industry, including ballet and contemporary dance companies, local and state theatre productions, musical variety shows, television programs, cruise lines, film, and even in amusement parks like Disney Land. The life of a professional dancer is rather short lived, due to the hardships that it can take on the dancer’s body over long periods. At this time, many dancers turn to teaching as a means to earn a living and to still keep their true passion for the art of dance active in their daily lives.
Other Dance Related Careers
Choreographers are the “dance teachers” for the professional performers of stage, screen and the other above listed ambitions. They create and design the routines that the professional dancers must emulate. Choreographers have also been dance performers in the past. To gain education and training in this area, a BFA or a BA in dance with a focus on chorography is an excellent starting point.
A BA degree in dance with a minor in business related courses can lead to employment as a Dance Administrator, perhaps managing a dance company or theatre. They can work for an arts council, deal in public relations, or become involved with the marketing and sales of dance products to those in the profession. Additional courses in communication can also be beneficial to a career in this field.
Dance/Movement Therapists use dance techniques as a means to encourage individuals to express their inner most feeling and thoughts, to convey emotions and ideas through the art of dance. They can work with a very diverse group of people, including the emotionally disturbed, those with learning difficulties, or individuals with physical or mental incapacities. The Therapist can also be utilized by individuals simply seeking additional personal growth. These Dance Teachers can be found in all sorts of places, including homes for the elderly, psychiatric facilities, rehabilitation centers, as well as in alcohol and drug treatment programs, to name a few. The degree of choice for this position is a bachelor’s degree in dance or a related field of study, with advanced graduate work sometimes being required, depending on the nature of the position and its regulatory requirements. Some other course s to consider for this type of work might include psychology, adapted physical education, special education, and geriatrics.
Dance Historians study the art of dance and its historical adaptations throughout the ages, its evolving effects on society, and the role it has played in the history of the entertainment field. A bachelor’s degree is again preferred with course work involving writing, research and anthropology. The Dance Historian will often write papers and articles on the subject of dance throughout the generations, as well as spend large amounts of time studying and researching the transformation of the art form.
Dance Critics evaluate and write about dance, and their related performers, choreographers and other professionals associated with the art. Special dance publications, newspapers and magazines may be the mode by which their critiques are conveyed to the public. Most Dance Critics have studied dance or may be a former professional dancer. The preferred degree is the BA with a focus on creative writing and composition, and of course a thorough understanding of dance.
Preparing for a career in Dance
As stated above, the bachelor’s degree is often sufficient to acquire an entry level position, but what is more important is a high level of demonstrated dance expertise. In some cases, an graduate degree may advance careers to a significant level, but a wide range of dancing accomplishments and skills sets is always a prerequisite for any career path. Both the Bachelor of Arts (BA) and the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degrees prepare students for careers as dancers and choreographers. The BA degree is a general program that combines a broad range of liberal arts courses with a focus on dance as well. This degree can be useful in attaining and preparing for a career in the teaching of dance, and with combinations of other minors in education, can apply to any realm of career in the dancing world. The BFA degree in dance is more specialized, and is typically focused on the student whose goal is to become a professional dancer.
Get related job experience before deciding on a Bachelor’s degree in Dance
Gaining work experience prior to college is an important first step in any chosen field of expertise within the dancing community. These early forays into the dance world can often help to determine your future choices in higher education, assisting in the selections of major or minor degree options, and preparing you for a successful pathway on the road to a thriving career in one of the above mentioned fields of dance. Experience can be achieved through any number of outlets, such as private dance classes, participation in high school dance and theater productions, volunteer work with middle school or community theater, and through attendance at dance clinics and workshops.
Job opportunities for those with a bachelor’s degree in Dance
There is always a high demand for qualified dance teachers, especially since dance as now taken a more popular position as a form of physical fitness routine. Dance has even been incorporated into the national curriculum for physical education among school age children. Although the number of individuals aspiring to be professional dance performers far outweighs the number of professional dance positions available, the increased demand for the other types of employment in the field of dance compensate for this lack of employment opportunities within the performance arena.
