How to Decide if You Want to Pursue Ballet Dancing As a Career
Find out why you might want to become a professional ballet dancer., Once you know why you are thinking about a career in ballet dancing, judge your reasons., If you haven't taken ballet, don't assume just yet that ballet is what you want do...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Find out why you might want to become a professional ballet dancer.
This might be hard to do, but try your hardest.
You might not achieve this in years or even decades.
If so, just move on, as long as you know you love ballet. -
Step 2: Once you know why you are thinking about a career in ballet dancing
Wanting to inspire others is a great reason.
Wanting to be famous is not
- most dancers don't make the fame anyway.
But, whatever your reason, you must love ballet.
If you don't love ballet, you will find the hard work much more difficult, and it will be very easy to give up.
If you don't love ballet, don't even think about this career. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â , Although it is possible that a career in ballet dancing is meant for you, you must know just how difficult ballet really is.
As you move up in ballet, you might change your mind.
You might also change your mind when you move to a vocational ballet school or join a company.
Even when studying ballet recreationally, make sure you find a studio with a professional environment, with well-qualified teachers.
This way, it will be more likely that you do steps that are age appropriate and suits what you need, and it is easier for you to learn good habits early on. , Are you willing to leave family at a young age so you can go to a vocational ballet school? Are you willing to study dance for four to six plus hours a day as a student? Dance for about twelve hours as a professional? Don't just go "OF COURSE!" without thinking.
You will become exhausted.
A day at a ballet school is much longer than a day at regular school.
There will be times when you think you just can't go on.
There will be times when you feel frustrated, angry at a teacher, hurt.
Keep in mind that you will likely have about four or five hours of academics a day as well.
If you think you can thrive in these circumstances, then go for it! Audition for vocational ballet schools if the time is right and you are ready to do so.
You may not get accepted to any of these, so it is a good idea to spread your options open.
However, if you are currently in a recreational program or even in a vocational program but are thinking about another vocational school, talk to your teacher to see which schools are best for you. , Talk to them about the path and life of a ballet dancer.
Don't just hear
- actually listen and understand.
Then you will be one step closer to deciding if you really want this hard and intense life. , Dance because you want to, not just because it's going to be your career! The sentence before applies to pre-professional students, too. , However, even with the passion and drive for ballet, without the body, facility and musicality for ballet, becoming a ballet dancer is very unlikely.
Keep in mind: ballet is not a high-paying job at all, it is typically low-paying.
Exhaustion and injuries are a part of this career.
Often by late 20's or early 30's, ballet careers are over.
You must also be willing to be criticised.        , Try to get different opinions.
If you find that the career of ballet dancing is not well suited to you, don't be discouraged.
If you love ballet, you may still be able to become a ballet physiotherapist or a ballet critic! You might want to look into other dance forms as well
- but remember that ballet is the foundation of all dance forms.
Make sure you are taking at least 15 hours of ballet a week if you want to become a professional dancer in another genre and try to get into a dance/art school when your teacher says the time is right.
If you find out you do have sufficient talent to become a professional ballet dancer, that's great, but remember you must put your talent into use! Use your talent to become the best dancer you can be. , Prior to attending a vocational ballet school, you should have been training at a school where the teachers are former professional ballet dancers and doing an appropriate amount and variety of dance training for your age (unless you are of an age when you don't need prior training to be considered
- 10/11 and under).
Talk to your teacher(s) to see which schools are best suited for you.
Remember that getting in and studying there is only the beginning.
You have to do your very best so you have less chance of getting appraised out, and more chance of getting into a company. , You want to be your best, inside and out.
Learn, care and understand.
If after your career as a dancer you become a ballet teacher, look back on your own path.
Then you can understand better.
It might be hard to do, because when it's your job, obviously you want to have enough money to survive, but caring and understanding is still tremendously important. -
Step 3: judge your reasons.
-
Step 4: If you haven't taken ballet
-
Step 5: don't assume just yet that ballet is what you want do.
-
Step 6: Question yourself if you really do love ballet.
-
Step 7: If you have friends or relatives that are
-
Step 8: have been
-
Step 9: or are aiming to be ballet dancers
-
Step 10: talking to them is a great idea.
-
Step 11: If you love ballet but just don't want a career out of it
-
Step 12: then doing ballet recreationally is certainly fine!
-
Step 13: If you do think that you truly love ballet
-
Step 14: great!
-
Step 15: Once you are sure you really do love ballet and want to become a professional ballet dancer
-
Step 16: talk to your teacher about your goal.
-
Step 17: After you know that you "have it" to become a ballet dancer
-
Step 18: audition for vocational ballet schools (if the time is right).
-
Step 19: Try to become the best dancer you can be
-
Step 20: also the best person you can be.
Detailed Guide
This might be hard to do, but try your hardest.
You might not achieve this in years or even decades.
If so, just move on, as long as you know you love ballet.
Wanting to inspire others is a great reason.
Wanting to be famous is not
- most dancers don't make the fame anyway.
But, whatever your reason, you must love ballet.
If you don't love ballet, you will find the hard work much more difficult, and it will be very easy to give up.
If you don't love ballet, don't even think about this career. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â , Although it is possible that a career in ballet dancing is meant for you, you must know just how difficult ballet really is.
As you move up in ballet, you might change your mind.
You might also change your mind when you move to a vocational ballet school or join a company.
Even when studying ballet recreationally, make sure you find a studio with a professional environment, with well-qualified teachers.
This way, it will be more likely that you do steps that are age appropriate and suits what you need, and it is easier for you to learn good habits early on. , Are you willing to leave family at a young age so you can go to a vocational ballet school? Are you willing to study dance for four to six plus hours a day as a student? Dance for about twelve hours as a professional? Don't just go "OF COURSE!" without thinking.
You will become exhausted.
A day at a ballet school is much longer than a day at regular school.
There will be times when you think you just can't go on.
There will be times when you feel frustrated, angry at a teacher, hurt.
Keep in mind that you will likely have about four or five hours of academics a day as well.
If you think you can thrive in these circumstances, then go for it! Audition for vocational ballet schools if the time is right and you are ready to do so.
You may not get accepted to any of these, so it is a good idea to spread your options open.
However, if you are currently in a recreational program or even in a vocational program but are thinking about another vocational school, talk to your teacher to see which schools are best for you. , Talk to them about the path and life of a ballet dancer.
Don't just hear
- actually listen and understand.
Then you will be one step closer to deciding if you really want this hard and intense life. , Dance because you want to, not just because it's going to be your career! The sentence before applies to pre-professional students, too. , However, even with the passion and drive for ballet, without the body, facility and musicality for ballet, becoming a ballet dancer is very unlikely.
Keep in mind: ballet is not a high-paying job at all, it is typically low-paying.
Exhaustion and injuries are a part of this career.
Often by late 20's or early 30's, ballet careers are over.
You must also be willing to be criticised.        , Try to get different opinions.
If you find that the career of ballet dancing is not well suited to you, don't be discouraged.
If you love ballet, you may still be able to become a ballet physiotherapist or a ballet critic! You might want to look into other dance forms as well
- but remember that ballet is the foundation of all dance forms.
Make sure you are taking at least 15 hours of ballet a week if you want to become a professional dancer in another genre and try to get into a dance/art school when your teacher says the time is right.
If you find out you do have sufficient talent to become a professional ballet dancer, that's great, but remember you must put your talent into use! Use your talent to become the best dancer you can be. , Prior to attending a vocational ballet school, you should have been training at a school where the teachers are former professional ballet dancers and doing an appropriate amount and variety of dance training for your age (unless you are of an age when you don't need prior training to be considered
- 10/11 and under).
Talk to your teacher(s) to see which schools are best suited for you.
Remember that getting in and studying there is only the beginning.
You have to do your very best so you have less chance of getting appraised out, and more chance of getting into a company. , You want to be your best, inside and out.
Learn, care and understand.
If after your career as a dancer you become a ballet teacher, look back on your own path.
Then you can understand better.
It might be hard to do, because when it's your job, obviously you want to have enough money to survive, but caring and understanding is still tremendously important.
About the Author
Amanda Hart
Enthusiastic about teaching crafts techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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