Question from a reader:”Kim, I know you dance and know a lot of people who dance. I love to dance and want to know if I can make a living at being a dancer. Thanks.”
My answer is the ever-popular, it depends. Unlike very personal dancing, most dancers do not make a lot of money. What they do get is a great sense of personal satisfaction, joy and love for their vocation. If they are very good at what they do they may be in demand and for that, you need to hit the higher levels of artistry. When you become an artist, you can open up a dance school. Most dancers I know of who worked in the entertainment industry have steady day jobs (or as best as one can get these days) and they schedule their dance auditions around the work they are doing.
It also depends on what kind of dancing you do. If you love all kinds of dancing like I do, you can adapt and maybe get some gigs where you can get some exposure. If you luck out to be a back up dancer for a hot singer or group, you can make some money for awhile and have fun.
My one big dance shot was on the Tonight show and one day if I can find a picture I will throw it up on the blog.
Most dancers I know also make a living trying to teach dancing. With the success of shows like “So You Think You Can Dance”, “Dancing with the Stars” and “America’s Top Dance Crews” there is a market out there for people who can communicate both verbally and physically. By physically you need to be able to show how to do the dance moves and work with people who aren’t as limber, in shape, sexy or interested in dancing as you are.
Check your local Internet listings for dance studios who are hiring instructors and if you are able to, check with the local community colleges. Some teachers are also performers and they can give you more information.
Remember that dancing is a form of expression and freedom. If you love what you are doing, it isn’t hurting anybody, keep doing it. One of the side effects of dancing is that people who dance seem to live longer. Nothing to justify that in a scientific way other than observation. Almost all the dancers that I know generally are living to ripe old ages. Almost all of them are still limber to different degrees and the body does seem to remember the dance steps even after the mind has forgotten them.
Something to keep in mind in deciding whether to dance or not whether you choose to make a business out of your passion or not.
One reminder, please make sure that you stretch before and after dancing and try to watch what you eat before you go dancing or schedule meals in such a way that you aren’t trying to digest while dancing. Also for major social dances, go easy on the snacks. The extra pounds will offset any gain you are making at the cardio level and you don’t want that.
One two cha cha cha…..Have fun.
May 21 2009
If you are looking for a day job, part time work, suggestions for saving money or investing, please check out my book, Practical Money Making, that is listed right after his paragraph in this very post. There are some great suggestions and ways to survive the Depression we are in.
Interested in any of my books? You may want to make a stop over here. Please click through to purchase my books and some other interesting items that actually ARE on sale.
Have you read my book, “Bad Tax Idea, Good Tax Idea“? Please order it today. The tips inside can save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars! Tax planning should be done year round and not just two weeks into January or later.
Part of all the proceeds from the sales of that book go to Rett Syndrome research. One girl is born with Rett Syndrome worldwide every fifteen minutes. My daughter Arianna has Rett Syndrome and we are working to do all we can to make her life easier and find a cure in her lifetime. Boys born with the Rett gene generally die at birth.
Kim Isaac Greenblatt
Is being a dancer a money making idea