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Dancer

Dancers entertain people by expressing ideas and emotions, usually to music, using body movements.

 

Tasks & duties

Dancers may do some or all of the following:

  • attend dance classes to rehearse movements and learn techniques
  • take responsibility for their personal fitness levels and nutrition
  • exercise daily by doing dance and Pilates classes, for example
  • research and identify what areas of their body are prone to injury, and work to prevent this
  • combine movement with musical accompaniment
  • audition for dance companies and dance roles
  • study and practise the roles
  • complete tasks set by choreographers
  • perform in front of an audience or camera

 

Specialisations

Dancers may specialise in a particular style of dance such as:

  • ballet
  • contemporary
  • Latin
  • ballroom
  • jazz
  • tap
  • burlesque
  • kapa haka (Māori cultural dance)

 

Skills & knowledge

Dancers need to have:

  • understanding of different dance and drama techniques, and the ability to use them in performance
  • understanding of music and rhythm
  • skill in interpreting ideas into dance
  • performance skills
  • communication skills
  • the ability to memorise dance sequences
  • knowledge of anatomy and how the body works

 

Entry requirements

There are no specific educational requirements to become a dancer. However, contemporary and classical dancers usually need to have a tertiary qualification in contemporary dance or classical ballet from a training provider in New Zealand or overseas.

Scholarships are available through the New Zealand School of Dance.

 

Tertiary education

Graduate qualifications in arts administration, which includes business management and event management, may be useful if you have your own dance business.

 

Training on the job

Dancers further their skills on the job through regular training and performance.

 

Useful experience

Useful experience for dancers includes:

  • athletics
  • aerobics
  • Jazzercise
  • Pilates
  • acting or any other kind of public performance

Classical dancers need to have studied classical ballet from an early age, to get used to the physical demands of the discipline.

 

Related courses

Dance
Nga Mahi a Rehia (Maori Performing Arts)

 

For more information, please refer to Career Services.

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