Many people see dance simply as theatrical performance in ballet, contemporary dance or musical-theatre. While it is true that there are a number performance opportunities for dancers it is also true that there are other career routes which require equal dedication, hard work and perseverance.

Many graduates find their first employment in small-scale touring companies either in this country or abroad. A few, particularly in the contemporary dance sector, set up their own performance companies, touring when and where they can.

There are also students who, for different reasons, decide not to follow a performance route and below you will find pointers to other dance related careers. All of them require a passion and understanding of dance in its many forms and all of them have an essential contribution to make to the dance world. Professional opportunities continue to grow.

Choreography: Choreographers create dances. It is necessary to have a thorough knowledge of different dance techniques and an ability to communicate ideas either in movement and/or words.

Notation/Choreology: These provide choreographers and dancers with a “choreographic score” by recording dances on paper in ways that can be understood by others. There are two existing methods of recording movement: Labanotation and Benesh Notation.

Dance Teacher: Those who want to teach usually take the Graded examinations of one or more of the Dance Awarding Bodies which finally lead to teaching qualifications. (See CDET’s list of Dance Awarding Bodies and Corporate Members on the Links page).

Dance Therapy: Dance therapists usually work within community groups or help individuals to address problems through dance movement. Those working in Dance Therapy usually need to follow a Master of Arts (MA) programme after having completed a first degree.

Dance Administration: Each dance company, organisation or funding body needs someone to run it and there is a growing need for those who are both knowledgeable in dance and administration.

Dance History: Historians usually do a degree in dance in the first instance and often become dance critics and/or archivists for dance companies.

Dance Education: Dance companies need people who know about dance as well as education and cultural policy in order to give their work wider access to the communities in which they work.

Community Dance: This includes working for the community as a workshop leader or teacher. Sometimes, dance disciplines that are not part of a Dance Awarding Body syllabus are taught in this setting, so if you are interested in Hip Hop or Streetdance, this may be the route for you!