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Dance - Articles |
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| WANTED: Jazz dancers for exciting jobs! |
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“This
article is copyrighted and appears courtesy
of DanceArt.com LLC. For additional
information about DanceArt.com LLC and the
author, James Robey, please visit
www.danceart.com "
There is a
wide variety of job opportunities open to
jazz dancers. The possibilities run the
gamut from Broadway shows to dance companies
to music videos. In fact, you may never have
heard of some of these options. Each one has
a different flavor and list of
pre-requisites. No matter what your tastes,
you are sure to find a path that appeals to
you.
MUSICAL THEATER
Strong technical jazz dancers who sing
Many dancers leave for New York City with
years of dance training tucked in their
dance bags only to find that when they get
to the Big Apple they have forgotten one
thing: singing lessons. Musical theater jobs
revolve around singing. Yes, you can blend
in with the chorus at times, but there is
always another dancer at the audition who
can dance as well as you and can also SING.
The choreography in musicals is not all that
technically challenging. Most dancers can
handle the steps. Therefore, the
choreographers mainly keep an eye out for
someone who sings well and looks the part.
Being in a Broadway show is the penultimate
achievement for musical theater dancers.
After all, the money is great and the
prestige that accompanies such a credit on
your resume is even better. Remember,
though, that there are plenty of other good
musical theatre jobs out there.
If you enjoy traveling, you might consider
auditioning for one of the many national or
even international tours. Equity national
tours pay extremely well and are the most
highly coveted. (Equity is the union for
musical theater singers, dancers, and
actors. Call 212-869-9380 for eligibility
information.) Non-equity tours pay
reasonably well and offer a chance to see
the country. International tours tend to be
less lucrative and lower quality, but
globe-trotting is a reward in itself.
If you prefer staying in one place, then
look into the many regional and dinner
theaters that produce musicals. The
production quality can range drastically.
Some are only a step above your high school
production, while others are springboards
for shows on the way to Broadway. The
majority of these jobs audition in New York
City but some audition locally. In New York,
grab a copy of Backstage, which comes out
every Thursday, for a complete listing of
auditions or visit
http://www.backstage.com. And don't
forget summer stock. There are theatres in
almost every state. Look for notices about
the so-called "combined" auditions like the
StrawHat in NYC and the one held by the
Southeastern Theatre conference where
producers and presenters from many venues
gather to see talent.
Backstage also lists singing coaches. Again,
if you plan to dance in musicals, whether on
the road or not, start vocalizing right
away.
WORK IN MOVIES, VIDEOS AND COMMERCIALS
Jazz and Hip Hop dancers with cutting-edge
style
If you like great pay and short spans of
work, then this is the spot for you. These
jobs pay extremely well but are few and far
between. Even dancers on the 'A' list can
average less than one week of work in a
three-month period, so be prepared to have a
means of supporting yourself between gigs.
One way to do that is to teach at dance
conventions and judge the competitions. The
emphasis is on being entertaining and
trendy. This is great extra income, and some
dancers have made a whole career of doing
the conventions.
For a little consistency, consider being a
back-up dancer for a concert tour. Janet
Jackson, Paula Abdul, Reba McEntire, and
every other R&B singer employs a group of
dancers for tours. The money is excellent
and the regularity of work is rare for the
Los Angeles scene. Some hip hop dancers are
hired out of NYC also, but the majority of
this work goes through LA. If you are
interested, you need to get to LA and find
an agent. Look in "The Backstage Handbook,"
explained in detail in Sondra Forsyth's New
York Dance Scene on this site, for a
listing.
PROFESSIONAL DANCE COMPANIES
Jazz dancers with strong modern and ballet
technique
So you have killer technique and want to do
something more artistic? Then check into the
growing jazz dance company scene. Now, don't
expect to cash in the way you would for a
Broadway musical. Unfortunately, there is
little money in this career choice. Dancers
who take this route do it out of love for
the art and not for big financial gain.
The most prominent company in this category
is the sometimes jazzy, sometimes modern
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. Also, Mia
Michaels R.A.W. is currently making waves in
the concert jazz scene. You can read an
interview with her by Finis Jhung at Barre
Side Chats on this site. Other companies to
look out for are Jump Rhythm Jazz Project,
Jazzdance by Danny Buraczeski, Decidedly
Jazz Dance Works, and Les Ballets Jazz du
Montreal. There are a ton of others popping
up all over. If you get the chance, catch a
performance.
MUSICAL REVUE SHOWS
Aspiring young jazz dancers with personality
Musical theater revue shows are very
popular. Las Vegas, Branson, theme parks,
industrials, and cruise ships all hire for
this type of work. Revue shows emphasize
flash and, luckily for some of us dancers,
de-emphasize singing. Dancers often blend in
or even lip synch the chorus parts. The
revues are great stepping stones for young
musical theater dancers. You can get lots of
performing experience while brushing up on
your singing.
Las Vegas pays well and employs many
dancers. However, you may want to consider
the Vegas life style before rushing off to
the great casino in the desert. Branson,
Missouri pays less than Vegas but is home to
many theaters employing dancers these days,
and the environment is slower-paced. You can
check out Don Mirault's article on Branson
in "Its A Living" on this site.
Theme park pay varies by the company. The
bigger parks pay average unless you work at
one of their overseas parks. If you don't
mind leaving home for long contracts and are
partial to Japanese food, think about
working at one of the high-paying parks in
Japan. Other smaller parks offer great
summer contracts for young dancers. Some
will hire dancers as young as 16 years old
with parental permission.
The quality of cruise ship jobs depends on
the company. Some pay well and some do not,
but all contracts are negotiable. Lastly,
Industrials are quick-hit gigs. They can
last anywhere from one day to a few weeks.
The pay is very good for these.
Musical revue jobs tend to go on audition
tours. Check out Dance Magazine to find out
when one of them comes to your area. For Las
Vegas and Branson, you may have to audition
on location or sometimes by sending a
videotape. The audition ads will give you
the contact information.
TEACH
Experienced Jazz Dance Teachers
Jazz is one of the most popular classes in
dance studios today so there is a
never-ending need for quality teachers and
choreographers. Universities and high
schools also hire experienced teachers.
Teaching is a time-honored way to survive
for both the between gig LA dancer and the
underpaid concert jazz dancer. However, not
every dancer makes a good dance educator.
Teaching is a special skill that can be
completely separate from dancing ability.
Therefore, gifted and dedicated jazz dance
teachers are prized commodities.
WANTED: YOU!
Whatever your preference or background, the
jazz dance world is a smorgasbord of
tempting alternatives. Most dancers do not
stick to just one type of job. In a world
where working in one place until retirement
is becoming rare, dancers are finding the
diversity and ever-changing face of their
profession refreshing rather than
frightening. If you market yourself well and
work hard, you can have a very profitable
career. More important, you can make a
living doing what you love -- dancing!
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