Career in Dance

[Guest NuAnointingDancer]

I am very interested in a career in dance, mainly ballet. Unfortunatly, I have taken maybe 5 or 6 ballet classes in my life time (i'm 14 almost 15). I do jazz, moderen, and hip hop type dances. I have been told by some of my teachers that I have "body" for ballet. What I was wondering is, do I even have a realistic chance to become a ballet dancer in a company or should I find something else to do?

 

sorry if this sounds confusing, I'm a little confused myself.

 

~Nu Dance~

[Victoria Leigh]

Hello NuAnointingDancer, welcome to the Young Dancers' forum on Ballet Alert!

 

Your question is really impossible to answer, as the only way to know if there is even a realistic chance is to see you. Chances of making it in the professional world of ballet are not great for anyone, however that does not stop lots of people from trying! Chances of making it with a late start are of course less, however, that too has been done. The odds are not in your favor, but that doesn't mean it can't be done either. You will never know unless you begin seriously and intensively studying, and see where you are at 18.

[Guest dance4life87]

Okay I know when you are a teen you audition for summer intensives every year. But when you want to start auditioning for joining a company is it different? For example do you go to a summer intensive and then at the end they decide whether or not they want you in the company? And I bring this up on this thread because you said see how you are around 18. So is that mainly an age type that they want if you want to get into a company? I know it all depends on how good you are at what age but the age people start auditioning for companys is around 17 and 18 right? And is there an age too late to start auditioning?

[Victoria Leigh]

Complicated question, dance4life, and that will vary considerably with every dancer. Some go through the SI route, into staying in the training program, and others audition directly for companies. Some dancers are ready at 17 or 18, most are not. Some remain in their own schools, others go to company schools, some go to college for a while, it just really depends on where the dancer is at the age of graduation from high school.

 

As to whether there is an age that is too late or not, I don't know. I think it would depend on whether the company is looking for a very young dancer to train and mold, or whether they want someone ready to fit right in, which would usually mean someone with experience. Therefore, some experience in the earlier years can be valuable. However, it's also possible that a dancer who is a bit later in developing company readiness might just be at the right point for a particular company at 20 or 21, instead of 17 or 18. I don't think this can be quantified or stated as any kind of absolute. Too many variables at play here!

[Guest dance4life87]

Well, I don't have a clue if you were a professional ballerina or not, but if you were, what age did you get into a company at?

[Victoria Leigh]

http://www.balletalert.com/housekeeping/Vi...toriaLeigh.html

[Guest Firebird3000]

Ms Leigh, how tall are you? Do you have the typical ballet body?

[Victoria Leigh]

5'5 and 3/4". By "typical", if you mean long legs, and good feet, rotation and flexibility, yes, I was born with those gifts.

[Guest dance4life87]

Mrs Leigh, although you have to be an amazing dancer to get into a company, were there any really good dancers in your companies without say the perfect feet and great rotation? I mean theres got to be some dancers out therre who aren't perfect and don't have the greatest body but are still chosen because of how amazing they dance right?

[Victoria Leigh]

Yes, dance4, there are some, and there always have been some. It's possible, just a lot more difficult, especially today. The standards seem to be higher all the time, and there are more well trained dancers with great facility around than ever before, so, the competition gets tougher and that makes it much harder for those who do not have the physical gifts. I'm not saying one has to have everything, but they have to have enough to be able to overcome what they don't have through great training and a LOT of very, very hard work. I'm not trying to destroy anyone's dream, but the reality is that it is a very hard career to achieve. There are far more good dancers out there than there are jobs for them, sad as that may be.