Dancers

Career Overview

Perform dances. May perform on stage, for broadcasting, or for video recording.

Also Known As

• Ballet Dancer
• Company Dancer
• Dancer
• Soloist Dancer

Alternate Job Titles

• Acrobatic Dancer
• Ballerina
• Ballet Company Member
• Ballet Dancer
• Ballet Soloist
• Belly Dancer
• Burlesque Dancer
• Company Dancer
• Dance Artist
• Dance Performer
• Dancer
• Discotheque Dancer
• Entertainment Dancer
• Exotic Dancer
• Go-Go Dancer

What You'll Do

In this role, your typical responsibilities include:

• Study and practice dance moves required in roles.
• Harmonize body movements to rhythm of musical accompaniment.
• Train, exercise, and attend dance classes to maintain high levels of technical proficiency, physical ability, and physical fitness.
• Coordinate dancing with that of partners or dance ensembles.
• Develop self-understanding of physical capabilities and limitations, and choose dance styles accordingly.
• Perform classical, modern, or acrobatic dances in productions, expressing stories, rhythm, and sound with their bodies.
• Collaborate with choreographers to refine or modify dance steps.

Knowledge You'll Use

You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:

• Fine Arts
• English Language

Key Abilities

This career requires key abilities in:

• Gross Body Coordination
• Extent Flexibility
• Dynamic Strength
• Stamina
• Trunk Strength
• Gross Body Equilibrium
• Dynamic Flexibility
• Multilimb Coordination
• Static Strength
• Oral Comprehension

Work Style

People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:

• Perseverance
• Achievement Orientation
• Adaptability
• Self-Confidence
• Optimism

What Matters in This Career

This career tends to satisfy these work values:

• Achievement
• Relationships
• Working Conditions
• Recognition
• Independence

Education & Preparation

Typical Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)

On-the-Job Training: None or short demonstration

Education Details: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.

Experience Required: Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.

Technology You'll Use

Popular Technologies & Software

• Adobe Photoshop
• Facebook
• Microsoft Office software
• Microsoft Outlook

Tools & Equipment

• Balance balls
• Dance barres
• Exercise bands
• Laptop computers
• Men's ballet flats
• Men's ballroom dancing shoes
• Men's clogging shoes
• Men's hip hop dance shoes
• Men's jazz shoes
• Men's Latin dance shoes
• Men's modern dance shoes
• Men's social dance shoes
• Men's tap shoes
• Multi-speaker stereo systems
• Personal computers

Work Environment

• Physical Proximity
• Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
• Contact With Others
• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
• Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body

Related Careers

If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:

---

---

Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.