Dancers are the best hires

When I talk to parents of young dancers, they rarely consider it a viable career.  They think that their child should dance for fun and then go to college and get a “real” job.  In a sense, they are right.  Being just a dancer doesn’t pay much, and you can only dance for so long.  However, they are missing a crucial part about dancers.  The training and careers we go through make us some of the most hard working, dedicated, and intelligent people you will ever meet.  When a dancer is ready to retire from the stage, they have the skills to excel in any field they wish and here’s why:

Virginia Trudeau Photography, courtesy of Nevada Ballet

Neuroplasticity

Dancers are fast & diverse learners.  More times than I can count, I have had to learn over 30 minutes of choreography and perform it in under 2 weeks.  Yes we have a “vocabulary” of steps, but many times we are having to learn completely new things that aren’t in the vocabulary on the spot.  

“On count one you’re going to step on your right foot with your head looking downstage, your right arm at a 45 degree angle in front of you with 2 fingers pointing, your back foot is pointed and your left arm is wrapped around your torso.  On count two…”

One count, if you’re lucky it’s slow, equals one second.  Imagine memorizing, perfecting, and performing 1,800 of those instructions in only 2 weeks.  This hyper-fast learning and attention to detail translates to all aspects of life.

Excel only has a bit over 1,000 commands; I could learn that in under 2 weeks.  Could many people do that?

Performing Under Pressure

A live show isn’t a report you can spend hours revising.  You get one shot, and you’re in front of thousands of people.  You learn how to manage your stress, and turn that anxious feeling into energy.  You learn how to instantly correct mistakes and make them look like you meant it.  You learn how to deal with failure, and how to keep going no matter what happens. A fast approaching deadline or presenting in front of a few stakeholders in a board room isn’t going to phase us.  In fact, the higher the stakes, the better we probably will perform!

Dedication

Being a professional dancer is a 24/7 job.  You learn that the work is never finished, and to continue to improve, but also not get injured you have to “grind”.  My schedule typically looks like this:

• Gym 8 - 9 am

• Ballet Class 9:30 - 11:00 am

• Rehearsals: 11:15 - 6:15

• Physical Therapy: 6:30 - 7:30

• BalletScout Work: 7:30 - 10:00

• Yoga 10:00 - 10:30

100 hour weeks are normal for us and we love it.  Life feels wrong when we aren’t striving to be better, putting our heart and soul into our next project, and taking every advantage we can to maintain our health.  Dancers will be the most dedicated, hard working hire you will ever make.