So You Think You Can Dance?

Many dancers know what they want to do for a living from the time they put their left foot in and their left foot out in the Hokey Pokey in elementary school. So you think you can dance?

A real dancer is the one who loves to take the stage during school years and beyond. In school, the dancer is the one who performs in lively musical stage productions. The dancer excels as a cheerleader, in a school dance troupe and related organizations of all kinds. The dancer’s life is inextricably intertwined with the art, the music, the beat and the movement of dance. Does dance direct you in a certain direction? Do you have what it takes to be a dancer? Is a dance career in your future? So you think you can dance?

Real dancers study for years, and they practice even longer. Although the stage limelight was replaced by electric lighting long ago, dancers still love to be in it. They will continue to live for the limelight and the public eye throughout their lives. If you don’t feel comfortable in front of ogling crowds, professional dancing is probably not for you. Even if you love the public eye, and even if you have a dance agent, there is no guarantee that you will be involved as much as you would like. There is no reliable way to predict if you will go from dance audition to dance gig.

Some careers are easier to be successful at than others. Dancing is definitely not one of the easier career tracks. You will never make it on the dance stage by sitting back and relaxing. You’ve got to take it seriously, and you will need to dance, dance, dance your little tooshie off. Even so, with all the work, effort and training, there is no guarantee that anyone will ever discover you. Even if someone does discover you, there is a good chance that you will never be reasonably compensated for your years of work, training and exercise.

Unfortunately, more dancers retire from waiting tables and other occupations than from dancing. If you are easily deterred, you’d best start studying a different profession. Professional dance in any form is not an easy life or an easy career, and it’s definitely not a forum in which everyone is noticed. A dance career is not one in which everyone is successful. No matter how many years you study, no matter how much effort you put into it, there’s always a chance that you will never catch a producer’s eye.

It’s unfair that so many dancers don’t get the rewards they are due. Nevertheless, someone is trying to do something about the injustices. Sisters Clarinda and Philadelphia Tivoli founded Performer Secrets to benefit all performing arts specialists. They seek fair pay, fair opportunities and recognition for dancers and other performers.

If you consider yourself a dance-aholic, you can attend the first of its kind “The Performer Secrets Workshop for Dancers” to be held November 30, 2008 at the McDonald Performing Arts College in Sydney, Australia. You can attend the dance workshop for a donation of a mere $25, which will be donated to charity.