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| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 108 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 208 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 274 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 274 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 280 | 0.00% |
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $51,846 | $24.93 | +4.0% |
| 2024 | $49,830 | $23.96 | +5.4% |
| 2023 | $47,287 | $22.73 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | $46,263 | $22.24 | +2.8% |
| 2021 | $45,007 | $21.64 | +2.1% |
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 450 | 23% |
| 2 | Delaware | 961,939 | 214 | 22% |
| 3 | Oklahoma | 3,930,864 | 753 | 19% |
| 4 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 371 | 18% |
| 5 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,447 | 17% |
| 6 | Louisiana | 4,684,333 | 745 | 16% |
| 7 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 901 | 15% |
| 8 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 564 | 11% |
| 9 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 91 | 10% |
| 10 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 890 | 9% |
| 11 | Tennessee | 6,715,984 | 512 | 8% |
| 12 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 437 | 8% |
| 13 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 436 | 8% |
| 14 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 241 | 8% |
| 15 | Vermont | 623,657 | 51 | 8% |
| 16 | Texas | 28,304,596 | 1,898 | 7% |
| 17 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 387 | 7% |
| 18 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 528 | 5% |
| 19 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 64 | 5% |
| 20 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 52 | 5% |
Bard College at Simon's Rock: The Early College
Butler University
University of Arizona
University of Nevada - Las Vegas
Sam Houston State University
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
Kennesaw State University
Mary Marino: The art of Theatre and Dance is often taught in addition to being performed. Many graduates find themselves teaching at independent dance studios and high schools to supplement their income. Some also pursue certifications in yoga, pilates, or personal training for added financial security. These "back pocket" jobs not only provide a source of income, but also offer flexible employment options and promote good health. Performers must be prepared for the ebb and flow of employment opportunities, which often come in the form of temporary or seasonal contracts. The audition process can also be lengthy and frustrating. Therefore, it is crucial to have additional skills and income streams at your disposal. The more versatile you are in your skill set, the better equipped you will be to financially plan for your career and future.
Mary Marino: Physical Stamina, Collaborative attitude, Curiosity and Creativity, Work Ethic, Time Management, Open to feedback/Quality Listener, Strong mind, Tough skin, Soft front
Mary Marino: Understanding the distinction between working as an independent contractor and an employee in the performing arts industry is crucial. If you're an independent contractor, it's wise to collaborate with an accountant to guarantee that you pay your taxes on a quarterly basis. Furthermore, keeping track of your expenses and budgeting your earnings is critical because many expenses may be claimed as write-offs. Additionally, as a performer, having health insurance is essential. To advance your career, it's crucial to be open to a variety of opportunities and accept most of them. Your resume is a reflection of who you are, therefore it's essential to establish an online presence that showcases your work, such as videos, a resume, or a CV. This may be accomplished by creating a website or a creative page that is worthwhile to invest in to ensure professionalism. It's also a good idea to explore opportunities beyond the performing arts. The more skills you acquire in various areas of theatre, the more marketable you become. You might also consider working in technical roles such as sound or lights, or even learning to sew or assist as a wardrobe assistant. Theatre is a diverse industry, and if you can offer your abilities in multiple areas within an organization, you become a valuable asset. It's essential to maintain a kind but firm demeanor when interacting with others. Setting clear boundaries and realistic goals for yourself is crucial. Cultivating strong relationships with like-minded individuals is also a valuable pursuit. While it's important to safeguard your emotional wellbeing, it's equally important to take bold action and seize opportunities when you feel up to it. Remember to prioritize punctuality and preparedness, as these are the traits that will impress potential employers, not just your social media popularity.
Bard College at Simon's Rock: The Early College
Dance
Tara Lorenzen: Take classes in all different forms of dance: Ballet, Modern, Hip Hop, etc... Never assume that devoting your study to one style of dance will set you up for a particular company or job. Most choreographers and repertory companies expect dancers to be well versed in multiple dance aesthetics. Take class everyday.
Tara Lorenzen: Acquire as many administrative tools as possible! Respond to emails quickly and have a personal writing practice. Show up for everything and never say how exhausted you are. People respond to others who are engaged citizens but are delightful to work with.
Tara Lorenzen: I predict more multidisciplinary collaboration (text, AI, film, theater) in Dance being an important skill to consider when entering the field. This approach is a return to a multi-authorship model and community resource sharing. And fun!
Butler University
Dance
Ramón Flowers MFA, ACUE: You can maximize your salary potential by adhering to all of the advice I mentioned in my previous responses.
Ramón Flowers MFA, ACUE: My advice would be to continue to work hard in ballet classes and remain relevant in the field by continuing to do research that would enable you to keep your tools sharpened.
Ramón Flowers MFA, ACUE: The skills I think will become more important and prevalent in the near future are the ones that will keep you on your toes, literally and figuratively. Those being the tools that will keep you well-rounded with the ability to adapt quickly to any style of dance that might be expected of you in any given company's repertory, or at auditions.
JaMorris Rivers: There are three skills that come to mind: 1. Cultivate your voice, 2. know the difference but train both for choreography and improv, and 3. be the hungriest person in the room. Dancers that cultivate their artistic voice and critical consciousness to speak truth to power is an essential skill that continues to challenge the way artists serve their communities. Artistic expression that serves humanity cuts deeper than belief systems, physical characteristics, nationality, gender, or sexual identity—wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness and unity. In terms of movement practices, dancers should develop an understanding between choreography and embodied dance practices. Both approaches can be developed through training. However, choreography deals with an idea, or a set of ideas presented to the artist and how much interpretation one can augment that idea. If you are entering an environment where you are representing a choreographer's ideas or a company's mission, be sure that your values also align with its mission and vision statements. Embodied dances cultivate a deep collaborative relationship in communication with others. Improvisation, text-cuing movement and sensation research such as Gaga, social dances like contact partnering and Lindy Hop, and the ever-evolving jazz dance continuum which expands through a much larger cultural phenomenon under the umbrella of Hip-Hop like breaking and house dance; continues to be at the forefront of the dance industry. These embodiments train a sophisticated system of movement intelligence that can only be cultivated from the experience, the setting, including all of the elements: the music, the people who innovate and transmit the dance and history, and the moment where it all happens. With the Paris Olympics featuring breaking as an Olympic sport and the increasing demand in the entertainment industry, it would be wise for a dancer to invest in their understanding not only at the level of movement, but the entire ethos of Hip-Hop culture to develop an appreciation of its dance pioneers. Its history is vast, profound, and absolutely necessary to honor the people who have contributed to the art that continues to be a global phenomenon. No matter what background one has trained in, I encourage all movement practitioners to experience some form of embodied dance where they are forced to negotiate their thinking-body and their acting-body, in real time, in community with others. Now, both approaches can coexist, but to develop improv, you have to be there to feel it! Most directors and choreographers don't look for the most talented person in the room. They look for the hungriest dancers who demonstrate a willingness to collaborate with them. Depending on the prospects, they look for chemistry like how well one interacts with others, how well they respond to feedback, how they show that spark in their eyes, and that hustle to take whatever is thrown at them to bring their vision to life. Choreographers know that if they don't have people like that in the room, it makes their work much harder to make decisions and feel inspired to create. Although showing hunger and a creative drive is a subjective feeling that choreographers witness, it's still a skill that one can develop to show that you have what it takes to be a collaborator in the process.
JaMorris Rivers: Self-advocacy using a digital platform remains at the intersection of getting your name out in the community and getting ahead in the industry. Nevertheless, going to an audition or working with an agent does have its value, but self-activation produces its own kind of fulfilment and can often lead to small gigs that align with your unique vision as a dance artist. The key is to plan, plan, plan, ahead. Start small. Do you have a performance piece that you performed well, post-class combination, improv, or a reel that highlights your strengths as a dancer, choreographer, and/or educator? Dancers should develop a digital calling card, a portfolio of previous works, a website, or a media page dedicated to their craft and writing about dance. When one is not racing to the next audition, find time to archive recent projects to a digital space; it could lead to an opportunity for the next future gig. It's also a space where dancers can continue to hone their expression as a reflective journal which has its own reward. It can be a creative habit that highlights their artist statement, their teaching philosophy, a writing sample or an instructional video as a teaching sample, and/or creative work and services that one can provide to get paid. Just don't forget to include all necessary contact info. It can also be used to advertise as a model for photography, commercial work, serve as an adjudicator for competitive dance, post one's CV for graduate school, or a blog/vlog space to vent creative processes. Don't forget that dancers are writers as well. Writing about dance is an opportunity to be compensated. Performances and dance texts need strong writers to write reviews too. If you have the skills, your website can advertise yourself as a dance writer willing to attend and critique performances—it takes practice, but you've got to start somewhere. Try writing for your local dance studio or university and work your way up to larger publications and performance venues. It might even lead to a podcast or working with an arts organization to supplement your income by managing media platforms, photography, archiving, grant research, or other areas of their management team. Just continue to look at your vision and adjust your plan according to your interests as you acquire them. Don't underestimate your potential in community theatre. Many dancers today graduate and audition for big entertainment industries like Broadway, concert dance companies, sports teams, cruise, or some form of commercial areas but often don't consider dance for local theatre and pick-up dance companies that work from project to project. These avenues can bridge gaps in employment as long as they also align with the vision that you set out for yourself. The idea is to lead with an absolute confidence and creativity. Keep circling back to adapt your strategic plan. Think about the specific skills that add value to your current status. Ask yourself 'What makes me unique right now? What is my current value that I add? How can I leverage that skill to a level of compensation? Are there areas to share what I have, or do I need to conduct research/training to face a new challenge?' Continue to develop your skills to become an expert in that particular area. As you master an area, move to a new challenge and give yourself permission to take on new endeavors while continuing to build each skill set that you currently have to offer within the field of dance.
JaMorris Rivers: Trust yourself. Design a strategic plan for your career early on that includes a clear vision of where you see yourself thriving and a mission statement to get you there. Be sure that your plan highlights one to three strengths that you can bring to a new job. Align your next step with your interests. Before accepting any new role do the research so you know the details about any enterprise as well as understand your own curiosity about how you might impact a new job prospect. Learn to say 'no' with honesty and sincerity. Go where you are valued, challenged, and where your voice can develop. Don't think of your "flaws" as weaknesses, consider what makes you unique and tap into those traits to turn them into your superpower. Build strong partnerships in every creative environment that you find yourself. Be aware of how you feel when new opportunities are presented to you. Don't settle for any gig that opens up. Be sure that your next step is in agreement with your strategic vision that you have planned while being willing to make small adjustments to your short-term goals. Smaller goals should move in the direction of the bigger picture, that's your vision. It's about looking at yourself and asking, 'what makes me unique in this moment? What makes me valuable with this next step that I am facing?' Ask yourself, 'Am I excited? Fearful? or Uninspired?' If you can answer these questions, they can be a guide to the right decision.
Gianni Howell: To maximize your salary potential at the start of your career, focus on building your resume. Accept paid work opportunities even if they do not align perfectly with your long-term career vision. These jobs might not be immediately fulfilling, but the connections you make, the stage experience you gain, and the enhancements to your resume will lead to more significant opportunities. Additionally, being multidisciplinary can make you more valuable to employers, who may compensate you for a broader range of skills. For example, when I worked for Cirque du Soleil, I collaborated with the marketing team to create videos for social media, adding another dimension to my role and value to the organization.
Gianni Howell: In the next 3-5 years, being multidisciplinary will become increasingly important, particularly in circus arts. A dancer with skills in aerial work, pole, acrobatics, and similar disciplines will have a better chance of securing work due to their foundation in circus arts. Additionally, dancers should leverage their creativity to learn a skill outside their physical craft, such as video production, photography, or graphic design. This enables them to apply their artistic voice in various ways and makes them more versatile and valuable in the industry.
Gianni Howell: My general advice to graduates starting their careers is to continue learning. It is easy to focus solely on securing a job, celebrating college graduation with a vacation, or taking a break. Even if you land your first job and feel like you’ve 'made it,' it's crucial to remember that there is always room for growth and improvement. Each class, job, or life experience contributes to your development as a performer and entertainer. Stay aware of this and keep growing, continuously applying new knowledge and skills to your craft.
Hayley Meier (she/her): In 3-5 years, I think the incorporation of interdisciplinary practices will be even more prevalent in this field. No longer will people be attending single-disciplinary forms of entertainment, but rather, they will be interested in attending multifaceted shows that bring a diverse community of people together. We are already beginning to see this shift and I think it’s going to continue to expand and reach new heights. This trend reflects a growing desire for innovation and inclusivity. Adaptability and open-mindedness will be paramount traits for dancers navigating this evolving landscape. As such, dancers who possess additional skills beyond movement will be highly sought after.
Hayley Meier (she/her): One of the most crucial pieces of advice I can offer - leverage your connections and resources effectively. Reach out to the people that you know (who are already working in the field) for advice and guidance. You will be so surprised to discover how small the dance community truly is. Building these connections can open doors to opportunities you might not have otherwise encountered. While setting healthy boundaries is important, I encourage you to be proactive and seize opportunities that align with your goals. Saying 'yes' to projects, collaborations, and performances, no matter the scope, will contribute to your growth and will give you that “professional experience” that so many companies are seeking. Aim high, but don’t limit yourself by only focusing on the big-named companies. Many smaller companies can offer invaluable learning experiences, mentorship opportunities, and leadership development to help build your foundation. Invest your time wisely. Attend workshops, take classes from as many instructors as possible, and immerse yourself in the community you want to be involved with. Stay inspired and stay informed. Remember, every experience, whether big or small, contributes to your journey as a dancer and choreographer and you never know what door is about to open.
Hayley Meier (she/her): Be as diverse of a dancer as possible. Explore various styles and techniques, continuously seeking opportunities to learn from different people. This will not only help to strengthen your technical skill and artistry, but it will broaden your marketability, opening doors to more performance and job opportunities. Develop a professional website or portfolio showcasing your work, experience, and skills. Utilize social media to promote yourself as an artist and connect with like-minded individuals in the industry. Networking often leads to new and exciting collaborative opportunities. Lastly, know your value, and don’t be afraid to negotiate salaries and contracts. Research industry standards, get advice from professionals, seek guidance from mentors, and be prepared to advocate for your worth. This can seem very intimidating, but it is a skill that can and should be developed. Remember, it’s not just about securing higher pay; it’s about valuing your skills and contributions to the dance community.
Dr. Elizabeth Shea: Stay open to all opportunities, and do not narrow your artistic directions. Sometimes offers may feel outside of your interests and skills, but every experience works to build your career in the field.
Dionne Noble MFA: Don’t shy away from opportunities and do your research. Try not to say no to a great opportunity due to logistics. Say yes, and then figure out who in your support system can help you make it happen.
Dionne Noble MFA: Versatility and awareness of technology. We have to be ready to communicate how beneficial dance and movement is for our overall health and communal expression.
Dionne Noble MFA: Apply or audition for positions where the organizations seem to have it together. Know what your skill set is and find organizations that can use your expertise. If you know your value, you can communicate it more effectively.
Mr. Timothy Cowart: No matter how the development of AI technology impacts learning and automates administrative tasks, dance is a person-to-person kind of skill that is passed down from one human being to the next. If you are a choreographer communicating your choreographic ideas to dancers, or if you are a dance instructor helping other dancers learn to move with efficiency and understanding, we are all educators on some level. It is vital for dancers to have pedagogical skills to work with various communities and maintain this human, person-to-person connection. There is no doubt that AI is transformative, and technology can help dancers as a tool for feedback and can play a role in dance education, but at its core, dance comes down to people communicating with each other. So dancers need to have good communication skills.
Mr. Timothy Cowart: Dancers can maximize their salary potential by having an entrepreneurial mindset. They have to find multiple income streams and piece together how they can provide value and benefit to others using their skills. Dance has moved into the gig economy and so dancers can make money teaching, choreographing, earning artists' fees, writing articles, graphic design, print-on-demand, video editing, photography, catering, affiliate marketing, monetizing social media, freelance services, arts administration, grant writing, somatic, wellness, and therapeutic practices, physical therapy, and athletic training are all various ways that dancers supplement their income sources. Dancers have to hustle and have to look for ways to meet their fixed expenses by combining their performance work with something else part-time.
Mr. Timothy Cowart: I believe that dance is a do-it-yourself kind of an art form. A lot of opportunities come to those who work well with and communicate well with others. Graduates need to be dependable, persistent, passionate, and adaptable. The skills required to find work go beyond refining one's dance technique and movement skills, they also require a dancer to be supportive of the creative ideas of other people and to look for ways to contribute and help. In many ways, it comes down to a dancer's character. Can you work well with others? Can you be where you say you are going to be and do what you say you will do? Can you be trusted to complete a task, be resourceful, and see it through to the end? Can you get along with other people and be encouraging of them and their ideas? If you are dancing in a company, you are spending long hours in rehearsal, in the theatre, and traveling together in close proximity with other people. You will need to be able to get along and contribute to the group. As I said, dance is a do-it-yourself kind of an art form, but you don't do it alone. It is done in community.
Daniel Burkholder: If you are interested in performing with a specific dance company or choreographer, find ways to study with them. Take weekly technique classes, enroll in a workshop, and attend every performance you can. Many companies do have auditions, but most dancers are hired because the choreographer or dance company artistic director is already familiar with you as a dancer and as a person. And, be patient. Success in the dance field often takes time. Even if you see other people getting jobs or opportunities quickly, it is always the artists that commit to being a dance artist for the long hall that are still in the field, making work, and performing decades later. Better to be a slow burn than a flash in the pan.
Daniel Burkholder: The best way to make a living as a dance artist, especially at the beginning of your career is to be able to apply your skills as a dance artist to multiple contexts. Being able to perform is important, but so is your ability to choreography, collaborate, and teach dance in different settings (K-12, dance studios, professional studios, etc..). Having additional skills can also be helpful, like having knowledge of dance on video, photography, lighting design, or administrative skills.
Daniel Burkholder: This depends on what avenues you want to explore as a dance artist. But, if the pandemic showed us anything, is that having a knowledgeable practice with creating dances for video will be more and more important. This does not just include sharing on social media, but how can you craft and develop sophisticated and thoughtful artistic works of significant length and depth using video as a platform.
Autumn Eckman: In the next 3-5 years, marketing and self-promotion through social media, dance related forums/websites or advertisements, and face-to-face contact will become more important. Graduates are taking on their own creative projects as independents early on, learning how to manage businesses and become successful sole proprietors at a young age.
Autumn Eckman: I would advise a graduate beginning their career in dance to not be afraid to ask for mentorship and advice from their college professors even though that have graduated. Building and maintaining professional relationships is crucial to building a meaningful and sustainable professional network.
Autumn Eckman: You can maximize your salary potential when starting your career in dance by exercising as many skillsets as you can. Teach, perform, choreograph, and take on administrative responsibilities. Have a clear and concise resume that highlights your skills and practice how to interview in-person to showcase your experience and value.