Dancers

Dancing is a highly competitive profession, and you should take advantage of every opportunity to gain experience and increase your skills. Naturally, you should be taking dance lessons, and usually this will also give you the opportunity to perform publicly. Try to get as much experience as you can performing publicly as both a solo dancer and with groups.

Your dance instructor is also a valuable source of information regarding this career. Instructors can also speak from personal experience about the dance schools they attended as well as give advice about what schools they think might be right for you. If you live near colleges or universities that offer dance programs, make an appointment to visit the department and talk to a student or faculty member there. This will increase your knowledge of what programs are available and what their requirements are.

Finally, use your library, a bookstore, or the Internet to find and read articles about dance, choreography, and happenings in the dance world. One publication to look for is Dance Magazine (http://www.dancemagazine.com), which contains useful information for young dancers.