Survival Guide for Starting Your Dance Career.

Matthew Neff | Mar 04, 2008 | 0

So you just moved to your city of choice. You are starting to take class and audition.  If you are an NYC resident, this means that everything you need is in a backpack. Once you leave your apartment it's rare that you get to go back to pick stuff up. If you are an L.A. resident and lucky enough to have a car, then you can store everything in that.

What is essential? What is a good head-shot? What kinds of things should your resume say about you? All this and more after the jump!

You are embarking on a career in dance. Regardless of what dance genre, there are certain things you should do and know. If you are from a small town in Idaho or just graduated from a top conservatory for dance, go buy the Ross Reports. The Ross Reports are comprehensive updated lists of TV and film casting directors, producers, and talent agents. The Ross Reports are issued in print and digital formats. Each issue highlights a different aspect of the industry. Topics include TV commercials, voiceovers, comedy casting, soaps, independent films, and more. It will keep you up to date on what's going on. Even if you are set for a performing career in concert dance, having an agent to find you other gigs isn't a bad thing. Afterall, a extra job for a soap where you get a nice check for doing nothing can never hurt.

Next you will need that ever-important document that pimps your goods. The headshot.

Dancer headshots are probably the hardest to get right. Find the photographer you like. Ask your friends who they went to. Go to dance studios and look at the bulletin boards with promo flyers for photographers. Check out their websites. Don't put yourself in danger by walking into a studio alone with a photographer you don't know. (Go to Netflix or Blockbuster and rent the movie FAME.)

Do not purchase black and white headshots anymore. They are pretty much equivalent to a record player in 2008. It's out of date. Casting people want to see the color of your eyes and the color of your skin. Their job is assembling a group that would look good together based 10% on talent and 90% on the way you look. If your headshot is on the table during a casting that means they already think that 40 headshots are on a common level. If there are only 8 jobs then it comes down to the look of the overall image.  It sounds horrible but it's what needs to happen. It's just another reality that professionals learn to deal with. Ask your photographer for clothing tips for the shoot. Boyâ€^TMs hair and make-up is easy for the headshots. Girls have a whole different experience for their headshots. My advice for girls is to make sure the make-up and hair still look like you and are currently in style. If you go too wild it will end up looking like a Glamour Shot from an episode of Punk'd.

Get a picture that is best fitted for the types of jobs you are looking for. Concert work should have action dance shots that show off your body and technique. My advice is to stick to classical ballet class attire. Show off your muscle tone. Show off what you can bring to a company. Dress to impress. It's an old adage but it's still relevant. Commercial headshots should show your personality using a variety of hip clothing. You can also freestyle and let the photographer snap away to get a great body shot. Show your body off but do it in a classy way. Stay away from the video hoochie look.  Every performer also needs a standard headshot, which is an 8X10 photo of your face. It can be from the shoulder up or from the waist up. It should show your face and it should show some teeth.

There are several places to get them printed professionally. To get a great photo you will probably have to spend a good amount of money on the photographer and the printer.  You can also print them at home to save some money. Print the images with a high-resolution printer and a gloss finish photo paper.  You will need a paper cutter to cut the 8.5 X 11 photo paper down to the standard 8 X 10 size.  Make sure your name is printed in a clean simple font (Helvetica?) under your picture. I would only recommend printing your own pictures once you have established yourself and are familiar with the general format.

Now you need a resume. Include what your experience is. Do not lie on your resume. It's not cool and it's a stupid move to start (or end!) your career by lying. Keep the layout simple. So here is a copy of a traditional resume layout. There are variations on this but this is pretty much it.

*******NEVER PUT YOUR HOME ADDRESS ON ANY RESUME!!!!! YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE THIS RESUME IS GOING TO END UP. YOU DON'T WANT GARBAGE PICKERS TO HAVE YOUR INFORMATION. ********

[IMG]http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p6/matthewneff/ResumeSample.jpg[/IMG]

Here is a sample of a teaching resume. Teaching is a good way to get exposure and most studios offer free class to the teachers as a faculty bonus.

[IMG]http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p6/matthewneff/TeachingResumeSample.jpg[/IMG]

After you get your headshots with the resume attached to the back, all is set and it's time to do a mailing. Using the Ross Reports and send a cover letter with the reason for writing, headshot, and resume. Do not send any other materials until you are contacted. After you mail it, do yourself a favor and forget that you mailed anything out. Worrying with anticipation that someone will call you is just going to start eating at your soul. Mail and move on. That's your mantra. Mail and move on.

******YOU NEVER HAVE TO PAY YOUR AGENT TO BE REPRESENTED. THEY MAKE MONEY ONLY WHEN YOU BOOK A JOB THROUGH THEIR SUBMISSIONS.********

Now you need a job to support your career. There are several reputable services that publish audition notices such Backstage, Answers4Dancers.com, DanceNYC.org, Playbill.com, and PlaybillArts.com. You will find more resources as you search the net. If you have an agent they will send you out to auditions but you should still look on your own for jobs.  

A dancer should wear form-fitting clothing in appropriate auditions. Street clothing can be worn in most commercial dance auditions. Every dancer should make sure they are bringing the correct shoes to wear. Dress for success not for the circus. Girls should not wear any colored nail polish. For theatrical auditions you should look like a clean slate. Some people dress up in costumes because they think it makes them look more like the part. There are two problems with this. First, people in costumes tend to look like fools. Second, you are limiting yourself in the casting people's perspective.

What do you carry in a dance bag?

1: A small 8.5 X 11 portfolio to hold all your headshots and resume. You can also include your DVD reels and business cards with your contact info (no personal address). Always have a stocked portfolio. You will always need a headshot/resume for an audition. Always.

2: If you are auditioning for musical theater you will need a small binder full of your song selections. The sheet music should be neatly taped together. The sheet music should be marked with the 16 bar or 32 bar selection. Keep each song in a plastic sleeve inside your binder. Pull out the music of the sheet for the audition. If you are asked to sing a whole song then you can have each page in the front and back of each plastic sleeve so the accompanist can just flip through with ease.

3: Have a small cosmetics bag filled with all your hair and cosmetic needs: pins, elastics, gel, hairspray, make-up, deodorant, Band-Aids, toothbrush, and toothpaste. You can add more to this bag if you need other things.

4: Dance Clothes and Dance Shoes. Keep a small mesh bag with all your clothing but keep it minimal. Just keep the basics in this bag as a back up. You never know when you will need a sport bra, booty shorts, dancebelt, leotard, tights or a pair of socks. In another small mesh bag you should keep the basic shoes you might need such as ballet flats, pointe shoes, jazz shoes, and a pair of heels.

5: Water, water, and water. Hydration is key. You should also pack a few granola bars or some other health food bar. Auditions can last for several hours sometimes. You want to make sure you have something to snack on to keep you alert and awake.

There you have it. Those are the basics that should help you make your transition into the audition circuit. Good Luck. Break a Leg. Merde!

Blog ya later!

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Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, Tap, Modern, Broadway, Competitions & Conventions, Performance, dance auditions, starting a career in dance (all tags)