Adult Dancers: Meet the Floor

I previously wrote about Adult Dancers and the difficulty they may face while at the barre, whether it is their very first class, or they are returning to class after a long hiatus from the dance world and studio.  As much as the barre might be a challenge, stepping away from the barre to do the center and across the floor portions of class can be even scarier.  In this post, I cover some common, albeit unpleasant, surprises and how best to handle them.

Facing the Mirror

Although you may clear this hurdle while at the barre, my experience and observation has been that most Adult Dancers are not as studious at looking in the mirror while at the barre in their first classes.  Usually buck beginners are too focused on just getting the steps right (perhaps even having to watch another student in front of them) or even a seasoned dancer returning is also focused on "getting through barre," feeling their bodies vs. intensely watching in the mirror to scrutinize their technique.  And it's scary to look in the mirror.  That shock of pink tights and a leotard (even with some warm ups or a skirt on) can be jarring.  For a returning dancer its equally shocking because the last time you saw that reflection might have been when you were in your teens or early 20's and well...our bodies change as we age, or have children or simply become not as active as we once were.  Even if you skip the leotard and tights for something more 'common' such as yoga apparel or sweats, it's a different setting and different movements than what you may be accustomed to seeing in the gym mirrors or home mirrors.

The best advice I have for you is to make your peace with it sooner rather than later.  When I returned to dance after a few years off (and the majority of those years were dedicated to cheeseburgers and cupcakes) I spent a very long time wearing warm ups and junk throughout the entire class, telling myself I was doing everyone a favor to not have to see my bulges.  Never really making much progress with weight loss nor ever becoming comfortable with the image I saw.  Finally, during a summer session with an A/C on the fritz, I took the junk off.  Even though it was tough for the first few weeks to look at myself, I noticed that I automatically made more healthy choices with my eating habits and got a lot more disciplined with attending classes and doing cross training workouts, because of what I saw, as opposed to what I hid.  By the end of the summer, I had lost weight, and even though I was not a 90lbs. dancer again, I became comfortable with what I saw in leotards and tights.  Which may not be much in the studio per se, but in regular clothes I looked the best I had in years and my confidence soared.

Cinder Block Legs

While at the barre, your leg muscles may have taken on a life of their own with the shakes.  Another possibility is that barre wasn't too bad, and maybe all the rhetoric of the "big, difficult come back" was all hooey.  But somehow, for reasons no one knows or can understand, suddenly away from the barre, your legs will most likely feel like you've got cinder blocks on your feet as opposed to ballet slippers.  Center barre work typically shifts weight constantly between the feet, and when you're not used to "pulling up" and being off your heels, that weight change either becomes impossible or your muscles tense so much, simple tendus will make your legs burn.  Adagio, which once was my favorite part of class when I was a professional, quickly became the most dreaded part of class, because I no longer had the balance, extension and core muscles to maintain slow balances, slow developpes and penches.  Across the floor is also frustrating because you most likely will know what you need to do, but translating it to your legs becomes like those nightmares where you want to run but you're frozen or stuck in mud and can't move.

The best advice for this is to keep with it.  All these "blocks" are temporary and will improve with time.  It also helps to stick with the same class/ teacher.  Many teachers have a particular style that their combinations follow, so it becomes a little easier to pick up on these movements when there is that consistency in style.  The other advice is to keep pulled up, don't "sit' back in your heels.  Also, when you are battling your body and/ or learning ballet for the first time as an adult, you are constantly thinking about the step you're doing, and this sometimes makes us late for the following step. Always be thinking about the next move in the combination (to anticipate a weight shift or body position change).  And last, keep your movements small. Don't worry about getting a leg high (work at 90 degrees or lower for awhile), or doing multiple turns or traveling right away or including battu (beats) in your jumps.  

Last advice is to breathe.  This could just be a personal flaw, but many times I'm so focused on what I'm doing, I find that I'm holding my breath during the exercises which, as you can imagine, makes me feel like collapsing afterward.  Even if you aren't as extreme as that, you may still be experiencing that your wind and stamina are not up to par, so always breathe and hydrate and feel free to take a break or simplify a movement if you're not quite ready for it.

Now You Got Boobs

Some, if not most, young girls wait and hope for the day they grow breasts.  And although under almost all circumstances I am quite happy with my C cup, when it comes to allegro (especially petite allegro-small jumps) in class, those things are in the way!  It actually can be quite comical to see a well-endowed chest doing jumps; I know I have given myself a chuckle many times, if not some of my fellow dancers.  This "new addition" can also make a difference with your turns.  In my younger days as a dancer, I was a "natural turner."  Easily pulling triples and quads en pointe and the infamous 32 fouettes and piques in a circle were somewhat effortless, etc.  But, once I became "top-heavy," I basically had to re-train how to turn all over again, because I was in fact, aerodynamically different.

Re-training aside (which does take time, so be patient with yourself) recognize that this is now part of your body.  Wear a sports bra or leotard with a built in bra.  And/ or favor the dance wear that is a higher cut along the chest.  But technically speaking with regards to turns and jumps, beware not to throw your upper back backwards or compensate by letting your rear go out on your landings and plies.  These are things I naturally/ unconsciously did because of my curves to hide the impact of a landing, but they will lead to back and knee injuries at some point, so keep alignment of your body as the strictest priority even if it feels uncomfortable or looks a little off for you.  

4 Guidelines to Selecting a Dance School

With the school year starting and the coming of Fall, an important step for many parents at this time is selecting a dance school for their child/ children.  Selecting a dance school can be a daunting task.  Depending on your area, there are usually many to choose from and selecting the right fit for your student is critical to their happiness, their dance education and their long-term success with their dancing career, should they decide to pursue that avenue.   It’s true that while many young students looking for their first school, perhaps around the age of 3-6 years old, the following guidelines may be a bit premature.  However, it’s still beneficial to have your dance student start that young if they show an interest as it always begins the process of fine tuning motor skills and balance and lays the foundation for other benefits for life skills that dance provides.  And, as your dance student matures and shapes their focus, being at the right type of dance school is critical.

1. Know What Your Dance Student Wants

This again is largely dependent on age or in some cases, drive and maturity.  A first time student and/ or younger student may be trying dance out.  The parent may be looking to expose their child to various activities to see what holds the highest interest.  If this is the case, most any school choice will be fine, keeping in mind more personal conveniences such as lower tuition costs, schedule ease, proximity to home or regular school, etc.  

Many schools can offer little more than a glorified social atmosphere and the dancing is amateur and more of an extracurricular activity.  For some, this is the type of school you want.  If your child is merely looking for the social and/ or fitness aspect, then most schools will be okay.  However, if your dance student is perhaps older, has an established interest in gaining skill and ability, and has expressed enthusiasm for pursuing dance on a more serious level beyond an extracurricular activity, a more pre-professional school will be a better fit.  A great way to determine where your child might be happiest is if when asking your child how their dance class went, if your dance student  responds with a one-word answer like, "Fine" or "It was okay" vs. being descriptive about what they learned, and describe the fun aspects of the class or upcoming performance, etc. that is a way to understand the commitment level your child has. 

Another perspective to consider is most parents, especially after some years of the dance student attending classes, will want to make sure that the money being spent on lessons is serving a greater purpose than just another place for their child to socialize.  The next “level” in dance schools to identify is the performance opportunities.  While almost all dance schools will provide their students with at least some sort of annual performance or recital, some of the more professional schools will offer additional performance opportunities, including competitions and Spring and/ or Holiday performances or other smaller opportunities, in addition to the annual performance.  These schools will also support students either attending other summer intensive programs or provide their own.  Most students of these types of schools will be avid students until they graduate high school but may even continue their dancing afterward and will gain knowledge of life skills that they will use time and time again outside of the dance world.

The most advanced level of school is one that provides the multiple performance opportunities, combined with serious study and educational parameters.  These schools provide a structured curriculum and educational path of development specific to age and level using classic methodologies, such as the Vagonova Syllabus or the Royal Academy of Dance Syllabus.  On the ballet side for ages of around 11 years+, the school will require a minimum of 3-4 ballet technique classes per week as well as pointe and other disciplines.  The school also provides seminars and master classes from other professional dancers and instructors, usually with some renown within the dance world, as well as brings them in for choreography to expose their dancers to other styles and build their professional resumes and networks.  Their staff are all true ex-professional dancers from professional ballet companies and/ or Broadway, and/ or have professional certifications in a classical methodology.  This is not to say that there aren't first class teachers out there even if they were not professionals, but down the road, your dancer may want to be "raised by a dance family" as I call it, that has established connections and a network with other professionals within the dance world, as this is a useful aspect in garnering a paid position at some point.

The very highest pedigree of schools also provide scholarship opportunities for their students.  This is not just a tremendous benefit for students and their families facing the very large financial investment (perhaps even burden) of pursuing dance, but it is also a major indication that the school is stable (discussed more below) and well-managed.

2. What You Can Tell (or Can’t Tell) From a Website

One the first things we notice about websites before reading content is to notice their

images and photographs, and a dance school website is no different.  If the images presented on the website mainly show kids hugging each other or an instructor kneeling down with their arm around a student, they are usually an amateur type school.  Pictures showcased like this tell me they have no real dance photos of their students and they want to project that they are a school that fosters team work and nurturing environments.  And again, there is nothing wrong with this atmosphere, especially for the younger or first time student, but just don’t expect the dance education to be high caliber or actual pre-professional.  Although it might be possible, in general, your dance student’s skill to be an advanced dancer is unlikely if this is the type of school you choose.

For a more advanced school, their websites will generally showcase actual photos and sometimes videos from their performances.  Beware of the “staged” dance photos taken in costume, with static poses in front of a back drop.  These are like school pictures and don’t really show anything except whether or not the school has tasteful and age appropriate costume selections.   

Another defining factor between various schools is if they lean more towards competitions or towards a repertoire.  A competition school will showcase the competitions they attend annually and what awards they have won (the studio is usually littered with trophies), and their focus tends to be on hip-hop, jazz and tap.  A ballet or professional arts school will showcase repertoire with classics the school performs, such as The Nutcracker and other classic ballet works or other famous works of great choreographers, whether it be full productions or excerpts.

Faculty and instructors are usually also provided on the websites.  If you are looking for a more advanced school for your student, the faculty experience and background is critical to review.  If most of the faculty looks like they are in high school or college, they likely have little to no professional experience.  Beware if this is the ballet instructor depicted if you are looking for an advanced ballet school.  If the dance education is limited to college courses or their own education at a local school, it’s likely not going to provide a professional level of expertise.

Dress Code on dance school websites may sound like they are very strict and disciplined schools, citing the requirement for black leotards and pink tights only for ballet class.  However, dress code is never an indication of the discipline instilled or skill at the school overall.  Many of the mid-level schools boast a strict dress code on websites but they aren’t really enforced and many professional schools rarely have to cite a dress code because a professional dress where instructors can see the lines and technique of your dance student is simply a given and not necessary to cite on a website.

3. Observe a Class Before Registering

If a school won’t allow you to observe a class before registering, run away.  Observing a class is the best way to find out what is true about the school and what is fluff.  In particular, note how the teacher is and how the body of students responds.  Does the teacher have full command and respect of the class, or is it basically social hour for the students every time the music stops?  Do the students have varied levels of skill yet are all grouped together in the same class perhaps because they are close in age?  This is important to note if you are looking for a more serious school; intermediate to advance level classes will have a uniformed skill level regardless of age with only a few exceptions, if any.  If the class has varied skill levels, it is usually indicative of a school desperate to fill classes (see #4.guideline) rather than shaping a meaningful curriculum.

Also notice how the teacher teaches, even if you yourself have no experience with dance, you will be able to notice the following:  

• Does the teacher critique individuals or lectures the same critique to the whole class every time?  An instructor that does not provide individual critique is not providing enough instruction.  It is important that both you and your dance student recognize that critique from an instructor is invaluable and is a positive aspect.  Generalized instruction to the entire class is fine some of the time or especially if a new step is being introduced, but most critique should occur at the individual level. 
• Does the teacher themselves have an expert education with regards to steps and vocabulary?  This one is a bit trickier to pick up on, but it is possible without a formal dance education.  If the instructor demonstrates everything and does not call each step by the ballet term (French adjective), it's safe to assume they don’t really know the steps to be teaching them, or if they do, they have not made it part of their teaching to pass that along to students.  And unfortunately for some reason this is becoming an increasingly lacking piece to dance education.  For example, the director of a school I once taught at gave her students a leap to perform in several competition pieces and they practiced them across the floor in her jazz classes.  When they came into my ballet class, I instructed them to do a [grande] coupe jete entournent, the students looked confused and protested they did not know the step and that they needed a demonstration of it.  I thought this curious since I had seen them do it in their dances several times, and once I demonstrated it, they responded with “Oh! You mean ‘The Russian!’” I was appalled that the director of the studio would make such an egregious teaching error, and as you can imagine I did not teach there long after that incident.

4. Understand the Balance Between the Business and the Education

Almost all schools, even the professional ones, must maintain a balance between keeping the studio a profitable business and ensuring the best education for the students.  While it may seem that these are intrinsic to one another, they can often lead to opposing objectives for the owner/ director.  Due to this, I always recommend that even if your student is “trying it all out” make sure you ask up front what all the fees are:

1.     Trying it out for a month 

2.     Continuing for a year 

3.     And continuing on their advanced path or competition path for the next few years.  

The reason this is important is because there can be many unforeseen costs that you would never expect and having a student continue their dance education and/ or have them participate in all the offerings is an investment and often times an expensive undertaking.  Understand and ask about fees such as: Registration, recital & performance fees, costume fees and outright purchase costs, attire costs to stay within dress code requirements, shoes, competition fees, competition music fees, Summer Intensive program costs, Master class costs, audition fees, private lessons and coaching, etc.  Fundraising efforts you and your student will be expected to participate in, if you choose a competition school or a non-profit dance organization, ask about local competitions vs. their participation in national competitions and the travel costs associated.

Many schools make their profit in this way.  I personally don’t believe that any of it is frivolous for the most part, and as long as it is clearly provided what to expect and why, this should not be viewed as a “scheme to take your money.”  Dance is expensive, but that’s why you want to make sure you and your dance student are receiving in turn the true type of education you are investing in.  With these fees and the investment, your child should be exposed to all the opportunities that have been listed here.  The very best of schools are managed well enough to also offer scholarships and financial aid to a) families that demonstrate the need and b) the student that truly deserves it; meaning they want a career, they work hard and they have a good attitude.

A Last Warning
I have heard that some schools want their students to sign contracts and sometimes loyalty contracts, ensuring your money is spent only with them.  If the studio you are looking into has this, run away.  This is where I would say the business means more to the studio, than the education or that the school is not being managed well.  Loyalty to instructors and coaches is earned and the best instructors and coaches will encourage their students to take from as many good instructors and other dance opportunities as they can, especially if the school is smaller or under-funded, to ensure their students get the most out of everything that is available to them.  When instructors or directors get petty about other places you might be learning from, it may be time to evaluate where their true interest lies.

6 Ways to Make the Most of Your Summer Intensive Program

Lisa - Ballet on the Beach

At this time of year, most are in full swing of their Summer Intensive Programs (SIPs) or about to start them.  Many may think that going through audition season and receiving acceptance or invites to their respective SIPs, that the 'audition' part is over.  While you can proceed in this manner and still receive many benefits and experience great strides in your technical and artistic development, I always recommend that young, aspiring dancers take their SIP 'to the next level' using these six action items: 

1. Resume Development

Even if you are a younger dancer with years still ahead in your training before applying for professional dance positions and contracts, it's never too early to start putting together your dance resume, which I have provided a 4-part series to follow (see links below).  It's important to have some, if not all of these elements in place prior to starting off in an SIP. Why? Because it's important to view your SIP as one long audition/ interview marathon.  For some, this is the opportunity to gain visibility and exposure to professional ballet companies that you might not otherwise have in your normal settings. For others, even smaller SIPs, there is almost always at least one major Master Teacher/ Instructor who is well connected to many dance communities and would be an invaluable relationship, should you be able to garner favor with them.  So as with any interview process, it's important to get your resume in shape.

2. Marketing Collateral 

It may be an odd concept to accept, but think of yourself as a product.  You're the DANCER product and with any product, you have to market yourself.  Making sure you have the right marketing collateral prepared before you venture off to an SIP can make a huge difference in future job search efforts.  If you have all the elements of a resume together, I encourage dancers to go ahead and make up some business cards to take with them to an SIP.  These can be made for free with some companies, such as Vista Print, or you can invest a little money to make up more specific patterns and designs, but essentially it's important to provide your contact info as well as any social networking addresses that carry your dance activities and portfolio, like YouTube or Instagram.  This becomes an easy way to provide a Master Teacher or an Artistic Director you may meet or come across to let them know how to view your best dancing and how to get in touch with you.  It also opens a door to appropriately ask if they, too, have a business card that you can take with you, which will help to start building your network (discussed further below).  

Even if they respond that they don't have cards, or are out, that never stopped any salesperson.  Whip out another one of your cards and have them provide you at least an email address, and possibly their social networks that you have in common and can connect with or become a follower.  But business cards, although traditionally reserved for the adult corporate world, are just as effective in the dance world.

It's also a good idea to burn a few DVD's (or low-gig flash drives, depending on how much you want to invest) of your digital portfolio or compilations of your performances.  You can also add your resume info and DVDs and/ or flash drives are little more easily accepted than an unsolicited paper resume.  Again this is a quick and easy way to 'extend' the exposure you have with these professionals and the hope is they "keep you on file."

3. Consulting

I always called this consulting when I did it as a student, but I notice more and more SIP instructors are catching on, and here's what I mean by that: As a student attending SIPs, I would always bring my music of whatever variation or piece I was working on for the following season.  At the end of a class, usually proceeding a lunch break or transition into a rehearsal, I would very politely and humbly ask the teacher I was 'targeting' if I could please quickly run my piece.  This was usually allowed and I would also extend an invite for them to observe.  This inevitably led to some coaching from this Master Teacher, some only 15 minutes, others as much as 45 minutes to a full hour.  Most teachers can't help but want to coach anyone that is dancing in front of them.  

However, I have noticed over the years, more and more SIPs are specifying that an attendee must pay for a private lesson when seeking one-on-one time with one of the instructors.  So this tip may have to be played by ear, but again, most teachers will at least let you run a dance and maybe impart of few good tips without the expense of a private. This being said though, it can also be very much worth the expense to have that private time with a teacher.  Again, this is an investment into your future and a private is a way to gain a closer acquaintance with a Master/ Director among hundreds of other attendees.  If you can afford the expense, it is worth the exposure.

4. Letters of Recommendation

It's also a good idea to ask for a letter of recommendation from the Masters you encounter. This may be a tall order if your SIP was relatively short, but if it is 3-6 weeks or longer, it's definitely worth asking, especially if you feel like the Master(s) took a shine to you.  When requesting a letter of recommendation, it's always good to offer to write a form letter first for them to adjust as needed (and sometimes it's good to prepare these beforehand).  This is a win-win for everyone, you can write really wonderful things about yourself (which hopefully they agree with) and it becomes very little work for them.  The recommendations can later be used as part of your resume submissions for future SIPs or jobs.

5. Networking 

Networking is another area that can get missed while attending a SIP.  We already know it's good to make connections with Masters, Directors, Choreographers, etc.  But it's also important to connect and network with others, both inside the SIP and outside.  Within the SIP, if it's being held at a studio with a professional company, you may run into some of their apprentice dancers, or even their principals.  It's always a good idea to connect with these people, especially if this is a company you aspire to work for someday.  These dancers act as another foot in the door as well as can help guide you in your pursuits, or if you do get contracted, you have some acquaintances already and they can 'show you the ropes' and help acclimate you.  

It's good to do this with your fellow students/ attendees as well, especially if you are at that age when you will soon be seeking a contract with a professional company.  It can easily turn out that keeping in touch with people from SIPs (who have already secured a job or may secure one before you) may lead to 'insider' knowledge of job openings before they are posted as well as that foot in the door connection to a company seeking to hire.  It may also work out that if you have a pas de duex partner that you are perfectly matched to partner with, and if he has a contract (as they are in higher demand, it is sometimes an easier go of it), he may just be the person to drop your name to his Director as someone to consider because you do dance well together.  

You just never know what networks and connections can bring by way of opportunities.  And while I mention this from the 'business of ballet' perspective, let's be realistic.  One can never have too many friends in this world.

6.Follow Up

The first five tips are all about increasing your connections, but as with all things without the follow up and the follow through, those connections will be useless.  It's important to keep in touch, create followers out of your networking and keep posting relative content to your sites to ensure you are always on the radar for these connections and they are always in the loop as to what you are doing and achieving.  If this doesn't come natural for you, establish a schedule with calendar reminders to follow up with people at least every 4-6 months, perhaps more frequently depending on how close you are to start pursuing a professional contract/ apprenticeship.

Resume Links:
Ballet Resume Construction, Part 1: Paper Resume Content
Ballet Resume Construction, Part 2: Photography
Ballet Resume Construction, Part 3: Digital Portfolio
Ballet Resume Construction, Part 4: Social Media

Ballet Resume Construction, Part 1: Paper Resume Content

When the time comes to begin auditioning for dance jobs and company apprentice and corps positions, a proper and complete ballet resume can be an asset.  It is also wise to have one put together for audition season for prestigious Summer Intensives and/ or to have one together prior to attending your Summer Intensive Program since these are typically your first steps to getting professional company exposure and visibility. 

In addition, today it’s much easier to make an accompanying digital resume and utilize social media networks to expedite your job offer and reach company artistic directors far and wide, even without them visiting your city for a formal audition process.  Here, learn the fundamentals to creating a winning paper resume to provide with submission forms:

The paper resume is still a necessity, even in today's hyper e-world.  At an audition, you would still provide a copy with an application, or have copies in any other circumstance where you will have exposure to professional companies.  For many people, resumes can be tough, because it's not socially acceptable to brag about oneself and your accomplishments.  However, this is the one and only objective of a resume.  It's to sell yourself, to market yourself, so if you feel awkward or uncomfortable with presenting everything possible in that sales pitch, be sure to ask for help or seek professional consultation.

The header of your resume should include your body stats and your physical attributes, i.e., your height, weight, hair color, eye color and skin color.  While this may seem outdated in today’s world or even a bit politically incorrect, it is a critical component to applying to a company that will be the right fit for you, as well as provide you with the most opportunities.  Many companies still like all of their corps dancers to be a similar height and build. This aids with the aesthetic value to choreography for synchronization. While on the flip side, many other companies today want to show a lot of diversity and promote that diversity to their patrons. While still a major third factor is that the company's up and coming male dancers can only accommodate a certain height for successful partnership roles.  No one should see this information inclusion as some archaic attempt at discrimination, but simply a part of a necessary selection process that will afford you the best fit and the most growth and opportunity in your career.  Take my word for it, you don't want to be put in a company where all the males are a foot shorter than you or where you are an inadvertent eye sore in the corps.  This is not the way to making your career.  It's very similar to the plain and simple fact that models must provide this information in their portfolios as well.

Next include any professional experience you have had, including seasonal performances with a professional company.  For example, The Nutcracker, should be a fairly popular staple that most pre-professionals have participated in at some point, or more likely, multiple times.  If it has been multiple times, include all of those performances and your varying roles from year to year (the idea being of course that as you matured as a dancer, you were placed in better roles.)  But even beginner roles earlier in your career/ training count if this is part of a "professional production."  Many of the larger companies also allow for open auditions and participation from other dancers in the community for Spring performances.  If you have not taken advantage of these opportunities, make sure you remedy that as soon as possible. Check the companies' websites and see when auditions for professional productions are available.  Even if your home school/ studio does multiple productions already, it's always good to participate in other companies' productions to show you have variety in your background and can dance under other people's direction and style.

When you have participated in these productions, be sure to include the Artistic Director and Choreographer(s) of any production you participated in and your role.  If you assisted with anything beyond a dancing role, such as with tech or backstage management, include this as well.  

Next, include Summer Intensive Programs, Master Classes Instructors and the long-term coaches you have studied under.  This is where name dropping becomes an asset.  The ballet world can be pretty small and it's part of your investment in attending Summer Intensive Programs, Master Classes and attending professional training schools/ studios to be able to refer to the "ballet family" that has raised and trained you.  Even if you only had one class with one of the greats, include it (hopefully the class made a drastic impression on you and your technique or thought process, but either way, that's why you paid the big bucks to take from them).

Then make a list of all classical repertoire and variations you have personally danced, have performed and/ or have used in competitions.  If you have been in competitions, include the name, the year, the variation you performed and your placement.  If you did not place high, include the number of people you were up against.  For example, if you placed third in a category of over a hundred dancers, it’s still impressive for an apprenticeship or in some cases, a corps position, given an esteemed national or world-wide competition.  Each year, as you select your working repertoire, be sure to include a variety of roles and characters to show your performing diversity.

Last include any choreography and teaching experience. You want to be careful about how you present this information though.  It can work for you or it can work against you.  For example, including that you taught a summer pre-ballet class for young kids to help off-set costs of your costumes or pointe shoes, is a good thing to include.  However, including choreography experience without a demo to include, may come across as a resume filler and superfluous without the visual example to go with it.  

This part of your paper content resume should be included as the front page of your resume while the photography should be on the back side of your resume.  Ballet remains an area where a 1-page resume is still the smartest approach.  The additional features will come through in your digital and social media demonstrations.  You want to be sure that your resume material all collaborates towards a contract for hire, no matter how early in your career you begin this project.

Ballet Resume Construction, Part 2: Photography

Photography is a critical component of any pre-professional dancer to use in conjunction with your resume submissions.  It used to be the only way to show your performance level, athleticism and body before there was the age of easy digital resumes and social media. Even with the world of technology, photography still plays an important role, both in the traditional genres and the more modern advantages of its uses.  Photography is needed to submit applications and resumes to Summer Intensives and professional contract jobs; portraits, class work and backstage images are needed for social media and digital resumes and endorsement photography paves the way to endorsement deals and the hope of much needed additional income for a dancer.

Specific Submissions

When it comes to auditions and/ or audition submissions, most companies and Summer Intensive Programs (SIPs) will provide very specific descriptions on what to provide.  DO NOT DEVIATE from these specifics.   As a dance resume consultant, I will tell you that regardless of whatever amazing photograph (and/ or video) you have that you want a company or SIP to see of you, this desire can never replace what the company is asking for with submissions.  Most of the specifics will include the types of dance positions they want to see, a head shot, the size the photographs are to be and whether or not they should be in black and white copy or color.

Resume photo composite example

Resume Photography

When it comes to designing your resume, and you are not under submission specifics or maybe "cold-sending" your information somewhere, I personally still believe in submitting classic black and white photos for a ballet resume, however providing exact coloring may help you find the right fit more so than submitting black and whites.  In most cases I recommend a head shot in color with other photos in black and white or vice versa. Either way, photo composites should be printed on the back side of your one-page written resume.  Photo composites should always include a head shot of you smiling and showing off a long neckline, a good first arabesque on pointe, and a sauté chat on your best leg as basic necessities.  Other pictures are shots that show your extension, good technique (perhaps in a criosse or a la seconde tendu) and a more artistic, portrait photograph in costume, or a photo of you in a good corps position like Swan Lake.  You should always be well seen in your photos (do NOT use photos with other people in them or where you are wearing junk or your overall appearance is unkempt) and you should be in almost full make-up/ heavy street make up in these photos, otherwise you will look bland and washed out. 

Portrait, Class & Backstage Photography
While some portrait photography can be utilized in your open resume photography, the main goal of any portrait, class and backstage photography is to build up social media.  Portrait photography should be planned, staged, posed and shot by a professional photographer, while the class and backstage photography should be more candid, and can simply be taken with cell phones.  This mix is a recipe on social media mediums such as Instagram or Snapchat to start building followers and allowing people, whether it be early fans or professional companies, to view your work, your progress and your dance life, with regards to your environment and experiences:

IG & portrait photography example

To Parents - It may seem like a superfluous pursuit of the younger generation, but when done correctly, it is actually one of the best ways to gain exposure to professional companies and receive real endorsement offers.  

To Students - You need to involve your parents and instructors (and resume consultant) when pursuing social media as an avenue.  You may be the generation that specializes in how to work the technology, but you will not possess the understanding of marketing, image management and above all else - security and safety.  

Endorsement Photography
Endorsements can be a great way for popular dancers to make extra income.  Many social media icons utilize their popularity on social media to advertise other products and become brand ambassadors, and dancers are no exception to this opportunity.  When trying to become a brand ambassador or be offered endorsement deals, the best way to start is a) build a large and steady following and b) to "fake endorsements, until you make endorsements."  To attract endorsement photography, you want to have solid understanding of how you compliment product placement and marketing, as well as have someone savvy with a camera to capture not only a "dance photo" but photography that can appeal to the general public.

Dancer Model Credit: Elliana F.

Ballet Resume Construction, Part 3: Digital Portfolio

In today's modern world of technology, a digital portfolio is not only a must, but easy to put together as well in order to compliment your resume submissions.  In some cases, you would use a digital portfolio to submit for audition purposes as requested by the company or summer program if they aren't holding auditions in your area or you missed them.  In these situations, they may provide specifics as to what they want to see on video (again, never deviate from these specifics), however, there are needs to have a digital portfolio ready and available without being given specifics.  The content of your digital portfolio should include the following: 

Barre Work

You want to include basic barre work to show technique.  This should include demi and grande plies in first, second, fourth and fifth positions.  Be sure to adjust your camera angles from both side and frontal shots to provide a clear depiction of your technique.  You want to also include a tendu, deggage, rond de jambe, fondu and frappe exercises.

Center & Across the Floor

The center work should include grande battements, center tendu and pirouette exercises, a short adagio and petite allegro, with and without battu, depending on your level.  Across the floor should include a travelling pirouette exercise and grande allegro.  The last bit of the "class portion" should include coda exercises, such as fifth position pirouettes, piques in a circle and/ or fouettes (unless this is already part of one of your variations, don't duplicate for the sake of time).

You will want to have your instructor, coach or professional dance resume coach present to facilitate/ video your class portion.  They will provide the best exercises and correct your technique to ensure your best work comes across on video.  A professional dance resume coach will be able to do this as well as combine the best angles to shoot the video.  Always wear what you would in an audition for your class portion; pink tights, black or dark colored leotard, hair tidy and no jewelry or junk.

Classical Variation & Contemporary Choreography

Include a classical variation that shows you off well and should be one that you have had in your repertoire for awhile (a year or more to be really polished).  Next, include a contemporary piece that is as opposite to your classical variation as possible.  This is to demonstrate a diverse performance capability with only two dances.

For this portion, you may add a ballet skirt, or practice tutu, depending on the variation, or in some cases a costume; but only if you are able to shoot the video on a large scale, as on a stage.  Full costume can distract from the dancer in the studio for videoing purposes.

Depending on the goal of your digital portfolio (summer programs vs. a company contract position) you may want to include a pas de duex section as well.  This can be from a variation and/ or some basic partnering with turns and lifts.

All in all, your digital portfolio should be no longer than ten minutes, and I recommend to keep it right around eight minutes.  It may be difficult to select content for such a short amount of time, as most dancers have several pieces of choreography and variations to choose from, but remember this is "just a taste" of what you have to offer, and you can always use your social media content to demonstrate your other performance material and class work.  The goal of your digital portfolio is to make the recipient want to see more.

Ballet Resume Construction, Part 4: Social Media

In today's Internet-driven world, it is a great advantage to dancers and aspiring professional dancers to utilize social media.  What began as a socializing on-line network has in fact become the best innovation to job seeking for those who utilize visual and performing arts as their desired profession.  Not only does this open doors to connections and opportunities at great distances, both nationally and across the globe, it's also the best way to actively and consistently showcase your work and artistry.

Safe & Appropriate Use of Social Media

Since most pre-professional and aspiring dancers are minors, the very first topic to cover with regards to your social media resume is understanding security of your information, safety of your person and appropriate use of social media.  You want to always ensure that your identity information remains anonymous while at the same time, making it accessible for a company to contact you.  In order to do this effectively, it is important to always involve your parents and/ or a professional dance resume coach, to help you design your social media campaign. Things such as never using the geography tags or announcing your location, or at least waiting until after the fact, is a good practice.  Another is utilizing an alias, or your first name only.  I never recommend minors to utilize their full name unless there are extenuating circumstances of benefit, but those circumstances are extremely rare.  Even as you become a professional and perhaps gain fame, you want to be cognizant to utilize best, safety practices when it comes to on-line profiles.

Utilizing proper content is another big factor when utilizing social media for your dance career.  If you use social media for personal purposes, be sure to set up a separate campaign and profile for your professional purposes.  Your professional social media is essentially a 24/7 interview that anyone has access to view.  So posting personal opinions, immature videos or pictures (you might think they are funny, but it spells out that you are not ready for the adult world and therefore a company contract that would likely take you away from home and your babysitters, i.e. your parents!) or any other controversial topics (religion, politics, any negativity towards any groups or even other dance companies and dancers) is likely to do you more harm than you realize.  

In addition, you have to let your other social media active friends know that you can not be tagged on certain content that they might post.  Social media is a great platform but in the hopes of having many connections, followers, friends, subscribers, etc. you are essentially trying to build your fame, and with that comes attaining and maintaining an appropriate image.  That image should convey professionalism, maturity and the diversity of your dance training and artistry.  Again, a professional dance coach can lend a robust plan for your social media campaign and image while assisting with the other aspects of your resume building and job search strategies.  They will also be able to coach you on setting up profiles with appropriate safety settings, helping you to understand what you can post and what you can't (with regards to copyright laws) and back-linking all of your profiles to work with one another and raising your SEO.

YouTube & Vimeo

On-line videos are an excellent way to gain visibility with professional dance companies.  Many organizations and artistic directors and even Summer Intensive Program developers are utilizing social media to find talent and recruit dancers.  I always recommend utilizing both accounts, because while YouTube is more popular, Vimeo has a very high search index, higher than YouTube; therefore utilizing both, even if using the exact same content, gives you the best chances to get noticed.  These channels are best utilized for footage on classes, rehearsals, competitions & and your yearly variations work, performances and your digital portfolio.  If applicable, this is also a great way to feature your choreography, but again make sure you are aware of copyright infringement laws with regards to music.

Instagram vs. SnapChat

Now I realize that SnapChat with its various photo and video apps are a lot of fun and its gaining a lot of popularity, but again, when we think in terms of building your dance career, SnapChat, at present, has little to offer except as a platform to gain other followers and direct them to your other profiles.  Instagram, however, has lots to offer.  Because the images and videos can be as permanent as you want, this acts as an additional digital portfolio.  And its typically pretty easy to keep the content posted consistently using your phone and other resume building techniques. It allows images and 15 second videos and an unlimited follower base.  This profile is best used for class and professional photography, videos of you showing your best tricks, such as 32 fouettes on pointe, behind the scenes of your performances and competitions, etc.  Building followers (real followers, not fake ones) is important and Instagram is good because there is no limit on the number of followers/ connections (unlike LinkedIn and Facebook).  Followers are critical, not just for the ego boost or networking, but as you begin to build followers, Instagram is still the best and easiest way to becoming a Brand Ambassador.  Some companies may come across your profile on their own and send you info to contact them for information on becoming a Brand Ambassador or to model their clothing or shoes.  Other companies, usually the bigger and more legit ones that you would want to be tied to, have to be sought after and have an application process developed to submit for Brand Ambassador candidacy.  Utilizing your professional dance coach is the easiest way to make Brand Ambassadorship a success and helping you to create a strategy to gain followers that will garner you these opportunities. And receiving Brand Ambassador endorsements is a great way to earning additional income as a dancer. 

LinkedIn

Although LinkedIn was intended for corporate job searching and networking, it has trickled into the other professions as well, including the world of performing arts.  Part of this is due to the fact that dance organizations need corporate donors and sponsor relationships, so many of the Executive Directors, Board of Directors officers and other high profile staff, such as Artistic Directors utilize this social media platform.  Which means, dancers could, and should, also.  Since LinkedIn is usually set up with a person's actual first and last name, be careful of how this links to your other profiles when you use an alias or first name only, etc. or use the same discretion with your identity and to your geography.  LinkedIn can be set up with similar info from your paper resume (minus the body stats and specific contact info, of course).  The best advantage to utilizing a LinkedIn profile is to be proactive in making those dance connections yourself, rather than with other profiles, you are waiting for them to find you.

Facebook

Unfortunately, my personal opinion on Facebook is, nothing good ever comes of it.  This, of course, is not always true and there are several examples out there of how Facebook has been a successful medium for job searching.  But for me personally, I find that Facebook is best at and should remain a personal-only social media site.  I feel that the other platforms can be set up with a more professional image and it just becomes too easy for something on Facebook to harm that image. And when you factor in their friends limit of only 5000 people, it just doesn't do much for the individual dancer in terms of gaining visibility.  

Twitter

Twitter, in the world of job searching and with its short messaging niche, is best used as a reminder and announcement platform.  It's an easy way to link all of your social media profile activity, i.e. you can post notices of new things posted to your YouTube channel, you can post similar images and video clips that can refer to your Instagram, draw attention to activity on your LinkedIn, etc.   You can also post personal short notices so that your audience and followers start to know you as a person.  Favorite and inspirational quotes are good, something new you learned in class, that you are "nervous about a big audition or competition coming up soon, so wish me luck!" messages build that personal touch.

As you become more involved with posting content and building several events, performing opportunities and brand ambassadorships, at some point it may also make sense for you to build a personal website.  And, always, always, always exercise safety and security with social media, I can not stress this enough.  If you are a minor and your parents are not necessarily social media savvy, always employ a professional dance resume coach.  The investment is worth it for your safety and your career strategy success.