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Dancer apprenticeships

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Dancer apprenticeships - where to start

You can get into this job through

  • a university course
  • a college course
  • applying directly
  • specialist courses run by private training organisations


    • University

    You'll usually need a degree or diploma in professional dance or musical theatre. These take 2 to 3 years to complete and are offered by dance schools and universities. Academic qualifications may not be essential if you show enough talent at audition. You could get a Dance and Drama Award to help with fees and living costs.


    You'll usually need 2 to 3 A-levels, or equivalent, and to pass an audition. 

    College
    There is no set entry route to become an dancer but it may be useful to do a relevant subject like: 

    • Level 2 Technical Certificate in Performing Arts 
    • Level 3 Extended Diploma in Performing Arts - Dance
    You'll usually need 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a Level 2 course. You'll need 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a Level 3 course.

    Volunteering

    Dancing is very competitive and you'll need to develop your skills by getting as much practical experience of dancing as possible. You could do this through: 

    • amateur dance clubs 
    • college and university dance societies 
    • student dance festivals and competitions 
    This can also help to put you in touch with people in the dance profession, who could be useful contacts when looking for work.

    Direct Application
    You can apply directly to become a dancer, if you have a high level of training and ability in at least one form of dance. 

    Other Routes
    Most professional dancers start taking dance classes from a young age. You can take graded exams from awarding bodies like: 

    • Royal Academy of Dance 
    • Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing 
    • bbodance (ballet) 
    Classical ballet dancers start training very young, usually at 10 or 11 years old. It's possible to make a career in contemporary dance if you start at a later age, if you're prepared to work hard and put in a lot of training.


    Professional and industry bodies
    You could join One Dance UK and Equity for professional development and to make industry contacts.

    Dancer apprenticeships - what it takes

    Skills and knowledge

    You'll need:

    • the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure 
    • knowledge of the fine arts 
    • to be thorough and pay attention to detail 
    • persistence and determination 
    • ambition and a desire to succeed 
    • the ability to use your initiative 
    • physical skills like movement, coordination, dexterity and grace 
    • physical fitness and endurance 
    • to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

    Dancer apprenticeships - what you'll do

    Day-to-day tasks

    You’ll specialise in a form of dance, like:

    • classical ballet 
    • contemporary dance 
    • modern stage dance, like jazz, tap, and musical theatre
    • African or Asian dance
    • street dance 

    You’ll spend time: 

    • rehearsing
    • preparing for and going to auditions 
    • going to dance classes 
    • promoting yourself and finding work

    Working environment

    You could work at a TV studio, on a cruise ship, in a hotel, in the community, at a film studio or in a theatre. Your working environment may be physically demanding and you may spend nights away from home.

    Career path and progression - Dancer apprenticeships

    With experience, you could move into choreography or dance teaching.

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    Considering an Apprenticeship?

    There are lots of benefits to apprenticeships, here are our top 5:

    • Paid Training
      Not only will your organisation (or the Government) pay for all of your training, but you’ll be paid to do it. That means you could actually get paid to get your degree and have no debt!
    • Range of career opportunities
      There are over 625 different apprenticeships to choose from, in a range of industries. Whether you’re interested in law, marketing, construction or engineering, you’ll find something up your street!
    • Earn & learn
      As an apprentice, the minimum you’ll earn is £6.20 an hour, but we’ve seen apprentices earn a starting salary of up to £30,000 a year! You could also get other employee benefits like gym memberships, paid holiday and sick pay.
    • Great career prospects
      Employers think apprentices are 15% more employable than those with other qualifications. In fact, many large employers train their graduates and apprentices together!
    • Learn on the job
      There’s only so much you can learn when you just do a qualification. As an apprentice, you’ll also get to learn on the job - whether that’s designing amazing graphics, chopping vegetables or building engines!

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