Marketing Yourself as a Professional Dancer

There comes a point in every dancer’s life when they make a choice between continuing to dance as a hobby or turning their skill into a career. If you decide you want to become a professional dancer, you’ll need to start carrying yourself as a small business owner to some degree.

All small business owners are tasked with the challenge to market their businesses so that they can attract more clients - or in a ballerina’s case, paid contracts, performances, and other dance-related opportunities. If you are considering becoming a professional dancer, and you want to learn more about how you can market yourself in the industry, keep reading for 5 helpful marketing suggestions!

Take yourself seriously.

Other people around you will only take you as seriously as you take yourself. One way to do this is to make serious investments in your craft. Try taking classes to gain as much experience as possible. Seek a mentor who can guide you through career choices and situations. When at auditions, do what you can to stand out while showcasing your professionalism. Take time to think about what your dance goals are so that if anyone ever asked you, you can show that you’ve put thought into your future. This will show them how serious you are about succeeding, while also giving them insight into how they can help you.

Related: Creating a Vision Board

Enhance your online presence.

Be intentional about your online presence. Use social media to share your dance photos and videos. Follow other dancers, studios, and organizations so that you can build your network and stay informed about upcoming opportunities. Consider creating a professional dance website where you can share more about who you are and what dance experience you have. Once your online presence has been enhanced, you can easily refer people to your content while increasing your chances of being discovered by a broader audience.

Get involved.

How involved are you in the dance community, or in your own community? Being a part of after-school programs, volunteer organizations, and social groups outside of your dance lessons will connect you with people who you may not have otherwise met. These connections could blossom into friendships, references, donors, and more. Join organizations that you are passionate about. These involvements will also help fill out your background, which will give casting directors and schools more insight into your character.

Be a resource.

Be willing to help others. Consider this thought: for every dance class, summer intensive, or performance you’ve witnessed, you’ve gained experience that another ballerina may be curious to learn more about. Is there a store where you prefer to shop for dancewear? Did you figure out a way to save money on dance supplies? Did you have a dance teacher show you a simple way to perfect a pose? Did you spend the summer in another city for training? Share tips and reflections about your unique journey using social media, a newsletter, or a blog. Becoming a trusted resource in the dance community allows you to grow your network while strengthening your professional status.

Be prepared.

If you were to stumble across your dream dance opportunity today, would you be prepared to apply for it? Never risk missing an application deadline simply because you weren’t ready when the chance came your way. On that note, don’t submit a mediocre résumé or dance reel that you rushed to complete in time. If you are marketing yourself as a professional dancer, you should already have a portfolio put together. Invest some time and money in scheduling a professional dance photoshoot, creating your dance résumé, and compiling video clips for your dance reel. Of course, each opportunity may have unique requirements for admission, but if you have most of the back-end work done, at least you won’t have to start from scratch.

Related: Perfecting your Dance Résumé

What’s your favorite way to market yourself as a professional dancer? Do you have any tips that help the process? Any marketing strategies that work well for you? Share them in the comments below!

Make sure to catch up on the Brown Ballerina Blog, where we’ve shared plenty of tips to help you succeed!