How to become a dancer
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, performing arts 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.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
- to pass an audition
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College
There is no set entry route to become a dancer but it may be useful to do a relevant subject like:
- Level 2 Diploma in Performing Arts
- Level 3 Extended Diploma in Performing Arts - Dance
- A level Dance
For entry to some courses at level 3 and above you may need to attend an audition.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course
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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 mentors and contacts for 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:
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Career tips
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.
Further information
You can find out more about becoming a dancer from:
You can also get more details about working in creative careers from Discover Creative Careers.