Dancer

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.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
• to pass an audition

More Information

• equivalent entry requirements
• student finance for fees and living costs
• university courses and entry requirements

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

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

More Information

• equivalent entry requirements
• funding advice
• search for courses

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.

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.

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)

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:

• One Dance UK
• Council for Dance, Drama and Musical Theatre

You can also get more details about working in creative careers from Discover Creative Careers.

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

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

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.