How To Be a Professional Dancer

This course is a general How-to about becoming a professional dancer. The term “Professional Dancer” is an all-encompassing term, used to describe individuals who are currently using dance training and dance performance to make a living. Professional dancers perform in Musical theater, on television shows, on cruise ships, in ballet companies, and many other venues of performing arts! The dance industry is a small and challenging segment of the entertainment industry, and it can be hard to navigate at times. It is our hope that this course gives you a glimpse into the necessary steps dancers take to perfect their art and acquire jobs!

We walk through the steps of acquiring training, reaching outside of your comfort zone, preparing for an audition, and booking a job. When reading this course, remember that there are no sure paths to success. It will take hard work, and many trials and errors. Everyone’s journey to achievement is unique, but these general guidelines will give you a rough outline or how to reach your dreams.

About the Expert

Elly Sarfert is a professional dancer from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. After many years of dance training at In Motion Dance Center, under the direction of Michelle Nicholson, she went on to study contemporary at The University of the North Carolina School of the Arts, and later graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance Performance from Point Park University’s Conservatory of Performing Arts.

At Point Park Elly majored in jazz dance and minored in Psychology. Currently she is pursuing a dance career all over the country, while also teaching at many dance studios throughout the North-East area.