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The Next Step: Choosing Dance After High School

Pronunciation: Aw-brie Zap-in | Pronouns: she/her


By Aubrey Zappen, DWC Ambassador


I started the process of finding my next step last year as a high school junior. It can be a daunting thought to start looking at your future like that, I know it was for me! As someone who has been dancing since the age of three, once it came time to think about a career, I always came up blank. When we say “dance is my life” we mean it. While I have interests outside of dance, there was never anything that I spent enough time doing to really develop a love matching my love for dance. Eventually I got to the point where I thought; I have spent my entire life training and dancing and improving, I love it more than anything else in my life, so why not keep doing it? After coming to that conclusion, I was able to get on a focused path with where I would like my future to go.

Oftentimes people do not view dance as a good way to spend your future. But as long as you make smart decisions, it is entirely within your reach. Even if a college dance program is not what you want, there are still so many options to choose from. It is important to remember that while the dance world may be small, it is also huge! There are so many different paths you can take, so don’t discount a career in dance. It is normal to question whether choosing dance is a reliable choice of a career, so I hope that this information will help you out!

Research College Programs

If you are like me and you know that college is a good option for you, start researching now. College deadlines sneak up on you fast!

The first things that are important when narrowing down your search are: location, school size, and degree programs. For me, I knew right away that I wanted to go to the East Coast. I did not care how far, I just wanted to go somewhere different. School size was also straightforward in my search because I am not a people person, therefore I wanted a small to medium sized school. Of course everyone is different so your experience will be different than mine, but it still applies. Whether you are looking to major in dance or just have it as an option, make sure that the schools you are looking at have it. Many schools don’t have dance as a major/minor or they only have a minor. With that being said, just because a school doesn’t have a dance degree program, that does not mean that they have no dance. There could be dance teams or clubs as well. Do some research and find your fit! It’s okay to not know what you want at first, it’s all a part of the process.

Training Programs & Conservatories 

If college isn’t your thing, but you feel like you need more training, a great option to look into are training programs and conservatories. These are often programs dedicated mainly to dance education only  and can be shorter than a college program as well. There are several conservatory programs that are technically college programs, but the level of academic classes that you are required to take is dramatically lower than that of a regular college dance degree. By taking the route of a training program or conservatory, you can allow yourself to have more focused training, build connections with current professionals in the industry, and often have audition opportunities after graduating. Some programs may be one year, some may be three or four, either way your time will be spent solely focusing on getting your dance training where it needs to be in order to be successful.

Those are all amazing options and if they work for you, great! But, some people prefer to go straight into auditioning and working. If you choose to move to LA or New York or another city and pursue your dreams that way, go for it! You are much braver than I am! Making it as a dancer is not impossible, just remember to never give up. You never know what opportunities will present themselves to you. 

No matter what you decide to do, be smart and safe! Individuality is incredibly important so embrace who you are. Whether you choose college, a conservatory, or just start working in the industry, it does not change the hard work that you will need to put in to be successful. It is not easy, but it is worth it!

Below are links for college and conservatory programs:

 

 

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