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PROTIP # 13

WHY & HOW TO DIVERSIFY YOUR DANCE TRAINING

“I think one of the things that saved me is that I never put all my eggs in one basket.” –Ricky Schroder

I am sure you have heard of the “all your eggs in one basket” saying, and I am here to advise you to do just the opposite. Dance is a broad art form that ranges from street dancing to classical ballet training and everything in between. We all have our favorite styles to train in, but why should you diversify your abilities? The more versatile you can become, the more confident you may be throughout your career as an artist. You never know when you may be asked to successfully demonstrate a wide range of skill sets.

Growing up, I trained equally in ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, modern, contemporary, hip-hop, and acrobatics. I also trained with a teacher who had a heavy ballroom background. By training in a wide range of dance genres, I opened up many doors for myself in terms of opportunities once I got to college. Having a multitude of skills to pull out of my back pocket landed me parts in many guest artist and professional works including ballets, a traditional modern piece, and even a Latin-jazz piece performed in heels. Surprisingly, the first gig I landed post-graduation was a hip-hop performance for a cancer foundation fundraiser. Without my training experience in a variety of genres, I can confidently say I would not be as successful as I am today.

Considering my past experiences, here is my advice to anyone interested in a dance career:

• Do not be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone! Risk is an important element of our art form. By taking risks and trying something new, you may discover you enjoy different types of dance. You may even surprise yourself with your abilities. 

• Never label yourself as one “type” of dancer, and more importantly, do not let others label you. You will always have strengths to reference, but be careful not to limit yourself. 

• Audition for things you may never even imagine yourself being a part of. Of course, do your research before hand and go in with a positive mindset. Remember that every audition you attend is simply more experience under your belt.  

• Learn from others! Have conversations with everyone you can about their experiences and training. Knowledge is power and it can only help you have a clearer understanding about anything and everything dance related. 

While I have chosen to concentrate on contemporary work at this point in my career, my experiences up until now have prepared me for anything that may arise in my future. If you see a well-known Contemporary or Ballet dance company perform, it is extremely likely that their repertoire contains genres for which they are best known. Kidd Pivot, a highly prestigious Contemporary dance company performs an iconic evening length work, which features a collection of both advanced Tap and Ballroom vocabulary. This is a real-life example of how our talents may come in handy within the dance field. 

Be proactive and diversify your training as much as you possibly can.

The more you have to offer, the more marketable and valuable you will be in the dance field.

The biggest tool you have to your disposal as a dancer is making yourself an asset.

Take advantage of the opportunities that arise now, in order to better prepare you for anything that comes your way!

Missed out on the last few ProTips? No worries! Look back on past ProTips at anytime here!