What it takes to be a dancer
What type of dancer are you?
Today I would like to help you identify which one you are. We all have goals that we want to achieve as dancers, but we usually don't take the time to identify the type of dancer we are before we pursue this goal.
The reason why it is important to identify the type of dancer we are is a way for us to understand our weaknesses and focus on our strengths to achieve our goals.
If you don't know the type of dancer you are, then you don't know what type of job will attract you. So you just go for any type of jobs in the dance industry or any type of opportunity you can get to live with your passion.
Some people might say I want to try every opportunity to find out the type of job I like. But when you step back to understand which type of dancer you are, you can quickly identify the type of work you want to do or don't like to do and prepare a plan to pursue your goals.
Let's dive into the different types of dancers you can find in the industry.
To me, there are three types of dancers.
1 THE EXECUTIVE DANCER
The executive dancer is the type of person that is perfect for the commercial world. He goes to classes to learn how to pick up choreography very quickly and then goes for auditions. That's the type of life of an executive dancer.
The only thing that I find unfortunate about being an executive dancer is that you depend on someone to give you jobs. You're constantly going to auditions to get paid and get a job in the dance industry. You never what's tomorrow will look like, it is constantly ups and downs, and this is what I find a bit unstable.
2 CREATIVE DANCER
The creative dancer can be a choreographer, a freestyle dancer or even more.
What I love about being a creative dancer is that you are so great at what you do. People need you more than you need them. People need you because you are doing great choreography or because you are an amazing freestyle dancer, so they would like to have you in their events, or they will also call you for workshops etc.
This is great, but to me, there is a big trap by being a creative dancer. We become so used to people calling us for the next opportunity that we tend to think this will stay like this forever. So we think that if we keep doing great stuff and keep inspiring people, they will always call us, which is true to some degree. But if you don't plan ahead and believe that it will stay like this forever.
Since there are so many great dancers in the community, you can't afford to wait for people to call you to give you the next opportunity. That's, for me, the downside of being a creative dancer.
3 THE DANCERPRENEUR
I talk about this one with a big smile because this is my favourite one, even though it is a word you cannot find in the dictionary.
A dancerpreneur is a creative dancer with an entrepreneurial mind. This dancer is not waiting for anybody to give him his next job. Instead, he will create opportunities. And the great thing about it as well is that because he's good at what he does, people also keep calling him, but he also keeps in mind that this will not stay like this forever; therefore, works on his own stuff.
A dancerpreneur can be a choreographer having his show touring, a good dancer who's got his dance school or holds a big event.
There are so many ways you can become a dancerpreneur, and I strongly believe that if you want to stay in the dance industry for a long time, you need to have this combination of being a great dancer and having an entrepreneurial mind.
Nobody will create a career for you; you have to do the work yourself.
These are, in my opinion, the three types of dancers you can find in the industry, there is nothing wrong with being one or the other, but I believe if you are planning to have a long term career in the industry, it's important to be a dancerpreneur.
You can't rely upon your skills or your talent to get you to the next level. This subject is very important to understand the mentality to have to pursue a dance career.
In the next episode, I will go deeper into how to take control of your dance career instead of constantly looking for the next opportunities.
If you'd like more help and support on your dance journey – consider joining Beyond The Moves, our membership community and get access to in-depth freestyle dance programs, coaching and support. So you always feel confident that you're on the right path. And have absolute clarity on how and what to work on to progress faster than ever.
