I remember when I first started dancing; I didn’t really consider the fact that I could have a career doing this. I also had a very naïve idea as to what it meant to be in the dance industry. 

17 year old self thinks…

“Dancer – Someone who moves their limbs around for money.

Choreographer – Someone who creatively orchestrates the moving of limbs of one or more people.” 

I even remember coming out of university after studying dance intensely for three years and having a similar thought. Where do I go now? 

As I grow older and my experiences grow a little deeper I still find it hard to quantify what a dancer is. How do you sum up someone who is or has the capacity to be : A mover. An interpreter. A body. A mind. Vulnerability. Strength. Someone who thinks in movement. A story-teller. A communicator of real emotion. An individual. Seemingly there are many attributes required to make a successful dancer and so some early advice I’d have to others looking to get into the industry would be to let your own interests reflect this. As the spectrum of what dance is or can be widens and creative conversations expand even further, having knowledge and experience of things both in and out of the dance scene will only be of benefit to you further down the line.    

After I finished my training I threw myself into as many auditions as I could. Though I’m very happy with where my career is now, I have to say the beginning was far from glamorous.

With student debt freshly packed into my satchel of adult life, I’d take long Megabus trips to obscure cities, stay on sofas of old hospitable friends the night before and wake up to an audition that I probably wouldn’t get. I’d get the bus home and then the process would repeat a few weeks later. It was tough. I wanted to dance so badly, but sometimes it felt like I couldn’t even get in the room to show people what I had to give creatively.

But you persevere.

There’s lot to be gained on your journey through it all. From each audition I would meet a whole host of interesting, often very lovely genuine people. I’d fly abroad for a three day audition and get cut on the first day, only to end up turning that long weekend trip into a mini holiday with the like-minded friends I’d just met and spent a day dancing with. I kept myself training and kept showing up when I was invited and slowly I would start to find my feet. I might not get the job I originally auditioned for, but maybe I’d meet someone there that I enjoyed moving with, we’d organise a collaboration between us, which in turn would lead to us getting performance opportunities further down the line. Sometimes you’d find out that you didn’t get the job, not because you weren’t good enough, but because they were looking to replace a dancer who spoke Greek and that’s a skill set that you just didn’t have. At some point, the criteria of a job application will align with your own unique set of proficiencies and as you press on, you improve, you develop and you start to find your way.

If I could give my graduating self a little advice it would be probably be along these lines:

Give it time.

Keep going.

Try hard, but don’t kick yourself when you have days where you don’t feel like trying.

Speak to people. You never know where your next job is going to come from.

You may have to do one thousand auditions before you get a job. And that’s ok. You will get there eventually. Once you do get a job. ENJOY IT. You worked so hard to get there, stop complaining that your body is tired and smile a bit more!

I’d say the base advice is applicable to all – Being a dancer takes persistence. Though I know saying this to some people isn’t always the most effective route. For many the persistence is not the problem. When you have that drive and passion and you are still constantly being told that you weren’t chosen for a particular job, or that your funding bid was unsuccessful, for people in this situation I really think it’s about finding your own way to deal with these scenarios whilst trying to remain positive and continuing to engage with the industry until you can find your own way in. It can be very easy to begin to doubt yourself and your own creative contributions when it feels like you can’t even get a foot in the door, but there is a route through the industry for everyone and though it may not be as simple getting one job at eighteen years old and staying in that until you retire, old and grey, with a great pension and a nice house, a career in the dance industry can be a thrilling, challenging, mind-expanding and heart-warming experience. Embrace it, even if it still feels like you’re figuring things out. For me the most valuable thing I’ve always tried to do whilst auditioning is take it as a workshop. The numbers are stacked against you unfortunately, so you might as well show up, do your best and get the most out of it that you can. Then if you get the job it’s just a bonus. (A pretty damn good bonus to be fair, but still it’s a nicer way to look at it!) There are dance jobs out there. And if you keep applying, sooner or later that persistence will pay off.  

I’d say that if you’re currently training to be a dancer then look around you. Chances are that the people training alongside you are going to be some of the same people that end up in the dance industry later on. Share knowledge, share experiences, share auditions when you hear about them and don’t be afraid to give each other compliments. As dancers we tend to work so hard; constantly trying to perfect our art, our craft, to sculpt our bodies and creative visions to such an extent, so that when we bare our souls on stage we have literally given it all and can only hope that it is received well by those around us. Amid the strive towards progression, taking a second to appreciate the work that you and your peers are putting in can really make a huge difference. I was at an audition feeling pretty out of place and beginning to sit with doubt, when a fellow auditonee came over and complimented me on the way I had worked on a creative task. The smallest compliment, but it has stuck with me and changed my mood for the rest of the afternoon. You don’t have to be fake about it, nor feel like you have to give gratification to the things that every single person is doing, but you’d be surprised how grateful people will be and how good it can make you feel to experience a moment of realisation that actually, yes.. we’re doing a good job.

Give yourself credit when it’s due and celebrate your achievements. I’m not telling you to pour yourself a margarita every time you do a decent tendu, but if you complete something that you’ve been working hard at, or you have a great show, then give space to embrace that. Too often we jump from one creative struggle to the next without actually giving credit to the hard work that we’ve already put in. 

Who’s to say what the future of the dance industry will bring. Personally I hope for inclusion, conversation, and for it to be a place as full of interesting and amazing people as I’ve had the pleasure of meeting so far. Keep creating, keep the conversation going and remember to look up and be grateful that you have the ability to move, in whatever capacity is available to you.

I hope to meet you someday.

Joshua Scott