What the work is
Perform dances. May perform on stage, for broadcasting, or for video recording.
On a typical day
- Train, exercise, and attend dance classes to maintain high levels of technical proficiency, physical ability, and physical fitness.
- Study and practice dance moves required in roles.
- Harmonize body movements to rhythm of musical accompaniment.
- Perform classical, modern, or acrobatic dances in productions, expressing stories, rhythm, and sound with their bodies.
- Collaborate with choreographers to refine or modify dance steps.
- Coordinate dancing with that of partners or dance ensembles.
What it pays
Job outlook
U.S. projection, 2024 to 2034.
+5%
U.S. employment change
1,800
openings a year nationwide, from growth and people leaving
12,300
employed nationwide in 2024
Typical entry education: No formal educational credential · Training: Long-term on-the-job training
Skills this career uses
The skills O*NET rates most important for the job, with how much of each the work needs on a 1 to 7 scale.
- Active Listening3.0
- Coordination3.8
- Critical Thinking2.6
- Speaking3.0
- Monitoring3.0
- Social Perceptiveness3.0
- Time Management2.5
- Reading Comprehension2.9
Education people in this job have
Share of workers by highest education, from O*NET surveys. It shows what others did, not what you must do.
- High school or less79%
- Certificate14%
- Some college7%
Job zone 3, medium preparation: Training, an associate degree, or a few years of related experience.