After completing the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program in NYC, Janelle Jones was working as a server and doing freelance gigs. When she got a job as a dancer in a new show at Busch Gardens theme park in Williamsburg, VA, she was initially hesitant. A Virginia native, she was worried that it might be a step […]
Adagio. Marley. Rosin. Switch leap. You’re more than familiar with a lot of theatrical-dance terminology. But do you know what an industrial is? A session fee? If you’re looking to break into the world of commercial dance—think music videos, TV spots, promotional events—you’ll need to learn, and fast. We asked some industry heavy-hitters to clue […]
Every NYC Dance Project image feels like a glimpse into something greater: a dance that’s happening behind a curtain, in a private moment. Take, for example, one of Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal dancer Céline Cassone’s photos, a commanding shot of her on pointe in passé, her fiery red hair flung upward over her face. […]
L.A.-based dancer McKenzie Anderson recently booked a major industrial for Reebok. When she saw the photos of the other dancers they hired, she noticed one thing they all had in common: “Everybody who booked the job had a fitness headshot. There were no commercial headshots.” “Open auditions barely happen anymore, so your headshot is often […]
Picture this: You just landed your dream role in a Broadway show. But instead of jumping right into rehearsals, you’re first asked to fill out an application for something called the Actors’ Equity Association (AEA). Uh, hold up. What’s AEA? It’s a union that covers dancers. Depending on your goals, you’ll likely encounter either AEA […]
Move to your dream city, sign with a company, live happily ever after: That’s the fairy tale for many aspiring professional dancers. But reality is often more complicated—and an increasing number of dancers are finding artistic fulfillment through freelance careers. Going freelance can be appealing to those who don’t have their hearts set on one […]
“I remember declaring at age 13 that if I didn’t get into Pacific Northwest Ballet, San Francisco Ballet or New York City Ballet, I just wasn’t going to dance,” says Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre principal Julia Erickson. “I thought any other company was subpar.” A student at Seattle’s PNB School since Level I, Erickson was bred […]
Like most dancers, Alexandra Badgett spent the majority of her high school nights and weekends in the studio. And though she knew how to craft a resumé for dance auditions, putting one together for college applications was another story. “It was hard to express the commitment and dedication it takes to be a dancer, especially […]