Most of us love to dance or have a secret desire to dance like Hrithik Roshan or Madhuri Dixit. But have you ever given a thought about what is dance and who is a dancer? In its simplest form, a dancer is someone who moves his body to the rhythm of music, beats or just a pulse. This obviously is a very simple definition, but in dance, the body is an instrument that allows someone to “show” that rhythm, music, style and spirit. It is an all-encompassing art form that requires an intelligence of the body, mind and spirit.
A question that I often face from dance lovers who plan to take it up as a profession is what does it take to become a professional dancer? This question implies that one wants to be successful at what they do. Dance, just like any other profession, requires a certain amount of expertise, personality, drive and luck to succeed. Success in the business of dance has various shades of glory to it, depending on the goals of the individual dancer. Do you want to be a Broadway dancer, Bollywood dancer, ballet dancer, TV/video dancer, modern contemporary dancer, classical dancer or even a Go-Go dancer? All require a certain expertise. Some of the techniques will intersect and some will be entirely specific to the form.
To start with, dance is a serious business. This means that it requires other skills apart from the technique, style or look. In this business, one must be the CEO or director of their own life in dance, even though one is often taught to “be quiet and follow orders”.
Whether one’s decision is to be a classical dancer or Latin ballroom dancer, one must be his/her own marketing and sales director, technical director, accountant and agent/manager. All of these skills, if learnt well, will be transferable to practical situations. They also allow one to become a “professional. A simple question about the budget for individual dancer in a project may come to your mind. Any head of a production company or dance company will know that they must come up with a fee for the job, or give you a good reason why there is no fee involved. It takes courage and experience to ask questions in a professional and non-threatening manner.
When you begin to achieve some form of success with smaller projects, you often begin to look for an agent to do one part of your job. But here if you notice, I have simply said a “part.” The agents have to book as many dancers per day, week, month, as they can. They are into the business to make a commission. I
If you do not “stand out” in any particular way, they may not even consider you as part of their “stable.” Or if you do not keep up to your technique, your “look,” or give them the material they need to sell you, you do not exist for them. This means you will not be called for the next audition or be considered for the jobs that come up. However, this does not mean you are a failure! It may mean that you don’t have enough experience and you need more technical training. You may not be the kind of client this agent wants to work for. It only means that you need to search a good agent for you.
In sales it is all about being able to handle the rejection that is inherent in the field itself. If one wants to be a dancer, it is necessary to know that rejection is inherent in the business.
It is a hologram of creativity, possibilities and tests that make you stronger, more brilliant, more able and even at times more bitter than any other field of endeavour.
It is a field that challenges every nerve and fibre in your body. Remember in this game one has to have it all to succeed right from looks to body to technique to style to the works. So work towards it, be your own boss and keep dancing.