Dance Major

[Anonymous]

Yes, I would not allow it. Some choices are allowed to be made by my children. Some are not. They are not allowed to pursue any career that puts their life on the line (military, police, firefighter) and not allowed to pursue a career that burns out their body (sports). If they had chosen to do that, they would not have my support.. You are free to disagree and parent your children the way you think is best. But you will not change my mind. I have four, two of whom have graduated from college. So I'm comfortable with the track I'm on in regards to this.

Good thing other parents are not like you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have about 5 friends that majored in Dance from Towson. 4 ended up getting regular job, like HR, management, etc.

One has her own dance studio.

If it's who I'm thinking of, my daughter attends that dance studio. The owner from that studio also majored in dance at Towson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op are you local?
What grade is your daughter?
Where is she studying now?
Is she doing the Suzanne Farrell program? Is she with Washington ballet? Is she at Kirov?

Yes, I'm in Burtonsville. My daughter is a senior and she attends a dance studio in Silver Spring. She has done summer intensives in New York for the last two summers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op are you local?
What grade is your daughter?
Where is she studying now?
Is she doing the Suzanne Farrell program? Is she with Washington ballet? Is she at Kirov?

Yes, I'm in Burtonsville. My daughter is a senior and she attends a dance studio in Silver Spring. She has done summer intensives in New York for the last two summers.

Ok. Cool, I assume Towson due to in state tuition? I definitely see the wisdom in not graduating with debt. What kind of dancer does she want to be? Commercial jobbing dancer/actor? Does she specifically want to be with a company? If she wants to be with a company I would save college later in life. Those are precious years in dance. It's a short career for most.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Yes, I would not allow it. Some choices are allowed to be made by my children. Some are not. They are not allowed to pursue any career that puts their life on the line (military, police, firefighter) and not allowed to pursue a career that burns out their body (sports). If they had chosen to do that, they would not have my support.. You are free to disagree and parent your children the way you think is best. But you will not change my mind. I have four, two of whom have graduated from college. So I'm comfortable with the track I'm on in regards to this.

Good thing other parents are not like you.

Just couldn't hold back from being nasty, could you? Of course it's good that some people are firefighters. Someone has to be. It's just not going to be my kids. Luckily none of the forbidden professions are their dream, so it all works out well in our family. Hopefully the people who want to go into the military come from households that are supportive of that.

[Anonymous]

One niece is double majoring in contemporary dance and arts administration. Her parents are in the arts as well. They had a talk with her during the college application process about the vagaries and risks of a dance career and the need for back up plan. That is what she decided to do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Yes, I would not allow it. Some choices are allowed to be made by my children. Some are not. They are not allowed to pursue any career that puts their life on the line (military, police, firefighter) and not allowed to pursue a career that burns out their body (sports). If they had chosen to do that, they would not have my support.. You are free to disagree and parent your children the way you think is best. But you will not change my mind. I have four, two of whom have graduated from college. So I'm comfortable with the track I'm on in regards to this.

Good thing other parents are not like you.

Just couldn't hold back from being nasty, could you? Of course it's good that some people are firefighters. Someone has to be. It's just not going to be my kids. Luckily none of the forbidden professions are their dream, so it all works out well in our family. Hopefully the people who want to go into the military come from households that are supportive of that.

Dp- please go away. This is not the thread for you. Go talk about your special snowflakes elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have about 5 friends that majored in Dance from Towson. 4 ended up getting regular job, like HR, management, etc.

One has her own dance studio.

If it's who I'm thinking of, my daughter attends that dance studio. The owner from that studio also majored in dance at Towson.

Her studio is in PA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:HAHAHAHAH! Sorry. I was a professional ballet dancer. By 16 you should be established as a n apprentice through summer programs. By 18 you have accepted to a company. If your daughter is truly interested in making her way in this particular world then the must give us dreams of college until she ages out of ballet due to injuries 28/30.

Not with contemporary.

Contemporary dance companies tend to work with "older" dancers (ie dancers out of college into their late 20s/early 30s. They are also open to different body types than ballet companies.

OP, degreed dance teachers at the studio level make around $25.00-50.00/hour for regular teaching and up to a thousand to two thousand or more plus travel for teaching an in house studio workshop for a couple of hours on a weekend afternoon.

If she is smart, a good and creative teacher/choreographer and markets herself well, she can make a decent amount of money as a twenty something right out of college.

That is not typical. There not a large market for contemporary dancers. Of the dozens of ( contemporary) dancers I knew in college, one has made a career of it.

When were you in college?

There are a lot more opportunities for dancers beyond traditional ballet companies.

Not that long ago, and I work in the arts. I don't think it's necessarily a bad idea to major in dance, but it's best to be realistic when painting a picture of future opportunities. I wrote upthread about concentrating on musical theatre.

$25.00-50.00 per hour is very standard for dance instructors with a degree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Yes, I would not allow it. Some choices are allowed to be made by my children. Some are not. They are not allowed to pursue any career that puts their life on the line (military, police, firefighter) and not allowed to pursue a career that burns out their body (sports). If they had chosen to do that, they would not have my support.. You are free to disagree and parent your children the way you think is best. But you will not change my mind. I have four, two of whom have graduated from college. So I'm comfortable with the track I'm on in regards to this.

Good thing other parents are not like you.

Just couldn't hold back from being nasty, could you? Of course it's good that some people are firefighters. Someone has to be. It's just not going to be my kids. Luckily none of the forbidden professions are their dream, so it all works out well in our family. Hopefully the people who want to go into the military come from households that are supportive of that.

She pipes in all the time in any thread about military or first respondeds.

Who knew her nastiness extended into the performing arts?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:HAHAHAHAH! Sorry. I was a professional ballet dancer. By 16 you should be established as a n apprentice through summer programs. By 18 you have accepted to a company. If your daughter is truly interested in making her way in this particular world then the must give us dreams of college until she ages out of ballet due to injuries 28/30.

Not with contemporary.

Contemporary dance companies tend to work with "older" dancers (ie dancers out of college into their late 20s/early 30s. They are also open to different body types than ballet companies.

OP, degreed dance teachers at the studio level make around $25.00-50.00/hour for regular teaching and up to a thousand to two thousand or more plus travel for teaching an in house studio workshop for a couple of hours on a weekend afternoon.

If she is smart, a good and creative teacher/choreographer and markets herself well, she can make a decent amount of money as a twenty something right out of college.

That is not typical. There not a large market for contemporary dancers. Of the dozens of ( contemporary) dancers I knew in college, one has made a career of it.

When were you in college?

There are a lot more opportunities for dancers beyond traditional ballet companies.

Not that long ago, and I work in the arts. I don't think it's necessarily a bad idea to major in dance, but it's best to be realistic when painting a picture of future opportunities. I wrote upthread about concentrating on musical theatre.

$25.00-50.00 per hour is very standard for dance instructors with a degree.

Ok. Fine, but that goes back to dance being a pyramid scheme. I'm assuming her daughter is looking to have a career performing. That is a trickier path.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:HAHAHAHAH! Sorry. I was a professional ballet dancer. By 16 you should be established as a n apprentice through summer programs. By 18 you have accepted to a company. If your daughter is truly interested in making her way in this particular world then the must give us dreams of college until she ages out of ballet due to injuries 28/30.

Not with contemporary.

Contemporary dance companies tend to work with "older" dancers (ie dancers out of college into their late 20s/early 30s. They are also open to different body types than ballet companies.

OP, degreed dance teachers at the studio level make around $25.00-50.00/hour for regular teaching and up to a thousand to two thousand or more plus travel for teaching an in house studio workshop for a couple of hours on a weekend afternoon.

If she is smart, a good and creative teacher/choreographer and markets herself well, she can make a decent amount of money as a twenty something right out of college.

That is not typical. There not a large market for contemporary dancers. Of the dozens of ( contemporary) dancers I knew in college, one has made a career of it.

When were you in college?

There are a lot more opportunities for dancers beyond traditional ballet companies.

Not that long ago, and I work in the arts. I don't think it's necessarily a bad idea to major in dance, but it's best to be realistic when painting a picture of future opportunities. I wrote upthread about concentrating on musical theatre.

$25.00-50.00 per hour is very standard for dance instructors with a degree.

Most of those teachers aren't getting a 40 hour week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Yes, I would not allow it. Some choices are allowed to be made by my children. Some are not. They are not allowed to pursue any career that puts their life on the line (military, police, firefighter) and not allowed to pursue a career that burns out their body (sports). If they had chosen to do that, they would not have my support.. You are free to disagree and parent your children the way you think is best. But you will not change my mind. I have four, two of whom have graduated from college. So I'm comfortable with the track I'm on in regards to this.

Good thing other parents are not like you.

Just couldn't hold back from being nasty, could you? Of course it's good that some people are firefighters. Someone has to be. It's just not going to be my kids. Luckily none of the forbidden professions are their dream, so it all works out well in our family. Hopefully the people who want to go into the military come from households that are supportive of that.

She pipes in all the time in any thread about military or first respondeds. Who knew her nastiness extended into the performing arts?

It's not NASTY to want my children to LIVE and to be physically healthy. Being a dancer really wears the body down at a faster rate than normal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Yes, I would not allow it. Some choices are allowed to be made by my children. Some are not. They are not allowed to pursue any career that puts their life on the line (military, police, firefighter) and not allowed to pursue a career that burns out their body (sports). If they had chosen to do that, they would not have my support.. You are free to disagree and parent your children the way you think is best. But you will not change my mind. I have four, two of whom have graduated from college. So I'm comfortable with the track I'm on in regards to this.

Good thing other parents are not like you.

Just couldn't hold back from being nasty, could you? Of course it's good that some people are firefighters. Someone has to be. It's just not going to be my kids. Luckily none of the forbidden professions are their dream, so it all works out well in our family. Hopefully the people who want to go into the military come from households that are supportive of that.

She pipes in all the time in any thread about military or first respondeds. Who knew her nastiness extended into the performing arts?

It's not NASTY to want my children to LIVE and to be physically healthy. Being a dancer really wears the body down at a faster rate than normal.

Because you personally know many professional dancers? Please fuck off.
Op- the MANY MANY professional dancers I know do have some injuries, but I would happily take their injuries, if I could have their general health, and flexibility. Please ignore the extremely ignorant above poster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One of my kids has a friend who majored in ballet at a well known program and is now dancing with a professional ballet company. My child (who also danced when younger) brought back a program from a performance he attended and there were a number of other dancers who had also completed college.

I think the ballet world is changing and they are realizing that dancers with an education and some more maturity are an asset to the company.

You and your daughter might want to spend some time looking up the bios of dancers who are in the jobs your daughter would like someday. See where those dancers went to college or what kind of training they had: that might help you to figure out a good path for your daughter.

Agree with all of this, except that the dance world is changing. It might be changing, but not for the better. I work with ABT fairly regularly, and I would say the culture is largely the same. The only difference now, is that the dance world isn't likely to see another Suzanne Farrell. Those days are done.

I'm not sure what you mean about Suzanne Farrell- I didn't think she had a degree.

My kid's friend knows a number of other dancers who graduated from a highly regarded ballet major program at a large Midwestern university who dance with professional ballet companies. No, they are not dancing for ABT, City Ballet, or PNB, but for smaller regional ballet companies. They are dancing full time and earning money for doing so.

During their contract year and on summer breaks they are making $40-50/hour teaching at studios and summer programs. Parents really like it when the teachers have a degree from a well known program. Most of them graduated with double majors, so they do have something else besides ballet in their tool box for when they move on from dancing.