‘Cause let’s face it folks, dancers are among the lowest paid artists out there, period, and I believe it’s up to us to change that. Although there aremany other factors that contribute to that sad fact,whichwewon’t get into today, investing in your career in theways I’ve suggested above can in some smallway help to change it.


Now, say itwithme…DiversityEqualsDollars.


Just open up to all that dance has to offer, andwatch howit opens up amazing opportunities for you in return.


other dance styles. If you’remost comfortablewith ballet, can you also becomewell versed inmodern? If you’remost comfortablewithmod- ern, can you also pick up jazz or hip-hop?


Back to our talk about commercial dance careers. Commercial dancers are those performerswho aren’t salaried by a specific dance company. Theywork on a project-by-project basis. They could be performing in an industrial for amajor corporation oneweek, dancing back up for a recording artist another, or filming a commercial, television show, or feature filmyet another. True, this all sounds incredibly exciting, but it takes plenty of hardwork and training tomake that happen. Themore you train in a variety of dance styles, the closer you are to building a career like the one I just described.


So,we’ve discussedwhy you should become a diverse dancer. Nowlet’s talk about howtomake that happen.


My first suggestionis to resist the temptationto put yourself in a one-style box. Although youmay favor a particular dance style because you excel in it, spend some time learning the ropes in other styles too. Itmay feel uncomfortable in the beginning, but themore classes you take, themore you’ll connectwith this newmovement aes- thetic.


Speaking of feeling uncomfortable,my second suggestionis to pushyourself to step outside of your comfort zone. Growth begins themomentwe take that step outside of our box. You can rest assured, growth is indeed uncomfortable, but take amoment to think about your options. You can either hold on to your one style, and thus limit your career and earning potential,ORyou canwork through the discomfort of learning newstyles, and open up to aworld of newpossi- bilities for you and your career. The choice is yours,my friend. Which will you choose?


My third and final suggestionalso ties into stepping outside of your comfort zone, inthat, Iwould suggestnot only taking classes innewdance styles, but I suggest taking classes in other performance disciplines aswell. Why not take an acting or vocal class fromtime to time? I’mnot saying become an actor or singer, I’msaying become awell-rounded performer by enhancingmore than just yourmovement skills. Investing in a fewacting classeswill not only afford youwithmorework opportunities, but itwill also inform your dance performance skills in amajorway. The same is truewith vocal lessons. Vocal lessonswill open up opportunities for you to per- forminmusical theater productions, and theywill teach you newways of using your breath,whichwill also enhance your dance performance. It’s awin-win all around if you askme.


The point I’mtrying to drive is simple. Themore skills you have, the more chances you have towork. Themore chances you have towork, themore likely you’re able to have the quality of life you truly desire.


DANCE!NORTHTEXAS a publication of the dance council of north texas vol. 19 • no. 4 www.thedancecouncil.org November-January 2017 page 15


Shaté L.Edwards is a choreographer, dance professor, and author residing in Dallas, TX. She has aMaster of FineArts inDance aswell as a dance career that spanswell over a decade. She offers professional and personal develop- ment for aspiring and early career dancers through her company, The WorkingDancer.Visitwww.TheWorkingDancer.comfor FREEcareer resources.


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