What’s next?

While auditions are still obviously an important mainstay of a dancer's professional life, there are many more ways to increase your chances of getting a job than just turning up to a cattle call. It would be wonderful to leap straight from school to a permanent paid job, but, for many, the path to employment will be much more nuanced. Today a dancer's career is often built from short term gigs – development projects, secondments and apprenticeships are a likely path. This means dancers need to be constantly ready and alert to opportunities.

As says Sarah Boulter, the director of the Ev and Bow Full Time Dance Training Centre in Sydney, "from the minute we start working with the students we try to instil  the importance of career research – educating the dancers on where to find casting, auditions, agency representation and prominent industry personnel."

When you leave school, she advises, keep doing class. Not just your usual classes – go to open classes, workshops, intensives, masterclasses as often as you can; expose yourself to different teachers and dance styles. Aside from keeping you on top of your craft, these classes can be important sources of information. Teachers are often working professionally in other areas of the industry and are a good source of intel. They can also make recommendations to their industry peers. Make your face familiar to them.

"You need to know who is creating, choreographing and directing," Boulter says. "Keep your finger on the pulse."

In addition to daily class, look out for residencies and choreographic laboratories. Many are designed especially to support emerging artists, such as those held at DanceHub SA or Studio1 in Brisbane. (Dance Australia has a list of such opportunities on its website.) These provide development and performance opportunities. Not only will you foster your own skills but you will also make yourself known to others. Networking is key – building relationships with choreographers and company directors. Many professional choreographers or artistic directors employ on the basis of how well they think they can work with you or how well you will fit into the company – so they want to get to know you. While video applications are great, nothing beats actually meeting people face-to-face.

Michael Whaites is Lecturer at the WA Academy of Performing Arts, where he is also Artistic Director of Link Dance Company, WAAPA’s graduate company that he has taken on tours interstate and overseas. He advises his graduates to "try to create a bit of a circuit so that you are not a FIFO (Fly In Fly Out) dancer. Do a workshop, take a class, then come back. Be flexible, personable”.

"This also makes sense financially and time wise,” he continues, “especially if you are travelling interstate or overseas. Make the most of your visit. See as much as you can, check out the city. I tell students, go and visit [company directors] Lucy Guerin, Stephanie Lake [for instance]: they need a face to a name and to get to know who you are."

Maintain your socials

Says Boulter: "It’s important for the dancer to keep their socials and profile current, with dance footage available to be seen. We often have choreographers ask us for suggestions of dancers and then they refer to the dancer’s Instagram page or website for further information. "Preparation is important. Frequently film and update your work, so you are prepared to send across a reel at any time in line with the brief."

If nothing else, honing your social media presence is something to keep you occupied "between contracts".

Going overseas

Going overseas is an expensive venture, so it pays to be well prepared. When making your plans, check each company’s website for audition information and application forms.

One of the few benefits of Covid is that applications by video have now become the norm, with many companies using them as a vetting process before agreeing to an audition. This saves dancers from having to turn up in person (in a strange country, in the snow, with no language) and finding themselves eliminated a few minutes into the first class, as can be the case. Companies like NDT2, for instance, have an annual application process which is advertised on their website, with the specified video requirements. (See ‘Auditioning for NDT’ in this issue.)

If you do nail an audition overseas, make the most of the time you are there. Expand your reasons for travel beyond just a single audition; aim to attend a specific workshop or festival or some other event, so your time is still spent fruitfully. Get a sense of the climate, people and working conditions.

A benefit of travelling overseas is the opportunity to witness the amount and variety of work on offer compared with in Australia. It is an eye-opening and educational experience. "Even for graduates, after years of study, there’s still a lot of work they haven’t seen – maybe they have on a screen, but not in the real world," Whaites says.

Explore the dance scene and familiarise yourself with the city and the lifestyle so you are sure your dreams match the reality. If you return to Australia without having scored a contract, you will be much more equipped for the next time you go. Or you may decide that the grass is not necessarily greener overseas.

So, good luck! An adventure awaits. 

- KAREN VAN ULZEN

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