By:Jenne Vermes

Contributing Writer



Dance as a career is something that must be lived and breathed every day, in all aspects of a dancer’s life. Even as a hobby, dance can easily becoming an all-consuming activity that stays at the forefront of even the most casual dance student’s mind. While this is a wonderful outlook and it can be highly beneficial to a dance career, this mentality can leave little time and energy for all of the other important aspects of life. It is important that dancers find a balance between devoting their time to their art and making sure all of the important to-do’s get done. This is especially pertinent to younger dance students, who must often place their academics above all else.

Dance as an afterschool activity or a career in the making can take up much of a student’s time, as the desire to take a variety of styles and multiple classes can be overwhelming. The keys to being able to balance a heavy load of dance classes with the often arduous amount of school work are schedule management and multitasking. Making one’s schedule work to an advantage is easier said than done, as many dance class schedules can have students taking class back to back on multiple nights a week. Dancers should evaluate their studio’s schedule before deciding what classes to take to ensure that they leave room for homework time either before or after. It can be a recipe for poor grades if a dancer schedules four classes in a row directly after school, leaving only time for dinner, shower and bed at the end of the night.

Student dancers have much to juggle, especially as they get older. As students progress through their scholastic years, the subjects and course loads get tougher and tougher, and their social and extracurricular activities become much more involved and abundant than ever before. For aspiring professionals, shunning a social life for extra dance classes and lead performance roles is certainly not out of the question, but even these students must maintain a balance in order not to overload and overwork themselves. It is imperative that dancers have down time after a long week of school and dance class. Even if a dancer’s company requires Saturday rehearsals or Friday night performances, dancers should save the better part of the weekend for unwinding with friends and/or family so they have enough time to rejuvenate before their week begins again. As fin as dance classes, performances and rehearsal can be, it can all feel like work when it’s the only thing on one’s plate. Overloaded dancers can quickly suffer from a lack of energy which greatly affects dance performance, and often over working in the dance studio can even cause many dancers to lose the passion and interest they were once filled with for the art. Being that passion is what drives dancers to succeed, it is vital that dancers stay focused but free so they don’t get burned out.

Professional dancers and dance teachers come in all shapes, sizes and lifestyles, from young talent fresh out of school to seasoned professionals who are also working moms and dads. No matter what a dancer’s life entails, time management can make or break their career. Professional dance companies, shows, tours and studios often require dancers and teachers to attend regular rehearsals, classes, training sessions and, of course, performances, and dancers must make these activities a high priority in their lives. However, there must always also be other high priorities such as family, school or even a second job to bring in a steady income, and dancers must find the right balance that will allow them to focus their energy on their art without falling behind everywhere else.

Rehearsals and shows can be long and arduous, called at any time of day for as many hours as directors see fit, so keeping a strict schedule is rarely a possibility for working professional dancers. The best practice for professionals is to simply take their schedules one day at a time, keeping a checklist (whether in their minds or in their iPhones and Blackberries), keeping track of all of the important activities and appointments that must be kept before and after rehearsals and performances. Teachers often have a much more standardized schedule, so keeping track of the what’s, when’s and where’s of each day may be simpler; however, it never hurts to keep a planner around just to ensure that time gets properly managed as little rehearsals and surprise performances can easily sneak into an already jam packed schedule.

Aside from practices, classes and performances, dancers have the added pressure to keep impeccable care of their “instrument,” their body, and this requires even more time and effort in exercising, minding good eating habits and ensuring good health through even the worst cold and flu seasons. Not to mention adding additional time to rehearsals and shows to include proper stretching to avoid injury. One way to make sure dancers stay in top shape is to make stretching, exercising, healthy eating and other health necessities part of their daily routine. This way, dancers will surely make time for their bodies without feeling like it’s one more thing they have to add to their day; it’s already something they do naturally. After all, it does a dancer no good to get sick or injured the day before the curtain rises on a show.

With all of these high priorities, how can one fit it all in to each day without going insane? The answer is truly time management. One doesn’t need to be meticulous about keeping a strict schedule, but it is important to map out the necessary to-do’s of each day, and make certain to leave plenty of wiggle room between rehearsals and work for time spent with family and friends.

Dance can be a delightful past time or the career of a lifetime, but it can get very crazy very fast if dancers aren’t able to keep up with their own schedules. So what’s the best way to get through a day in the life of a dancer? Simply take each day eight counts at a time.