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Becoming A Dancer

Rio | future dancer

When I was younger, dancing was always a big part of my life. I took ballet, tap, jazz, and hip hop classes between the ages of 5 and 7. Going into 7th grade, I joined my school's drill team.

I've discovered that to be a dancer, you don't need to have a certain degree, although many choreographers and professional dancers do have their bachelor's or master's degree. Job positions for dancer's can be in theatre productions, television shows, movies, and dance recitals, and they can also continue to do other forms of dance even after they no longer dance professionally. It is getting easier to find jobs, but currently, it may be difficult for dancers to find open positions or parts in dance studios and other things such as theatre productions, dance groups, etc. Using websites such as: http://kids.gov/teens-home/jobs/index.shtml have helped me learn about being a professional dancer and just exactly what they do.

The average hourly wage for most dancers is around $16.37, and the weekly salary is $1,215. That makes the yearly salary somewhere around $72,900. Depending on the type of dance studio, how long they work, how many people attend the studio or the level of dance they direct, the amount may change. Becoming a professional dancer involves a lot of work, such as working on dance skills and choreographing techniques in order to get the part or position you want in a production or studio, but I'm willing to put in the effort in order to pursue my dream.

Rio's essay appears here as written, to preserve the young author’s unique voice and individual writing style. However, we have deleted personally identifiable information to protect the student’s privacy.