Dancer or Choreographer
What the work is
Entertains by performing dances, or creates dance compositions.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Creates and performs dance routines for entertainment purposes
- Develops and rehearses dance movements and sequences
- Collaborates with other Dancers or Choreographers to create and refine dance compositions
- Interprets and expresses emotions, stories and concepts through dance
- Incorporates various dance styles and techniques into performances
- Attends auditions and participates in casting for dance productions
- Conducts dance classes and workshops to teach and train aspiring dancers
- Maintains physical fitness and stamina through regular practice and exercise
- Researches and stays updated on current trends and developments in dance
- Collaborates with costume designers, Lighting Technicians and other production staff to enhance dance performances
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a small theatre company in the last week of rehearsals before opening night. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A scene that never worked in rehearsal suddenly lands, and you feel the room go quiet
- A school group stays behind after the show to ask how you do it
- A cast that has become a family by the end of a long run
Hard days
- An audition where you give your best and never hear back
- Work between jobs that has nothing to do with acting, to pay the rent
- A note from the director that changes everything you had rehearsed for weeks
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 231134, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.