PEARSONWIDRIG DANCE THEATER

 

Washington, DC has a vibrant, accessible dance scene. With large and small presenters, a highly educated audience base, a healthy influx of recent college graduates, and a thriving international population, DC can be an exciting place to make work, take class, advocate for the discipline, and see shows. You probably won’t make full time living as a dancer, but dancers here also work as consultants, advocates, administrators, fitness professionals, and, of course, dance teachers.

How to begin:

Join Dance Metro DC and CREDO for a local perspective and NDEO and Dance/USA for a national perspective. You can also follow http://www.ngomareader.org and the Dance/USA From the Greenroom blog.

Where to train:

• Dance Exchange
• Maryland Youth Ballet (don’t let the name fool you, they have great adult ballet)
• Joy of Motion
• Dance Place
• Dance Lofts on 14
• Joes Movement Emporium
• Ballet NOVA
• Washington Ballet

Where to rehearse:

Most of the above—and many folks who teach at schools or fitness studios can strike a deal for rehearsal space.

How dancers get performing gigs:

As in most cities, choreographers hire dancers they’ve worked with before, generally in a workshop context. Some companies still hold auditions, but even then hiring a total stranger is a risk that most aren’t willing to take. There’s also a nice trend towards internship and apprenticeships, which can be a nice transition point for dancers in or just out of college.

Opportunities for emerging choreographers:

Several local presenters do showcases or juried shows. You’ll learn about these through Dance Metro DC.

Festivals:

• Velocity DC
• Capital Fringe
• Cherry Blossom Festival (the huge one, but great opportunities for international-themed work)

Venues where out of town artists perform and organizations that present them:

• ADI
• Kennedy Center
• Dance Place
• George Mason Center for the Arts
• The Clarice at UMD-College Park

Adriane Fang, professor at the University of Maryland; photo by Zachary Handler

Opportunities to teach dance, the amount of work in the area, and ages and settings for teaching:

Teaching work is plentiful: public schools, independent schools, catholic schools, university adjunct work, studios, community centers, and company schools.

Now Next Dance at Dance Loft on 14; photo: Alison Waldman 

 

Local colleges and universities with undergraduate and graduate programs:

George Washington University – BA, MFA

Howard University – BFA

University of Maryland – BA, MFA

University of Maryland (Baltimore County) – BA, K12

George Mason University – BFA

McDaniel College – AA

American University – strong minor

(and nearby schools including: Towson, Goucher, and Shenandoah)

Final thoughts:

I’m pretty impressed by DC dance after 5 years here. It is an expensive place to live, and that matters because it impacts how much time one can devote to the unpaid hours you spend rehearsing and/or taking class. The flip side of this is that there is a lot of wealth in the area, which translates into a healthy body of potential donors, sponsors, private training students, and parents willing to pay a premium for dance classes. I’m sure I’ve left a lot out—so if DC folks are reading this, please add more suggestions in the comments.

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Ashley Thorndike-Youssef, PhD is the founder and executive director of Now Next Dance. An education and incubation dance organization, Now Next Dance offers classes and workshops that promote dance and wellness education while supporting the development of new dance works. Now Next Dance operates in an array of environments, from the dance studio to the corporate conference room. Ashley holds a PhD from the Ohio State University and a BFA from the University of Utah and is a BASI Pilates teacher and a 200hr yoga teacher.

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