I was just wondering about the route one would take to pursue a career as a professional dancer, in either ballet or contemporary in other parts of the world? To illustrate what I mean, I'll describe the training route for a dancer in the UK. Generally, one takes ballet,often by studying a syllabus eg.RAD, ISTD maybe supported by other classes such as Jazz and tap at a local school a few times a week until aged about 11. Then a student can decide to audition for a full time vocational school, at which you study both academic subjects leading up to UK exams at 16 called GCSEs and dance. If you don't attend one of these school, you continue taking classes after school hours and at weekends until you are 16. After this most serious dancers audition for a full time dance school, specialising in training to become professional dancers (some also offer an option to study for other academic qualifications, A' Levels). This course is generally 2 or 3 years in length and you train about 6 hours a day, like being at school. At the end of this course a student will have generally have recieved all of his/her training and will start auditioning for companies, and ADs of companies will frequently come and watch school performances and classes and sometimes offer students contracts for the next year. Is this how it works other places?? Just thought it would be interesting to find out how other countries train dancers. Sorry this is so long xx :p

At a late age, I pestered an artistic director at a local school/company until he agreed to train me. Then I worked my **** off until I reached the point he could hire me. Then he hired me.

OK, I know that's an unusual way to become a dancer. But the paths we take through the dance world can be diverse.