hi. I am dying to be a proffessional danser when I am older. I am 13 and started ballet a few months before I was going to turn 13. I am in grade 1 in ballet and am doing my grade 2 exam in december (well we are aiming for december anyway). The thing is I have heard that if you want to be a professional you have to go to a professional/ stage school. Is this true? If so will they accept me if i tried for one? Am I too old? Is there an age limit for schools like this? :confused: :confused: :confused:
Please reply???????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

<small>[ 19 July 2004, 11:30 AM: Message edited by: M ]</small>

please reply!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi M,

There are many different ways to become a professional dancer, including going to a school whose main purpose is pre-professional training. However, you do not HAVE to go through a pre-professional program to become a professional dancer. There is some practical value in these programs that often makes the transition from student to professional easier: many schools are affiliated with specific companies who often stream students into apprenticeship positions in the company, sometimes leading to full time paid positions. Also, it is easier to make contacts in the dance community if you are surrounded by influential people in the community, such as in a school environment.
If you don't want to go through a school, you can always train through a studio and just go to auditions, get yourself out there as much as possible. In either case it is hard work and dedication that will help you reach your goals.
Each school will have its own regulations and rules. Some have an age limit, and are geared towards younger dancers, some have no age limit, or have many different age based categories that they separate dancers into. Don't worry, it is not too late to begin planning for a professional career. My advice is to start doing a lot of research into different schools in your area and find out which programs you may qualify for and that sound interesting to you. I know many dancers that have had long and fulfiilling professional careers after starting to dance in their late teens or early twenties. It all depends on how hard you are willing to work for what you want.

Thankyou very much for your reply. I want to dance proffessionaly as much as anything, but was extremely worried about the above!!!!!!!!!! I do want to go to a stage school, i have reasearched a few like pineapple studio's, tring park, the royal ballet school, but when i asked my ballet teacher about the royal ballet school she said that i will be too old, that is what confused me. if you want to be a professional dancer do you have to do all your ballet grades??
Please reply again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
from M!!!!!!!

Miranda, if you go to the students questions and answers forum you will find many people, myself included, who have asked similar questions to yours and some of those answers that people have given may help you. i'm like you i would love to be a pro dancer, make the most of your time, you're only 13 and i'm 18, so you have loads more time than i do!

Hi, as Alex R suggests, this topic is best in the Students forum. I'll move it there.

Hi M,

Unfortunately I am a modern dancer, not a ballet dancer, so I can't tell you much about ballet exams. However, I can tell you that it is probably not an essential requirement - you can be a great dancer without ever having taken a ballet examination. I think it would depend on which school you are tru=ying to get into - most probably list entrance requirements on their websites, or have student advisors that can give you the details. I would talk to a representative from each school directly before taking advice from well-meaning people such as your ballet teacher - get your information straight from the source and you will be sure to get the correct information.
Hope that helps a bit,
Shallom

Thankyou for your reply. I have looked up a few stage schools now, my favourite is Trimg Park but that is probably a little bit too much for a beginner so I will do my exam first and then maybe think of getting into a stage school when I am a little closer to the age groups standard!!!!!!!!! Now my challange is to try and convince my parents to let me go to a stage school if i pass the exam!!!!!!
Wish me luck M