Expert: Dianne M. Buxton - 5/18/2009

Question
I am currently in the process of my grade 5 RAD ballet exam and I am also doing solo classes to get better. My teachers say they want me to become a professional one day but I was wondering how much training, time and effort it takes to become a professional? It has always been a dream of mine to become a professional and i want to pursue a career in the dance industry.

Answer
Hi Ellie. The best way to become a professional in ballet is to get into a professional school. Once you have done your dance training, you will be competing with ballet dancers who have had training six days a week since they were about 10 years old. If you have not had this kind of full time training, you certainly will not have an advantage in the competition for jobs.

In full time schools, students have one ballet class a day, a full time academic schedule, and also other dance training such as character dancing, some modern style of dance, pointe classes, and later pas de deux and repertoire classes, where they learn parts of full length classical ballets. Saturday classes and summer school are also needed to get through 8-9 years of the required training.

Compare this to what you are doing, and see if you need to make a change. Your teachers will be unhappy to lose you, if that should happen, but at the same time I'm sure they would be very happy for you if you got into a full time ballet school.

Every rule has an exception, however, and since I do not fully understand your dance schedule, I am giving you a general answer. Usually a dance syllabus like RAD or Cecchetti is not enough to train a professional dancer. A wider exposure of professional teaching is needed, yet a syllabus is a good guide to start with.

It sounds like you are doing whatever you can do for now. I would recommend that you get into a summer intensive at a professional ballet school, and see what you think about the needed training to go on to succeed with ballet.

Whatever you do Ellie, all the best to you and your dancing, Dianne.