Expert: Dianne M. Buxton - 8/17/2009

Question
Hi Dianne,
I'm a male ballet student just about to start my senior year of high school. I've been dancing ballet for six years now and it's really the one thing that I'm most passionate about. I'd love to pursue a professional career, but now that I'm about to finish school I'm wondering if this is a realistic expectation. I live in a very small town where there are no preprofessional ballet schools and I've only been able to go away to dance camps for several weeks in the summer.
One teacher I had in the summer told me that I should try to audition for an undergraduate arts school where I could pursue dance and work from there. I don't think that my technique is good enough to immediately start auditioning for companies, but perhaps after four years of intensive study I could be ready. The problem is that even getting into these schools is extremely difficult. I've ruled out highly competitive schools like Juilliard, but I'm still not sure what schools would be best to audition for in my position.
What I really need to know is whether someone in my position should abandon any dance career aspirations, or if not how to go about preparing for one. I know that you haven't seen the quality of my dancing, but do you know if any male dancers with a similar history to mine ever make it to the professional level? Also, do you know of any information about schools for high-school graduates wanting to pursue a dance career? I need to sort these things out because if I shouldn't expect a chance at a dance career then I'll have to think more about applying to colleges than auditioning for ballet schools. My parents are not very supportive of this either, making the process even more difficult. I'm sorry if this is too many questions, but if you can answer any of them I'd be very grateful. Thanks very much for your time.

Answer
Hi Aren. I would recommend that you do both. Find out what ballet schools may possibly be available to you - and if scholarships are a possibility. They all have web sites and many do audition tours that may come near to where you are. I don't know about all of them, but it won't be difficult for you to find them.

Also check out colleges with dance departments. In this type of venue, the dance training will be less intense. It is more common for students who start serious training in college to succeed in modern dance than in ballet - because of the obvious reasons of training requirements in ballet.

You have a more realistic outlook than many who fall in love with ballet at your age. You have already estimated that it is a fairly unrealistic expectation. Nothing is impossible and yet - it does make more sense to work towards a goal that can be fulfilled.

Another element to examine is, why do you love ballet? Are you experiencing the love of dance or the attraction to the artistic lifestyle? Because, other arts provide that as well as a bigger job market. You can do ballet for the rest of your life, if you love it, at any level.

I'm sure your parents are concerned with you growing up to be quite under-financed by a career in ballet, and worried about how you will take care of yourself. And whatever else.

Keep exploring and keep track of what's possible in terms of schools. How will you live - can you work (if necessary) and train as well? There is so much information available on line now, it's amazing compared to even 10 years ago. You are not in the "small town" vacuum at all with the internet.

And, yes, male dancers with a history such as yours have made it to the professional level. It can be done. So keep sorting it out. Try to envision where you'd like to be when you're 30. If you can project that far, you'll have a good map to follow. And see what will take you there.

Feel free to ask any more questions that might come up as you progress. All the best, Dianne