As a dancer, if you hope to dance competitively, in college, or professionally, having connections in the dance world can be very useful. Knowing who to contact for mentorship, advice, and connections can provide you with opportunities, experiences, and more. Building those connections takes effort! Here are the essentials for creating them throughout your dance career.
Have a Solid Elevator Pitch
An elevator pitch is essentially a clear and direct presentation of your talents as a dancer. It can be a brief conversation starter to bring up with someone who could provide you with opportunities. Your pitch should include some of your past work as well as your future goals. Thinking of ways to answer questions people might ask you or presenting your best resume talking points in conversation can be a great place to start.
Be sure that, whatever you say, you say it with full confidence. Having confidence is a major part of promoting your skills and talent!
Have a Social Media Presence
Social media is the easiest way to find someone and learn about them quickly. Think of your social media (or at least your professional profiles) as a kind of online portfolio. It allows people to see your past work and your current projects and showcases your personality. And if you have somewhat of a presence it shows that you are taking yourself seriously which looks good if you are hoping to dance professionally.
The best advice? As Matilda of Love Notes to LA says, “No need for glamorous feeds.” Just be you! (You can find more of Matilda’s tips for building a professional social presence here.)
Take Every Class You Can
Taking classes exposes you to different styles, choreographers, and studios. You never know who or what can provide you with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity or experience. By exposing yourself to different classes and people you are allowing yourself to have time to network and put yourself out there while improving your technique and skill.
Be Approachable and Friendly
This might seem obvious, but this is more than being your usual awesome self! If you are friendly and approachable (as a person and as a professional), you open the door for more to come up and talk to you and get to know you. This also makes it easier for you to approach dancers and other industry professionals you want to add to your network. If you leave a good impression, you never know who someone could introduce you to (or who might call you with an opportunity later).
Networking and making connections are vital parts of growing and keeping a presence in the dance world. Finding your people outside of the studio is just as important as the work you do inside it.
