Entry Level Qualification 

Class 10

Career Fields 

Mass Media, Journalism & Entertainment

For Specially Abled 

Career Entrance Exam 

No Entrance Exam

About Career 

1. As a professional Dancer, you will mainly be dancing for stage shows, dance sequences in films, wedding functions, musical theatres, dance reality shows, fashion shows, award ceremonies, media gatherings etc.

2. Typically, Dancers develop dancing skills at a very early age and start practising ever since to gradually identify specific areas of their interest.

3. You have to be creative, innovative and most importantly understand human emotions and concepts and express it in an interesting way for performing effective and attractive sequential dance steps.

4. Structured and formal education is not a pre-requisite for becoming a Dancer. You have to love dancing and believe in your dream to begin as a professional Dancer. However, it is advisable to complete at least senior secondary level of education (Class 11-12) or equivalent and then be sufficiently trained and experienced in performing on stage or in front of the camera.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

As a Dancer, you will be involved in all or some of the following key roles and responsibilities:

1. Training, exercising, and attending rehearsal classes and maintaining high levels of physical ability, technical proficiency, and physical fitness.

2. Maintaining coordination of dance steps with other performers and dance partners.

3. Collaborating with choreographers for modifying or redefining dance steps.

4. Attending photography sessions, costume fittings, and makeup calls associated with your dance performances.

5. Learning constantly from other dance forms, keeping yourself updated with popular dance routines and experimenting with different types of dance steps, dancers, formations, sequences etc.

Career Entry Pathway 

Class 8 in school – NSQF Level 3 Training and Certificate for ‘Dancer’ or similar courses

After completing Class 8 in school, you can do a training program and obtain a National Skill Qualifications Framework (NSQF) Level 3 Certificate for ‘Dancer’ or do similar courses. Under the NSQF training program, the total number of training hours will be 400.

Class 10 all subjects as per scheme of studies – Class 11-12 with any subject combination as per scheme of studies - Diploma / Certificate course in ‘Dance’ or similar disciplines

After Class 11-12, you can go for a Diploma / Certificate course in ‘Dance’, ‘Performing Arts’, ‘Acting and Dance’, ‘Theatre, Dance and Stage Craft’, ‘Dramaturgy’, ‘Dance Therapy’, ‘Dance Choreography’, any form of classical dance or related disciplines.

Class 10 all subjects as per scheme of studies – Class 11-12 with any subject combination as per scheme of studies– B. Voc in ‘Contemporary Dance’ or related disciplines

After Class 11-12, you can go for a B. Voc (Bachelor of Vocation) degree in ‘Contemporary Dance’, ‘Theatre, Dance and Stage Craft’ or related courses.

Class 10 all subjects as per scheme of studies – Class 11-12 with any subject combination as per scheme of studies – BPA in ‘Dance’ or similar

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After Class 11-12, you can go for a BPA (Bachelor of Performing Arts) degree in ‘Dance’, ‘Stage Craft’ or related disciplines.

Required Qualification & Competencies 

Structured and formal education is not a pre-requisite although training and experience in performing arts or dance is necessary for becoming a Dancer. It is advisable to complete at least senior secondary level of education (Class 11-12) or equivalent first.

After Class 10, you can go for NSQF Level 3 courses.

After Class 11-12, you can go for:

1 .Diploma / Certificate courses.

2. B. Voc degree courses.

3. BPA degree courses.

You can simply learn any form of dance while you are in school, then get into formal training classes right after you finish school, practice as a Dancer for a few years before you can become a fully professional Dancer.

Competencies Required

1. You should have an interest in Artistic Occupations. Artistic occupations mostly involve working with creative ideas, art, and designs. These occupations involve abstract or conceptual thinking, and creative self-expression and often do not follow any set processes or rules for getting things done.

2. You should have an interest in Social Occupations. Social occupations involve helping or assisting others; these involve working with and communicating with people to provide various services; these may involve educating and advising others.

3. You should have knowledge of Fine Arts- Knowledge about the theories and techniques required for producing, composing and performing works of music, dance, drama, etc.

4. You should have Active Listening Skills - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, understanding the points being made by others, asking questions, etc.

5. You should have Active Learning Skills - Focused and continuous learning from various sources of information, observation and otherwise for application in getting work done.

6. You should have Instruction Skills –training others how to do something.

7. You should have Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence - The ability to coordinate the movement of your arms, legs, and bodily motion; the ability to keep or regain your body balance when in an unstable position; the ability to quickly and repeatedly bend, stretch, twist, or reach out with your body, hands, arms, fingers, or legs.

8. You should have Physical Stamina - The ability to exert yourself physically over long periods of time without getting winded or out of breath.

9. You are always imaginative or in most situations.

10. You always prefer to experience new things and have new experiences or you mostly do.

11. You are fun-loving; you enjoy interacting with people and enjoying yourself.

12. You are always or mostly disciplined in your actions and behavior.

Career - Job Opportunities & Profiles 

1. You may find work as Dancer, Specialist – Dance, Choreographer, Performing Arts Coach, Dance Teacher, Dance Instructor, Contributing Editor – Dance, etc. in film production units, media and television companies, theatre groups, ballet companies, advertising agencies schools, colleges, academic/cultural institutions, and so on.

2. You can also provide your own services by teaching and training interested students by starting a dance academy or by visiting students at their home premises as a dance tutor giving dance lessons.

3. You may also get several opportunities to meet and work under the supervision of eminent Choreographers, theatre and media personalities etc. if you start by participating in dance reality shows that are conducted at various locations across the country.

4. If you complete your graduation in ‘Dance’ or ‘Choreography’, you may get opportunities for fieldwork and internships with prominent artists.

5. Prestigious organizations like the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), Ministry of External Affairs, Department of Culture, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Sangeet Natak Akademi also provide international teaching & choreography projects, besides research/production grants and fellowships, to graduates.

Specialisation Tracks In This Career

1. Classical Dancers

Classical Dancers are specialized in any one or more of the classical Hindu musical theatrical styles like Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Kathakali, Sattriya, Manipuri and Mohiniyattam.

2. Modern / Contemporary Dancers

Modern / Contemporary Dancers are specialized in the contemporary dance form or global dance forms like aerial, Salsa, Tango, Flamenco, Ballet, Kabuki etc. or in a number of these forms.

Career Growth

1. You may start as a dancer, then a Choreographer and grow to become an internationally renowned choreographer and performer. You may also start your own school and expand the volume of your trainees.

2. You may also participate in dance reality shows, earn fame and work with eminent film personalities and production units or choreograph for award ceremonies, films and advertisements.

Salary Offered  

1 .The earning potential of Dancers depends on the personal capacity, importunity, passion, preparation and earning appetite of an individual. You may expect to earn in lakhs per month if you can establish yourself in the film and media industry ultimately.

2. This is a difficult field with immense competition. However, if you can participate in dance reality shows at an early age, earn fame and work with eminent film personalities and production units, you may end up choreographing for award ceremonies, films and advertisements to earn in lakhs per month.

3. At the entry level, you may make Rs. 2,000 – Rs. 15, 000 or more per month.

4. After 2-5 years of experience, you may make around Rs. 3,000- Rs. 20,000 or more per month.

5. After 6-10 years of experience, you may make about Rs. 6,000-30,000 or more per month as a professional Dancer or dance teacher.

6. After 13+ years if you can establish yourself as a Choreographer in the film and media industry, depending upon your experience, you can earn around Rs. 1,00,000 – Rs. 2,50,000 or more per month.

7. You may also earn around Rs. 50,000 – Rs. 1, 00,000 (as a fresher) per month or even more if you start your own YouTube Channel and offer dance lessons.

8. As a self-employed dance teacher, you can also earn Rs. 40, 000 – Rs, 1, 00, 000 or more if your coaching classes gain popularity.

Monthly Earning In Indian Rupee

1. Entry level: 0 - 2 years of work experience

2. Junior Level: From 1 to 12 years of work experience

3. Mid-Level: From 5 to 20+ years of work experience

4. Senior Level: From 10 to 25+ years of work experience (there could be exceptions in some high-end technical, financial, engineering, creative, management, sports, and other careers; also in the near future, people will reach these levels much faster in many careers and in some careers, these levels will have no meaning as those careers will be completely tech skill driven such as even now, there is almost no level in a Cyber Security Expert’s job)

Famous Personalities 

Not Available 

Work Activities 

As a Dancer, you will be involved in the following work activities:

1. Performing physical activities - Performing physical activities that require the use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.

2. Developing and maintaining inter-personal relationships - Developing professional relationships with co-workers and others outside organizations and maintaining good relationships.

3. Getting Information and learning - Observing, hearing, reading, using computers, or otherwise obtaining information and learning from it.

4. Updating and using relevant knowledge - Keeping updated with the latest knowledge relevant to your fields of work and use of the relevant knowledge in getting things done.

5. Working directly with people - Working directly with people to offer services, providing assistance, etc.

6. Creative Thinking -Developing new ideas, concepts, innovative solutions to problems, new dance forms, etc.

7. Coaching and developing - Identifying training and professional development needs of others; coaching and training them to develop skills to perform tasks and improve performance.

8. Working in a team - Working in a team of people; developing a team; maintaining professional relationships among team members.

9. Managing and supervising - Managing and supervising work of others; setting goals; giving instructions; monitoring work performance, etc.