Guest Blogger: Amalia Rosa

Amalia Rosa is a professional dancer living and working in New York City. She has a  30 year career as an artist, educator, and mentor.  She has written for a number of publication across the United states and has owned her own dance school for a few years.






  According to the National Endowment For The Arts there are more than 1,700,00 professional dancers in the United States.  However there are only 900,000 performing positions.  Thats means 800,000 dancers are in a highly competitive job market that has greatly affected the industry and it's morale. 

 In New York City where most dancers either move or visit temporarily to pursue their career ambitions, have discovered finding employment has become a very steep up hill battle.  In fact New York City has the highest concentration of professional dancers in the United States.  To these professionals, dance is viewed as a pure form of expression, that is loved with ones entire being.  The dreams of performing with ones favorite company and performing works from an admired choreographer are the common glue of these artists.   Many have diversified their training to make themselves more marketable and have taken short terms jobs (gigging) to do what they love.  With most dancers not being aware of the severe lack of employment it leaves many disenchanted about there bodies, talent, and over all dance industry experience.   Yet the ongoing rejection has not just only taken its toll financially it has also shattered hearts by breaking the dream of their passion. 

 Of course the dance industry was not so bleak in the 1970's and 1980's; in fact it was booming.   In the last decade there has been a very sharp decline in public support and interest.  The main issue is dance companies themselves performing the same works for decades and not introducing new works that reflect a more contemporary mentality.   In fact most the supporters of dance are other dancers, patrons, or the aging dance lovers.  This has caused the public to look for other avenues to enjoy dance that reflects their contemporary world such as television, movies, and the internet.  

So what is a dancer to do in such a grim employment market?  The first thing is don't ever give up on your love for dance, no one can take that away from you-ever.  Second, although it is a passion and love, realize most importantly that this is a business based  industry just like car manufacturing and healthcare.  An employer and employee arrangement based up supply and demand.   Do your research about the industry regularly and just the angle of artistic passion.  Money is money, benefits are benefits ... most of all dance is love.