How to Become a Famous Dancer

Co-authored by Val Cunningham

Last Updated: December 29, 2022 Approved

Do you want to become a famous dancer? It may take a lot of work, but it will be worth it in the end. Upload your performance videos to as many free social media sites as you can for a chance to become a viral sensation. You may also immerse yourself in the local or national dance scene by going to shows and networking with people in the industry. The traditional route of going to school and auditioning is demanding but is proven to get results. Whatever path your dancing takes you, work hard, be humble, and take care of your mental and physical health.

Part 1

Part 1 of 5:

Becoming Famous

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Create a free Youtube account. Record your performances and upload your videos to Youtube. It’s a free video-hosting platform that’s easy to join by simply following the prompts. You don’t have to audition or enroll in any formal schooling to upload your performances. If a video goes viral and you build a significant following, you may be able to create a portfolio, be approached for music videos, asked to audition for commercials, or get discovered by a talent agency.
- Create other free social media accounts to build your name. For example, you can promote your Youtube videos by sharing the link on a free account on Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, Snapchat, or Instagram. Take advantage of these free platforms and post as often as you can to expose your talent to as broad of an audience as you can.
- Consistency is key to gaining a significant following so post regularly and with frequency. Create a schedule that’s easy for you to meet so your fans know when to check your accounts for new content.
2
Become friends with famous dancers through social media. Post on the walls of famous dancers’ social media profiles. For example, you can comment on a tweet or youtube video a famous dancer posted. You can also partake in dance forums or post on the pages of national or even local dance projects. Becoming a respected voice in the dance community can lead to online fame.
- You may also learn to shoot, edit, and share videos so people see what you look like and get a sense of your own talent. Think of every post as an audition. Don’t post anything disrespectful or unrepresentative of you as a person and dancer.
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3
Save for an emergency audition fund. You may have to travel very far to audition depending on where you are living. Your expenses may include airfare, food, and your hotel stay. Save responsibly to make sure that your audition fund is never short. An audition may be a process of several days or even several weeks so be prepared to have the funds on hand.
- Fame may not come immediately so be prepared to have another source of income that supplements your dance career. Create a monthly budget to ensure you have enough money until your dance career takes off.
4
Learn from famous teachers. Learn as many styles as you can from as many famous teachers as you can. Famous teaches often tour or have a residency for workshops and classes. Your opportunity may arise from anywhere but getting to know famous teachers at famous studios may help expedite the process. You may also learn your own style from learning the different philosophies of different instructors.
- You want teachers who have cachet so that their letters of reference or name alone can immediately open doors within the industry. You also want to learn different styles because it may lead you to fame via a different route. For example, if you want to be a famous ballerina and learn hip hop dance, you may become famous for dancing in a hip hop video rather than in a ballet.
- Narrow your search for teachers depending on the time and money you have to spend. Some famous teachers may be across the globe. There is no guarantee that studying under someone famous will lead to fame.
5
Get a signature dance move. You may be capable of doing things other dancers can't. If you are flexible, athletic, and creative, find a signature dance move. There are many dances, like the twist, that become a cultural phenomenon. Work with singers or other artists to spread your move.
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Audition for a dance competition. Whether it's a competition at your city, a national competition, or a tv show like "So You Think You Can Dance", there will be instant fame if you are one of the top finishers. In particular, winning a televised competition may give you an agent or a key role in a production as part of your winnings.

Part 2

Part 2 of 5:

Starting Out

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Find a summer program. In the beginning, find a dance company or school that offers a suitable program. You want an opportunity to advance technically and network professionally. If you are in school, summer is the best time to focus on your dance career with an intensive program.^{[1]
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- Some programs are very competitive so be sure to allow yourself at least a six months to a year for preparation.
2
Find funding. There may be local, state, federal, or even national funding for specific dance programs that you are applying to. Reach out to funding bodies, like schools or your local arts council, to help fund your initial foray into the industry.^{[2]
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- Career planning conferences can help you find funding. Workshops can also be a good resource to meet people and learn about any funding opportunities.
3
Intern or get a mentor. Mentors and internships are a great way to get experience. It also allows you to learn from a number of voices within the industry. Even if internships with a dance company is not advertised, attending performances allows you to approach dancers and build a rapport that you can later turn into a mentor-type relationship.^{[3]
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- Internships and mentorships are highly sought after so be prepared to sacrifice without getting any compensation other than experience. Make sure to find the right person as some may see it as an opportunity to exploit you.
4
Write a proper bio and resume. Learn to present yourself in the best light. In the beginning you’ll need to pitch yourself to get gigs, apply into programs, or to get an agent. Let people know why you deserve an opportunity.
- You will also need a great profile for social media, to hand out during networking events, or for agents making a surprise visit to a performance.

Part 3

Part 3 of 5:

Ensuring Longevity

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Continue learning. Whether you complete a full degree or just a single course, you can always learn and improve your performance. You can learn about kinesiology to help keep your body healthy, music theory to help choreography, or acting and voice lessons for television.
- There are also a multitude of elements for stagecraft you can learn. Understanding the business may also benefit your financial goals as well.
- Different institutions may offer different certificates or degrees so contact the institution and talk to a counselor before committing yourself. For example, rather than investing your resources in a marketing degree, you may just want to take courses in social media to help sustain your profile and build your brand with monthly content.
2
Maintain support from peers. Dance and show business are very competitive. Once you find people who support, listen, and understand you as a person, work to maintain those relationships. You will most likely work in a number of projects throughout your career so be respectful of those you work with as you may work with them again.^{[4]
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Adapt to your body's needs. While your mind may sharpen, your body will slow down as you age. Transition into teaching, acting, singing, or another passion that still allows you to use your knowledge of dance and fame. Don't try to force your body to continue dancing if you suffer from an injury or chronic pain.
4
Think about your legacy. When you start your career you may be eligible for scholarships, apprenticeships, or fellowships. When you become more established you may be able to pay it forward and establish your own scholarship or fellowship. You may become part of national or local organizations that help fend emerging talent. Part of your legacy is what you pass on to the next generation.
- Make sure to apply early and double-check that you meet all the application criteria when applying for a scholarship, apprenticeship, or fellowship. Think about what you needed when you started out before creating your own scholarship. The criteria can be anything that you think needs your attention. For example, you may start a fund for dancers with special needs because your sister also has special needs.
5
Stay dedicated. Keep your focus and continue to dance as much as your body and schedule allow. Your longevity is a direct result of your work ethic. Keeping disciplined and setting new goals will keep things fresh. Immerse yourself in your artistic community to keep inspired by new projects and artists.^{[5]
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Become a choreographer and continue to collaborate. As you continue your dance career, your body may no longer be able to keep up with the rigors of dancing. Choreography is a natural transition. Collaborate with artists, musicians, actors, and designers to create your own passion projects.
- Deal with different personalities respectfully. You can always learn from others in different fields. Don’t let your ego get in the way of putting something together.
7
Take good care of your feet. Your feet are your main tool for dancing so take extra care of them. Some common problems are blisters, bunions, toe splits, broken bones, and floor burn. Don’t neglect your feet and take the proper precautions. Allow any wounds to heal with the right amount of rest or your feet will sustain permanent damage and end your career prematurely.^{[6]
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Maintain a healthy diet. A poor diet, such as candy and fast food, can make you lethargic and affect your performance. Healthy foods, such as fruits and vegetables, can give you energy and keep your body performing at its peak. Find the right foods to benefit your short term performance and long term health.
- Energize your morning and get fuel for the day with protein. Snack on hummus, nuts, granola, quinoa, and fruit rather than candy or chips to keep you energized. Have a salad if you are feeling hungry in the evening. It’s also smart to eat food with anti-inflammatory agents like turmeric or ginger.^{[7]
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Make sacrifices. In the beginning, you will need to sacrifice a lot of your time and energy to become famous; however, even when you become famous, you will still need to make sacrifices to ensure you stay relevant. You will need a lot of time to train and recover. Taking care of your mind and body should take precedence over your social time if you want to have a long career.
- You will need to not only train on your off time but also cross-train, sleep, warm up, cool down, and roll out your muscles and stretch. This is to ensure your body is at its peak physical shape. Don’t compromise your career with an injury that can be easily prevented. There are always new techniques, supplements, and medical advancements to stay on top of.^{[8]
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Part 4

Part 4 of 5:

Honing Your Craft

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Try different instructors and different classes. There are many different dance styles. In your off time, learn new forms or improve current styles with a new teacher. Don’t spread yourself too thin. You may only want to focus on a single technique for a specific performance or learn an entirely new form as you wait for another gig.^{[9]
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- Dance is constantly evolving with new sub-genres. You can learn ballet, hip hop, jazz, swing, flamenco, African, modern, interpretive, and all the sub-genres in between.
2
Train in other movement disciplines. Other forms of movement can greatly benefit your dance techniques. Train in martial arts, yoga, gymnastics, or other athletic forms to help your coordination, strength, and agility. Muscle movements easily translate into dance choreography.^{[10]
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Perform as much as possible. Don’t wait for auditions. Create your own opportunities by collaborating with other artists or funding your own projects. You can even post on community bulletin boards to create local, smaller productions. If you can’t find what you’re looking for where you live, create it.^{[11]
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- Take advantage of social media and market your performances. You can also reach out to peers and contemporaries to start a new project or find out if they are working on anything that you can be a part of.

Part 5

Part 5 of 5:

Strengthening Your Resolve

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Persevere despite the odds. Becoming a famous dancer is extremely difficult even if you have the talent and natural ability. Hard work can be derailed without the proper mindset. Prepare yourself for the injuries, long hours, and emotions needed to beat the odds.^{[12]
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- Put in extra hours. If you are indispensable, you can ensure a long career. Long hours of work and the right demeanor can endear you to both cast and crew. You can also learn more things beyond the day’s production material.^{[13]
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- Don’t disrupt practice, class, or a performance with a negative attitude. If you are tired or grumpy, fall back on your support system and don’t take it out on others.
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Respect the process. Have humility and learn from your mistakes and failures. Experience is the best teacher and not every performance will be perfect; some may even be terrible. Take these opportunities to learn, improve, and build your character.^{[14]
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- Be positive. Focus only on what you can control as anxiety about your future or depression about past failures can become toxic. Your future is bright as long as you continue to work hard, be humble, and respect the process. The physical demands of your career will be difficult to deal with on their own so don’t allow a bad attitude to make things even worse.^{[15]
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- Be open. Watch any performance and participate in discussions and workshops. You can also supplement your experience by reading articles and meeting people. While stage time is the best teacher, you can also learn from peers and friends that have a different perspective.^{[16]
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- Everyone makes mistakes and failure will happen. Find the lesson and keep pushing forward after things don’t go as you would have liked.
3
Don’t rest on your laurels. Find a lesson in the experience of working with difficult people. Even the best dancers aren’t perfect. You can learn from anything especially your most difficult situations.^{[17]
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- Dance every opportunity as if it’s your last. Your career can be cut short from anything including going bankrupt, falling ill, getting injured, or falling in love. Express your passion with each performance. It doesn’t matter who your audience is as long as you embody your passion for dance.^{[18]
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- You never know who is watching. A passionate performance can garner you an agent or new career opportunity. If you post it online, it could become viral and increase your fame.
4
Avoid negativity. People in the public eye expose themselves to criticism. Remember that everyone has their own opinion and that you won’t be able to please everyone. You may even find critics among family, friends, peers, and the media. Do what you feel is right and block out the noise.^{[19]
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- At the end of the day, if you can tell yourself that you’ve given 100%, the reviews don’t matter. You are doing this for yourself and not for anyone else. While fame may be a product of good reviews, you can also become famous for a number of different reasons.
- Don’t get involved in drama or politics. As you begin to climb the ranks of fame, you may encounter both toxic individuals and situations. Focus on yourself and avoid anyone who is trying to use you or bring you down. Work on your craft and remain focused on what makes you happiest.^{[20]
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Take care of yourself. Fame and fortune are fleeting. It takes a lot of sacrifices to reach the upper echelon of this very competitive industry. As you become more famous, stay grounded and remember that there’s more to life than fame and dancing.^{[21]
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Practice as much as you can. Confidence comes with practice. All the best dancers have put in numerous hours of work to get to their level. Push yourself to improve through the long hours. You may need a lot of travel and do a lot of press. Find time to continue to practice despite a busy schedule filled with media obligations.^{[22]
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- Stay in the moment. There’s no point in dwelling on mistakes during a poor performance or missed opportunities. It’s easy to get distracted and repeat the same mistake during the performance if you dwell on it. Fall back on the fundamentals of technique and treat each performance as its own.^{[23]
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Community Q&A

Question

I want to become a famous dancer without uploading videos and no one is contacting me back. What should I do?

Anna Sekeres

Community Answer

Take a break, brush up on your skills, and call even more people. Becoming "famous" at anything is a long and difficult road. Be patient.
Question

Can I start in my local dance studio?

Community Answer

Yes. Starting with a typical dance studio is a good way to build and maintain skills such as flexibility and muscle.
Question

Will I have to visit the gym every day, and what if I give a dancing show but injure myself?

Community Answer

Most dancers rehearse in a dance studio rather than going to the gym. If you want to be a famous dancer, you will indeed need to dedicate yourself to daily rehearsal and exercise. Injury is something that all dancers face; you can minimize the chances by ensuring that the stage is safe, and do daily stretching to increase your flexibility to limit the damage you'd sustain.

Warnings

Be careful what you put onto websites. Make sure that your privacy settings are on private to avoid people watching an unedited video of a poor performance.

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If you are under 16, ask your parents permission before putting anything onto YouTube or social media.

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