Matthew Lawrence shares his top tips for dancers who want to get a job... and keep it!
THERE aren’t enough jobs out there!” – and – “Everyone is so much better than I am,” are common fears for dancers when it is time to secure employment. In truth, the math is skewed against the applicant. With cattle-call auditions often featuring hundreds of talented entrants crammed into inadequately sized studios, it is no wonder directors let good dancers slip by. Put simply, there are many aspiring dancers, yet only a handful of jobs - especially in Australasia. So how can you enhance your chances?
Aside from the obvious three Ps - punctuality, presentation and performance – I will use my own story and some stories of others (who will remain anonymous) to share some tips and secrets about how to get a job…and potentially lose it.
1. Take a risk and fly the coup
To excite me creatively, I needed travel, new dancers, repertoire and varying milieus. I have danced in three similar yet different company environments - the Australian Ballet (AB), Birmingham Royal Ballet and Queensland Ballet. Each was an artistically rich experience and each move was risky.
Signing contract time, October 2007, my wife, Gaylene Cummerfield, and I decided to leave the AB and pursue our dream of dancing in Europe. We were taking a risk. Eleven years of hard slog to establish our senior positions, and now, we were potentially “jeté-ing” it all away. Because European auditions were not till the following year, we resigned jobless. It was a gamble, particularly for a couple.
Advice: When auditioning away from home, you will be exposed to conditions outside your comfort zone. Be brave, be risky but also plan and save money for travel, classes, and that last minute call-up. Opportunities can arise at unexpected times; a director may urgently require “Swans” or “Snow Flakes”… or someone to hold a pole.
Top Tip: Are you eligible for a visa? Visas make you more employable. A temporary visa, which allows you to work part time while auditioning, is well worth considering. Commonly dancers run out of money before they run out of auditions. . .
This is an extract from an article by Matthew Lawrence in the current issue of Dance Australia and you can read the full article if you buy Dance Australia from your favourite retail outlet, or use our free app to purchase and download your copy. Or make sure you receive every issue by subscribing here! .