Dance Resume Sample, Job Description & Writing Guide for 2024
There are tons of reasons why you might need an excellent dance resume. After all, professional dancers are involved in a wide variety of careers. You might be looking to work on a television production, on the stage, as part of a dance recital, or in a studio with other promising artists. As a dancer, your resume should show that you can tell stories through dancing and display gorgeous choreography on stage.
It isn’t just about knowing all the latest and greatest dance techniques either. While it can help if you know how to dance jazz, folk, ballet, and tap, there are other things that an employer wants to see that you are capable of. An exceptional dance resume reflects your knowledge of dance, as well as posture, stamina, collaboration skills, and creativity.
But how do you include all of that information in a way that makes an employer interested in you? It’s not as challenging as you might think. We’ll help you create a dance resume that puts you on top of the stack and ensures you’re more likely to be brought in for an audition and interview. All your skills and achievements will be brought to light in a short and simple document.
When you follow our dance resume guide, you’ll have a resume that you can feel proud of. It is sure to be better than most of the others that get sent in with an application. We’ll share how to write the important sections of the resume and provide examples you can follow. It’s a great way to break into dance or get the job you’ve always wanted in this creative field.
Dance resume writing guide: Where to start?
You can quickly head to Google to get tons of examples of a dance resume similar to the one you want to turn in. But how do you turn your skills and passion into a document that makes a huge impact and gets you in the door? We recommend a two-phase process involving a master resume and a job-specific resume. Keep reading to get the details on how each of these works.
Master resume for dance
Do you have a master resume? If not, now is the perfect time to create one. If you do have one already, make sure it’s fully updated before you move forward. It can make a huge amount of difference in how your final resume turns out. For those who aren’t familiar with what a master resume is, it’s a document where you compile information about your skills, experience, education, achievements, and more.
The master resume doesn’t have to be flashy or have a trendy design. It’s simply a place where you keep all the important information about yourself for future resumes. Consider listing all the productions you’ve been a part of, where you’ve worked and what you did, and which skills you’re proud of having. This information doesn’t have to be relevant to a specific resume. It’s simply a place to retain everything that could be useful in the future.
Whenever you have a new skill or accomplishment, jot it down in your master resume. This ensures you don’t forget anything important. As you move forward and create the job-specific resume, all the details are in one place for your use. So put together a master resume now or add any new information to your existing one before you move to the second phase of crafting a dance resume.
Job-specific resume for dance
A master resume isn’t going to look much like a dancer resume example you see here or on Google. That’s where the job-specific resume comes in. It’s your ticket into a career that you love with great pay, excellent benefits, and a group of talented teammates at your side. With the help of your master resume and the dance job description, you’re already on your way to an outstanding document.
It's important to create a customized resume for each job you apply for. This is the best way to ensure you list the right skills, explain your experiences well, and include the sections most relevant to the position. You can also take keywords from the job description and use them throughout your resume to show you would be a great addition to a troupe or performance.
In addition to proving that you have the skills and experience a hiring manager wants, keywords have another use. Applicant tracking systems (ATS) are often used to look over a resume before a human ever sees it. If you have irrelevant information and don’t include keywords, a manager may never see the document. Weaving in important aspects of the job can help with this.
While you create a job-specific dance resume, make sure you remember that it should be no more than two pages long. However, it’s also fine for it to be a single page. Focus on making sure all your skills and experience shine through. After all, you can share additional information when you end up at an audition or interview for the position.
Here is a sample dance resume for an audition that you can use to guide writing your own. You’ll notice that it includes all the most crucial information, such as contact information, resume objective, skills, education, and experience. There is a wide variety of skills represented to show what the dancer is capable of alone and in a group. It has good info and a nice style so a director is sure to notice it.
What to include in a dance resume? Writing tips and examples
Now that you’ve had a chance to peruse our dancer resume sample, it’s time to start your professional document. In the paragraphs below, we’ll share details on how to lay out and compose some of the most important sections of a dance resume. We’ll share how to craft an amazing resume objective, the best way to include experience, and much more.
How to write a resume objective on a dance resume
A resume objective is placed toward the top of a resume as a short block of text. There isn’t a lot of design that goes into it since the emphasis is largely on what you write. Spanning anywhere from two to four sentences, the resume objective is the hook that makes a hiring manager or recruiter interested in you. It often includes your accomplishments as they apply to previous experiences as a dancer.
Even if two people were applying for the exact same position, their resume objectives would likely be quite different. You need to take into account the job you want, what skills you have, and the accomplishments that are relevant to the position. Those things should be pulled together to create a story that convinces the employer you’re the right person for the position.
The resume objective might be a small blurb on your resume but it’s not something to take lightly. Most people who are hiring dancers are going to look at this first. It gives them insight into who you are and what you do well. Because of that, it’s best to talk about your biggest accomplishments and how those things helped the company you were with.
Since you only have four sentences (at maximum) to tell your story in the resume objective, it’s important to use your words wisely. Make sure all the information is relevant and useful to the recruiter. If you can incorporate action verbs and numbers into the mix, that can be very helpful. Crafting this section last is often the best option since the rest of the resume is available to help.
Tips to include work experience on a dance resume
Now we come to the work experience section. It might seem challenging to fill out but if you get it right, you could get the role of your dreams. A good way to start is by reading through the experience you have in your master resume. Consider what is relevant for the new position you want and focus on those roles as you craft this section.
Some people will have worked with dance companies and can list those in reverse-chronological order similar to any other resume. Others may want to list the tours they have been on and what they have performed. It all comes down to the type of experience you have and what will look good to the person who is perusing your dance resume.
For traditional employment, make sure you list when you worked there, what your role was, and who you were employed by. Underneath this basic information, you can add additional information that wows the person who is reading the resume. Show tiles, roles, tours, and venue names can be included. This is a great way to include extra accomplishments that didn’t make it into your resume objective.
Skills to list on a dance resume
Skills are a must for any resume but they are especially crucial when you want a dance position. There are so many skills that you can list to show you’re the right person for a specific job or role. This goes back to digging through the job description for keywords and using them strategically throughout your resume.
Dance is composed of a lot more than putting on an elegant costume and doing the right steps on a stage. Any professional dancer needs the patience and grit to go to tons of rehearsals and build a career. This is where you can show those things to a casting director and prove you’d be the perfect choice up on stage.
Everyone will have a different list of skills but you can keep an edge by only adding ones related to the specific role you desire. Sure, you want to share a few of the dancing skills you have, but you should go further and include a variety of soft skills. Below are a few examples of skills that work well on a dance resume:
· Agility
· Flexibility
· Discipline
· Motivation
· Resilience
· Time management
· Floor work
· Rhythmics
· Movement memory
· Understanding music
· Dancing in groups
· Understanding space
· Attention to detail
· Stress management
· Sense of community
· Active learning
· Mental endurance
· Capacity for feedback
Now that you’ve learned how to write many of the sections for a dance resume, all you have to do is make sure it stands out. Having a great dance resume template is the perfect way to do that. CVMaker offers a wide selection to choose from in a variety of colors and styles. Take a look and choose your favorite as a way to take the first step toward the role of your dreams.
Key takeaways
You can use our tips and examples in tandem with the job description to ensure you create a dance resume that is noticed. Being aware of the right layout and style for the resume can be just as important as including the right information. Put all your information together, attach it to the application, and wait to hear about an audition. Good luck!
Tips for a dance resume:
· Check out the resume after you finish writing it to ensure it has a good flow. If anything sounds a bit off, make an edit or two until it reads perfectly.
· Make sure you have chosen no more than two fonts or colors for the dance resume. Be sure that everyone looks nice together and is easy to read.
· Read through the resume from top to bottom looking for any errors you might have made. Clean up the grammar and fix any misspellings you notice.
· Consider using a tool like Grammarly that can pick up on any mistakes that you don’t. Even the free version offers a lot of help for an error-free resume.
· Think about reading the resume again but this time do it aloud. You’ll pick up on anything that might need to be changed before you turn in your application.
· Write out the cover letter for your application if you haven’t done so yet. This is a great way to make yourself stand out.
Next steps?
With the help of this guide and the use of one of our templates, you should have everything you need to create a great dance resume. Would you prefer to have some help from an expert to make sure everything is perfect? We can help with that, too. We offer several Resume Writing Services that you can book to acquire a fantastic resume that gets noticed.
FAQs
What does a dance resume look like?
When you Google professional dance resumes, you’ll notice that they come in different lengths and designs. Every resume will be slightly different so it’s okay to add some creativity to the document. However, try to keep it to two fonts and two colors so it’s not overwhelming to a recruiter or hiring manager.
Your layout can include a single column or two of them. The latter tends to be a better option for those with extra information to share. Having a sidebar gives you more room to list your details without needing an additional page on the dance resume.
What to include in a dance resume?
You’ll want to start a dance resume much the same as any other resume. This involves including your contact information at the top of the page or on one of the sidebars. The resume objective is also near the top but typically should be written last.
Great dance resumes should include the following:
· Contact information
· Resume objective
· Work experience
· Education
· Skills
In addition, you can include items like the ones below (if relevant):
· Accomplishments
· References
· Interests and hobbies
· Languages
· Technical proficiencies
· Certifications and courses
· Other types of experience
How can I make a dance resume with no experience?
If you have no work experience as a dancer, you can still write a great resume to get the position you desire. Focus your attention on skills, education, and other factors rather than work experience. A professional resume objective can help pull everything together and give you a chance at the position you want.
Work experience can also include things like school performances, volunteer experiences, internships, and similar items. If you haven’t worked as a dancer in the past, this is a good way to fill out this section. You can also include experience in other industries but try to tie it into the position you want.
What are the special skills for a dance resume?
There are many skills that look great on a dance resume. The best ones for your document are going to vary based on where your top abilities lie, what the job description is looking for, and how skilled you are. One good option is to list the dance styles that you are best at to show you have experience.
However, dance styles aren’t the only items you want to include in the skills section. Soft skills are a great addition, as well. They show that you are capable of working with other people, communicating well, and being on time. All of these things are important in any position, including that of a professional dancer.
How do you describe choreography in a resume?
If you’re crafting a professional dancer resume, you might want to share your skills in choreography. There are several places on the resume where you can include this information. The first is the resume objective, where you can talk about the choreography you’ve done in the past.
You can also include choreography experience with your work experience. Highlight performances where you had a hand in choosing the choreography for yourself, others, or both. Many of the abilities you have as a choreographer can be placed in the skill section along with dancing and performance skills.
How do I write a resume for a dance teacher?
A resume for a dance teacher should include many of the same sections as a resume for a professional dancer. For instance, you want to start with a resume objective that goes into your skills and accomplishments. Work experience and education are also important for this type of resume.
If you have relevant coursework or certifications, make sure those are in the resume. Skills should also play a part in the information you convey to a hiring manager or recruiter. Talk about any experience you have in teaching and what styles you can teach students about. Make sure to proofread before you finish your application.
Can dancing be a hobby on a resume?
Even if you’re not creating a dancer CV, you might be wondering if it’s a good idea to add dancing as one of your hobbies. There’s absolutely no reason you should avoid adding dancing if you have room to include your hobbies. It has a lot of positive connotations for a potential employer.
For instance, listing that you love dancing shows that you are disciplined and willing to work hard to learn new things. It also gives an indication that you are creative and artistic. Other great hobbies to include are art, reading, sports, traveling, photography, learning languages, blogging, writing, and community involvement.
How long should a dance resume be?
In most cases, a one-page document is more than enough for a dance resume. However, those with a lot of experience can go with something a bit longer. Regardless of how much you have to include in the resume, going over two pages is not recommended.
It’s better to go short if possible since it’s less for the hiring manager to read. Those with a lot of experience and skills could go longer only if everything included is relevant to the position you want to land. Make sure everything included relates to the job and is useful to the person who will read the resume.
Now that you know the best way to create a fantastic document, all you need is a dancer resume template. This is an amazing way to ensure your experience and skills stand out and get you noticed. CVMaker offers a selection of options so you are sure to find one that fits your needs.