Requirements

Dancer or choreographer - requirements

As a dancer and choreographer, you’ll enjoy designing steps and using movement to entertain and tell a story for a live audience or recorded performance. Learn more about a career in dance and choreography, find out what it involves and what you’ll need to study and do to get a role.

Know what you'll need to land a job below.

What qualifications do you need to be a dancer or choreographer?

You’ll usually need a degree or diploma in professional dance or musical theatre from a university. Subjects to consider include:

The Council for Dance, Drama, and Musical Theatre (CDMT) also gives information on accredited dance schools and colleges.

Please note this is a beta version. We'll continue to improve our suggestions here so that we show you the most relevant subjects.

Do you need a postgraduate qualification to be a dancer or choreographer?

You don’t need a postgraduate degree but having one will certainly boost your skills and increase your options.

Examples of taught MAs and research degrees at postgraduate level include:

Arts management
Dance movement psychology
Dance performance and choreography
Dance research
Dance science
Education (dance teaching)
Performing arts
Professional and commercial dance

What skills do you need to be a dancer or choreographer?

As a dancer and choreographer you’ll need to be a combination of creative and innovative, as well as disciplined and motivated.

Hard skills usually include:

Choreography
Working with children
Knowledge of different dance styles
Physical fitness and stamina

Soft skills include:

Innovation
Teaching
Motivation
Communication
Working well under pressure

Do you need work experience to be a dancer or choreographer?

One of the best ways to gain experience as a dancer and choreographer is to work for a dance school, either teaching or performing, to build your confidence and skills. You could also shadow a dance teacher to see what their day to day looks like. We also recommend searching for opportunities at clubs, cruise ships or performing arts councils.