How to Make an Impressive Dance Resume in 2022? (with 10+ Examples)
Click here to directly go to the complete dance resume sample.
Professional dancers are paid artists who use movement or dance as a medium to tell a story or convey ideas.
They can pursue a career in movies, theaters, television, music videos, dance studios, cruise ships, etc., and can either choose to gain expertise in a particular or a combination of dance forms like ballet, jazz, ballroom, contemporary, modern, and so on.
However, to land cracking job opportunities in any industry, having excellent dance moves and fluidity is not enough.
To get shortlisted for auditions and impress the recruiters with your moves, you need to have an equally impressive resume that showcases the best of your skills, experiences, and expertise.
While as a dancer, building a dance resume might not be your forte, we are here to help.
Read on to learn more about dance resume and get clarity on the following related questions:
- What is a dance resume?
- What should be on a dance resume?
- How to write a dance resume?
- How to list experiences on a dance resume?
- What are some special skills to put on a dance resume?
What is a Dance Resume?
A dance resume is an official document that summarizes your skills and experiences while reflecting your knowledge of various dance techniques.
Your dance resume is the first thing recruiters will check to decide whether or not they should call you for an audition.
Therefore, it has to highlight all the right information about your career trajectory to impress casting directors and choreographers.
Also, a dance resume differs from a traditional resume in terms of how you need to describe your professional experience.
What Should a Dance Resume Include?
To ensure that the recruiters have enough information about your candidacy, your dance resume must include the following details:
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Personal Information - Provide your contact information like a reachable phone number, professional email address, and current location in your dance resume. Also, depending on what the casting directors have asked for in the audition listing, you can include other details like height, weight, age, and a headshot.
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A Summary - Summarize your professional trajectory in 2-3 lines, highlighting your most notable performances, skills, and achievements relevant to the gig you’re targeting. So, even if the recruiters don’t read your dance resume entirely, they get an insightful glimpse of your potential.
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A List of Your Skills - Emphasize your knowledge of various dance techniques (ballet, jazz, street, contemporary, etc.) by listing your skills in your dance resume.
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Awards & Recognition - Instead of listing every dance competition you were a part of, consider listing the awards and recognition you’ve received. Doing so will help you stand out from the pool of applicants.
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Training & Education - If you’ve received dance-related education and training, list them in your dance resume. In case your education isn’t related to dance, keep the details brief.
How to Make a Dance Resume
To streamline the process of creating a stellar dance resume, given below is a breakdown of steps you can follow:
Compile Your Work
Before you draft your dance resume, create a parent file wherein you can list all your dance-related experiences, training, performances, awards, and education.
Create a comprehensive list so that you can pick up specific information each time you tailor your dance resume for different gigs from this file.
Doing so will streamline your resume-making process and ensure that you don’t miss out on any key details.
Refer to the Role Description
Once you’ve compiled your work, refer to the job description provided by the casting directors or choreographers in the listing you’re targeting.
Analyze the specific skills, requirements, and qualifications that they are seeking.
Is the listing for a dance teacher or is it for a dancer to join a team? Have they specified a dance form, specific technique, or skill?
Select the most relevant experiences and skills from your parent file to demonstrate your ability to meet their requirements through your dance resume.
Format Your Dance Resume
To make your dance resume appealing to the recruiters and enhance its readability, you must format your resume following the below-given pointers:
- Unless you have 10+ years of dance experience, limit your resume to a single page
- Use the reverse chronological order to list your professional experience, education, and training
- Write your full name as the header of your dance resume in 14-16 points font size
- Keep a 1” margin on all sides of the page
- Use simple and professional font styles like Times New Roman, Calibri, and Ariel
- Choose a minimal dance resume template without bold colors or design
- Save your dance resume in PDF format to keep the resume sections intact
Also read: What is a chronological resume and how to make one in 2022?
List Your Professional Experience
How you list your professional experience can make or break your dance resume and your chances of getting shortlisted for auditions.
Thus, you need to showcase your professional experience in a way that impresses the recruiters even when they are just skimming through your dancer resume.
This means no bulky paragraphs and lengthy descriptions. You must list your professional experiences in bullet points.
Provide the following details of your experiences in chronological order in your dance resume:
- Name of the companies, studios, tours, or groups that you’ve been a part of
- Name of the commercials, music videos, television, or movies that you’ve worked in
- Any teaching or choreography work that you’ve done independently
- Your role in the performances
- Dates of the events
If you’ve worked at a theater, list the shows and venues where you’ve performed, along with the names of the choreographers.
And to keep your professional experience section brief and relevant, ensure to add only those performances that are pertinent to the listing you’re applying to.
Take a look at the following snapshot of what an ideal professional experience section of a dance resume must look like:
Showcase Your Skills
Like all the other details, you must tailor the skills that you list in your dance resume according to the job description.
You can include specific dance techniques you’re familiar with and also list the different dance forms that you can perform under the skills section.
Given below are some skills that you include in your dance resume:
Ballet | Contemporary |
Jazz | Hip hop |
Lyrical | Strong Gymnast |
Movement memory | Facial expression |
Gestures | Pathways |
Weight transfer | Stillness |
Floor work | Dynamics |
Movement patterns | Movements size |
Mirroring | Reactions |
Rhythmics | Space Understanding |
Production Management | Dance Routines |
Also read: What skills should you put in your resume?
Dance Resume Sample
Key Points from the Blog
- A dance resume is an official document that summarizes your skills and experiences while reflecting your knowledge of various dance techniques.
- Provide your contact information like a reachable phone number, professional email address, and current location in your dance resume.
- Summarize your professional trajectory in 2-3 lines, highlighting your most notable performances, skills, and achievements that are relevant to the gig you’re targeting.
- Instead of listing every dance competition you’ve taken part in, consider listing the awards and recognition you’ve received in your dance resume.
- Before you start drafting your dance resume, create a parent file wherein you can list all your dance-related experiences, training, performances, awards, and education to streamline your resume-making process.
- Tailor your dance resume according to the job description provided in the listing.
- You must list your professional experiences using bullet points instead of bulky paragraphs.
If you want to create an impressive dance resume within minutes, use Hiration’s AI-powered Resume Builder which offers 24x7 chat support. If you have any queries, you can also reach us at support@hiration.com.