New thoughts...

The phrase ‘triple threat’ was always spoken about during my training as a professional dancer as we were taught that having the ability to both act and sing as well as dance would really increase our employability for a wide range of jobs. 

I attended stage school from a very young age alongside dancing so I have spent time working on all three disciplines throughout my training and would have always promoted myself as having the ‘triple threat’ qualities. However, is this now not enough?

As the industry develops and evolves, it seems now that companies are looking for the ‘quadruple threat’ to include extra skills such as fire breathing, stilt walking, acro and, most commonly, aerial skills on top of dancing. In many job posts on Web 2.0 through social media, employers will ask you to list your extra skills in your application. This is creating an added pressure for dancers to obtain new skills in order to compete within the industry.

I have began working on some of these new skills which I find very rewarding as I am challenging myself knowing that it will help me to progress in my practice. However, it does make me think, “what’s next?!” Will dancing alone one day not be enough to be able to work for certain companies? 

My research report assesses the role of fitness for professional dancers and it has started to lead me on to further questions regarding aerial skills and the fitness training required to meet some of the new demands of our evolving industry. Has your research sparked any new questions or thoughts?