Career Overview
This group includes dancers and dance teachers.
Dancers work for:
- Ballet and dance companies
- Television and film productions
- Night clubs and similar establishments
Dance teachers work for:
- Dance academies
- Dance schools
Job Titles
Duties
Dancers:
- Practise and rehearse dance routines under direction or instruction to create desired interpretation and presentation
- Perform dances as soloists or as members of groups before live audiences or for film or television
- Train to maintain the required levels of ability and fitness
- May choreograph their own performances
Dance teachers:
- Teach dance technique and artistic interpretation to amateur and professional individuals and groups
- Teach the techniques, cultural origins and symbolic meanings of aboriginal, ethnic and folkloric dances
- Teach recreational dancing lessons such as ballroom dancing
- Prepare dance students for specific auditions and performances
Special duties
Dancers may specialize in specific types of dance such as ballet, ballroom, folk, jazz or modern.
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
1,380% Employed Full Time
10%Work takes place in an indoor studio or dance classroom setting.
Career Pathways
Career path information is currently not available.
Related Careers
Occupational Interests
It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.
For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:
Education, Training and Skills
- A university degree or college diploma in dance
or
Graduation from a private dance school or academy may be required - Talent and ability, as demonstrated during an audition, are important hiring criteria
- Dance teachers usually require experience as dancers
- Membership in a guild or union related to the occupation or type of performance may be required
Education programs in B.C.
The following program areas are related to this occupation:
- Dance

Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Talking to others to share information effectively.
Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
Understanding how new information could be used to solve current and future problems in making decisions.
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
1,380Employment by Region
Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
---|---|---|
Cariboo | 30 | 2.2% |
Kootenay | 15 | 1.1% |
Mainland/Southwest | 905 | 65.3% |
North Coast and Nechako | 25 | 1.8% |
Northeast | 20 | 1.4% |
Thompson-Okanagan | 170 | 12.3% |
Vancouver Island/Coast | 225 | 16.2% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2024-2034)
460Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2024-2034)
Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
---|---|---|
Cariboo | 10 | 2.0% |
Kootenay | 0 | -0.4% |
Mainland/Southwest | 300 | 1.4% |
North Coast and Nechako | 0 | 1.5% |
Northeast | 0 | -0.7% |
Thompson-Okanagan | 70 | 1.7% |
Vancouver Island/Coast | 70 | 1.8% |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
Industry | Job Openings (2024-2034) |
---|---|
Educational Services | 370 |
Information, Culture and Recreation | 90 |
Resources
Resource information is currently not available.