Abstract
Dance majors take courses in technique, history, theory, choreography and production, but do not often take entrepreneurship-based classes. It might be said that if dance majors wish to be dance entrepreneurs or business owners, they should supplement their education with specific courses/certificates/degrees that teach those skills. It could be argued, however, that all dancers need these skills to have a sustainable career. Looking at the dance industry from the vantage point of a 25-year career, I wonder: Are we cheating dance students and the dance industry by not consistently incorporating entrepreneurial skills into a formal dance curriculum? This opinion paper delves into this very question. I sent an online survey to dance studio and company owners to evaluate the hard and soft skills they are seeing from current and potential employees with dance degrees. I also provide a brief overview of degree plans in the nation’s top dance programs. The results of the survey suggested a gap in both hard and soft skills needed to be an entrepreneur. The results of the overview indicated that few departments have robust required offerings in career/marketing/entrepreneurship-based performing arts courses. These findings are a springboard for further research and conversation regarding whether there is a need for entrepreneurship-based courses in dance majors’ course of study.
Highlights
Looking at the dance industry from the vantage point of a 25-year career, I often wonder if we truly prepare students to problem solve, promote, brand and grow our incredible industry—not to mention provide for themselves or impact their communities—over the course of their careers
I ask a simple question: Should university dance departments be arming dance majors with the hard and soft skills needed to succeed in the marketplace, or should we expect them to fill in the gaps on their own after graduation?
It is concerning that dance entrepreneurs feel that dance majors lack effective communication, problem solving and adaptability—the soft skills I feel are closely related to breaking down barriers, moving the dial in difficult conversations and having a bold impact in the dance industry
Summary
Looking at the dance industry from the vantage point of a 25-year career, I often wonder if we truly prepare students to problem solve, promote, brand and grow our incredible industry—not to mention provide for themselves or impact their communities—over the course of their careers. Because of the “all hands on deck” approach common in many arts organizations, if they work/teach at a studio or company they will need to work within a costume or production budget, assist in fundraising and, at the very least, create and sustain a strategic, social media-based marketing campaign If they want to run a studio or dance company, they will need to manage databases, analyze audience and client data, design programs, engage a community, etc. Raleigh, NC studio owner Chasta Hamilton runs two very successful local dance studios and is currently writing a book about the value of running a dance studio without exposing students to the competition world She is the founder of Girls Geared for Greatness, which inspires and impacts young women through presentations by successful and accomplished women in the community. The definition of soft skills sometimes includes loyalty, enthusiasm, punctuality and a strong work ethic, critics argue that these are not really skills but rather qualities or attributes that someone has and may (or may not) choose to display at work.[2]
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