FLASH #8 – THE PATH TO BECOMING A DANCER

The road to becoming a professional dancer is long, arduous and precarious; many feel the call but few actually make it. Once they do, they embark on a career which is in all possibility the shortest of any highly-trained profession because it’s the sad but honest truth – dance, like any top sport, is dependent on optimal physicality with an average retirement between 35 and 40 yrs.

Before serious training can begin, there are the vital physical requirements: The dancers’ instrument (their body) must be well-proportioned, flexible and strong and the child should be musical, preferably rhythmical. Even in the early stages it is of the essence that the dance schooling should be in the hands of experienced teachers as ingrained faults are almost impossible to eradicate later on.

So here is our talented student at 17: technically well-trained, passionately motivated and ready to tackle the real world as he/she is set to audition for a company. With a high range of graduates leaving school every year, they will all be on the look-out for a perfect place to start their career.

In today’s tough dance arena however, more and more is demanded of a young dancer in every way. Although most professional schools out there will have given their pupils a strong grounding in classical and modern dance techniques, this is only a sample of the range they have to speedily assimilate professionally. With few contracts available on the market, companies generally aren’t keen on accepting a student with little stage experience and open positions often require a min. of 2 to 3 yrs of professional dancing. Should a young graduate be offered a place immediately he/she will probably start in the very lowest ranks, expected to find their way with little to no guidance.

A trainee program, such as that which JBA offers, can be the answer to that problem and would make an enormous difference as to how a young dancer steps out professionally. JBA offers talented youngsters a learning, nurturing arena; the taste of a wide variety of styles taught by experienced choreographers and coaches in a supportive and healthy environment. Consisting of a two-year preprofessional program, JBA provides the necessary studio- and stage experience, as well as career guidance along this trajectory: the guarantee for success will thus be far greater.

And so JBA’s third generation of dancers are on the verge of embarking their journey with JBA. Starting at the end of August 2023, they will arrive like fledgling birds, will learn to use their wings with strength and to adapt confidently to the world they wish to become part of.

Look out for a brand-new FLASH, after the summer, shining the light on the new JBA faces!