Dance Resume Template & Examples for 2024

No wonder it’s not easy.

Artistic directors and choreographers wade through hundreds of dance resumes. They reject most. If you look like an empty leotard, they’ll skip you.

But take heart. With a little training, you can brisé toward your next big role.

This guide will show you:

• A dance resume template better than most.
• How to write a dancer resume that leaves them breathless.
• How to make the perfect dancer job description for resumes.
• Why you can’t just list your credits on a dance resume.

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Haven't found what you're looking for? Check all our Resume Examples for Over 200 Jobs.

Dance Resume Template You Can Copy and Use

Here’s how to write a dance resume that clicks:

1. Select the Best Dance Resume Format

You’ve got poise. Grace. Skill. Make them see that, with a professionally-formatted resume.

It starts with the reverse-chronological resume layout. That puts your most recent credits near the top.

Here’s how:

Dance Resume Format

• Use 1-inch margins in a single-page resume.
• Add white space between paragraphs.
• Employ a common resume font like 10–12pt Calibri or Garamond.
• Create resume sections like Heading, Summary, Professional Experience, Education, and Skills.
• Save your work as a PDF. A PDF resume moves gracefully from one computer to the next.
• Don’t add a photo. Save that for your portfolio website—or attach it to the back.

Expert Hint: There are only about 150 ballet companies in the US, and precious few other venues that hire dancers. Your dancer resume has to glow like Misty Copeland.

2. Make a Dance Resume Objective or Summary

Imagine this. You’re slogging through a pile of 500+ dance resumes. They all look “pretty good.” But you only need five dancers.

Now turn the tables. Why should anyone choose you?

Chin up. Make them notice you with a well-crafted resume summary or resume objective. That’s just a quick paragraph that matters to the artistic director.

Add:

1. An adjective or two (professional, capable)
2. “dancer”
3. Years of experience (1+, 8+)
4. Your goal (excel at Los Angeles Ballet)
5. Best dance moments (played Odette in Swan Lake at Ballet Magique...)

Tip: make your best dance moments match the job, and write it last for a smooth transition.

These professional dance resume examples show how:

Dance Resume Summary—Example

Professional dancer with 7+ years of experience. Seeking to excel at Los Angeles Ballet. At American Contemporary Ballet, performed featured roles of Clara and Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker. Also played Odette in Anthony Johnson’s Swan Lake at Ballet Magique. Corps de Ballet in Battle of the Year (film).

Experienced dancer, skilled in ballet, jazz dance, and hip hop. A team player who can hold her own in nationally-recognized ballets. Proficient at performing multiple featured roles in The Nutcracker and Swan Lake.

The difference is clear.

Both samples reference The Nutcracker and Swan Lake.

But one adds American Contemporary Ballet, Ballet Magique, Clara, and Odette.

But wait. Are you writing a professional dancer resume with no experience?

You still need proof. See these dance resume examples for balance:

Dance Resume With No Experience [Objective]

Professional dancer with skills in ballet and hip hop. Seeking to excel at Ballet Magique. Excelled in repertory and performance classes at USC. Conducted senior project in dance technique that was written up in Dance Spirit Magazine. Attended Los Angeles Ballet Summer Course.

Ballet dancer with no experience, skilled in hip hop and jazz dance. A team player with great interpersonal skills and a very hard worker. Have not yet held a professional dancing job, but I know I can excel.

Don’t miss that.

The second of those dancer resumes with no experience begs for a chance.

But the first shows you’ve earned it.

Expert Hint: Most dancers work in theaters or dance schools. In a dance instructor resume, it helps to show you’ve worked in a similar position in the past.

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3. Write a Graceful Dance Job Description and Skills Section

Don’t make the choreographer read through everything you’ve ever done. That’s exhausting.

Just pick the few credits that’ll wow him. For instance, does the company do Nutcracker every year? What about Swan Lake?

If you’ve done those, say it. But also say what company you worked for, and the choreographer. Add your role (if any). And put your last job first.

Emulate the first of these dance resume samples:

Dance Job Description for Resume [Sample]

Professional Experience

American Contemporary Ballet

Corps de Ballet and Featured Roles

2018–2019

Lincoln Jones’:

• The Nutcracker - Clara
• Swan Lake - Odette

Ballet Magique

Corps de Ballet and Featured Roles

2014–2018

Anthony Johnson’s:

• The Nutcracker - Sugar Plum Fairy, Snow Flake
• Don Quixote - Aldonza Lorenzo
• Cinderalla - Anastasia
• Giselle - Bathilde
• Sylvia - Aminta

Battle of the Year (Film)

Corps de Ballet — Director, Benson Lee

2013

• Street scenes.

Professional Experience

Battle of the Year (Film)

Corps de Ballet — Director, Benson Lee

2013

• Street scenes.

Ballet Magique

Corps de Ballet and Featured Roles

2014–2018 

Anthony Johnson’s:

• The Nutcracker - Sugar Plum Fairy, Snow Flake
• Don Quixote - Aldonza Lorenzo
• Cinderalla - Anastasia
• Giselle - Bathilde
• Sylvia - Aminta

American Contemporary Ballet

Corps de Ballet and Featured Roles

2018–2019

Lincoln Jones’:

• The Nutcracker - Clara
• Swan Lake - Odette

The difference?

The last of those dance resume examples uses the wrong order. Sure, it “shows the progression of your career.” But what if the director has 600 dancer resumes to read? (She does!)

She’ll never get to your “progression” if you bury roles like Clara and Odette down deep.

Next—an entry-level resume:

Entry-Level Dance Resume Job Description [Sample]

Anaheim Ballet

Corps de Ballet

2012–2014

• Recognized by artistic director for form.

Don’t have even that much dance experience?

Don’t pull a Madame Butterfly just yet.

Make your education and training section longer. Then put it higher on your resume. That’s next.

Need a dance skills list for resumes?

1. Find the skills to put on a resume (or resume keywords) in the call for auditions.
2. List those on your resume or try this list:

Dance Skills List

Hard Skills	Soft Skills
Ballet	Interpersonal Skills
Jazz Dance	Teamwork
Hip Hop	Communication
Contemporary Dance	Creativity
Ballroom	Physical Stamina
Tap	Work Ethic
Foreign Languages	Positive Attitude
Choreography	Empathy
Music Theory	Flexibility
Floor Work	Discipline

Expert Hint: The average dancer makes less than $20 an hour. Some make $100,000 a year or more. To get higher in the range, customize your resume.

4. Wow Them With Your Education

Especially in a dancer resume with no experience, education matters. But an education resume section can’t blend in like Corps de Ballet.

So research the artistic director a little. What things does she care about? Put those in your education section.

This dance resume sample shows the routine:

Dance Resume Example—Education

Education

BA Dance, USC

2008–2012

• Excelled in repertory & performance classes.
• Conducted senior project in dance technique.

Summer Courses

• Los Angeles Ballet, 2007
• Marat Daukayev School of Ballet, 2006

In a dance resume for college, your education can cover the whole page.

Expert Hint: Dance jobs are shrinking, not growing. But you can still get a high-paying job right out of school. List educational achievements that match the job you’re vying for.

5. Include Additional Sections in Your Dance Resume

They’ll want to know you’re passionate, not just temporarily interested. Show them dancing is your real love.

Include additional information in your dancer resume that may strengthen your candidate profile. Check these examples:

• Awards
• Associations (UDA, ACDA)
• Portfolio website
• Conferences
• Groups
• Volunteer positions
• Freelancing
• Publications
• Media appearances
• Additional activities
• Hobbies
• Fitness

But don’t overdo it.

Let your credits and education do most of the talking.

The next of our dance resume examples is en l’aire:

Dance Resume—Extra Sections

Awards

• Cover of Dance Magazine, May 2018.
• Featured in article in Dance Studio Life.

Additional Activities

• Study classical music.
• Teach weekly yoga classes.

Additional Activities

• Yoga
• Photography

Expert Hint: Learn how to write a cover letter. Your resume for dance jobs stands a better chance if you write one. In it, show your love of dance and why you fit the company so perfectly.

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Key Points

Here’s how to write a dance resume that works:

• Use the dance resume template up top. It lets you fit your skills to the artistic director’s needs.
• Show your credits in reverse-chronological order.
• In a dance resume for college, stretch your education to fill most of the page.
• Add “other” sections that express your passion for motion.

Got questions on how to write great resumes for dance jobs? Not sure how to show dance on a resume? Leave a comment. We’ll be happy to reply!

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