Not All Dancers Major in Dance. Here Are Some Reasons Not To.

Majoring in dance is the most obvious path to a career in the industry. So why choose not to?

The double-major challenge.
Taking on two majors is an option for students with another interest, but it isn’t for everyone. Pursuing dance on the side allows students to focus on another subject academically.

Freedom.
Students who aren’t obligated to a curriculum have the agency to pick and choose what they participate in based on what will be most meaningful to them.

It’s not a requirement.
Once you’re auditioning for gigs, choreographers and directors will be looking at your dancing—not what you majored in. You don’t need a degree to get hired as a dancer.

Princeton certificate students can create senior thesis projects. PC Ron Wyatt, Courtesy Princeton

A broader perspective.
Majoring in something else allows dancers to meet students who have different interests, says Kent State University dance division coordinator Joan Meggitt.

No major available.
Some schools, like Princeton University, have a dance program but don’t confer dance degrees.

A changing dance world.
“It’s not now or never,” says choreographer and Princeton dance professor Rebecca Lazier, who emphasizes that dancers today are getting hired into companies at older ages than ever. She says students don’t have to be done with their training when they graduate—they can always catch up by going to intensives or pursuing additional dance opportunities after