Those Who Know (You) Best

Keep in touch with college contacts

By Sara Jarrett


There’s no doubt that talent is necessary for career longevity; getting your foot in the door, however, relies largely on knowing the right people. Some dancers land gigs in high-profile companies fresh out of college, but these opportunities are few. To achieve the profession of your dreams, you’ll want to partner with peers you meet in school, take class with choreographers who were guest artists at your college, and ask faculty members for career advice and audition recommendations. Here, we’ve broken down how different college contacts can help you after you’ve earned your degree.

Who: Alumni
What they can do: provide inside tips on the cities you’d like to live and work in, offer career advice, hire you
Before Tiffany Mills, artistic director of the New York City-based Tiffany Mills Company, graduated from Ohio State University in 1995 with an M.F.A. in dance (emphasis in choreography), she contacted alumni who lived in New York. Their perspective made the move seem less scary. “They gave me advice on where to take class,” she says. “They explained that class is where you meet potential choreographers and learn new styles that you may be interested in. Open class is really where the audition starts.” Others told her about the scene and suggested theaters where fledgling choreographers had a shot at showing work. Talk to the alumni office at your university to find alums in the area you’re interested in—your network is much wider than just the people you knew personally at school!

Who: Fellow dance majors
What they can do: hire you, provide collaboration possibilities, send students to your auditions and workshops
Before getting her current job as a dancer with the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, 2007 Juilliard grad Emily Proctor danced in works choreographed by fellow student Austin McCormick, who started a company called Company XIV. As a junior, Proctor also worked with choreographer Adam Hougland, and performed one of his pieces at The Yard at Martha’s Vineyard. These opportunities were great for Proctor’s resumé and gave her experience that helped her get her current contract.

Your peers can help you get teaching and choreographing gigs, too. For instance, Mills often teaches at programs now run by dancers she graduated with—dance professors like to hire guest artists whom they know and have worked with before. “Those connections are so fruitful because they keep growing,” says Mills, adding that her peers also help when she holds an audition for her company. “I ask them if they have students who might be interested,” she says. “Additionally, I do an annual summer workshop and many of them send students.”

Who: Students in other majors
What they can do: help you establish your artistic voice, collaborate with you, assist in developing an audience for your work
It was fortuitous that dancer Antonio Brown and trombone player Christopher Reaves were neighbors while attending Juilliard (both graduated in 2007). “When I met him I didn’t know that he liked to compose music,” Brown says. “I just thought he liked to play the trombone.” It didn’t take long after Brown heard Reaves’ unique sounds, however, to ask him to compose something for his next school project.

The partnership has since extended beyond the classroom. Even though Brown is currently dancing for Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, he finds time to work with Reaves, too. Brown hopes to start his own group some day and knows that keeping his partnership with Reaves can give him an edge. “There’s something special about having music composed just for you that’s specific to the type of dance you’re trying to create,” says Brown. “It helps you create an identity more than a piece of music that’s already been written.”

In addition to helping establish a voice, collaborating with fellow alumni—musicians, costumers, or set designers—adds more people to your team and increases your potential audience. Mills explains that this is especially important “in larger cities where there’s so much competition and you’re trying to not only make work but also get people to the concert.”

Who: Guest artists
What they can do: hire you, support your work, give you advice
One of the first professional jobs Proctor landed was an international tour last summer. She was cast in Come In, choreographed by Aszure Barton and starring Mikhail Baryshnikov. “Barton did a piece on the Juilliard seniors for our December show,” explains Proctor. “When one of her dancers couldn’t join the tour she called me.” Proctor thinks Barton noticed her honesty and work ethic in rehearsals, and warns against going overboard trying to impress.

First impressions are key, but staying in touch with the guest artists that you click with is equally important. “Even if you’re not in the piece that they set, take class with them,” says Mills. “Ask if you can have their e-mail or phone number.” When Mills graduated from OSU and moved to NYC, she contacted choreographers that visited her university during her time there, and made sure to drop in on their open classes. Today, many still come to her concerts to support her work.

Who: Faculty
What they can do: be a mentor, put you in contact with others in the biz, recommend dancers for your company
Keep in touch with your dance profs after graduation. Every time Mills is in Ohio, she has lunch with Vera Blaine, professor and the chair emeritus of her alma mater. “She knows my roots,” explains Mills. Blaine still gives Mills advice: She tells her which programs might hire Mills to perform and teach; offers to contact friends at other dance departments on Mills’ behalf; and gives her opinion on which OSU alumni might be an artistic fit for Mills’ company.

As a college dancer, you’re doing much more than improving your technique and broadening your dance horizons—you’re also beginning to build a dance network that can help you make it as a professional. Take advantage of these contacts and start your career off on the right foot.

Sara Jarrett is a writer in New York City.

This article first appeared in Dance Spirit, September, 2007