Budget Plan

Dancers and choreographers express ideas and stories in performance,

using dance. There are many types of dance, such as ballet, tango,
modern dance, tap, and jazz.

Duties
Dancers typically do the following:
Audition for a part in a show or for a job within a dance
company
Learn complex dance movements that entertain an
audience
Rehearse several hours each day to prepare for their
performance
Study new and emerging types of dance
Work closely with instructors or other dancers to interpret or
modify choreography
Attend promotional events, such as photography sessions,
for the production in which they are appearing
Dancers spend years learning dances and perfecting their skills. They
usually perform as part of a group and in a variety of styles, including

ballet, musical theater, and modern dance. Many perform on TV, in

videos on the Internet, and in music videos, where they also may sing
or act. Many dancers perform in shows at casinos, theme parks, and on
cruise ships.
Choreographers typically do the following:
Create dances or interpretations of existing dances
Choose the music that will accompany a dance routine
Audition dancers for a role in a show or within a dance
company
Assist with costume design, lighting, and other artistic
aspects of a show
Teach complex dance movements
Study new and emerging types of dance to design more
creative dance routines
Help with the administrative duties of a dance company,
such as budgeting
Choreographers create original dances and develop new
interpretations of existing dances. They work in theaters, dance
companies, and movie studios. During rehearsals, they typically
demonstrate dance moves, to instruct dancers in the proper technique.
Some choreographers work with performers other than dancers. For

example, the complex martial arts scenes in movies are arranged by

choreographers who specialize in martial arts.
Some people with dance backgrounds become dance teachers.
The median hourly wage for dancers was $14.16 in May 2012. The
median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation
earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10
percent earned less than $8.50, and the top 10 percent earned more
than $33.34.
The median hourly wage for choreographers was $18.33 in May 2012.
The lowest 10 percent earned less than $9.41, and the top 10 percent
earned more than $39.28.
Schedules for dancers and choreographers vary, depending on where
they work. During tours, dancers and choreographers spend most of
the day in rehearsals and have performances at night, giving them
long workdays. Some work part time at casinos, on cruise ships, or at
theme parks. Although choreographers who work in dance schools may
have a standard workweek when they are instructing students, they
spend hours on their own coming up with new dance routines.