Higher for Hire: Ballet Benefits a Résumé

Published April 26, 2024

Higher for Hire: Ballet Benefits a Résumé

I recently had a conversation with Eve Allen Garza, a ballet professor at the University of Nevada Reno’s Department of Theatre and Dance, and she mentioned that ballet dancers make fantastic employees. “Hire a ballet dancer,” she said, “and you will have one of the finest employees you’ve ever had.”

I was intrigued by her comments and did a little research to see if there was any data to back up her statement. There is plenty. I found hundreds of articles on the value of an employee with ballet training. It’s also clear from my exploration of the value of dance as related to employment that parents who encourage their children to dance are giving them a big boost up a career ladder.

There are dozens of reasons why this is true and I would like to highlight a few of the most compelling. First, ballet dancers are team players. Dancing in a ballet is a collective effort. When you watch a ballet it’s obvious that the dancers must work as one within a group. This can’t happen without teamwork.

Ballet dancers have discipline and determination. These are hallmarks of the art form. The dedication it takes to maintain the discipline required is almost difficult to express. Each ballet dancer must spend hours on grueling technical work every week. It is often painful and physically exhausting and yet they persevere.

I often marvel when watching an A.V.A. Ballet Theatre production at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts about the dancer’s dedication. I know the hours of rehearsals that are required for every production. It’s a major commitment of time and effort. These talented women (and men) could be out with friends, going to parties, or just taking in a movie and yet they make huge sacrifices for an art form they must truly love.

Being able to listen and follow directions are key to the success of a ballet dancer. Learning the correct technique, musicality, position, and alignment can only be achieved when a dancer is comprehending the directions of an instructor. “For a dancer to learn my complicated choreography, it is essential that they carefully listen to my direction,” said Alexander Van Alstyne, the artistic director of A.V.A. Ballet Theatre. “I’d have two dozen dancers bumping into each other if they didn’t follow my commands during a rehearsal.”

Going hand in hand with acute listening is the ability to be a fast learner. Being able to quickly pick up the steps of the choreography is essential for a proficient ballet dancer. They must be able to take visual and verbal instructions and transform them into graceful dance moves.

Creativity and problem solving is also critical to the success of a ballet dancer. The brain and body must work together to make the effort of ballet look flawless. The choreographer will require the dancers to use clever and innovative ways to express thoughts, emotions, and tell stories in every ballet. This creativity must be easily understood by an audience.

Ballet dancers have great time management skills. Dancers have to learn to juggle school, family, and a social life and still make it to the ballet studio for technique class and rehearsals. Being able to multitask is necessary for every ballet dancer. And then there is the issue of an opening night. When the date is set for a performance, the date is set. The dancers must be ready when the curtain goes up. The dancers know from the first rehearsal to opening night that they need to be ready to perform their best.

Finally, and most importantly, a ballet dancer has passion. Without passion, day to day work is just that – work. With passion there is the desire to inspire, do your best, and make each day something special. You can see it in the eyes of a dancer when they are performing on stage. It’s that magical something.

Eve Allen Garza is certainly right – a ballet dancer brings a lot to the table for any perspective employer. Any of the skills I have outlined would be extremely valued in an employee. The challenges a business faces are in many ways like those a ballet dancer deals with every day. In my career I have probably hired hundreds of people and it never occurred to me that I should be seeking a dancer. It is definitely something I will be looking for on any résumé that passes my way in the future.

Eve also reminded me that the University of Nevada’s Department of Theatre and Dance offers a bachelor’s of arts degree in dance. This is a real asset for A.V.A. Ballet Theatre, the resident ballet company of the Pioneer Center, but also to the business community as a whole. More great prospective employees are graduating from the University.

I encourage all ballet dancers out there in search of a job to put your dance experience on your résumé. Smart prospective employers will be looking for you as you have all the attributes that will make them more successful as businesspeople.

Steve Trounday is a board member at A.V.A. Ballet Theatre,the resident ballet company of the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts. A.V.A. Ballet Theatre will be performing Vortex, the Ballet That Rocks July 19^th and 20^th as part of the Artown celebration.