 Career Profile: Dancer Amy Rose
By Robert Anthony Robinson
Editorial contribution by Elizabeth Hude
Written for the Michigan Occupational Information Service
She is energetic, electric, and true to the image very beautiful. When she speaks, her dark brown, enchanting eyes dart and flit and fly, gliding about in grand gestures that mock the movement of the ballet she speaks about so excitably. Arms flutter—teeth flash—head bobs and long dark hair swishes as she fervently delivers not an explanation, but an exhortation on her doctrine of dance. A graduate in performing arts and dance from Western Michigan University, Lansing, Michigan’s patron saint of the arts, Amy Rose, explains that dance is far more than entertainment, it’s an art. Icing on the cultural cake of our society and enrichment to the times of our lives.
"Movement has been with us since the dawn of time," she says melodically. "In the earliest of times cavemen and -women danced around the night fires for entertainment and spiritual nutrition. In times when communication could not be made verbally, movement became the standard method of speaking to each other. Like American Sign Language," she uses as an example. "Comprised of lovely and graceful movements, it’s one of the most beautiful languages on earth. It’s like a dance." She signs the word hello as she speaks.
The freedom to express her ideas, feelings, emotions and opinions is what Amy Rose likes most about being a dancer. To take a concept or idea and communicate it to others multi-dimensionally with movement, a form of communication that transcends time as well as culture, politics, social or political persuasion. "You can have a significant impact upon people by speaking to them in dance," says Amy Rose. Everyone can interpret motion. It’s a universal language."
Amy has worked as a professional dancer or dance instructor actively since 1990 and has performed in the dance arts most of her life. She is proficient in several forms of dance including jazz, ballet, modern dance, tap, and ballroom. Her favorite form is the more abstract form of modern dance. "My hero is Martha Graham," she says. "She could take almost anything and make it profound with the simplest little stir. Make you think about it in a new way."
My body type is probably another reason I’ve leaned more toward modern dance." Only five feet tall, she has not allowed the physical limitation to hamper her career development. "There’s no way anyone should allow anything to stop him or her if they really want to dance," she asserts almost fanatically. "I’ve even witnessed a dancer who performs regularly in a wheel chair. That’s what dance is all about, expressing one’s self through movement. Most everyone can find a way to do that." Amy graduated from Western Michigan University in 1994 by performing her final dance exam with a broken leg in a waste-high leg cast, the result of an on-stage dance mishap. So she is an excellent example of what she champions.
All you want to do is Dance
"There are lots of things you can do to get started in the right direction," says Amy Rose. For students, she lists cheerleading; the school’s dance squad, and music—band, marching band or orchestra, as activities that are helpful in developing dance skills. It takes physical stamina and agility to be a dancer, so gymnastics, track and field, swimming or other physical sports such as tennis or soccer is excellent activity. And "Practice. Practice. Practice," says Amy. "You’ve got to be in top physical condition." At thirty-two years of age, she still completes a minimum of one hour of full out aerobics every day. "Work hard at anything physical. You never know when your ability to do a flying back hand spring or do a triple pirouette in an audition can spring a job for you."
Establishing a career as a dancer on the ‘circuit’ doing commercials, videos, traveling shows, and other performances can provide income and glamour for dancers seeking a life in the footlights. The amount of income, however, can vary from job to job. One magician in Atlantic city, for example, who regularly hires dancers for his magic act pays them $600 weekly but includes living accommodations and utilities as regular pay. Dancers provide their own food, telephone and personal miscellany. Housing is located on the beach and work hours average four to six hours daily. The job, a seasonal show performed at Atlantic City, New Jersey casinos lasts only three months per year, however, leaving dancers scurrying to other auditions to find gainful employment, a process which could take several weeks or even months. This swinging pendulum between a life of luxury and a life without income can dissuade many would-be stars from singing New York, New York. The promise of Broadway, though, can loom large for many career-committed dancers. The long-running Broadway show Miss Saigon, for example, can pay dancers as much as $1,000 weekly. Dancers remain employed until the show stops running, which could be in 20 days or 20 years. Reaching this summit, the promise of fame and an average salary of $1,000 weekly, can be a heady attraction for dancers working only four to six hours daily.
"The key to a career on ‘Broadway’," says Amy Rose, "is to develop professional credibility, and leverage yourself so that you can move around to other shows if you need work. A good reputation and credibility will open opportunities for doing commercials, guest teaching, or choreographing." New York is not the only possible location for those seeking the dance life. Working for the Miami City Ballet, for example, can bring steady, year-round work with a starting income of $25,000 plus benefits. Of course, as in any career, the more established you become the more income you can command. "But that’s not the only way to enjoy a life of dance," says Amy. She herself having made a full-time living for several years as a dance instructor at a local gymnastics studio in Battle Creek, Michigan where she earned an income of $20,000 annually. There are many employment alternatives for career-minded dancers including:
Theatre Performance (Broadway or elsewhere)
Dance Instruction
Special Event Performance (festivals, fairs, etc.)
Dance Company Development (running your own dance company as a business)
Video Production
Commercials
Choreography
The Next Step
It takes commitment and discipline to be a successful dancer. Although no specific degree is required, a degree from an accredit college or university is extremely helpful in establishing credibility with top-notch employers. In addition to staying physically active and developing a high degree of physical conditioning, involvement in music, drama, theater, gymnastics or other form of performance art is beneficial. If pursuing a college degree is planned, be prepared for an academic schedule that includes kinisiology (the study of the mechanics of body movement), music theory, jazz, tap, ballet, and modern dance, in addition to a regular class schedule for obtaining a degree in fine arts.
For more information:
Books
Advice for Dancers
By Linda H. Hamilton
ISBN#: 0-787940-4-37
The Parent’s Book (About the care and development of a young dancer.)
By Angela Whitehall and William Noble
ISBN#: 0-916260-5-26
On the World Wide Web
www.artswire.org/Artswire/www/dance/dance.html
A comprehensive virtual library on pointers to dance related information.
www.artslynx.org/dance/
A comprehensive index of international dance libraries available online. |
