How to hire dancers
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Audition for dance roles or for membership in dance companies. • Collaborate with choreographers to refine or modify dance steps. • Coordinate dancing with that of partners or dance ensembles. • Develop self-understanding of physical capabilities and limitations, and choose dance styles accordingly. • Harmonize body movements to rhythm of musical accompaniment. • Perform classical, modern, or acrobatic dances in productions, expressing stories, rhythm, and sound with their bodies. • Study and practice dance moves required in roles. • Train, exercise, and attend dance classes to maintain high levels of technical proficiency, physical ability, and physical fitness. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: No formal educational credential] • Strong active listening and critical thinking skills • Working knowledge of fine arts and English Language • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $24.80 an hour ($51,584 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for dancers
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to audition for dance roles or for membership in dance companies. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to collaborate with choreographers to refine or modify dance steps. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to coordinate dancing with that of partners or dance ensembles. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to develop self-understanding of physical capabilities and limitations, and choose dance styles accordingly. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What dancers do
- Audition for dance roles or for membership in dance companies.
- Collaborate with choreographers to refine or modify dance steps.
- Coordinate dancing with that of partners or dance ensembles.
- Develop self-understanding of physical capabilities and limitations, and choose dance styles accordingly.
- Harmonize body movements to rhythm of musical accompaniment.
- Perform classical, modern, or acrobatic dances in productions, expressing stories, rhythm, and sound with their bodies.
- Study and practice dance moves required in roles.
- Train, exercise, and attend dance classes to maintain high levels of technical proficiency, physical ability, and physical fitness.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for dancers
- Typical education to start: No formal educational credential (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 1 to 3 months (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Long-term on-the-job training (BLS)
- Job outlook: +2.2% over ten years, about as fast as average · about 1,600 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay dancers
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| New York | $54,746 |
| California | $45,323 |
See dancers pay in every state
Related hiring guides
- Choreographers
- Musicians and Singers
- Actors
- Music Directors and Composers
- Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary
- Producers and Directors
- Self-Enrichment Teachers
- Athletes and Sports Competitors
- Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors
- Models
Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.