Whilst many young dancers dream of becoming a professional, as age and experience increase there is sometimes the realisation that this may not become a reality. Despite this, there are many opportunities at school or college to continue to be involved in dance, without studying it solely at vocational level or in higher education.
Many institutions have a dance club or group outside of studies, or may even have a gymnastics or cheerleading team if you wish to try something different. Some dance groups may require an audition before joining, whereas others are light-hearted and just for fun. In addition to dancing, you could be heavily involved in other areas such as choreographing, being the dance captain, teaching technique classes, notating choreography, making or adjusting costumes and arranging music.
Universities and colleges use fresher fairs at the beginning of each year to tell new students about opportunities they can be involved in on campus. Most dance groups are student-run, giving members the chance to shape it in the way they would like, and introduce the content they would like to take part in. The many genres within dance mean there are many different options – you might find tap groups, Bollywood groups, or even for pointe work. These groups are open to all despite technique level, and can be a great way to meet new people outside your course.
Keeping up your dance practice away from home can also be done by finding a local studio that you can join or help out at. This will keep up your technique as well as fulfilling the need to be in the studio. An alternative could be to join fitness classes, such as aerobics, Zumba and yoga. Many dancers find new interests in fitness instruction, nutrition, physical therapy and personal training, which previous dance experience will complement. The bottom line is you do not have to give up dancing!