But what if you do want to dance for a living? Dancing on a professional level-- Namely ballet dancing-- isn't something that just happens on its own. It requires time, dedication, and discipline, and what better time to start than now?
Finding a school: The dance school you go to should mirror your professional interests. For instance, if you are persuing a career in professional ballet dancing, you should attend a school where ballet is the main focus. Talk to the teachers and tell them that you are training to become a professional (you most likely won't be the only one!).
Classes: If you are studying to become a professional, you should take no less than five ballet classes a week. Classes in other styles are a great idea-- it will give you a wider view of dancing and what is our there-- but make sure they are in addition to your five classes, and not a part of the mix (In example: For ballet, it could be five ballet classes, one jazz and one modern, but shouldn't be three ballet classes to one jazz and one modern).
Age and Level: When you get to high school is the best time to analyze your pogress thus far. If you are fifteen or sixteen, you should be taking five to six classes per week, and dancing en pointe (if you are a girl) or grand eallegro (aka Men's classes-- if you are a guy). Preferrably, you should be learning some form of pas de deux and be dancing at an advanced to pre-professional level-- in order to get a career right out of high school. Which leads me to . . .
Post-secondary education: At the end of your Junior year of high school, sit down to have a talk with your teacher. Ask her for advice on what you should do reguarding the age-old question-- college or career? See if you can possibly get an idea of where you will be in terms of technique a year from now. Even if you are going to audition straight out of High school, apply for colleges anyway. Perhaps you will get accepted into both a college and a company that are close to each other-- close enough to do both! But if you do have to chose, remember: You can always go back to school, but you can't always go back to dancing.
Discipline: When you are training, remember that discipline is key. Try to do conditioning exercises every day. Watch what you eat, and try to miss as little class as possible. Even if you are tired, have a test the next day, or just don't feel like going-- remember, it will pay off in the long run.
