Classical & contemporary dance
academy, choreography
- Remote
- Varies
- Qualification
- Typically Bachelor of Performing Arts (BPA) or Master of Performing Arts.
What the work involves
Day to day
Performing, choreographing and teaching. Most working dancers build income from several sources - academy teaching, performances, choreography for film or events, and workshops.
Who this suits
Fit
Dedicated practitioners who started young. Running an academy is a viable business and reaches far more people than performance alone, and India's classical traditions carry institutional support that contemporary work does not.
The honest reality
Read this one
Performance income alone rarely supports anyone; teaching is what pays. A dancer's body has a limited span and injury can end the performing career abruptly, so a second income stream is not optional planning. Recognition in classical dance depends heavily on lineage, guru and community networks. Contemporary dance has a smaller audience and less funding in India than the training suggests.
How you get there
Step by step
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2 years Step 1Finish school
Class 12 in any stream
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3 years Step 2Qualify
Complete a B.A. in the relevant subject.
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Step 3Enter the field
Typical first position: Classical & contemporary dance.
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Step 4Build and specialise Optional
Build a body of work, teach, or move into a specialist or research role.
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You are hereClassical & contemporary dance
Everything above leads here. The steps marked optional can be skipped or taken later — they change how fast you arrive, not whether you can.
Courses that lead here
How to qualify
Roles within this career
What the job is called