With the majority of its classes held at the Center for the Arts, away from the academic spine, the dance department at the University at Buffalo is an elusive enigma to a large number of students.
As the end of the semester draws to a close, graduating dance majors are busier than ever. Their days have become filled with examining a diverse and exciting array of potential career choices that could take them to New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, or even halfway around the world.
Contrary to popular belief, a life on stage isn't the only career path for graduates with a degree in dance. A wide range of options is made available to them.
"One of the great things is that, now more than ever, there are so many different things you can do as a dancer," says Jon Lehrer, founder of the critically acclaimed Buffalo-based dance company, Lehrer Dance, UB graduate, and guest faculty at UB's department of theatre and dance. "Years ago it was limited. Now that's opened up and widened up."
Traditional performance careers with dance companies in musical theater, concert dance, and ballet still remain highly desired and competitive. Yet, with the rapid commercialization of dance and its increasing prominence in 21st-century pop culture, dancers are now also being recruited by the film industry, TV shows, theme parks and even cruise lines.
"I've been to about 10 auditions so far; I'm waiting to hear back from a lot of them," said Elliot Keller, a senior dance major. "I did two Disney auditions, auditions for three companies in Chicago, a few cruise lines, Bush Gardens Theme Park and the Cats national tour."
Dance majors, like Keller, are busy seeking out potential career options all throughout their senior years and often travel to the urban meccas of dance, such as New York or Chicago, to audition for positions seeking professional dancers.
Hopping aboard a cruise ship as part of the nighttime entertainment is one of such positions available to dancers and, arguably, the most fun. Cruise lines frequently hire dancers for stage performances such as popular musicals Hairspray or Chicago for the guests on the ship. Along with the benefit of traveling the world, cruises are also popular among freshly graduated dance majors who want to avoid financial grief.
"They're really great for saving up money. All your amenities are taken care of," said Zosha Giacomara, a senior dance major. "It's fun. It's like a party all the time."
Many graduates choose to go into careers that are not centered on performance, including stage production, choreography, physical therapy, or even dance management at an agency, while many others go on to teach the next upcoming generation of dancers.
"It gives them two to three more years of intensive artistic study," said Melanie Aceto, a modern dancer and instructor of modern technique, choreography and improvisation at UB. "And some of our students don't go right into grad school. They wait a few years and go into grad school after they've performed."
As the end of the year quickly approaches, students are scrambling to figure out what to do with the rest of their lives. Luckily, the dance department has trained its students to survive in a dancer-eat-dancer world.
Email: arts@ubspectrum.com
