<p>I am a dancer who will be 23 in a few months. I've been dancing modern and ballet since my teens. I would say I am in the intermediate level in ballet and advanced in modern. I've been spending my time out of high school figuring out if I wanted to pursue a dance career with or without a degree. I've been teaching kids dance in after school programs and dancing with small companies for a while, but I am starting to feel like a degree would be the smartest route I just really hope I am not too late!</p>
<p>I am looking to enroll into a Community college with a really good dance program, and hopefully start at the intermediate level, get my associates and then transfer to a school like Cornish or Columbia. I know many of the dance credits transfer, and I would sooo much rather save thousands of dollars in my first 2 years. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't start at Cornish right now because of money, it would financially impossible. Because I am under 24, I would have to take out a Plus loan, and I have no parent or anyone around me with good enough credit to sign off (I already tried), so even if I wanted to start at a nice school I couldn't right now.
My question is too anyone who has been a dance major recently, were there any dancers in your program graduating with you at the age of 26 or 27? Is this unheard of, or rare? That is assuming it will take me 4 years to graduate.
Thanks.</p>
<p>My guess is that many of the dancers will be freshman straight out of high school just turning 18 year old. My D is 21 and applying to colleges with dance programs as a transfer student so I thought she would be among the older students in her freshman class. There will probably be a handful of students around her age but not many over 25. Nevertheless, if it is your dream to do this, then let nothing hold you back. At least try it out to see how you fit in. Your worries may be for nothing.</p>
<p>lavenderstarbell,</p>
<p>Putting the age question aside…</p>
<p>What is your desired career choice? What will the degree beyond the AA do for you? Do you want to continue teaching or do you want to perform? Maybe both? Where do you want to live once you finish up your degree? You wrote that you considered yourself an advanced modern dancer. What type of modern have you studied/trained?</p>
<p>IMHO, taking out two years of loans to pay for a possible BFA in Dance at Cornish or Columbia (actually, through Barnard College) is crazy. You would have crippling debt that you would not be able to pay off on a dancer’s or dance teacher’s salary. It would truly ruin your life. Advanced dancers who have graduated from Juilliard live very frugal lives in very expensive cities (where the dance opportunities exist) and could in no way pay off two years of the kind of debt of which you’re speaking. I’m not saying that there are exceptions to high salaries…there are…but they are generally not the rule. And because dancers are so easily injured (especially as they age…and you will be older), the employment can quickly dry up. How would you pay your loans then?</p>
<p>Also, PLUS loans are only for parents. You would not be allowed to take one out and would instead need to go the private loan route. Would you qualify? If not, you would need a co-signer…which then puts two people at risk for loan default. Again, not a good idea.</p>
<p>I’m not trying to discourage your passion, but you really need to think more pragmatically about your future.</p>
<p>I totally agree with ilovelimabeans. Student loans are non-dischargable and will hang around your neck as a heavy-weighted albatross until paid off. Therefore, for your own financial health, you must make sure that any degree you seek has the potential to add to your financial stability. You must apply a cost/benefits analysis. </p>
<p>What will a dance degree get you that you may need to better your financial outlook? What are the reasonably expected salaries for a dancer or dance teacher? Would the addition of a BFA degree increase that salary? Will that salary be sufficient to support you AND make your school loan payments? </p>
<p>How likely are you to get a job in the field with a livable wage? How long will it take to land a job and what are the costs associated with obtaining a job? Keep in mind all the audition fees, travel expenses, class fees, shoes, etc that you will be laying out while searching/auditioning for that job --which may or may not materialize).</p>
<p>Ah, my mistake then, I didn’t mean the PLUS loan, I just know I have tried taking out a private loan for an expensive school previously, but none of my potential cosigners qualified.
So what your saying is, because of the possibly low and unstable salary a BFA in dance will give me, I should be looking at cheaper schools?
I don’t disagree with that at all. Im just interested in the types of connections you make at a school like Cornish. Companys will take a special interest in you, especially local companies. I’ve talked to alumni and in their experience its seems when you graduate from a school like that you already have a spot in the local dance community. Because the school is so entwined with the community, you have better prospects. Also better internships, the top notch training, etc.
If I decide to not focus on a performance emphasized career, I would look into transffering to a cheap state university, try and find work in public schools, community centers, or non-profit organizations. And eventually go for my masters in dance or expressive arts therapy. I agree with you in that going to a cheaper school will be much easier when a dancers salary can be so erratic. Why go to a more expensive school for the same degree? I get what your saying.
Hopefully the latter sounds like a more pragmatic approach.</p>
<p>One thing I am confused about-Julliard is more expensive than Cornish. You are talking about dancers that have spent 4 years at Julliard making it, when I would only spend 2-3 at Cornish.</p>
<p>It depends on what type of job you are expecting. It is a full-time endeavor to create a network to use to land performance contracts. Schools do not do much in terms of placements or career counseling. In DD’s experience and her cohorts (who have graduated from various well-known programs), there are no ready-made ‘spots in the local dance community’----there are simply very few dance contracts that pay a living wage and/or have extended terms. There are often project work available, but pay is spotty, low, and very short-term. These are usually projects by emerging choreographers. </p>
<p>Juilliard’s entering class consists of 12 men and 12 women each year. Everyone enters as a freshman. Even the Juilliard grads are having trouble landing contracts this year. There are fewer contracts than ever, both in US and Europe. </p>
<p>Bluntly, significant student loans for a BFA is not a good plan financially, IMHO .</p>
<p>Keep in mind, the BFA is only as good as the program and the training. It is the training that gets a dancer a contract---- not the degree.</p>
<p>My DD attends Slippery Rock University where the cost of attendance is not outrageous. She is a dance major and an APA minor, Adaptive Physical Activity. She is on-track to get a Master’s by the time she is a senior. She wants to work with dance and individuals with disabilities after hopefully a career in performance. The dancers career for performing in not always a long one so she is looking toward the future.</p>