Lemongirl Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 Not sure if this is the right place to ask so apologies if it isn't. My dd is interested in 'behind the scenes' jobs in dance. How can she find out more about opportunities available? I know the Royal Opera House does apprenticeship schemes, does anyone have any experience of these? She is currently Year 12 and would like to start working at 18 rather than go down the university route. She's got a strong dance background plus she's good at English and is quite creative. I've suggested maybe a marketing job for a dance company. Any advice please? Many thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 I suppose it depends on how close to the stage you want to be. Company & stage management & stage technician jobs would be closer to the stage. If you look at company websites you can see the list of jobs on the admin side. I know BRB and NB have had work placements in the past and may still have. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meadowblythe Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 RSC do good work placements - they advertise on their website. Although not strictly dance, I think any theatre background would be beneficial. You could also ask your local theatre about "get in" and "get out" opportunities. Experience, and contacts, seems to count more than anything in any theatrical situation, so well worth volunteering for anything going. You will also find out what the "behind the scenes" roles are - there are probably loads you haven't even thought about. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balletbean Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 16 hours ago, Lemongirl said: Not sure if this is the right place to ask so apologies if it isn't. My dd is interested in 'behind the scenes' jobs in dance. How can she find out more about opportunities available? I know the Royal Opera House does apprenticeship schemes, does anyone have any experience of these? She is currently Year 12 and would like to start working at 18 rather than go down the university route. She's got a strong dance background plus she's good at English and is quite creative. I've suggested maybe a marketing job for a dance company. Any advice please? Many thanks. Rather than university, have you researched your local Further Education considered in business studies/marketing courses? Many run evening classes. Saturday job in the Box Office at a theatre near you? Whilst still at school, partime work can give valuable experience and connections. Might start off local but can build on it. Especially if the theatre opens its doors to visiting touring companies. The business is vast but the actual word of mouth connections can be small if you have the confidence to ask. Theatres run on zero hour back stage crew. Age can sometimes be a restriction but 16 appears to be the benchmark for most which wouldn’t be an issue in yr12. Again another way to network and gain experience to understand which path of ‘behind the scenes’ your DD wishes to pursue. All relevant for that all important CV. This all coming from an ex-volunteer steward then box office staff who then went on to become Theatre Manager and met the most amazing people. Interesting and fascinating career choice. Good Luck. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balletbean Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 Oops, can't edit the above post. Should read "Further Education COLLEGE" Ps I should have also added. People that work within the theatre "behind the scenes" in whatever format, from backstage crew to administration generally do the job because they are passionate about the arts rather than the salary. Which is probably no surprise to many. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meadowblythe Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 Don't you believe it. Non Dancing Son is making a fortune as a member of technical crew! Get-ins/Get-outs can pay up to £400 for a night's work, out of London rates. OK, he won't always be in constant employment but he has worked continuously since the age of 16, both alongside Extended Btec Studies and during his student years, and hasn't been unemployed for a single day since graduating last summer. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate_N Posted January 28, 2018 Share Posted January 28, 2018 Most of my immediate family work in either performing or non-performing roles in the theatre (I have the most "normal" job of all of us). One of my siblings was travelling all over the world as Technical Director for his firm doing the year-long get ins for huge public events (Olympics ceremony sort of stuff). They got into it by just being around backstage in amateur and youth theatre from around the age of 10 - helping with the sound & lighting, building sets & so on. From that amateur work they got contacts for short term one-off contracts eg follow spot operator for Billy Joel's tour, on-call work for a big entertainment centre, ad so on. They are very very handy with fixing anything electrical & gathered training in CAD/CAM work through working & being sent on training courses. At the top of this field you can make £100,000 pa freelance (my sibling was) but you have to be prepared to travel & relocate all the time, and work very long hours (18 hour days 7 days a week for the 6 weeks in the run up to the opening of one Winter Olympics, after 6 months' on-site prep). 12 hour night shifts for 6 weeks non-stop to oversee the hydraulics for the London Olympics (but also having cigarette breaks with Miss Bussell after testing her harness - I was sooooo envious) There is no particular college or degree course that can guarantee this kind of career, it's about ability, hard work, contacts, and just plugging away at picking up bits & pieces of jobs to establish a reputation. Things that help include a good knowledge of all branches of the performing arts - being able to count the music so you get the follow spot bang on the dancer as he does a grand jete entrance was key at one point (thank goodness for a professional dancer parent & sibling). But the backstage life is a good life - very hard work, long hours, but great camaraderie 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meadowblythe Posted January 28, 2018 Share Posted January 28, 2018 Couldn't agree more with Kate_N especially about the long hours and cameraderie. For what its worth, my DS did an extended Btech Diploma in Theatre Production (and got in 2 full professional runs amongst other experience during the course) and then a degree in Stage Management at Birmingham School of Acting (now part of the Birmingham Conservatoire). He chose BSA because he was out and about at theatres across Birmingham from the word go, and picking up work and contacts from the word go, rather than possibly more "prestigious" institutions he was offered, where the classes were bigger and they weren't allowed out of the building for years. Stage Management isn't where he's really heading but it was a very general degree and meant he wasn't specialising before he'd even started. Like Kate_N's brother, he has a good general arts background (amateur acting, grade 8 in a couple of instruments and a dancing brother). I suspect it takes a certain type of person who loves get-out as much as get-in (not me!) but if you like problem solving, being part of a team, being involved in the theatre and can cope with an ever-changing life there are a lot of wonderful opportunities out there. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balletbean Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 Hi, Scottish Ballet have just posted an advertisement on FB Front-of-House Receptionist/ Administrator staff member. Enquiries are directed to maeve.houston@scottishballet.co.uk or tel 0141 331 2931 . Just thought I would post it under this topic heading in case it is of any interest to anyone. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
invisiblecircus Posted February 3, 2018 Share Posted February 3, 2018 There are so many different directions she could go with this. Arts/ dance administration/ management Dance Physiotherapist Photographer Stage/ set deisgner Costume designer Costume maker Lighting designer/ lighting technician Stage manager Many of these require a degree, if only to give you the right kind of training and opportunites. I think she needs to narrow down her options. Research training courses in any of the areas that interest her and see which ones are most appealing. Volunteer at a local theatre to gain experience. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate_N Posted February 3, 2018 Share Posted February 3, 2018 49 minutes ago, invisiblecircus said: Volunteer at a local theatre to gain experience. This is key, in my experience. All sorts of training, degrees etc may also be either useful or even necessary, but the glue which holds that all together is the hands on experience, and the networks & contacts that emerge from that. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted February 6, 2018 Share Posted February 6, 2018 Hi, lemongirl. I've added a "careers" tab to the top of your post. Click on that, and it'll take you to another couple of related threads which may be of use. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted February 6, 2018 Share Posted February 6, 2018 On 03/02/2018 at 16:14, invisiblecircus said: There are so many different directions she could go with this. Arts/ dance administration/ management Dance Physiotherapist Photographer Stage/ set deisgner Costume designer Costume maker Lighting designer/ lighting technician Stage manager Many of these require a degree, if only to give you the right kind of training and opportunites. I think she needs to narrow down her options. Research training courses in any of the areas that interest her and see which ones are most appealing. Volunteer at a local theatre to gain experience. Benesh Notator is another one, although these are sometimes ex-dancers. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trog Posted February 6, 2018 Share Posted February 6, 2018 45 minutes ago, Anna C said: Benesh Notator is another one, although these are sometimes ex-dancers. As the ad says, "other forms of notation are available", such as Labanotation. I think Phoenix Dance use this. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted February 6, 2018 Share Posted February 6, 2018 4 minutes ago, trog said: As the ad says, "other forms of notation are available", such as Labanotation. I think Phoenix Dance use this. Absolutely. I was thinking with my ballet hat on. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemongirl Posted February 6, 2018 Author Share Posted February 6, 2018 Thank you, this is all really helpful info. I will discuss further with dd. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2dancersmum Posted February 6, 2018 Share Posted February 6, 2018 Dancexchange in Birmingham are currently advertising for an intern for a dance festival. I realise that if your DD is year 12, this year is too soon for her but the description of the job role and what they are looking for from applicants may be of interest to you, just for your own information http://www.dancexchange.org.uk/opportunities/production-intern/ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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