Jobs in ballet: where the jobs are in dance today.

In an economy where "layoffs" and "hiring freezes" have become frequent, new jobs in dance have become increasingly scarce. Ballet companies have been hit by dired-up budgets and spiraling costs. In the dance world, where the ratio of women to men is ten to one and the annual company turnover is about 15 percent, openings have become few and far between.

Traditionally, companies are divided into major, midsize, small, and preprofessional groups. The major and midsize companies have little or moderate turnover and hold one or two major auditions a year. Small and preprofessional groups (twelve members or less) make up the bulk of U.S. companies and rely heavily on agents, or placement agencies for talent.

"We get lots of emergency calls for placement at the end of summer and early fall," says Tuana Hunter, managing director of Dansource, a national dance network, "because it is too late to advertise and many companies have filled their rosters." (You might consider registering with Dansource, P.O. Box 15038, Dallas, TX 75201; [phone].)

The usual route to securing positions in the major companies is by open audition or attendance at its affiliated school.

The artistic director may invite a dancer to audition personally, or to take class. Some companies, like Pacific Northwest Ballet, will even provide plane fare and moderate lodging expenses if they are particularly keen on a dancer.

But stay away from Junk Food. "It seems rudimentary," says Kent Stowell, artistic director of PNB, "but sometimes dancers show up out of shape, or nursing a preexisting injury." Because of rising insurance costs, a dancer's history of injuries is examined and companies prefer to see a doctor's clearance. However, once a dancer arrives in one piece, there is a growing trend among major companies to offer, along with a contract, the fringe benefit of college credit courses at local universities on a gratis basis. Guidance on replacement and transition jobs is often included.

Heavily endowed companies with large schools also send their reps to major cities to audition promising dancers. Watch for these audition places and dates in advertisements in Dance Magazine.

While attendance at a company-affiliated school does not always guarantee a place in the roster, it provides a competitive edge. "We have 575 students and the majority get jobs in other companies," points out Walter Raines, director of Dance Theatre of Harlem's school. Raines also recommends that young people who cannot afforrd to attend the school contact the company manager (not the artistic director) to request an audition or class.

In terms of salaries, according to the national basic agreement of the American Guild of Musical Artistics (the dancers union), the following are minimum weekly salaries for major companies: New corps members, $464; regular corps, $587; soloists $638; and principals, $694, although principals and sologists frequently negotiate higher rates individually. Apprentices earn half the new-member salary, and seniority pay is determined for each year.

Small companies have open auditions and may work on a fee-per-performance basis and a set rehearsal scale. They tend to look for dancers who are quick and versatile and who can learn choreography rapidly. Some companies average about one hundren performances per year and may pay from $100 for a 45-minute ballet, to $400 for performance in festivals. Rehearsal pay is usually $8 to 12 per hour.

Worldwide competitions not only offer prizes but are a showcase for dancers seeking employment. The New York International Ballet Competition, for instance, is held every three years in New York City. The age limit is seventeen to twenty-four and there is an intense two-week rehearsal period for the forty-eight dancers admitted into the competition after submitting videotapes and resumes.

Such competitions demonstrate the increase in international talent hunts. Artistic director Reid Anderson of the National Ballet of Canada, for instance, travels the world in search of dancers.

Because this is the age of VCR, videotapes are an integral part of the audition process. Some artistic directors prefer them because they cut down the huge cost of traveling to auditions, although videotapes are sometimes misleading and not representative of the dancer's best work. In audition videotapes, clarity of line and strong technique should be stressed. Men should be able to partner well.

Talent, yes, but business savvy, pluck, and more than a little luck are the key ingredients that a ballet dancer needs in a job search during the nineties.