Performing Arts - Acting, Dance and More... Career Overview
When you think of the performing arts, you probably think of the stars who are performing artists: Martha Graham, Elton John, Denzel Washington. Performing artists traffic in art. Their subjects are beauty and human meaningóthe creative application of their imaginations, channeled through their skills, into performances that entertain, amuse, provoke, and delight.
Because of the fame and fortune accorded those who succeed in Hollywood, on Broadway, or in Carnegie Hall, untold millions are drawn toward careers in the performing arts. Very few succeed financially (the notion of the "starving artist" comes from somewhere, after all). Only those with determination, talent, discipline, and luck manage to find careers in which they support themselves in the performing arts.
What You'll Do Those who succeed on the world stage spend years laboring to learn the nuances of their medium of expression. Their work involves mastering, for instance, the art of inflection (if they're actors) or the graceful transition from one point in a room to another (if they're dancers). Performing artists work to express meaning or beauty through their performances. They create new ways to interpret old things (for example, Kenneth Branagh's Henry V versus Laurence Olivier's version) or create new things reflecting whatever reality surrounds them (such as Stravinsky's Rites of Spring).
Of course, many others practice the performing arts in local or regional settingsóat high school talent shows, community centers, clubs, and libraries. Some manage to make a living at it; others perform as a hobby.
As a result, the majority of performing artists supplement their incomes with one or more additional jobs. Many wind up teaching, or working in areas peripheral to their primary field of interest. A musician might support himself or herself by writing advertising jingles, or working on sound effects for a movie.
An aspiring Broadway actor or dancer might find himself or herself dancing in a Britney Spears music video or on the stage of an amusement park, working as a film extra, or performing with a local theater company or at a neighborhood cafe. Others work in arts administration, fundraising, or managing arts organizations, auditioning only if and when time permits.
The Art of Performing All performers face the challenge of conveying certain emotions and moods. They make countless small decisions at conscious and unconscious levels. These are generally physical decisions: what piano keys to press, when, and with what force, and in what sequence, or what to do with the hands, legs, eyes, and mouth when giving a soliloquy.
While individual interpretation and expression are important in the arts, actors, dancers, and musicians are at the mercy of their audiences, in addition to their managers, directors, conductors, or choreographers. They may find themselves in roles that do not excite them, and they may spend countless hours rehearsing and performing on nights and weekends, or traveling with their band or troupe.
Who Does Well Working in the performing arts appeals to creative, expressive individuals who are passionate about their craft. Patience, perseverance, and staminaóin addition to talent, practice, and a thick skinóare crucial to success (performing artists must get accustomed to rejection). Actors and professional dancers may perform the same roles for months, sometimes years. Film actors must sometimes shoot the same scene over and over again. Regardless of how a performer is feelingówhether he or she is exhausted or in a bad moodóthe show must go on.
Requirements To break into the performing arts, you're going to need to be able to perform. Training in music (reading music and playing music), acting (many actors start with high school productions), and dance is essential. Courses taken outside of school can help you refine your talents and pick up essential skills auditioning, rehearsing, and performing.
A degree from a specialized arts college can often launch you toward a performing arts career; the Juilliard School, the Manhattan School of Music, and the Berklee College of Music in Boston are three well-regarded institutions. Would-be performers can also take courses in drama, performing arts, music, and dance at most universities, with some universities having renowned programs in specific fields (for example, drama at Yale). However, while a formal education is recommended, it is not essential in many of the performing arts.
Beyond mastering your artóa function of practice and performanceóyou'll need to have the determination to succeed. Successful performers have a drive to succeed. They practice every nuance until they have it right, again and again.
Memory, charisma, talent, creativity, experience, and inspiration are all necessary to a performer, but above all else you have to want to perform. Performing artists find genuine satisfaction in pleasing their audiences. And they are willing to sacrifice to do it. They sacrifice money (because they won't make much, particularly when starting out), and they sacrifice time (for rehearsals, auditions, practicing, and performance).
Having contacts can help. The more experience you can get and the more people you can get to know, the more opportunities will open up for you down the roadónetworking skills will serve you just as well in the performing arts as they do in other careers
Job Outlook Opportunities for performing artists are expected to be plentiful in coming years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In part, opportunities in the arts are expanding due a growing video and music-video industry, expanding cable networks, and increasing independent-film production. Film, television, and new media are also creating new opportunities.
But competition for these careers will continue to be very intense; the demand for performing arts careers will always outpace the supply of paying jobs.
Live theater is still the toughest market to break into. While the number of regional theaters (and dance companies) has expanded in recent years, most are dependent on government financing and the economy, making job security nearly nonexistent in the world of performing arts. However, due to growing opportunities for actors in other media, the BLS expects the acting field to grow at a faster than average rate among all industries. (Again, though, the competition will be fierce for these jobs.)
Jobs for dancers and choreographers are expected to grow about as quickly as jobs in the economy overall. (And again, the competition will be extremely tough.) The same is true for musicians. (Including the part about stiff competition.) One interesting thing for musicians to note is that more than half of wage- or salary-earning musicians are employed by religious institutions. Musicians should also remember that the military has a lot of spots for a variety of their ilk.
A life as a performer is not for the faint of heart, nor is it a good bet for anyone unwilling to live in a major metropolitan area such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, or other large cities featuring full-time professional dance companies, theater and opera groups, and symphonies. For theater and television in particular, you'll probably need to be in New York or Hollywood to be part of the action. Furthermore, particularly in dance, careers can be short-lived and contingent on physical strength or appearances. Many actors, dancers, and musicians are also required to travel a great deal.
The career track in all of the arts is pretty simple. Either you make a living at your art, or you don't. If you do, then you do in a small way or a big way. Your ability to practice, the luck you have, and the talent you demonstrate all play a role in whether or not you succeed. Perseverance also plays a role in your success. As Marlon Brando put it, "The key to succeeding in Hollywood is to stick around." Your audiences play a role, too: They are, in the end, the people you're working to please.
Many performing artists have multiple skills. They train in dance as well as acting and music. Shows on Broadway highlight the diverse skills of performers.
Acting Whether your dream is screen acting (for films or television) or stage acting, in Hollywood or on Broadway, there's a variety of career paths actors can take. Some end up in regional theater troupes, some find lucrative careers in radio doing voice-overs, and others appear on daytime soaps or television commercials. (By some accounts, television commercials account for 60 percent of all acting jobs.) Sometimes, working actors (such as Woody Allen or Jodie Foster) end up directing or producing their own films.
Regardless of the venue, actors perform in productions, memorize lines, and rehearse with fellow actors and directors. Their job is to interpret their roles, get inside a character's thoughts, and convey the character's feelings as convincingly as possible. Roles may involve speaking parts or include singing and dancing.
Actors must audition as if auditioning is a full-time job, sometimes going for years without a role. They must be prepared to accept rejection and criticism. A talented actor may not be cast in a given role because of his or her physical attributes: too short, too tall, male, or female, or just plain not right.
Most actors start performing in school, or begin work as part of a technical crew and go on to get training in summer-stock theater companies or local stage productions. Initially, relatively inexperienced actors will work as extras in film roles, with few or no lines to memorize, or as understudies for off-Broadway shows. From there, once they have developed experience, confidence, and credits, they can try out for more challenging and larger roles. Many hire professional agents to help them secure roles.
Dance Whether it's polka, tap, tango, or balletóon television, for a supper show, for a classical ballet company, or off-Broadwayódancers strive to interpret and convey a narrative or abstract idea or emotion through movement. More often than not, dancers start out performing in groups and occasionally work their way up to solo pieces. They dance in a variety of venues, from dance and opera companies to music and video companies.
Regardless of their preferred medium, dancers need grace, rhythm, strength, and staminaóand years of practice to perfect their art. Many supplement their dancing careers by working as choreographers or teachers.
Most professional dancers start dancing young, often around the age of eight. The more performing experience dancers can accrue, in college or in shows such as ìThe Nutcracker,î the better. Not only is it helpful to have a college degree (to teach at the high-school and college levels, an undergraduate and often a graduate degree is necessary), but dancers are well-advised to keep up with what other dancers and choreographers are doing. Reading trade magazines such as Backstage or Variety can be helpful.
Music Professional musicians perform in front of live audiences or in recordings, using their voices or their instruments or both. In addition to singing or performing in a band or with an orchestra or symphony, musicians can also compose, conduct, and teach.
Musicians play many different styles of music in a variety of environments. The level of talent and training necessary to succeed as a musician depends on the style of music performed. To be a first violinist for a major metropolitan symphony, for example, musicians must be able to read and interpret music, and have considerable talent. To play blues at the local bar or to sing with the local church choir may require less training (though not necessarily less practice)ómusicians who perform in such venues are often self-taught.
Instrumentalists and vocalists express emotion through their music, and strive to achieve precision, harmony, and clarity of tone. They should be knowledgeable and passionate about music and possess rhythm and melody. And ideally, they should love practicing and refining their craft.
Regardless of their musical aspirations, to be a recording or performing artist, musicians should make a quality tape of their music and accept as many performing opportunities as possible. Many musicians start performing at a young age and go on to attend schools of music or to get undergraduate and advanced degrees in such specialized fields as songwriting or conducting.
Other Performing Arts Mimes, stand-up comics, clowns and circus performers, disc jockeys, and street performers are a few other performing artists. Like actors, dancers, and musicians, they toil for years at their work and often perform purely for the joy of entertaining audiences. In some rare cases, they make fabulous sums of money; typically, they do not. Their success depends on their talent, determination and luck. Some find financially stable work performing at, for instance, children's birthday parties or circuses.
Compensation Salaries for performing artists vary tremendously. Following are average salary ranges for some performing arts fields:
Actor/Performer: $13,000 to $95,000, or much, much more
Choreographer: $13,000 to $55,000
Musician: $13,000 to $90,000
Dancer: $13,000 to $55,000
Facilities Coordinator Facilities coordinators are responsible for the physical environment of an organization and how a building's design, layout, furniture, and other equipment affect the efficiency and profitability of the business that uses them. The facilities coordinator buys office furniture and supplies, determines when more space is needed, selects appropriate vendors, and is responsible for the facilities budget. A business management background and keen understanding of how working environments affect employee productivity are prerequisites for the job.
Logistics Engineer A business needs to plan how work orders will be distributed throughout its organization. The logistics engineer is the person primarily responsible for such planning. He or she is interested in improving the efficiency and accuracy of order fulfillment, and will map out the process from beginning to end, always on the lookout for possible improvements. This is a detail-oriented position that requires strong problem-solving skills and an in-depth analysis of business processes.
Project Manager Most projects will have a single leader who watches over them from beginning to end. The essential role of the project manager is to establish group goals. He or she will also supervise the work of lower-level staff, ensure deadlines are met, put in requests for additional supplies and staff, and keep a particular project on time and under budget. In most cases, the project manager will answer to the operations manager.
Operations Analyst An operations analyst analyzes how the current operations infrastructure is working. These folks attempt to find areas where the system breaks down, and then find ways to improve it. Strategies may include changing the work environment or employment policies, using different vendors, or transforming work processes. There is a great deal of administrative work involved. This position answers to the operations manager.
Operations Manager/Director The operations manager or director watches over his or her department, the size and scope of which depends on the organization involved; a large company may have several operations managers. Their job is to determine how the processes in their departments should be implemented and what duties need to be performed. An operations manager hires and manages lower-level staff, selects the vendors, completes departmental financial analyses, and determines the budget. The operations manager reports to the VP of operations or chief operating officer (COO).
Chief Operations Officer (COO) One of the senior managers in any business organization, the chief operations officer is responsible for making sure that the entire back end of an organization operates as efficiently as possible. Responsibilities may include marketing, programming, customer support, sales, accounting, distribution, legal, or just about any other business function.
While the CEO is supposed to be the visionary for a company, the COO is a company's administrator. Without his or her involvement, a company could fail. Usually a seasoned professional with many yearsí experience, the COO reports to a company's CEO and board of directors.
Compensation Compensation varies widely in operations jobs depending on the individual's skills, the company size, and the industry involved. However, the median salary ranges that follow are typical:
Customer service representative: $24,000 to $45,000
