Dancer CV Example

Format and length

Keep your dancer CV to 1-2 pages of A4. Use a clean, minimal design with plenty of white space, casting directors are reading dozens of these, so make yours scannable. Include a professional headshot in the top corner (this is one of the few professions where a photo is expected and helpful). Add your showreel link prominently near your contact details.

Section order

Lead with your training institutions. Naming prestigious schools (Royal Ballet School, London Studio Centre, Northern School of Contemporary Dance) and the diplomas or degrees you earned carries real weight, directors want training pedigree at a glance, so put schools near the top, not buried at the bottom.

After training, include your physical stats: height, hair colour, and eye colour. Performers are matched to character and costume requirements, so verify the job posting for which attributes it asks for. This is one of few CV types where personal physical detail belongs.

Then move to your work experience. Spotlight your biggest or most relevant roles in a detailed Work Experience section (production title, company, your role, dates, choreographer). After that, add a separate condensed Credits section listing remaining shows one line each (show / company / role / dates). Dancers have mosaic careers with lots of short-term contracts, don't list every gig exhaustively.

Finish with a Skills section (your dance styles and techniques) and any Additional Skills (singing, acting, acrobatics, partnering, pointe, aerial, instruments, dialects). Triple-threat versatility (dance/sing/act) opens up musical-theatre, cruise, and commercial work that pure-dance CVs miss.

Personal statement

Your personal statement (2-3 sentences at the top) should name your dance specializations explicitly, ballet, contemporary, jazz, commercial, tap, hip hop, street, musical theatre. Versatility across styles is a selling point; spell out which ones you're trained in rather than just saying "dancer". Mention your training institution if it's well-known, and highlight any standout skills (pointe, partnering, triple-threat).

Experience bullets

Each performance credit should carry production title, company, your role, and dates, and name the choreographer, especially if well-known in the industry. Casting directors scan for the choreographers and venues you've worked with. Quantify with dance-relevant metrics: shows performed per week (e.g. "8 shows weekly"), audience size ("1,200+"), tours or runs completed, number of productions, dancers coached. Stamina and consistency across back-to-back performances is a genuine selling point, show it with numbers.

Skills

List your dance styles and techniques explicitly. Group them logically (classical, contemporary, commercial, musical theatre). Include your examination levels where relevant (RAD Advanced 2, ISTD Advanced 1). Add a separate Additional Skills section for singing, acting, acrobatics, partnering, pointe, aerial, gymnastics, specific dialects, or instruments.

Education and certifications

Name your training institutions, degrees or diplomas, and dates. If you teach as well as perform, list dance-teaching qualifications from recognised UK bodies, Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) or Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD), e.g. "Level 4 Diploma in Dance Teaching". These accreditations carry instant credibility for teaching or choreography work.

Tailoring

Match the CV to the employer type. Dance company or theatre work values classical or contemporary training, named choreographers, and prestigious venues. Commercial work (film, music videos, TV) values versatility, quick-study ability, and commercial or street styles. Hospitality entertainment (cruise liners, holiday parks, theme parks) values triple-threat skills and high-volume performance stamina. Lead with the experience that fits the gig you're applying for.

Dance CVs live or die on specifics. Casting directors want to know the production, the company, your role, the choreographer, and the dates. They also want proof you can handle the stamina and consistency the job demands, so quantify your performances.

The result-plus-metric pattern

Every bullet should answer: what did you perform, for whom, how often, and with what impact? Name the production and choreographer, then add numbers that show volume, reach, or consistency.

Before (vague duty):

Performed in ensemble for a touring production.

After (specific credit with metrics):

Performed in 'Cinderella' (choreographer: Matthew Bourne) across 18 UK venues, delivering 8 shows weekly to audiences averaging 1,200 per performance.

Before (missing choreographer and scale):

Danced in contemporary pieces for a regional company.

After (names choreographer, quantifies performances):

Performed in 4 contemporary productions ('Fragments', 'Tides', 'Pulse', 'Horizon') choreographed by Emma Clarke and Daniel Foster, touring to 12 regional theatres and delivering 6 shows weekly during peak periods.

Before (no numbers, no impact):

Swing dancer covering multiple roles.

After (quantifies coverage and reliability):

Swing for 'Mamma Mia!' at the Novello Theatre (choreographer: Anthony Van Laast), covering 6 ensemble tracks and performing in 45 shows over 6 months with less than 24 hours' notice on 8 occasions.

Action verbs for dancers

Performed, executed, delivered, covered, understudied, collaborated, assisted, choreographed, mentored, coached, led, maintained, stepped in, toured, rehearsed, created.

What to include in each bullet

If you assisted with choreography, mentored other dancers, or covered roles at short notice, include that, it shows leadership and adaptability.

Training institutions

Lead with your training institutions. Naming prestigious schools (Royal Ballet School, London Studio Centre, Northern School of Contemporary Dance, Rambert School, Trinity Laban) and the diplomas or degrees you earned carries real weight. Directors want training pedigree at a glance, so put schools near the top of your CV, not buried at the bottom.

For each institution, include the school name, the qualification (BA Hons, Level 6 Diploma, BTEC, A-Levels), your specialism or field of study (Contemporary Dance, Musical Theatre, Classical Ballet), and the dates. If you graduated with honours or distinction, add that. If you performed lead roles in student productions, list them in a bullet under the school entry.

Dance examination levels

If you hold Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) or Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) examination levels, include them. These are recognized benchmarks of technical training. Examples: RAD Advanced 2 Ballet, ISTD Advanced 1 Contemporary, RAD Solo Seal Award. Add the grade and result (Merit, Distinction) if strong.

Teaching qualifications

If you teach as well as perform, list dance-teaching qualifications from recognised UK bodies. Examples: Level 4 Diploma in Dance Teaching (DDI) from ISTD, RAD Teaching Diploma. These accreditations carry instant credibility for teaching or choreography work and open up additional income streams between performance contracts.

Other relevant qualifications

If you have singing grades (ABRSM, Trinity), acting qualifications (LAMDA, Guildhall), or other performance training (Stage Combat, Aerial, Acrobatics), list them in an Additional Qualifications or Skills section. Triple-threat (dance/sing/act) versatility opens up musical-theatre, cruise, and commercial work that pure-dance CVs miss.

Don't bury your training. It's one of the first things casting directors look for, so make it easy to find.