Life after dance: career transition of professional dancers

This paper evaluates the findings of a coordinated inquiry, by a research team from the United States and Australia, into the career transition of professional dancers. The sample comprised dancers in ballet/classical, modern/contemporary, indigenous/folk, commercial/show dance and “other.” Surveys were conducted in three countries – Australia, Switzerland and the United States – in order to gain insights into the challenges of career change from the viewpoint of the dancer. The paper examines the findings’ support of certain hypotheses, the researchers’ expectations and the dancers’ realities, and the differences across the three countries included in the surveys.