The Ballet Dancer's Guide to Personal Branding and Career Success

Did you hear The Royal Opera House in London has changed its name?

From now on it will be called Royal Ballet and Opera. In an interview with the Guardian, CEO Alex Beard, spoke about what the name change means: “Our name now describes the whole span of what we do.”

To many, this may seem unimportant. Why fix what isn’t broken?

It is a step in the right direction! (And not because dance gets to share the spotlight 😉)

For a historical institution to make such a big change shows they're thinking about the future. They're evaluating where they are going.

What we define ourselves as influences how others see us.

As I’m learning more about marketing, I’ve realized that branding isn’t only for organizations like the Royal Ballet and Opera. 

We each have a brand too!

But what does branding have to do with ballet, Mia? This is how the story goes…

What is branding?

A brand is everything that helps people recognize a person, company, or organization. It's made up of many different elements that create a unique identity.

That means we all have our own unique brand! 💫 

A simple way to put it: our brand is what people say about us when we’re not there. (No, not gossiping. Think along the lines of “kind” and “funny” or “confident” and “versatile”.)

As dancers, our brand is portrayed by how we present ourselves.

Everything from what we wear to class and rehearsal to how we do our hair and make-up. From the way we talk to the teachers, choreographers, and colleagues, to how we take corrections.

That’s why it’s important to focus not only on our technique and artistry but also on how we treat others and how we come across.

The way we carry and present ourselves can either benefit or harm our “brand”.

How can dancers benefit from having a brand?

Actions speak louder than words

As dancers, we don’t often communicate verbally (especially in a big rehearsal). That’s where body language plays a big role.

Whoever is taking class or rehearsal picks up how we communicate by our body language.

A past coach of mine shared that she didn’t always feel confident that I picked up her exercises. At the time, I didn’t quite understand 🤔 

Now having taught over the past few years, I’ve noticed how challenging it is to tell whether the class is with me… or a bit lost.

Because we don’t always give a verbal “yes” or ”no”, we can show it with our body language and expressions. 

I used to think it was the teacher’s responsibility to come with lots of energy. Now I see that it is more of a give-and-take. A shared responsibility. We feed off each other’s energy.

A smile or nod of the head goes a LONG way when a teacher is trying to read the room. Even being confident to say it out loud!

It's not the job you do, it's how you do the job

I have a beautiful friend who works for The Royal Ballet.

She has always been known as a disciplined and reliable dancer. Along with working extremely hard and having incredible talent, she is climbing the ranks.

She is often thrown into the deep end, at the last minute stepping in for dancers who are ill or injured.

The company has faith in her and believes that she can pull it off. They know she is reliable.

Having a successful career is not only based on talent and skill.

Do we pick up choreography quickly? Do we take corrections well? Do we apply them immediately? Do we treat our peers with respect? Do we have a positive attitude?

Improving technique will be a career-long task. Let’s not forget that how we do the job is just as important.

Dress to impress

Without sounding superficial, what we wear affects how people view us.

Baggy clothes for a classical rehearsal will hide your lines. Your pas de deux partner won't be able to partner you properly either. That might be sending the wrong signals.

It might come across that we don’t care or respect the choreographer. 

Now that might not be the intention. I’ve been there - an oversized top can boost my confidence on an insecure day.

That’s totally okay on the odd occasion. 

If I’m unsure about what to wear, I find it helpful to compare my attire to my colleagues. If I’m the only one wearing a large hoody, I know it’s time to brace the cold and take it off.

Another tip is to dress for the part.

Before working on a new ballet or piece, I will do a bit of research. What period is the ballet? Are there videos available online? What style does the choreographer have?

That helps me decide what to wear. It can even influence how I dance in class.

If we’re staging Don Quixote I consider adding some dynamic and Spanish flair in class. Whereas, a ballet like Giselle requires a softer and more romantic quality.

This helps me get into character and feel more confident presenting myself.

The same goes when auditioning for a company. Have a look on Instagram what the typical rehearsal attire is and the general style of movement.

How a social media presence can open doors

As a professional dancer, I’ve never been consistently active on social media. Thankfully I haven’t had to be to get a job or get cast for a role.

Directors are more interested in our technique, artistry, and experience. Luckily not so much in our online activity.

If you want to collaborate with others outside your company, then being active online is super important. 🤳 

It can even lead to paid opportunities like collaborations, partnerships, and projects.

Dancers who freelance and are more in the contemporary space, can benefit from an active social presence. It’s a great way to market yourself! 

Think of it as a visual portfolio.

For those pursuing a career outside of the dance industry, being active on platforms like X (Twitter) and LinkedIn is very popular. It is a great networking and job recruitment tool in the “normal” world.

The more connections you have on LinkedIn, the more people you have access to. It’s so true what they say: it’s all about networking and who you know.

Why not start today? Create a LinkedIn profile, start posting, and connect! Your future self might just thank you for the head start 😉 

PS. Ballet directors might not be interested in our online activity, but in other industries, they will vet our online activity to gauge whether the fit is right.

How to create good brand associations

We can create a strong brand identity by associating with other brands. The key is to associate with brands that are in line with your interests.

The comedian dance personality Biscuit Ballerina is a perfect example. She created an association in the form of a partnership with Imperfect Pointes. 

Shelby Williams (Biscuit Ballerina) from Zurich Ballet has a passion for environmental causes. She often speaks out about how dancers can do their part to be more sustainable.

It didn’t come as a surprise when Imperfect Pointes struck up a partnership with her. They’re a sustainable dancewear brand that recycles leotards and tights, creating gorgeous new ones. 

By partnering with Imperfect Pointes, Shelby is strengthening her brand through association. Without knowing anything about Shelby a person can connect the dots. She cares about the environment!

In the future, organizations that wish to tackle this problem in the dance space know she is the person to collaborate with.

This is a fantastic example of good brand association for both a company’s brand and an individual’s brand.  

Something to avoid is making too many or unfit associations that it becomes unclear what you stand for. It creates confusion, where branding should provide clarity.

For example, if Shelby partnered with Adidas, it could send mix-signals to her audience. Fast fashion companies aren't known for their sustainability.

About 6 years ago while freelancing, I danced at an end-of-year function. The next day I realized I didn’t want to dance at corporate events because it didn’t align with the type of career I wanted to pursue.

By understanding what my goal was, I could make a decision that aligned with my “brand”. (Of course, there’s nothing wrong with it and any extra income as a dancer is always helpful!)

How to create your brand

Being a dancer means we are constantly comparing ourselves but…

There is only one YOU in this world!

No one has your looks, your personality, your abilities, your strengths, your dreams, your goals, and your mind.

So when you sit down to reflect on what your brand is. Remember to be authentic to who you are.

Why be a bad imitation when you can be an original?

Here are a few questions to help you explore what YOUR brand is:

1. Am I being authentic to myself?

2. Do I present myself in this way?

3. What do I want to achieve (goal)?

4. Does the way I present myself (clothes, hair, make-up, etc) reflect where I want to go?

5. Does the way I act and communicate reflect where I want to go?

6. What are my other interests?

7. Do these interests align with my goals?

8. What are my dream brands/companies/personalities to work with?

9. Do they align with my morals and ethics?

10. What other ways can I improve my brand?

Take some time to think about these questions.

It comes down to how we want to be remembered - not when we’re gone but NOW.

Working on achieving our goals is not only physical but emotional too. It’s about becoming the best version of ourselves - in every aspect.

I hope this read could spark some ideas on how you can be authentic to you.

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