• Many dancers stop performing by their late thirties; however, some remain in the field as choreographers, dance teachers, or artistic directors.
• Most dancers begin formal training at an early age - between 5 and 15 - and many have their first professional audition by age 17 or 18.
• Dancers and choreographers face intense competition - only the most talented find regular work.

From ancient times to the present, dancers have expressed ideas, stories, and rhythm with their bodies. They use a variety of dance forms that allow free movement and self-expression, including classical ballet, modern dance, and culturally specific dance styles. Many dancers combine performance work with teaching or choreography.

Dancers perform in a variety of settings, such as musical productions, and may present folk, ethnic, tap, jazz, and other popular kinds of dance. They also perform in opera, musical theater, television, movies, music videos, and commercials, in which they also may sing and act. Dancers most often perform as part of a group, although a few top artists perform solo.

Many dancers work with choreographers, who create original dances and develop new interpretations of existing dances. Because few dance routines are written down, choreographers instruct performers at rehearsals to achieve the desired effect. In addition, choreographers often are involved in auditioning performers.