Ali Duffy, PhD, is a President’s Excellence in Teaching professor and associate professor of dance and honors at Texas Tech University. She is the founder and artistic director of Flatlands Dance Theatre, a professional nonprofit dance company in Texas. She holds a PhD from Texas Woman’s University, an MFA from University of North Carolina (UNC) Greensboro, a BA from UNC Charlotte, and a professional certificate in online education from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Dr. Duffy’s writing has been published in Research in Dance Education, Journal of Dance Education, Dance Education in Practice, and Journal of Emerging Dance Scholarship. Dr. Duffy has been invited for scholarly and artistic presentations and residencies at the University of South Florida, Lindenwood University, Colorado Mesa University, Virginia Tech, University of Detroit, UNC Charlotte, UNC Greensboro, Austin Dance Festival, COCO Dance Festival, and Danca Nova Dance Company. She sits on the National Dance Education Organization’s Cultivating Leadership Committee and served on the board of the Dance Critics Association. Prior to her work in academia, Dr. Duffy performed internationally on Holland America cruise ships (RWS Entertainment) and for independent contemporary choreographers on both U.S. coasts. She has also taught and adjudicated for the National Dance Alliance and worked as a dance critic for World Dance Reviews. Her career in dance is endlessly supported by her wonderful family, and she is ever grateful for her brilliant husband, Carlos, and beautiful son, Noah.

• Chapter 1. Examining the Big PictureDance as an Economic and Cultural Force in the United StatesImpact of Dance on the U.S. EconomyDance as a Cultural Force in the United StatesExpanding Notions of a Career in DanceEducation and Training for Careers in DanceSummaryChapter 2. Dance as an Entrepreneurial JourneyAn Entrepreneurial Approach to Dance CareersAligning Strengths With Career GoalsQualities of a Successful Dance ProfessionalRoadblocks and ReroutingPlans B, and C, and DA Mindset of Lifelong Learning and ChangeSummaryChapter 3. Teaching Dance in K-12 Schools and Postsecondary EducationPlanning and Training for a Career in Dance EducationSteps to a Career in K-12 Dance EducationSteps to a Career in Postsecondary Dance EducationPros and Cons of Different Educational EnvironmentsSummaryChapter 4. Opportunities in the Private Sector: Dance Studios and SchoolsTypes of Studios and SchoolsTraining and Education for Dance Studio ProfessionsTeaching in a Dance StudioManaging a Teaching Career Over a LifetimeOpening a Dance Studio BusinessSummaryChapter 5. Nonprofit Dance Companies and OrganizationsPerforming in a Dance CompanyArtistic LeadershipSummaryChapter 6. Breaking Into Commercial DanceCareer Options in Commercial or Entertainment-Based DanceTraining and PreparationBrandingNetworkingFinding an AgentJoining a UnionAudition TipsA Day on the JobSummaryChapter 7. Dance Research and JournalismDance JournalismDance ResearchSummaryChapter 8. Dance Administration and AdvocacyCareers in Dance AdministrationDance Administration Careers in Educational InstitutionsAdministrative Careers in Dance Companies and Nonprofit OrganizationsPreparing for a Career as a Dance Company Executive AdministratorCareers in Dance AdvocacyPreparing for a Career Involving Dance AdvocacySummaryChapter 9. Dance Science, Medicine, Therapies, and Somatic PracticesCareers in Dance Science and MedicineCareers in Dance/Movement TherapyCareers in Somatic PracticesPreparing for a Career in Somatic PracticesSummaryChapter 10. Competitive Dance and Sports EntertainmentPrivate Dance Competition and Convention CompaniesHigh School and Collegiate Competitive DancePreparing for Careers in Competitive DanceProfessional Sports Entertainment Dance TeamsPreparing for Careers on Sports Entertainment Dance TeamsSummaryChapter 11. Technical Theater, Media, and TechnologyOpportunities in Technical TheaterPreparing for Careers in Technical TheaterOpportunities in Media and TechnologySummaryChapter 12. Interdisciplinary OpportunitiesCollaboration With ArtistsCollaboration With Professionals Outside of the ArtsPreparing for Professional Interdisciplinary OpportunitiesSummaryConclusion. Now What? First Steps Toward a Dance CareerMajor Takeaways From This BookGraduate School PossibilitiesAdjusting to Life as a Working Professional in DanceSummary

Ali Duffy, PhD, is a President’s Excellence in Teaching professor and associate professor of dance and honors at Texas Tech University. She is the founder and artistic director of Flatlands Dance Theatre, a professional nonprofit dance company in Texas. She holds a PhD from Texas Woman’s University, an MFA from University of North Carolina (UNC) Greensboro, a BA from UNC Charlotte, and a professional certificate in online education from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Dr. Duffy’s writing has been published in Research in Dance Education, Journal of Dance Education, Dance Education in Practice, and Journal of Emerging Dance Scholarship. Dr. Duffy has been invited for scholarly and artistic presentations and residencies at the University of South Florida, Lindenwood University, Colorado Mesa University, Virginia Tech, University of Detroit, UNC Charlotte, UNC Greensboro, Austin Dance Festival, COCO Dance Festival, and Danca Nova Dance Company. She sits on the National Dance Education Organization’s Cultivating Leadership Committee and served on the board of the Dance Critics Association. Prior to her work in academia, Dr. Duffy performed internationally on Holland America cruise ships (RWS Entertainment) and for independent contemporary choreographers on both U.S. coasts. She has also taught and adjudicated for the National Dance Alliance and worked as a dance critic for World Dance Reviews. Her career in dance is endlessly supported by her wonderful family, and she is ever grateful for her brilliant husband, Carlos, and beautiful son, Noah.

• Chapter 1. Examining the Big PictureDance as an Economic and Cultural Force in the United StatesImpact of Dance on the U.S. EconomyDance as a Cultural Force in the United StatesExpanding Notions of a Career in DanceEducation and Training for Careers in DanceSummaryChapter 2. Dance as an Entrepreneurial JourneyAn Entrepreneurial Approach to Dance CareersAligning Strengths With Career GoalsQualities of a Successful Dance ProfessionalRoadblocks and ReroutingPlans B, and C, and DA Mindset of Lifelong Learning and ChangeSummaryChapter 3. Teaching Dance in K-12 Schools and Postsecondary EducationPlanning and Training for a Career in Dance EducationSteps to a Career in K-12 Dance EducationSteps to a Career in Postsecondary Dance EducationPros and Cons of Different Educational EnvironmentsSummaryChapter 4. Opportunities in the Private Sector: Dance Studios and SchoolsTypes of Studios and SchoolsTraining and Education for Dance Studio ProfessionsTeaching in a Dance StudioManaging a Teaching Career Over a LifetimeOpening a Dance Studio BusinessSummaryChapter 5. Nonprofit Dance Companies and OrganizationsPerforming in a Dance CompanyArtistic LeadershipSummaryChapter 6. Breaking Into Commercial DanceCareer Options in Commercial or Entertainment-Based DanceTraining and PreparationBrandingNetworkingFinding an AgentJoining a UnionAudition TipsA Day on the JobSummaryChapter 7. Dance Research and JournalismDance JournalismDance ResearchSummaryChapter 8. Dance Administration and AdvocacyCareers in Dance AdministrationDance Administration Careers in Educational InstitutionsAdministrative Careers in Dance Companies and Nonprofit OrganizationsPreparing for a Career as a Dance Company Executive AdministratorCareers in Dance AdvocacyPreparing for a Career Involving Dance AdvocacySummaryChapter 9. Dance Science, Medicine, Therapies, and Somatic PracticesCareers in Dance Science and MedicineCareers in Dance/Movement TherapyCareers in Somatic PracticesPreparing for a Career in Somatic PracticesSummaryChapter 10. Competitive Dance and Sports EntertainmentPrivate Dance Competition and Convention CompaniesHigh School and Collegiate Competitive DancePreparing for Careers in Competitive DanceProfessional Sports Entertainment Dance TeamsPreparing for Careers on Sports Entertainment Dance TeamsSummaryChapter 11. Technical Theater, Media, and TechnologyOpportunities in Technical TheaterPreparing for Careers in Technical TheaterOpportunities in Media and TechnologySummaryChapter 12. Interdisciplinary OpportunitiesCollaboration With ArtistsCollaboration With Professionals Outside of the ArtsPreparing for Professional Interdisciplinary OpportunitiesSummaryConclusion. Now What? First Steps Toward a Dance CareerMajor Takeaways From This BookGraduate School PossibilitiesAdjusting to Life as a Working Professional in DanceSummary

Ali Duffy, PhD, is a President’s Excellence in Teaching professor and associate professor of dance and honors at Texas Tech University. She is the founder and artistic director of Flatlands Dance Theatre, a professional nonprofit dance company in Texas. She holds a PhD from Texas Woman’s University, an MFA from University of North Carolina (UNC) Greensboro, a BA from UNC Charlotte, and a professional certificate in online education from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Dr. Duffy’s writing has been published in Research in Dance Education, Journal of Dance Education, Dance Education in Practice, and Journal of Emerging Dance Scholarship. Dr. Duffy has been invited for scholarly and artistic presentations and residencies at the University of South Florida, Lindenwood University, Colorado Mesa University, Virginia Tech, University of Detroit, UNC Charlotte, UNC Greensboro, Austin Dance Festival, COCO Dance Festival, and Danca Nova Dance Company. She sits on the National Dance Education Organization’s Cultivating Leadership Committee and served on the board of the Dance Critics Association. Prior to her work in academia, Dr. Duffy performed internationally on Holland America cruise ships (RWS Entertainment) and for independent contemporary choreographers on both U.S. coasts. She has also taught and adjudicated for the National Dance Alliance and worked as a dance critic for World Dance Reviews. Her career in dance is endlessly supported by her wonderful family, and she is ever grateful for her brilliant husband, Carlos, and beautiful son, Noah.

• Chapter 1. Examining the Big PictureDance as an Economic and Cultural Force in the United StatesImpact of Dance on the U.S. EconomyDance as a Cultural Force in the United StatesExpanding Notions of a Career in DanceEducation and Training for Careers in DanceSummaryChapter 2. Dance as an Entrepreneurial JourneyAn Entrepreneurial Approach to Dance CareersAligning Strengths With Career GoalsQualities of a Successful Dance ProfessionalRoadblocks and ReroutingPlans B, and C, and DA Mindset of Lifelong Learning and ChangeSummaryChapter 3. Teaching Dance in K-12 Schools and Postsecondary EducationPlanning and Training for a Career in Dance EducationSteps to a Career in K-12 Dance EducationSteps to a Career in Postsecondary Dance EducationPros and Cons of Different Educational EnvironmentsSummaryChapter 4. Opportunities in the Private Sector: Dance Studios and SchoolsTypes of Studios and SchoolsTraining and Education for Dance Studio ProfessionsTeaching in a Dance StudioManaging a Teaching Career Over a LifetimeOpening a Dance Studio BusinessSummaryChapter 5. Nonprofit Dance Companies and OrganizationsPerforming in a Dance CompanyArtistic LeadershipSummaryChapter 6. Breaking Into Commercial DanceCareer Options in Commercial or Entertainment-Based DanceTraining and PreparationBrandingNetworkingFinding an AgentJoining a UnionAudition TipsA Day on the JobSummaryChapter 7. Dance Research and JournalismDance JournalismDance ResearchSummaryChapter 8. Dance Administration and AdvocacyCareers in Dance AdministrationDance Administration Careers in Educational InstitutionsAdministrative Careers in Dance Companies and Nonprofit OrganizationsPreparing for a Career as a Dance Company Executive AdministratorCareers in Dance AdvocacyPreparing for a Career Involving Dance AdvocacySummaryChapter 9. Dance Science, Medicine, Therapies, and Somatic PracticesCareers in Dance Science and MedicineCareers in Dance/Movement TherapyCareers in Somatic PracticesPreparing for a Career in Somatic PracticesSummaryChapter 10. Competitive Dance and Sports EntertainmentPrivate Dance Competition and Convention CompaniesHigh School and Collegiate Competitive DancePreparing for Careers in Competitive DanceProfessional Sports Entertainment Dance TeamsPreparing for Careers on Sports Entertainment Dance TeamsSummaryChapter 11. Technical Theater, Media, and TechnologyOpportunities in Technical TheaterPreparing for Careers in Technical TheaterOpportunities in Media and TechnologySummaryChapter 12. Interdisciplinary OpportunitiesCollaboration With ArtistsCollaboration With Professionals Outside of the ArtsPreparing for Professional Interdisciplinary OpportunitiesSummaryConclusion. Now What? First Steps Toward a Dance CareerMajor Takeaways From This BookGraduate School PossibilitiesAdjusting to Life as a Working Professional in DanceSummary