The Social Side of Dance: How to Make Friends and Network in the Dance Community

I don’t know about you, but I can’t believe how hard it is to make friends as an adult. If you were lucky enough to go to the same elementary school and high school for your entire childhood, you probably grew up with a group of friends and never really had to think that hard about making new ones. And if you stayed in the town you grew up in, you might still have those people in your life! 

But if for any reason you’ve decided you’d like to meet some new people and make friends beyond the age of 18, it’s not as easy as it looks! After nearly 15 years in the dance studio as an adult, here are a few tips and tricks I’ve experienced when making friends and networking in the dance community. 

Making Friends In The Dance Community

1. Go to the events.
   Maybe it’s Dancers’ Night Out, maybe it’s a dance show, maybe it’s coffee after class. Whatever it is, go to it! Simply showing up puts you in the environment where you’ll be able to see and be seen and have the opportunity to get to know new people.

2. Initiate a group hang and be inquisitive when you get there.
   Something as simple as ‘Hey, I’m going to grab a coffee at Old Hand after class and use my Dancer Perk Package card to check it out, does anyone want to meet me there?’ will get you a long way! Someone is likely to say yes, and when they do, spend some time talking about them. People love to talk about themselves, and it’s the best way to get to know someone. Here are a few open-ended questions to help you get to know your new friend!

   • How are you liking the dance class this session?

   • Do you have dance experience before this? 

   • What do you do for work/school/outside of dance? 

   • Have you always lived in Langley? 

   • This coffee is so good! Have you tried any of the other places in our Dancer Perk Package? 

3. Don’t be a mean girl.
   Unfortunately, the easiest way to bond is through shared negativity. There is something about connecting over a perceived threat and the instant validation our brains get from being negative with others. BUT this also signals to others that you are a person who indulges in negativity and gossip socially, and that you might not be someone they can trust or feel safe with. DON’T DO IT. Be a person who celebrates others instead. Uphold your values of inclusivity and kindness, even when the conversation turns to the negative. This signals to new friends that you’re a safe person to continue friendship with. You’ll never regret being kind!
   

If you are looking specifically to network within the dance community — be considered for more dance opportunities, make professional contacts for projects, become a class assistant or teacher — here are three tips for smart networking. 

Networking In The Dance Community

1. Introduce yourself.
   When you take a class, always introduce yourself to the teacher after class and say thank you. The more your teachers and choreographers see you showing up, putting in solid work, and being a smart dancer, the more front of mind you are for projects as they come up. 

2. Tell people what your goals are.
   There are a million things going on in my brain at any given moment. Running a business means I have a lot of balls in the air at once and this is true for anyone in a leadership position. So if you are hoping to teach classes for a certain company one day, be considered as a lead in a project, shadow a teacher or director, or whatever your goal is, PLEASE speak it out loud. A quick conversation after class, or even an email, introducing yourself and saying, “I just wanted to put it on your radar that I’m hoping to x, y, z someday and would love to work with you on this” really helps to keep you front of mind. 

3. Show up and be a sponge. 

   Go to classes and events, volunteer if there’s opportunities to do so, and be open to learning at every step. If you’re hoping to run your own show one day, you need to know how everything works — from handling tickets at the door to tech rehearsal set up. If you’re hoping to teach classes one day and there’s a full day of workshops at your studio, volunteer to do dancer sign in so you know the flow of the day. Be a sponge, take advantage of learning new skills and processes!
   

What are your tips and tricks for making friends and networking in the dance community? Let us know over on Instagram!