Frequently asked questions [ RDP : Transition of Professional Dancers ]

The vertigo of the act of creation and of stage exposure, facing
the audience, is perceived as a vibration of the human being,
in the fullness of time that signs its authenticity.

"It is only on stage that I can express certain things. What
I am looking for, what I am feeling, what it represents to me,
I believe there is nothing that can describe it." Pina Bausch

“Artistic work is conceived as the model for work that is not
alienating and through which the subject reaches fruition
in the fullness of his freedom by expressing the forces that
make up the essence of his humanity.â€ Pierre-Michel Menger

Professional dancers have neither a trainer, nor do they have a manager.
They alone are in charge of their careers.

“The professional regime is one where you work to earn your keep,
whereas the vocational regime is one where you earn money in order
to be able to freely exercise your need to create.â€ Nathalie Heinich

On average, a dancer’s performance career lasts 15 years.

"For the uninitiated, the dance profession (...) illustrates an
ancient meaning of the term career: a short and fast race,
a star that crosses the sky." Pierre-Emmanuel Sorignet

Is the transition unavoidable?
The physical demands of this profession can only be sustained up to a certain age. The transition of dancers happens around the age of 35. In exceptional cases, a dancer’s career can go beyond 45 years of age. Different factors can be the cause of putting an early stop to one’s dance career: difficulty finding work, an accident causing irreparable harm, chronic pain that is a sign of reduced mobility, psychological fatigue, the desire to start a family or to settle down in one place, being weary of the precariousness of an artist’s life. It is important to know that there is life after being a dancer and that one’s professional experience is a real asset for the future.

When can I turn to the RDP?
The RDP will at all times reply to your questions. Grant applications, skills assessment and coaching must be done at the latest in the year after which your career was suspended, except for exceptional cases that can be justified.

My whole life I have only danced, what else could I do?
The experience of being a professional dancer develops qualities and skills that extend way beyond mere physical ability and can be transposed to any other sector of activity. Rigour, self-discipline, the ability to adapt and professional commitment are among the qualities that dancers develop in order to be efficient in their domain. A skills assessment can help you define your career transition project. Do not hesitate to ask for our service of one-to-one counselling.

I would like to study a course that lasts 3 years. Can I get support from the RDP?
The RDP can allocate a grant on the basis of a submitted application and criteria of professionalism to pay for tuition fees as well as contribute to living costs by means of a subsistence grant.

Is it possible to prepare my transition while I am still dancing ?
It is preferable to anticipate the end of your career for several reasons: to choose it and not to suffer it, to take the time needed to decide on a new orientation, to organise the financial transition, to plan for further study and to set up all the necessary steps to be taken.

I am a foreigner, am I eligible to a scholarship from the RDP ?
All professional dancers can ask for a one-to-one counselling with the RDP. The meeting can lead to a procedure regarding career transition. Certain services, such as transition grants, are provided according to criteria that are broken down on the website under eligibility.