Where do I start to be in movies with a casting agent in London?

At what age should a dancer consider getting a dance agent?

• I am 14 and have been doing ballet, contemporary, jazz and a bit of hip hop since age 7, though I'm mostly passionate about jazz. I want to start taking dance seriously and also go to auditions and casting calls for backup dancing, dancing in movies, or tv shows etc. I know there's probably not much work for a 14 year old and plus I want to wait a few more years so I can get more training. But I like to be prepared early, so I just want to know, at what age should I attempt at getting an agent? 16? 17? 18? I know that most agents only want people who have done a decent amount of training and are actually good at dancing but how would they know? Do you send them a video of you dancing or pictures or something? Do you visit them for an interview? And any other info that I need to know, thanks :)

• Answer:

  Agents only represent dancers who have already worked professionally. That is because no one wants to hire someone who isn't a professional dancer already. You will have to work small on your own at first to get what ever work you can. That means working for next to nothing other than transportation and a very just a small fee to start. Most agents wont consider handling anyone under the age of 16 for commercial dance. Yes you can send them a video and photo but that doesn't mean that they will look at it. It is also important that you live in an area that has work for dancers. That means a big city that has a strong dance presence like NYC, Philly, Chicago and L.A. (for commercial dance) and not in the middle of nowhere. If you don't live in an area like that, just get your skills up and think about becoming a dance major in a college conservatory program in a city that has a lot of dance and a great dance program. That is a great way to network for jobs as well. Often companies hiring will go to schools for dancers. At your age, you need to work on your skills. Make sure you are in a dance school that has a strong history of producing many professional dancers. That is no guarantee that you can do it too, but it will at least give you a shot at it. If no dancers have gone on to become professional dancers from your school, then you need other training. You also need to be taking at least 15 hours of technique classes a week (not counting rehearsals) to be competitive. Anything less than 15 hours a week is considered recreational dance training. Only 10% of the best trained dancers get work and only 10% of them can make a living at it. * If there is a performing arts high school near you, you should audition for the dance department. The dance classes there along with outside dance classes will help up the amount of training you will get. That will also help prepare you for being a dance major in a college program. Only ballet dancers go directly into a company right from high school. Modern/contemporary dancers do college programs before getting work. Contemporary/modern companies like older dancers in their early 20s right out of college programs. For hip hop, which isn't offered in most schools other than as an elective in a select few, you would need an agent. For jazz, you can go either way. Some college programs are triple focus like Point Park and Marymount Manhattan. Often you can dance commercial jazz or street jazz right out of high school, However, a good college program will get you better training and help in networking for jobs. Good luck.