Dance Company: professional or amateur?

[MiamiDancer]

When professional dancers have a dance company that performs with them, are the dancers considered amateurs or professionals? What exactly distinguishes between amateur and professional dancers?

 

[Gia al Qamar]

When professional dancers have a dance company that performs with them, are the dancers considered amateurs or professionals? What exactly distinguishes between amateur and professional dancers?

Hello!
It really depends on the level of the company.
Some teacher have student troupes or student companies that allow students performance opportunities that they would otherwise not have. These are consider internships because the students aren't yet ready to turn pro.
Other companies have in their ranks young pro dancers who have studied for years and devoted their time to their dance education. They have 'paid their dues' by dancing at haflas, showcases, & free events under their teacher's direction before taking work dancing for pay at parties and at local venues. They would be considered professionals, both in the troupe and in their solo work.
Being a pro has more to do with your level of proficency as a dancer...how long you have studied, how good your technique, your ability to interpret music, how you entertain an audience in different circumstances.
It means knowing how to educated your public, how to present yourself at every dance venue, to act professionally onstage and off...
Gia

 

[Salome]

When professional dancers have a dance company that performs with them, are the dancers considered amateurs or professionals? What exactly distinguishes between amateur and professional dancers?

That's something that goes on a case by case basis. Though mostly what seems to be prevelant are professional level dancers with amateur level troupe mates, like Gia mentioned, a teacher and her student dancers. Less frequent, but out there are, groups like say Suhaila's company where all the dancers are polished...

 

[Amanda (was Aziyade)]

Of course, polish is a matter of practice. Suhaila's dancers have a class and rehearsal schedule that is pretty intense.

Someone at a workshop once complained to Suhaila that all her dancers were thin. Tiffany (one of her principal dancers) looked up and said "They don't start out that way!" Suhaila has also said she'd love to have more "zaftig" dancers, but the training schedule seems to melt off the pounds and inches.

I break into a sweat just listening to them talk about their rehearsals. But too, her choreographic methods make it a lot easier for everyone to have their bodies in the same place at the same time.