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How much money do background dancers make


How Much Do Dancers Make?

Growing up, someone probably told you, “Do something you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.” For many young, aspiring dancers, this seems a worthy motto, but even if you think you can eat, sleep, and breathe dance, you do actually need to make money to survive, even as a professional dancer. 

On average US-based professional dancers can expect to earn about $24.50 an hour. However, this statistic begins to change drastically once you consider different types of dancers, different markets, and different dance careers. 

Ultimately, what you can expect to make as a dancer depends on your location, genre, and career path you decide to take within the world of dance. So, before you start budgeting your New York City studio apartment based on a statistic, let us explore how dancers are paid across the industry. 

How Much Do Dancers Make?

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How much a professional dancer earns is highly dependent on the market they find themselves in, and there is a lot of pay diversity within the dance industry.  

For instance, on one end of the spectrum, the highest-paid performance ballerina in the world, Nina Ananiashvili, earns a whopping $30,000 per performance! On the other end of the spectrum, your local, small-town dance instructor might be lucky to earn $8,000 in annual profits after paying for studio space and recital costs. 

Ultimately, a dancer’s income is determined by their career path, genre, and location. Taken together, these three elements form what we’re calling a dancer’s individual “market.” 

To illustrate what we mean, take a look at these four different dancer profiles:

  • NYC Ballerina: This classically trained ballet dancer works for a dance company in New York City. Their income is salaried, and they can expect to make approximately $13,500 per year.
  • High School Dance Teacher: This dance teacher works at a middle school in Charlotte-Mecklenburg County in North Carolina. They are salaried and can expect to make $49,000 a year based on their location and career path. 
  • LA-Based Backup Dancer: This hip-hop dancer lives and works on a gig-basis in LA, where they can expect to earn $500 per day when filming a music video. 
  • Disney Cast Dancer: This dancer, based in Orlando, is paid $16.05 per hour for performing in Disney World shows. 

From these profiles, you can get a basic understanding of the variation in dancer’s wages and earnings throughout the industry, but let us dive a little deeper. 

Types of Professional Dance Careers vs. Income

As demonstrated above, not all dancers are salaried or even paid hourly; some will be paid per gig. Generally, how a dancer is paid depends on the career path they choose to take. 

There are four main career paths for professional dancers; they are:

  1. Freelance Dancer
  2. Company Dancer
  3. Dance Instructor
  4. Choreographer 

Here we will explore each career path in depth in hopes that prospective professional dancers may gain a better sense of what type of dance career suits their needs and financial goals.  

Freelance Dancers

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Freelance dancers tend to work on a project basis and will generally have a very diverse career. Some freelancers may take gigs within a single genre, but most successful freelancers dabble in multiple dance genres. As a result, they are continually growing and learning new techniques and styles. 

What these dancers gain in career diversity, they sacrifice in income stability because they will not be earning money between gigs. As a result, they must constantly be scouting new opportunities.

Some examples of freelance dance gigs include: 

  • Backup dancing
  • Cruise ship casts
  • Theme park casts
  • Theatre and musical casts
  • Movie or commercial appearances

The length of time and the amount a gig pays will depend on the contract you sign for each project. If you land a role in a Broadway musical, for example, that gig will last as long as you stay with the cast and could provide you with long term income. If you work on a music video, on the other hand, your project may only last a week or two. 

The vast majority of professional dancers working in the United States fall into this category, which means there are many services in place to help protect freelance dancers. 

It is essential to keep in mind that, as a freelance dancer, you will often be expected to commit to a gig before signing a final pay contract. Because of this precarious situation, most freelance dancers will have an agent that has the legal prowess to ensure that clients pay their dancers what they are due. 

Freelance dancers have exciting and fulfilling careers, but the insecurity is not for everyone. 

Company Dancers

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If performance dance is still your passion, but you are looking for a little more income stability, striving to become a company dancer may be a better career fit for you.  

Company dancers will work for the same company for an extended period, hence the name company dancer. These types of dance careers are limited to major urban areas that can sustain a professional dance company. 

Company dancers are salaried, but their location will determine their income. A company dancer in NYC can generally expect to earn more than a company dancer in a smaller city, like Albuquerque. 

Dance companies are also generally focused on one particular genre of dance. The vast majority of dance companies worldwide are ballet or modern dance companies, but there are a growing number of companies specializing in other dance genres, such as:

  • Historical Performance: This genre includes genres like folk dance, trad, and other kinds of ethnic dance genres. 
  • Jazz: Jazz companies are usually further specialized based on the specific evolutionary style of dance within jazz, such as tap or breakdance.  
  • Circus Dance: This genre encompasses the dance style made famous by Cirque du Soleil, which, we think we can all agree, is very different from ballet. 

The genre of company you join, and their reputation, will also factor into the money you make. More popular genres will bring in more company revenue through ticket sales, resulting in higher salaries for the company members. Furthermore, if you can land a spot in a well-known and well-respected company, chances are you will be paid a higher salary. 

Company dancers get to earn a living performing with passionate collogues, but the stage is not the only place professional dancers can shine. 

Dance Instructors

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If you love to dance, but do not necessarily care for being in the spotlight, perhaps you will find fulfillment in becoming a dance instructor. Teaching dance can be a very meaningful way to earn money doing what you love because you are also given the opportunity to share your passion with others. 

School Dance Instructors

Dance instructors associated with an established institution, such as a university, college, or school district, are salaried. Dance instructors at a studio tend to earn anywhere from $30,000 – $80,000, depending on the location of the studio you work for and the level of education you choose to provide. 

Note: Suppose you do wish to teach dance for an institution, especially at the collegiate level. In that case, you will likely need to have a formal degree in dance, which will include coursework on dance history and choreography.

Dance School Owners

Dance teachers associated with a studio are typically paid hourly based on the number of classes they teach and the dance school or studio's tuition.

If you hope to operate a dance school or studio of your own, you will have to factor the studio space and equipment costs into your income calculations. Based on some available statistics, studio dance teachers/owners can earn anywhere from $8,000 - $325,000, depending on the studio's location, size, and management. 

Choreographer

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The final dance career path we will discuss here is a little different from the others. Choreographers are trained dancers who create and direct new dance routines. Dance instructors and studio teachers may do this to some extent within their role. Still, there are also full-time choreographers who help develop dance choreography for everything from music videos to major ballet movements. 

Choreographers, like freelance dancers, are usually paid per project. Therefore, a choreographer’s annual income is based on the number of project contracts they take on in a given year and how well those contracts pay.  

To give our readers a ballpark idea of what you can expect to make as a choreographer, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median hourly income of a choreographer is $18.68. 

Typically, choreographers start out as dancers, so it might help think of this career path as a possible evolution, but you will likely start out following one of the careers mentioned above paths.  

Dance Markets and Prospective Pay

Now that we have discussed the most common dance career paths and what they have to offer, let us dive a little deeper and consider some of the most common dance markets in the United States and what they have offer pay-wise. 

Remember, for the purpose of this article, a “market” is the sum total of a dancer’s career path, genre, and location. 

Most dancers will either make concrete decisions about their career path and/or genre, allowing the opportunities available within those parameters determine their location. Although, a select few will pick their location first and let the locally available opportunities dictate their career path and genre.  

No matter how they end up in their market, once they have found it, it will be easier to estimate what they may earn from their work as professional dancers. 

Urban Company Ballerinas

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The New York City Ballet Company is one of the most well-known and prestigious ballet companies in the United States. As such, a position in their corps de ballet is highly coveted among dancers. The audition process for a spot on their roster is intense, allowing them to select the best of the best. But is it the highest-paid company in the US? Not necessarily. 

Based on data from August 2020, company members of the New York City Ballet can expect to make, on average, $53,000. Whereas, members of the Bay Pointe Ballet company in San Francisco can expect to earn $57,000. 

The point is, the highest paid ballet companies are not necessarily those in the biggest cities. Before picking your market location, do some research, and find out which companies bring in the highest revenues and have the most loyal patrons because they will ultimately pay the most.  

Considering Income vs. Cost of Living

You will also want to balance the company dancers' average income in a given location against the cost of living in that area. Some “small town” ballet companies offer generous salaries relative to the cost of living in that area. 

For example, based on Dance Magazine's income information, a ballerina in a Tennessee-based company could make up to $54,000 a year, which will undoubtedly go further in Tennessee than it would in New York!

Essentially, if your heart is set upon being a company ballet dancer, we recommend checking multiple locations to see what different companies, in various locations, have to offer you. 

Broadway 

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If you are more interested in theatre dance, performing in a Broadway show has likely been one of your long-term dreams.  

It might be interesting to note that professional Broadway dancers have a union that negotiates minimum wages. This means that, while Broadway dancers do tend to be considered freelance dancers, in the sense that they are only paid as long as they are part of the cast, there is income security for that timeframe. 

How much you make as a Broadway dancer will depend on your rank within the dance corps, overtime, and risk. According to union regulations, Broadway dancers' baseline pay is $1,861 per week with additions as follows:

Reason for Added Income Premium Paid Above Weekly Baseline
Dance Captain $372.20 per week
Assistant Dance Captain $186.10 per week
Overtime $44 per hour
Understudy $20 per week

For the most part, the market for Broadway dancers is based in NYC, but there are off-Broadway performances of Broadway productions in other cities.  

Income for dancers in off-Broadway productions is also union regulated, so they will be consistent from city to city. That said, off-Broadway dancers are paid based on how much their production profits each week. At the lowest, off-Broadway dancers are paid $566 a week; at the highest, they are paid $1008 per week. 

Based on these numbers, if you can consistently be cast in Broadway or off-Broadway productions, you will likely gross a respectable income. After all, the national average is $64,256 per year. 

Backup Dancing

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Backup dancers are freelance dancers, plain and simple. And their projects tend to be shorter-term than those of Broadway dancers. So, if we’re honest, a backup dancer’s real full-time job is auditioning.  

Location wise, US-based backup dancers will be limited to the entertainment meccas where music videos are filmed, or they will be required to give up location entirely and travel with artists on tour. No matter where a backup dancer performs, they are represented by a union that sets pay standards. 

If they stay put and work on music videos, their income is broken up into two categories, rehearsals and shoots, and determined by the length of their day as follows:

Rehearsal Time Frame Pay
8-hour day $250 per day
4-hour day $175 per day
Overtime $46 per hour
Overtime after 12 hours $65 per hour

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If this pay scale looks great, that’s because it is fair and negotiated by a hard-working union. But keep in mind you may only work a week or two per month, depending on how many gigs you can land.  

If a backup dancer is on the road, the same pay scale is used for rehearsal days, and they are paid a flat rate of $500 per show. Besides rehearsal and show payments, touring backup dancers are paid $150 per travel day plus paid travel and hotel accommodations; they are also given $35 per day for food expenses. 

If you enjoy traveling, becoming a backup dancer might just be a great way to be paid to see the world! 

Show Dancers

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Show dancers are not the same as Broadway dancers; these show dancers can be found gracing the stages of Las Vegas, Theme Parks, or Cruise lines. Show dancers are freelancers who covet seasonal positions and are generally well-trained jazz, tap, or circus dancers. Their market location is dictated by the contracts they sign and can land them anywhere from Vegas to the high seas.  

Show dancers are paid on an hourly, weekly, or monthly basis. 

  • Professional dancers who sign onto a contract in Las Vegas can expect to be paid between $680 and $1,800 per week, depending on which resort or casino they end up at. 
  • Professional dancers who work at theme parks are generally paid anywhere from $10.50 to $16.05 per hour. Although some theme parks also pay weekly. 
  • Professional dancers who work on cruise lines are paid, on average, $2,995 per month and are given room and board on the ship. 

Show dancers are hard workers, often having to perform multiple shows a day, but this environment does lend itself well to resume building for those breaking into the professional dance world. 

Institutional Dance Instructor

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So far, in this section, we have focused on performance-centered markets, but teaching dance is also a good profession in the dance industry. Institutional dance teachers are salaried and make anywhere from $28,000 per year to $124,000 per year. Unlike other dancers, instructors' incomes are based upon their institution's standards, be that a school district or a university. 

Opting to teach dance can be great for dance professionals, young and old. Let’s face it: dance is hard on your body, and most dancers will hit a wall when they can no longer keep up with the physical rigors of performance life. When that day comes, teaching is a great profession to fall back on. 

As mentioned above, most schools will require you to have at least a bachelor’s degree in dance and education, as well as a teaching license. Depending on which state you live in, there may be ways to get your education degree and teaching license after you start teaching. However, some universities will require you to have at least a master’s degree in dance. 

Once you have those qualifications and secure a teaching position, your income will be stable, and you can stop hustling to endless auditions.  

Tips to Maximize Income as a Dancer

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By this point, we hope you are starting to gain a clearer idea of what you might expect to make as a dancer in a given market. Now, let’s talk about ways you can boost your income as a professional dancer, no matter what market you are in. 

As dancers, we are inherently creative people, and that creativity does not appear to stop at the end of the stage or studio floor. These tips, collected from other entrepreneurial and creative dancers, are designed to be done in addition to your professional dance career. 

  1. Write about dance: There are tons of dance-themed blogs out there! You can make money writing for blogs, magazines, and newspapers and get paid for it. Ghostwritten blog posts can typically earn you anywhere from $20-$100 extra per article. 
  2. Take side gigs: Even if you aren’t a freelance dancer, there are some tools out there to help connect dancers to one-time dance gigs, like corporate events. This one was recommended by a fellow dancer. 
  3. Become a dancewear salesperson: You know you need dance gear anyway; working for a retail dancewear brand can help you earn a few extra bucks and gets you access to employee pricing on expensive things like pointe shoes. 
  4. Become an Amazon affiliate: If retail isn’t your thing, and you want to be your own boss, becoming an affiliate for stores like Amazon could be an option for you. All you have to do is rave about the products that changed your life and get people to buy them using your link. 
  5. Teach private lessons: There is always a need for dance teachers in a local studio, so even if you don’t want to make this your full-time career path, you could consider teaching a class or two per week. Plus, think of all the cute three-year-olds in tutus you might get to hang out with! 
  6. Side hustle: Is there something else you happen to be passionate about? Do you love children, or taking photographs? Anything can be a side hustle in today’s economy, so put yourself out there! 
  7. Make money off your followers: Are you popular on social media? Use that popularity to put money in the bank by monetizing your social media or blog.
  8. Get a part-time job: Finding a part-time job you can do will help you stabilize your income, especially if you are a freelance dancer. We recommend thinking less along the lines of foodservice and more tele-customer service agent. Do something not on your feet when you can. 

The point is, unless you make it as a prima ballerina or become a pop star's most beloved backup dancer, you probably could stand to benefit from finding creative ways to pad your income as a professional dancer. 

Consider Joining a Union

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Above we talked about how unions have helped Broadway and backup dancers, but unions are essential for all dancers and are also available to company dancers and even teachers associated with public school. 

Unions help dancers get paid fairly and consistently. They also help insure that pay rates keep up with the cost of living inflation and provide union members with access to employment benefits that full-time employers would generally provide.  

Other benefits of joining a union include:

  • Access to auditions that prioritize union members
  • Protections for safe working conditions
  • Access to retirement investment programs and pensions
  • Payment protection programs

Union membership isn’t required, but joining one does help support the work they do to protect dancers. The mere fact that they exist helps lift up every dancer in the industry regardless of whether they are union members or not. 

However, there are a few possible drawbacks to consider:

  • Unions generally require the payment of annual dues to get the full benefits of membership. 
  • Union rules may stop members from taking gigs with non-union companies or clients who have violated the negotiated union terms. 

The leading dancer’s unions are the American Guild of Musical Artists, the Actors' Equity Association, and the Screen Actors Guild. You may notice these unions also tend to serve musicians and actors, which helps keep the industry on the same page.  

Find a Patron

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Patrons are wealthy people who simply love dance and want to support it in a philanthropic way. Some patrons will give money directly to dance companies or specific dance projects; others will give directly to individual artists. 

Bankrolling dancers is a long and proud tradition among members of the upper echelon, dating back to the 1830s when society members would brag about supporting members of the Paris Opera Ballet Company.

Nowadays, to avoid ethical complications, patrons who support individual dancers pay the company “in honor of” a particular dancer. The contribution typically subsidies that dancer’s salary, which is intended to eliminate the occurrences of quid pro quo arrangements that might violate a dancer’s consent. 

Most ballet companies will operate their own sponsorship programs to connect dancers to patrons. In its current format, patrons more-or-less “adopt” dancers from the local company. One dancer from the Carolina Ballet, Lilyan Vigo Ellis, reported that her sponsors would take her out to dinner after performances and treated her sons like their very own grandchildren. So, finding a patron that you get along well with can go a long way to increasing your salary long term. 

Final Thoughts

You can make money as a dancer, no matter what anyone tells you. It will take hard work, dedication, out-of-the-box thinking, and perhaps even a little schmoozing, but it can be done, so don’t give up on your dream! 

No matter what career path you follow or market you enter, doing what you love for a living is a worthy endeavor. And remember, picking up a side hustle or taking a patron does not detract from all the fact that you will be making your way in the world as a professional dancer, all on your own. 

How Much Do Backup Dancers Make?

Are you one of those interested in the question, “how much do backup dancers make?” If yes, then you are in the right place. Dancing is a profession that is gaining the traction it deserves. Without dancers, you will agree with me that music videos, movies, music tours, TV commercials, and most media contents would be empty and boring. So, backup dancers add flavor to videos, particularly music videos. Anyway, they are not doing it for free. Anyway, let’s go back to the question;

How much are backup dancers making? 

Firstly, you cannot expect big stars like Jay-Z, Beyonce, and even Ariana Grande to pay their dancers an amount similar to what an upcoming artist would offer. These are already big stars that are well-established financially and otherwise. Therefore, there is a high tendency for their tours and even music videos to make the headlines. However, the average amount dancers, particularly in the U.S make, ranges from $28,640 to $43,068. Other factors can also influence how much a dancer can make annually. These include education, skill levels, experience, and certification.

So, that is it about the amount dancers make, but there is more you need to know. So, continue reading!

How Dancers Make Their Money

Dancing is a professional career, only that most people don’t treat it as such. There are dancers with degrees. In other words, this set of people went to a higher institution. Examples of dancers with a degree include Peter Chu, Cat Cogliandro, and Miguel Zarate.

Also, most dancers do not possess degrees, but that doesn’t mean they cannot or do not get paid for their work. If you are talented and skilled, you can go higher in the industry.

Dancing is a means of livelihood for many individuals and has been so many years ago. Individuals who dance, treat it as a job, and get paid for their work. The payment could be per show, hours, or according to the agreement reached between the promoter or entertainment company and the proposed dancer.

So, how do dancers make money with their dancing skills? Well, there are big companies that have standby dancers. They hire dancers and pay them as salary earners. Furthermore, the smaller-sized companies also hire dancers. And being that they have limited resources, they only pay per show or on a contract basis.

Anyway, I am going to elaborate on how dancers get paid. The details provided will help wannabe dancers to plan, make an educated decision, and also know what to expect before embarking on this journey.

So, here are the four types of dancers and how they make their cash.

1. Dancers hired by a company

As I mentioned earlier, some companies hire dancers and place them on a salary like regular office workers. And companies that promote such arrangements are well-established financial and in popularity.

These companies have the resource, high demand for dancers, and know the business inside-out. They are more interested in hiring dancers that would work with them for an extended period, not one that is not ready to be tied down by a company.

So, if you are serious about building a career in dancing, then you should consider heading to such companies. The good thing about them is that dancers have the opportunity to progress in their positions, which means more pay and popularity over time.

Most of these companies hire dancers to teach dance lessons or perform in music videos, shows, and so on. Examples include the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. The company started in 1958 by dancer and choreographer, Alvin Ailey, and based in New York.

Another prominent company that hires dancers and places them on a salary is ABT. And as I said, these are established and large companies that have the resources for such an arrangement. The smaller companies don’t have that kind of money. So, they prefer to hire and pay dancers on a per-show basis.

2. Working as a dance teacher (primary, secondary or college level)

If you plan to make dancing a long-term career, you should be aiming for a top academic position or to work as a dance lecturer in a college. But truth be told, becoming a professor or senior lecturer in dance is not a day’s job. Nevertheless, if you work harder and pursue your goal with passion, you will get to the top in no time.

As a dance professor, your duty will be to teach the various dance technique, as indicated in the curriculum. You will be teaching different courses related to dance. Dance is usually under the department of theatre art. Plus, individuals who wish to become dance teachers at the college level are required to possess a Master’s degree.

You can also choose to become a full-time professor, where you will continuously receive your salary- a professor-grade level salary. Or you can become an adjunct professor, where you will only get paid per course or hours taught.

If you are aiming to teach in primary or secondary schools, then you must obtain a college degree and certification to do so. It will also be best to learn about the requirements in your state before applying for jobs.

3. Work as a freelance (commercial) dancer

Here is another category of dancers. When you become a commercial dancer, it means that your only interest is to work on a per-project basis and nothing more. Even if the project is for a year, you are in. Once it ends, you are out there seeking the next dance project to jump on and make some money.

So, the best description for these sets of dancers is “freelance dancers.” That is how freelancers enjoy working. Once they are done with a project, they move to the next one and then the next.

Without a doubt, being a commercial dancer comes with a hefty price. In some days, weeks, and months, your wallet would be filled up with cash, and you can pay your bills comfortably. In some days, you will encounter dry spells.

It is important to note that dancing is highly competitive. So, it is essential to growing your network and be serious about what puts food on your table. When you impress your employers time and time again, you may likely get a call to partake in other projects.

Furthermore, as a commercial dancer, you may have to jump from one audition to another for the sake of landing a gig. Additionally, one thing that makes working as a commercial or freelance dancer attractive is the opportunity to work with different choreographers, build your skills, experience, and portfolio.

You can also choose to work with an agent or go solo. Most people want agents because they help their dancers get paid what they are worth and do the job hunting on their behalf. When they succeed in landing a project, they usually demand commission once the dancer gets paid.

The Different Type Of Dances

The dance started many centuries ago. It represents togetherness, victory, confidence, contentment, and sexuality. For the records, there is hardly any music video you will see without dancers moving their bodies to the rhythm of the beat.

Let’s look at some popular dances.

1. Ballet

How can we talk about dances and not say a word about ballet? It would be an injustice to do such. Ballet became popular way back in the 15th century, which was the year it also began. It originated first in Italy and later in France. Excitingly, many other dance styles were influenced by ballet, which shows how important it is.

2. Jazz 

Jazz has a firm root in the African continent and made its way into jazz clubs back in the 20th century. It’s one of the lively dance styles, which requires a great deal of improvising, dramatic body movements, and originality.

3. Hip-hop dance

From clowning and krumping to juking and jerkin, Hip-hop, a dance step considered a jazz descendent, has passed through a series transformation to become more entertaining to watch. This dance style started in the 1970s in New York, particularly from the Puerto Rican and African communities.

4. Latin dance

Latin dance is still trendy today. But then, it means several street-style and ballroom dancing, not one particular style. The dance started during the 19 and 20th centuries and has deep roots in Europe and the African continent.

Other types of dances include;

  1. Modern dance
  2. Swing dance
  3. Contra dance
  4. Folk dance
  5. Flamenco dance
  6. Country and Western dance

Making Money As A Dancer: 4 Ways To Increase Your Earning Capacity

Have you been thinking about quitting your dance career because of high bills and little or no dance jobs coming your way? You are not alone. But before you call it quits, I would like to inform you that you can increase your earning capacity and make extra money on the side. Here’s what you can do to achieve that;

1. Promote your services: 

Don’t always wait for the next call to audition for a music video or dance project, start promoting your services. You can join platforms like GigSalad, to gain more exposure.

2. Start private dance classes: 

Rent a space and run an advert on your social media pages or via other means to attract clients. You can target kids or adults. However, the beginning might be challenging, so get ready to apply some creativity and initiative to make the business work. You can teach your first students for free, create videos, and upload them online to inspire and attract other paying clients.

3. Sell stuff online: 

Dancing requires costumes, isn’t it? So, raise money from the proceeds of your work and start selling different dance costumes. Your fellow dancers would need them.

4. Become an all-round freelancer:

If you are not working with a company full-time, then it means you have some free time. So, consider offering other freelance services besides dancing. There are many of them you can do online.

Conclusion

How much do backup dancers make is the question, which this post is centered on. You can see that there are different types of dancers, with regards to how they earn money, too. However, besides cash, dancing is a beautiful and highly beneficial activity. It benefits the body and can help to boost one’s health.

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How to make money on TikTok: examples, income, tips from bloggers

Why did Trump want to ban TikTok, where and when did the popular social network come up with, how to promote your own blog and what is happening with TikTok in Russia

How does TikTok work and why is it so popular?

TikTok is a social network where users post short videos with simple special effects and background music and start live broadcasts.

The app was launched in China in 2016, where it is called Douyin. Then an international version appeared, and in 2018 TikTok merged with Musical.ly in a deal worth $1 billion. The capitalization of the entire company is estimated at $50 billion. In the summer of 2021, the number of active TikTok users (those who open the application at least once a month) exceeded 1 billion people.

TikTok is most famous for its "challenges": when you need to film something specific - like an acrobatic stunt, dance or change of image. This often resembles a flash mob, when everyone repeats the same action. All videos within the challenge are signed with the same hashtag.

@rominagafur

The result of my bleached sweatshirt! Should I Tie-Dye it?

♬ Buttercup - Jack Stauber

Popular challenge: users wash colored items with bleach to get white streaks

TikTok hashtags are more important than Instagram or Twitter because they allow you to join groups and communities. For example, sports fans follow the #KeepingActive hashtag. Both hashtags and challenges help you gain views and new followers. Another way to promote your blog is to get featured on the main page.

Recommended Video Feed

TikTok Recommendations is a stream of videos that are selected based on previous likes, views, and comments. They also take into account geolocation, video content, sounds, and hashtags. Only videos from authors 16+ get here. Recommendations are made using AI, which analyzes user preferences.

Top Bloggers TikTok Recommends to Follow

How to Get Big on TikTok

TikTok is popular with a younger audience: almost half of its users are between the ages of 16 and 24. Unlike Instagram, here the videos are more like clips, with a plot and funny tricks. Initially, the service developed as a platform for dancers and performers. But now there are new formats that do not require special skills.

Recommendations here replace the usual feed: most often, users do not subscribe to well-known bloggers, but go to the main page in search of new interesting videos.

To get recommended more often, you need to constantly follow trends: popular challenges and hashtags, music hits, new filters and special effects for videos. At the same time, originality and “trendiness” are more important than the quality of shooting, and outrageous content is more popular than useful content. All means are used - up to the hashtags #wantrecommendations or #wishvrek.

@nadin_serovski

Be brighter🤩 ##Backinthe90 ##Backinthe90challenge##backin90 ##backin90challenge #s#menisteel #a#nother #t#ransformation

♬ original sound — nadin_serovski

The #changestyle challenge has become so popular that it has covered all social networks

Bloggers say that anyone can get into the top TikTok: any cheats are quickly stopped. At the same time, the social network itself does not disclose its algorithms, and on services like Mr Popular or tik-top, you can buy likes and comments to promote your videos to the top.

@salavat.fidai

What is your favorite book? 📚 What have you read this summer?

♬ You're Still The One — Teddy Swims

Russian artist and sculptor Salavat Fidai gained more than 1 million subscribers in just 40 days thanks to unique videos

participate in the challenge. The application has basic tools for editing and processing video, overlaying music, AR masks, filters. To achieve the best quality, bloggers use editors like izmato, Funimate, InShot, VideoShow.

Who makes money in the app and how

There are not so many popular people among foreign TikTok stars. As well as in the first Forbes ranking, which brings together American millionaire bloggers. Many of them are not yet 20, but there are already millions of contracts with global brands of electronics, clothing, cosmetics, and accessories. These are mainly actors, dancers and singers who became famous only thanks to their videos on the social network.

Photo: Shutterstock

TikTok has its own currency - TikTok Coins or "coins". They can be earned while streaming, promoting music tracks, participating in challenges. Coins can be exchanged for real money.

100 TikTok Coins = $0.99 or ₽115

But the main source of income for bloggers is advertising. Sometimes brands themselves launch challenges, involving popular bloggers, or organize sweepstakes. You can even create your own filters and special effects, and increase engagement with branded super likes.

The #dancestylepepsy music challenge led by Anastasia Ivleeva brought Pepsi and Magnit over 500 million subscribers

You can make good money on TikTok even if you have only 10-20 thousand subscribers, which cannot be said about YouTube or Instagram. All thanks to the same recommendations: they are designed so that the popularity of the video is not affected by the number of subscribers of its author . To advertise, you need to apply to open an advertising account and deposit a minimum amount of $500. True, small companies and startups have a harder time here, although TIkTok has launched a special support program for small businesses: links to the site cannot be attached, and advertising works better for recognizable brands.

TikTok in Russia

According to App Annie, TikTok has become the fastest growing social network in Russia.

On average, a Russian user spends about 47 minutes a day on TikTok, more than on any other social network.

In 2019, Russians spent 860% more time on TikTok (55 million hours per year) than last year. It overtook Instagram in popularity.

Bloggers who work with major agencies in Russia receive about ₽10,000 for every 100,000 views.

The most popular Russian bloggers on TikTok:

  • Dina Saeva (24.2 million followers)
  • karna.val (20.7 million)
  • deamontol (17.6 million)
  • karinakross (16.8 million)
  • danya_milokhin (15.4 million)
  • rahimabram (13 million)
  • salavat.fidai (12.7 million)
  • egorkreed (11.4 million)
  • twins.verz.parodies (8 million)
  • maksbraun (6.2 million)

To attract Russian companies, TikTok allowed them to set up their own ads, allocating $300 for promotion.

@avito.official

See how to shoot Give Up Challenge and make it cooler! ##give up change

♬ GIVE UP/TRY — Avito

The Avito challenge #give up change has almost 1.5 billion views. In it, users change an unsuccessful hobby for a new one under the special track .

How much do dancers earn and how to become a professional - November 1, 2018

Ivan Slavinsky

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It's never easy, but wildly interesting.

Members of the FAM Factory dance team told Sport24 about the difference between a professional team and an amateur one, how much coaches earn and how long it takes to become a good dancer from scratch.

Our team is called FAM Factory and has been around for a very long time. We regularly perform at the largest dance championships throughout Russia, we work at major events. Our choreographer, Yevgeny Kevler, is one of the top choreographers in Russia, staged dances for "Dances" on TNT, "Dance" on Channel One, and has brought up more than one generation of dancers. Our team is diverse - students, office workers, teachers and coaches, but they all have one thing in common - an unimaginable love for dancing.

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you recharge and start plowing, as if not in yourself, but in reality everything is a little different. Classes in schools last an hour and a half twice a week if you are in the same group with the same teacher. As people living this, let's be honest, two hours a week is very little. Yes, and you should not be limited to one style.

To start getting real pleasure from dancing, at least a month of regular classes must pass. And at first it will definitely not be easy, especially if you didn’t do anything like that in childhood: in the first classes, it generally seems that the body, which, it would seem, has been yours all your life, has abruptly stopped obeying. And the legs cannot work with the hands at the same time. The main thing is to survive this moment, in reality it passes quite quickly.

At first, technique is not so important, it comes with experience. It is worth paying attention to physical form, especially if you prefer styles that are characterized by frequent level changes or powerful energy: you may simply not have enough strength. The breather also needs to be developed: fast choreography cannot be danced to the end if the volume of the lungs is not enough. Many dancers take up running to develop their lungs. And for the development of physical strength, functional training or crossfit are suitable - of all training, these will probably be the most useful in our business. If there is no time for this, then you need to at least minimally pump the press, do push-ups, squat. We sometimes conduct physical training classes at team training.

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and year, everything is very individual here. Many schools have their own reporting concerts and parties. As a rule, at such events, students go on stage for the first time.

If we talk about more complex numbers, then it takes a month and a half to set them up with 3-4 workouts a week for 2-3 hours. The mode of training in a serious team changes, especially if the number is complex and many dancers participate in it. A fairly common occurrence is night workouts. As you might guess, they take place at night, and, as a rule, last 5-6 hours. It's not easy, especially at first and if you have to go to work in the morning, but it's also more efficient in terms of the speed of staging the show, and the result is definitely worth it.

Championships

In the dance world, the year can be conditionally divided into two seasons - spring and autumn. All this time, championships of various levels go one after another, the most "fruitful" in this regard are April and May, as well as November and December. As a rule, all groups put on a performance a month or two in advance, but it all depends on the level of training and available time for the dancers themselves.

In general, championships are a separate and very entertaining cuisine. Dancers are constantly preparing for some kind of competition, it rarely happens that you just come and hang out aimlessly. Everything is almost like in the movie "Step Up": the whole season is the process of preparing for the competition, and in the off-season, everyone either rests, or pumps, or shoots a video.

At dance championships there is always a division according to the level of training and age: children are separated from adults, beginners are separated from professionals. And within these categories, there is also style: hip-hop, ladies, contemporary.

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Our favorite nomination is best dance show. The name speaks for itself: there are no style bindings here, the main thing is the idea and combination of styles. At some major competitions, the styles used in the show must be declared in advance, at some there are no restrictions, only creativity. Now even in some championships there is a separate Show nomination, and a separate Performance nomination. In the first case, the show should have a story and plot, in the second case, it is important who dances stronger, more powerful and cooler. And there are also solos with duets, which are not limited by styles at all, only by timing. In general, there are a lot of nominations. Beginners or people unfamiliar with dancing can get confused. But as soon as you immerse yourself in this world, everything becomes clear pretty quickly.

Refereeing at championships is always represented by top dancers: sometimes Russian, sometimes foreign, but always super authoritative. The evaluation criteria, like the judges, are also different, but they look primarily at choreography, technique, synchronism and creativity. You can earn money at good status tournaments. On average, you can get about 30 thousand per team for winning such a tournament. But it is not at all necessary that there will be prize money for winning any championship: somewhere the organizers limit themselves to cups and gifts from sponsors.

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Nutrition

Most dancers are ordinary people, so until their legs start to fall off, few people even think about nutrition and injury prevention. Many are killed in training, and few people know how to recover, they do not take care. If you don’t eat normally, you may not have enough strength for the whole season. Protein and BCAAs often help out, but in reality, for some reason, few people use them.

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A: Regular exercise is usually enough to stay in shape. Although, of course, you need to take care of yourself, but adults who have survived a couple of injuries or dancers who work in commerce are already thinking about this.

Sneakers kill instantly

As for clothes, this is a separate topic of conversation, which will take more than one hour. Firstly, the style of dance and what you dance in are very closely related. No one will go dancing popping in leggings or short shorts, twerk in sweatpants, too, you know, I don’t rub, like a strip in a baseball cap. Things are, of course, very important. You can't really train in Chinese sneakers. Not even because they are uncomfortable, they just fall apart in a moment. In general, if you danced at least once in shoes, then you can say goodbye to it - it only kills if you train often and for a long time. Especially for us, jazzfunkers, because a lot of techniques are combined, the foot is actively working. And it’s good for contemporary people in general: they dance barefoot in socks, and with simpler things - they put on something very wide and similar to oversized pajamas - and you are the most fashionable in the class.

Income and expenses

As for training fees for teams, it is similar to amateur sports sections: in many teams, participants pay a monthly fee, which includes the rent of the hall and the work of the choreographer.

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Is it possible to make money from dancing? Of course, there is plenty of work. First, dance schools. There are now ten of them at each metro station, a novice teacher, if desired, will quickly find a job. But if you want to get into a top school as a teacher, then you need to work hard, have a name, constantly upgrade, be socially active, shoot videos and shine at the same championships. The main thing is not to be lazy.

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