Do you want to work as a rock-metal dancer? Discover where!

As a rock-metal dancer, you have two artistic worlds to focus on: the music one and the dance one. Sometimes, both of them interact but each has its own idiosyncrasy.

The world of music

In the world of music you can work in concerts and music videos. It is in those moments when musicians make music also visible and they may require the work of dancers or actors. Search for bands that are open to offer their fans more than a typical concert. Remember that in the music world your work is subject to musicians and you will have to adapt your choreography to the style of the band style. However, responsibility of organization and promotion of concerts will not rest with you.

In the next music video you can watch to my choreography for 16 skelita dancers for the metal band Zero3iete …

… and in this one a concert of Foxyladys, a rock band in which I participate regularly as a dancer.

 

The world of dance

From the point of view of the dance world, I have danced with live music and recorded one in some alternative dance festivals. Let´s explore these options…

Dance festivals

Within the world of dance, rock-metal fits into alternative dance festivals, mainly those based on gothic and tribal fusion dance. These alternative fusion dance festivals are not based on a priori rock and metal music and choose this kind of music is not part of the requirements to participate. Despite it, some dancers have sometimes opted for this genre and for sure, they are the best dance festivals for presenting your rock-metal choreography. Perhaps the only ones for the moment! The most important international festival focus on alternative dance is Gothla, which Spanish edition is organized by the well-known dancer and teacher Morgana.
Given the shortage of events, you can also decide to create your own rock-metal festival, as I did with Rockland Dance Session in 2013. Shajara, another rock-metal dancer,created Bellyrock the same year. Bellyrock is a monthly event that has been essential for early development of rock-metal dance in Spain.

Dance with live music

Changing third, when you go on stage, you can choose between dancing to recorded music, as usual, or do it with live music, less common. Here the roles between musicians and dancers are reversed: in this case musicians suit your work and participate in your world. You have much more creative freedom and you define the artistic line but, of course, the responsibility and effort also lie upon you.

In this video you can see my choreography “Nothing else matters” for Gothic Week Madrid in 2010, where I required the work of guitarist Nacho Perez…

… and this other one is a very special collaboration: Pepe Herrero, lead author of the song you are listening to, participated, rather than as a musician, as a performer in a choreographic piece represented at Gothla Spain in 2015. The song is “Esperanza”, from the Stravaganzza´s album Sentimientos.

Many potential sites, few real opportunities

Working as a rock-metal dancer today is not easy: you have many potential places to do it but few real opportunities. The musicians like the idea of innovating on stage and they want to offer better performances but few take the final step and hire a dancer. From my point of view, their help and cooperation are very important, although not absolutely necessary: those real opportunities will be created by the initiative of the dancers themselves.