Next generation of concert tour and Broadway dancers train in new program

If you have attended a highly produced concert for artists like Beyonce or Taylor Swift, you have likely seen backup dancers performing intricate and highly synchronized choreography while never missing a beat.

This type of dancing is called commercial dance. These dancers need to be versatile, performing styles from circus arts to hip hop.

Boston Conservatory at Berklee created a first-of-its-kind program three years ago to prepare students for auditioning and succeeding at jobs like dancing for NBA teams and in Broadway productions.

Now, the program’s inaugural class of third-year students are getting ready to graduate and launch into the cutthroat dance world.

Professor Jun Kuribayashi said commercial dance involves high energy performance and adaptability.

“Commercial [dance], you can take anybody to see it, and it's very, it's fun,” said Kuribayashi.

He referred to people in this profession as “renaissance dancers” because they have to be prepared for anything. Commercial dance is an exciting industry, but it’s not so easy to break into, he added.

“You’re so lucky if you get a six month gig, and then you have to find another one,” Kuribayashi said. “You're always hustling, and that can be hard.”

Some students in the program are already succeeding in the professional realm. Julia Troy is a third-year student who secured a professional gig as a Celtics dancer.

“This was one of the first years they did an open call audition,” she said. Troy explained that around 140 dancers auditioned, and the pool was narrowed down throughout the day of the audition to 14 people.

The chosen dancers returned to perform more routines. Then, Troy got the email that she made the team.

“It's my first real professional job, so just learning how to balance school, but still being professional in this job that I like signed a contract for, it's been such a great experience,” she said.

Troy said she felt like her dreams were coming true one evening during Celtics player intros before the first game of the season against the Knicks. Troy and the other dancers stood in a circle at center court as booming music and cheering filled the arena.

“Just seeing all those people and taking a moment to look around and being like all of these people are here watching, and I get to do what I love in front of them, has been so rewarding,” said Troy.

Third-year student Nya Owusu-Afriyie said one of the most valuable skills she learned from Berklee’s program is how to navigate the industry.

“We've learned a lot about putting together a resume that we can use for dance auditions, putting together a dance reel, making sure we know how to correctly slate ourselves, and just being prepared for auditions in the dance industry,” she said.

Kuribayashi is a former member of lauded dance theater organization Pilobolus and said Berklee’s program is invaluable in preparing students.

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“I wish I would have been able to go to a conservatory such as Boston Conservatory, where you basically have the cream of the crop of all those people within that industry kind of all under the same umbrella working together,” he said.

Commercial dancers have to be dedicated to their art to make it in this world, and Kuribayashi said everyone in the program is driven and excited about their futures.