Stepping Into CYBERSPACE: The Art of Finding DANCE JOBS ONLINE

Dance Magazine, Feb, 2001 by Darrah Carr

IAM.com also offers a comprehensive casting and audition list. If you find a casting call that you want to pursue, you can simply click to submit your online portfolio directly to the agent. Doing so digitally eliminates costly mass mailings and head shot duplications.

Additionally, IAM.com hosts a variety of chat rooms (available to nonmembers also) led by industry professionals, and it maintains transcripts of past discussions, in case you miss one. The site has a wide range of interesting feature articles, including expert advice columns, a how-to section with topics ranging from how to prevent shin splints to how to start your own dance company, and a critique section, where professionals such as Chet Walker and Christopher Wheeldon will review your portfolio and give y6h suggestions. The Web site also highlights outstanding members in its gallery of "Featured Portfolios." Browsing through these portfolios offers examples of what has worked and demonstrates the wide range of dancers that the site serves--from hip-hop performers to ballet dancers to classical Indian dancers. In an age when the term "virtual community" is commonplace, getting a comprehensive look at a person through voice, photographs and videos makes the virtual seem more real.

IAM.com is not the only site intent on building a virtual dance community and providing services to artists. For instance, Upstage.com was started by artists for artists. It provides 25 megabytes of space on its site for you to upload text, audio, video and image files in order to create your own profile. And it's free! The catch is that the site requires you to be a little more computer savvy and to do a little more work to compile your profile. Upstage.com recommends having Quicktime, Windows Media Player or Macromedia Flash in order to use the site most effectively. At the same time, it has an extensive Frequently Asked Questions section to help you upload your information (with the comforting title, "Not quite sure what to do? No problem. Take a deep breath, remain calm ..."). You can also email Upstage.com's tech support for help.

Upstage.com seems to lack some of the industry connections that IAM.com enjoys, given that it is a site by artists for artists. Nevertheless, it's another way to create an electronic calling card for yourself. Furthermore, the site offers a "talent scout" search engine, which makes it easy for people to find you on the site. (Unfortunately, there isn't a specific dancer section: I had to list myself under the more general "performer" category.) From August through the end of November, my posting didn't attract any job offers. At press time, the site was undergoing a change in ;management, and organizers hoped to improve services over the next few months. Another site with potential is www.talentfind.com. As of press time, it had registered its domain name and promised to be "coming soon."

Futurecasting2000.com primarily serves actors and crew members, but it's still a worthwhile place to post your resume if you're a dancer who can sing and/or act. All the dancer portfolios I saw on the site listed at least one of these skills. Including only a head shot and resume, the portfolios are not as comprehensive as those created by IAM.com, but they are cheaper. As of press time, the site was offering a reduced yearly membership rate of $44.95, half off its regular rate. One of the most valuable features of this site, which is also available to nonmembers, is a state-by-state directory of talent agencies. Futurecasting2000.com recommends mailing your materials to talent agencies that interest you (but discourages phone calls or drop-in visits).