For many of your students, the dream is to become a professional dancer, paid to do the thing they love most in the world. If a dancer is lucky enough to 'make it', this might be deemed enough for them to live out their dreams as a dancing pro. However even once this goal is achieved, there may be unknown trouble brewing within the job itself. Some dancers may not be lucky enough to land their dream job - it may actually be a nightmare.

As a dancer, hard work and long hours are part and parcel of the sector. However, over-long days of rehearsal can be crippling for a dancer, especially if this is in order to learn something unfamiliar, like a new technique. This may fall into the bracket of unpaid overtime, rather than being paid fairly for work done. Other dancers may feel they need to alter their appearance in order to fit into a new company or 'look the part' for a new job, yet with a contract already in place this is down to worry and overthinking.

In further extremes, some new - and possibly naive - dancers may find themselves in compromising situations as they begin their careers, disillusioning the dancer and even ending their career as a performer. With hindsight, a dancer can take steps to protect themselves and then learn from the experience, however some scenarios do not come to light until the professional contract has begun.

If possible, encourage your students to research the companies they are interested in joining or the organisation or person they will be working for, which is especially important with more unusual jobs and for unknown companies. Advise them to read any contract thoroughly before they sign it, and ask as many questions as they can so they are entirely clear on what is required.