NOC 53120: Dancers
What dancers do
Dancers are employed by ballet and dance companies, television and film productions and nightclubs and similar establishments. This unit group also includes dance teachers who are usually employed by dance academies and dance schools.
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Dancers
- Practise and rehearse dance routines under direction or instruction to achieve desired interpretation and presentation
- Perform dances as soloists or as members of groups before live audiences or for film or television
- Train and exercise to maintain the required levels of ability and fitness
- May choreograph their own performances.
- Dance teachers
- Teach dance technique and artistic interpretation to amateur and professional individuals and groups
- Teach the techniques, cultural origins and symbolic meanings of Aboriginal, ethnic and folkloric dances
- Teach recreational dancing lessons such as ballroom dancing
- Prepare dance students for specific auditions and performances.
- Dancers may specialize in specific types of dance such as ballet, ballroom, folk, jazz or modern.
Job titles under NOC 53120
28 job titles are classified here, including ballet dancer, ballet teacher, ballroom dancing teacher.
- ballerina
- ballet dancer
- ballet master
- ballet teacher
- ballroom dancing teacher
- baton twirling instructor
- belly dancer
- chorus dancer
- classical dance instructor
- classical dancer
- dance instructor
- dance notator
- dance teacher
- dancer
- dancing instructor
- folk dance teacher
- folk dancer
- folkloric dance teacher
- folkloric dancer
- group dance teacher
- group dancer
- interpretative dancer
- interpretive dancer
- line dance teacher
Employment requirements
- A university degree or college diploma in dance or Graduation from a private dance school or academy may be required.
- Talent and ability, as demonstrated during an audition, are important hiring criteria.
- Dance teachers usually require experience as dancers.
- Membership in a guild or union related to the occupation or type of performance may be required.
Dancers wages in Canada
Low, median and high hourly wages from Job Bank’s 2025 wage data. Annual figures assume full-time work (1,950 hours a year).
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Canada | $20.10/hr | $32.94/hr | $50.00/hr |
Québec City Quebec region, QC | $18.33/hr | $32.69/hr | $50.38/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Quebec | $18.33/hr | $32.69/hr | $50.38/hr |
Ontario | $20.10/hr | $31.88/hr | $47.32/hr |
Alberta | $20.00/hr | $35.00/hr | $50.00/hr |
British Columbia | $24.00/hr | $37.89/hr | $60.00/hr |
Using NOC 53120 for your resume or Express Entry profile
- IRCC asks you to make sure the main duties listed for your NOC match what you actually did at your job. If they don’t, look for another unit group whose duties do.
- Describe your own work in your own words. Recruiters and ATS software look for concrete tools, results and scope, not text copied from the NOC.
- Applying from outside Canada? Run your resume through the Canadian resume format checker to catch things Canadian employers don’t expect, like a photo or date of birth.
- Use the job title the employer’s posting uses. The 28 titles above are how the same work is named across employers.
Not in this group
Similar jobs classified under a different NOC code:
- Choreographer (NOC 51120)
- Other performers (NOC 55109)
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for dancers?
Dancers are NOC 2021 unit group 53120. Example job titles in this group include ballet dancer, ballet teacher, ballroom dancing teacher, dance instructor.
What TEER is NOC 53120?
NOC 53120 is TEER 3 (College or apprenticeship (under 2 years)). Usually requires a college program or apprenticeship of less than 2 years, or more than six months of on-the-job training. TEER 0, 1, 2 and 3 work counts as skilled work experience for Express Entry’s Federal Skilled Worker and Canadian Experience Class programs.
How much do dancers earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $32.94/hr, about $64,000 a year full-time, with a range of $20.10/hr to $50.00/hr.
Related occupations
Sources: Statistics Canada, National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 Version 1.0; Employment and Social Development Canada, Job Bank wages (2025). Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. OfferJetAI is not affiliated with the Government of Canada. Check IRCC’s NOC guidance before you apply.