Business Smarts: Packaging Yourself

This past weekend, Culture Shock LA held their annual Hip Hop Has History (H4) conference at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center. It was a day filled with dance classes, discussion panels, and an all styles battle to end the night. One of the most eye-opening sessions wasn’t a dance class but a discussion held by Zulu Gremlin, who runs the Pro-AM Tour and has advised many street dancers in the professional entertainment industry. Many of his insights are valuable to today’s aspiring dancer. And it’s unfortunate that few dancers ever take the time to educate themselves on these business smarts. We’re going to devote this week to touching on some of the ideas that Grem shared at the discussion. Today, it’s about packaging yourself.

If you want to be a professional dancer, you have to look at yourself as the sole proprietor and the brand. This was a powerful insight that Grem imparted to all of us. Music artists know this business tactic. Whether it’s Snoop Dogg, Eminem, or Kanye West; the high profile rap artist has spun off many entities that carry their persona or brand name. Multiple revenue streams result from an artist’s namesake. For dancers, our persona becomes the commodity. Dance crews on MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew have created a brand name for themselves, but most of them are still serving to further the brand name of the show. Only a few crews like the JabbaWockeeZ have branched off on their own.

Being a brand communicates an idea and a feeling to the consumer. Look at the biggest American brands including Disney, Coke, McDonald’s, and Apple. Each of them conveys an image that the consumer trusts. You know what you’re getting when you buy one of their products. For dancers, we have to indicate to a buying audience, a producer, or an employer what we bring to the table. It’s fine to be an all-styles dancer or a specialist. Just make sure you clearly communicate that when you package yourself as a dancer on the market.

Zulu Gremlin’s insights come from his own experiences in the entertainment industry as well as feedback from peers. We’re thankful for his generosity in sharing these ideas and for opening up our eyes. It’s time to think about how to present ourselves in a more professional manner if we are intent on becoming professional entertainers.