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The Ultimate Performing Arts Career Guide

Discover your skills and interests to help you determine your performing arts career goals with this career guide and career prep exercises.

During the 2018-19 season, more than 30 million people attended Broadway shows and touring productions, generating over $1.8 billion dollars. That growth led to an increase in jobs on stage and behind the curtain with arts and cultural employment in the U.S. growing by 1.2% in 2019. What are those jobs and how do you get started in the performing arts industry?

To help you determine and achieve your career goals, we have created this comprehensive guide. Yellowbrick’s Ultimate Performing Arts Career Guide is your source to discover opportunities and learn entry points into the performing arts industry. In this guide, you can begin to explore the performing arts jobs that drive the performing arts market, then search for your perfect career by area of interest, skills, companies, or industry experts. 

Learn about your skills and interests, and articulate them confidently to identify options within the performing arts industry that you might pursue. Then, implement a successful strategy to attain your desired professional outcomes.

Download The Ultimate Performing Arts Career Guide

In this guide you’ll find the following information:

  • Overview of The Performing Arts Industry
  • Future of The Performing Arts Market
  • Performing Arts Career Library
  • Career Planning Strategy to get into The Performing Arts Industry

You’ll also find simple exercises that help you:

  • Form a career planning strategy to get into the performing arts industry
  • Find your passion in performing arts and identify an area of interest to pursue
  • Learn the performing arts industry through top brands and its key players
  • Identify your skills and match them to a performing arts area of interest

Download this guide to start planning your performing arts career. Whether you’re a novice, a student, or a professional, you can further your career path by downloading this guide that will help you begin understanding the opportunities available, as well as the skills and qualifications you need to succeed. Make sure to also check out NYU Performing Arts Industry Essentials Course for even more training and qualifications. Our course offers expert insights, practical training, and real-world experience to help you take your beauty career to the next level.

Your Ultimate Career Guide Into The Performing Arts Industry

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Wendy Xie



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As a Producer, I aspire to produce slice of life ads to increase visibility for ubiquitous or unsung brands founded by people of color and further overcome the bamboo ceiling that so many Asians continue to face in the creative industry. When there is a day where my original ad ideas are broadcasted in the real world, this is when I believe my voice is heard, my impact is valued and appreciated by peers, and that our society is progressively evolving the advertising, media and tech industry to be a more inclusive space for rising creatives of color.

Wendy Xie

Parsons faculty, together with design experts from Creative Bloq and across the industry, explore the critical stages of the UX journey with lessons covering a range of topics from usability research methods, design concepting, and wireframing, to the latest technologies shaping the future of modern user interface design. 

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Briah Fowler



Marketing and Sales Specialist, New York Giants

What's success if you can't share your winnings? As a marketing specialist for the New York Giants, I learned the key to success is giving back. If you can utilize your skill set and talent to help give back to your community, it's one of the most rewarding accomplishments.

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Adrian Cantu



CEO, CANTUSTUDIO

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Casey Butler



Creative Activation Manager, Roku

The industry is constantly changing and evolving. This is part of the excitement of the job, but it can also be very difficult to navigate. Persistence and dedication are some of the most important traits for success in this industry - you need to want to be there and willing to put in the work.

Explore all areas of the performing arts industry with this new 100% online program from faculty at New York University (NYU), and featuring experts from Backstage and leaders from across the industry.

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Brittany Markle



Choreographer/Mentor/Dancer

I think my most rewarding experiences have included the success of former students. I take pride in making sure they have the necessary tools to move forward with a career in the entertainment industry and I hope to help them bridge that gap from amateur to professional.

Chanel Benjamin



Founder, They Love My Splash LLC and Communications & PR Director, G.R.A.C.E. Inc.

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Mixshow DJ/Personality, Radio One/Urban One, Sirius XM

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Matt Popper



Music Touring/Business Affairs, United Talent Agency

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Tiana Brown



Director of Broadcasting & Production, University of Pennsylvania Game Day Broadcast Staff, Philadelphia Eagles

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Stefani Marie Clare Janelli



Founder, The MIC & Artist Development Specialist (13 Seconds Music)

Have tough skin, but be open to learning and adapting! This industry is constantly changing overnight, and adapting to however the wind blows is vital. It's also essential to have the willingness to learn. Being open to learning a new way to do something, or to listen to a new idea, even when it's not your own, is advice anyone at any age could benefit from!

Shelby Gussman



Senior Director, Social Fisch

I define success as achieving my goals, assisting my team with achieving theirs, and then setting the bar higher and accomplishing more than before all while being able to enjoy life! I hope to have the opportunity to work in different global markets, travel, collaborate with new people, and continue to be challenged and learn.

Sharrod Williams



Actor, Writer, Producer - Neighbors, Hamilton, Moulin Rouge! The Musical

There are no small parts. None. I have been fortunate enough to wear many different hats, big and small, on different projects. But like any machine, organization, or even the human body - each role I take on is in service of the one greater purpose, to tell a story. The hat i've worn the most is "actor". In this role, I am the vessel that conveys the humanity and experience of what each character I play is going through in the story being told. My goal is make the audience feel, relate, and or think about the aspect of life that is being reflected or challenged in the story.

Shady Elsayed



Guest Services, ASM Barclays Center

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Sabrina



Assistant Project Manager, Dirt Rock Empire

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Rebecca O’Keeffe



Content Partnerships Manager, TikTok

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Rebecca Lu



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Pavlina Koleva



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Natalie Turturro Mettouchi



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Meosha Enslow



Seamstress, Cintas uniform company

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Mehruba Haque



Junior Research Fellow, Estonian Business School

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Mathilde Garnier



Product Manager Footwear, adidas AG

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Daniel Bouwhuis



Marketing/Brand Manager, Warner Music

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Lindsay Milner Sigmund



Vice President of Design, Vida Shoes

The highlight of my career was becoming a Vice President of Design at a respected industry company at a young age. It showed how all of the hard work I put into my career- including evolving and continuing my education in the field- really put me ahead of the curve.

Leslie Peterson



Coordinator - Center of Excellence, NBCUniversal

One of the hardest parts of my journey was moving to New York City from a small town and learning how to navigate the corporate world. Everyday I am learning something new and need to be okay with not knowing everything.

Kyle Rebucci



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KeNisha Ruff



Founder, Marie Hunter Beauty

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Joseph Richert



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John Paul Endab



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Ilana Duboff



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Haramritjot Singh



Founder, Cash Cow NYC

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Giulia Baldini



Fashion Journalist/Editor and Academic Researcher, Lehman College

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Forbs West



Associate Music Curator, SiriusXM/Pandora

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Elena Takmakova



Manager - International Production, Universal Music Group

The thing that keeps me on track is remembering how far I've come. Just that simple feeling of being proud of myself can make miracles.

Dounesha Scott



Product Manager, Anna Griffin Inc.

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