Professional dancing is one of the most physically demanding careers available, and those who practice it often begin learning as children. While this is not a requirement, it is helpful to get their career started early. The physical demands placed on the legs are often the limiting factor of a career, and dancers become unable to display the grace necessary for their profession when pain overwhelms them.
When a performer's dance career is over, they still have the ability to teach or do choreography. Many former dancers choose to open dance studios, and they educate the next generation in the art of dance. Those who prefer to exercise their creative abilities are the ones who will become choreographers, and they will work to create a name within their local dance community. Very few dancers ever completely leave this type of work, but physical pain may limit their work to an allied art such as costume design.
