Top 12 Performer Skills to Put on Your Resume

Crafting a compelling resume as a performer means showing a sharp mix of artistry and professionalism. The right skills tell casting teams you’re versatile, reliable, and ready. Below are twelve essentials worth putting front and center—clear, focused, and built for a crowded audition room.

Performer Skills

1. Improvisation
2. Choreography
3. Vocal Range
4. Dialects
5. Stage Combat
6. Ballet
7. Jazz Dance
8. Tap Dance
9. Sight Reading
10. Guitar Playing
11. Piano Skills
12. Pro Tools

1. Improvisation

Improvisation is the craft of creating in the moment—responding, shaping, surprising—without preset lines or steps.

Why It's Important

It keeps performances alive under pressure, unlocks creativity, and saves scenes when the unexpected happens. Audiences feel the spark; directors notice the control.

How to Improve Improvisation Skills

Build it with steady reps and mindful choices:

1. Listen actively: Lock onto partners, respond to what’s truly offered.
2. Embrace mistakes: Treat missteps as fuel, not failure.
3. Say “Yes, and”: Accept, add, advance the moment.
4. Practice regularly: Join classes or teams; rehearse spontaneity.
5. Stay present: Breathe, focus, react honestly.
6. Expand your world: Read, watch, explore—broader inputs, richer choices.

How to Display Improvisation Skills on Your Resume

2. Choreography

Choreography designs movement that tells the story. Steps, patterns, texture—mapped to rhythm, mood, and intent.

Why It's Important

It brings structure, polish, and cohesion. It sharpens ensemble work and showcases range, timing, and craft.

How to Improve Choreography Skills

1. Master the basics: Technique first—clean lines, clear weight shifts, musical accuracy.
2. Study many styles: Ballet, jazz, hip-hop, contemporary, cultural forms—build a bigger toolbox.
3. Know the music: Map phrasing, accents, and dynamics before you set a step.
4. Hunt for inspiration: Performances, rehearsals, workshops—steal like an artist, credit like a pro.
5. Experiment: Improvise, iterate, break patterns, keep what resonates.
6. Invite feedback: Show drafts to mentors and peers; refine ruthlessly.
7. Rehearse with intent: Clarify storytelling, spacing, and transitions until it breathes.

How to Display Choreography Skills on Your Resume

3. Vocal Range

Vocal range is the span of notes you can sing comfortably and cleanly, bottom to top.

Why It's Important

It widens casting options, unlocks repertoire, and supports expressive storytelling without strain.

How to Improve Vocal Range Skills

1. Warm up smart: Hums, lip trills, scales—gentle, gradual, consistent.
2. Practice steadily: Nudge limits, never force. Track progress weekly.
3. Use solid technique: Aligned posture, supported breath, relaxed throat.
4. Protect your voice: Hydrate, sleep well, avoid irritants.
5. Work with a coach: Personalized cues prevent bad habits.
6. Rest strategically: Build quiet time into heavy weeks.

How to Display Vocal Range Skills on Your Resume

4. Dialects

Dialects are variations in speech—sound shifts, rhythms, vocabulary—that ground a character in a place, culture, or class.

Why It's Important

They add authenticity, expand role options, and deepen character work without caricature.

How to Improve Dialects Skills

1. Immerse and analyze: Listen to native speakers; study melody, stress, and flow.
2. Map the sounds: Note key phonetic changes from your baseline speech.
3. Imitate, then integrate: Drill words and phrases; record and compare.
4. Get expert notes: A dialect coach can spot subtle misses fast.
5. Stress-test in scenes: Keep the accent under emotion, movement, and pace.
6. Keep refining: Regular exposure keeps it natural and consistent.

How to Display Dialects Skills on Your Resume

5. Stage Combat

Stage combat is choreographed conflict—strikes, grapples, weapons—built to look real and stay safe.

Why It's Important

It sells high-stakes moments while protecting partners, production, and the story’s rhythm.

How to Improve Stage Combat Skills

1. Train formally: Classes and certifications build safe habits and range.
2. Rehearse timing: Consistent partners, clean cues, honest reactions.
3. Honor choreography: Know the beats, the story, and the objective of each move.
4. Stay fit: Strength, flexibility, cardio—reduce risk, hold precision.
5. Study great work: Watch how intention drives every strike.
6. Ask for notes: Choreographers and SMs see what you miss.
7. Safety first, always: Clear calls, controlled speed, well-maintained props.

How to Display Stage Combat Skills on Your Resume

6. Ballet

Ballet is precision and discipline—clean technique that underpins balance, turnout, and line.

Why It's Important

It builds control, alignment, and expressive clarity. Many styles borrow its backbone.

How to Improve Ballet Skills

1. Prioritize technique: Regular classes; focus on placement, turnout, and articulation.
2. Strength and flexibility: Core, legs, feet; add Pilates or yoga; stretch daily.
3. Fuel and hydrate: Recovery and energy depend on it.
4. Train the mind: Visualization and breath to steady nerves and sharpen focus.
5. Seek critique: Teachers and coaches fine-tune the small stuff.
6. Perform often: Stage time cements corrections and presence.
7. Recover well: Sleep, mobility, injury prevention protocols.

How to Display Ballet Skills on Your Resume

7. Jazz Dance

Jazz dance thrives on rhythm, attack, and personality. It blends technique with swagger and quick musical choices.

Why It's Important

It boosts versatility, sharpens musicality, and heightens stage presence—fast.

How to Improve Jazz Dance Skills

1. Own the fundamentals: Isolations, turns, kicks, syncopation—drill them.
2. Cross-train: Strength and stamina drive crisp dynamics.
3. Study performances: Analyze phrasing, accents, and character.
4. Grow musicality: Dance to varied tempos and grooves; count and feel.
5. Learn from workshops: New choreographers, new textures, new habits.
6. Perform and review: Record runs; fix what you see and hear.
7. Mentorship matters: A seasoned eye speeds progress.
8. Stay adaptable: Switch styles on a dime; it’s the job.

How to Display Jazz Dance Skills on Your Resume

8. Tap Dance

Tap is percussive storytelling. Your feet become the band—rhythm, tone, texture.

Why It's Important

It hones timing, coordination, and musical sensitivity. Visually dynamic, aurally alive.

How to Improve Tap Dance Skills

1. Practice daily: Short, focused sessions for clarity and consistency.
2. Clean the sounds: Perfect shuffles, flaps, time steps before layering speed.
3. Study the pros: Observe precision, groove, and phrasing.
4. Take class: Technique, combos, and immediate feedback.
5. Record yourself: Hear the tone; see the weight placement.
6. Stay conditioned: Ankles, calves, hips—strong and mobile.
7. Join a community: Share drills, trade steps, keep the rhythm fresh.
8. Perform often: Stage practice hardens timing under lights.

How to Display Tap Dance Skills on Your Resume

9. Sight Reading

Sight reading is playing or singing accurately the first time you meet the page—notes, rhythm, dynamics, the whole thing.

Why It's Important

It speeds rehearsals, expands repertoire fast, and makes you indispensable in tight timelines.

How to Improve Sight Reading Skills

1. Practice daily: One fresh piece a day at or just below your level.
2. Drill rhythm: Count out loud, use a metronome, clap tricky bars first.
3. Train intervals: Instant recognition smooths line reading.
4. Preview smart: Scan key, meter, tempo, repeats, and danger zones.
5. Use varied material: Different styles, textures, and notational quirks.
6. Play with others: Ensembles force flow—no stopping.
7. Keep going: Don’t fix mid-take; preserve time and feel.

How to Display Sight Reading Skills on Your Resume

10. Guitar Playing

Guitar playing merges technique, tone, and feel—solo or ensemble, acoustic or electric.

Why It's Important

It broadens musical roles, supports songwriting, and creates instant connection with audiences.

How to Improve Guitar Playing Skills

1. Lock fundamentals: Chords, scales, rhythm patterns—clean and in time.
2. Structured practice: Target weak spots; rotate technique, theory, repertoire.
3. Learn theory: Harmony and fretboard logic boost improvisation.
4. Play along: Recordings tighten timing and pocket.
5. Record and review: Tone, dynamics, noise control—fix the details.
6. Perform regularly: Stage pressure builds confidence and consistency.
7. Seek feedback: Teachers and peers accelerate growth.
8. Explore genres: Fingerstyle, funk, jazz, rock—new vocabulary, new chops.
9. Maintain your gear: Fresh strings, proper setup, controlled signal chain.
10. Stay inspired: Live shows, great records, deliberate listening.

How to Display Guitar Playing Skills on Your Resume

11. Piano Skills

Piano skills blend reading, technique, and expressive control—solo literature, accompaniment, or music direction.

Why It's Important

It strengthens theory knowledge, supports arranging and rehearsal, and multiplies performance opportunities.

How to Improve Piano Skills

1. Daily practice: Short focused blocks beat marathon sessions.
2. Scales and arpeggios: Even tone, steady tempo, clear fingering.
3. Study great performances: Articulation, voicing, pedal choices—steal wisdom.
4. Record and analyze: Hear balance issues you miss in the moment.
5. Sight read: A little every day—varied styles and textures.
6. Theory and ear training: Connect what you see to what you hear.
7. Work with a teacher: Micro-adjustments add up fast.
8. Perform often: Recitals, rehearsals, sessions—make nerves routine.
9. Mental practice: Visualize fingerings and musical shapes away from the keys.
10. Protect your body: Ergonomics, mobility, and rest prevent injuries.

How to Display Piano Skills on Your Resume

12. Pro Tools

Pro Tools is a professional DAW for recording, editing, and mixing—built for detailed audio work and collaborative sessions.

Why It's Important

It lets performers capture high-quality tracks, refine takes with precision, and deliver industry-ready mixes.

How to Improve Pro Tools Skills

1. Optimize your system: Meet current requirements; keep drivers clean and stable.
2. Learn shortcuts: Editing, navigation, and playlist workflow speed everything up.
3. Curate your plugins: Focus on a reliable core set you know deeply.
4. Stay current: Update software and plugins on a tested schedule.
5. Tune audio settings: Low buffer for tracking; higher for mixing; choose sensible sample rates.
6. Use solid hardware: Quality interface, mics, and monitoring elevate results.
7. Study tutorials: Session templates, routing, comping, automation—master the fundamentals.
8. Build templates: Consistent tracks, busses, markers—less setup, more music.
9. Collaborate: Use cloud workflows and shared sessions to learn and iterate faster.

How to Display Pro Tools Skills on Your Resume