How long can dancers continue performing? While some dancers continue to perform into their 50s or longer - such as Peggy Baker, Trisha Brown and Alicia Markova - most dancers stop performing by their mid-30s because of the physical demands on their bodies. Many dancers continue to work in the field as choreographers, dance teachers, coaches or artistic directors. Others move into administrative positions, becoming managing directors and presenters for example. Some former dancers go back to school to train in a second career. Many have gone on to become successful in fields such as medicine, commercial art, computer engineering and education.