Dying a whole lot as a Dancer

[SturmChurro]

Yeaaah, even with the same gear as my bard, I noticed DNC was somehow squishier, but I don't think I ever died as DNC in open world. I used the cooldowns, like the shields, heals, and even a potion if I need it and keep rotating them/using them as they pop up as needed. I think it's basically a glass cannon class, which I don't mind.

It is most definitely NOT a glass cannon class. It makes others hit significantly harder in something like a raid group, but it does average damage over all.

I can do some high opening burst, but when things settle my damage is going to even out much lower. The dragoon, or black mage I have as a partner though, they are going to be doing amazing - or at least they should be, if they know how to play. Now if we are talking about the current state of machinist, that can be a glass cannon physical ranged dps.

[Uielyave]

Take your chocobo with you and put it in heal mode.
Use your Standard step first and foremost when you pull a mob, it does crazy damage.
Use your Shield Samba, Curing Waltz, and Second Wind as needed.
Also when using your chocobo, you can used CLosed Position to make it your dance partner, but it goes away when you mount.

[Kacho_Nacho]

I haven't played dancer (yet). Can you kite with it or is it a turret?

[Avidria]

I haven't played dancer (yet). Can you kite with it or is it a turret?

Dancer is extremely mobile, especially once you get three stacks of your dash at 78.

I haven't had any issues with it feeling squishy at all, though I've mostly played in a group and used fates to go 60-70. Shield/waltz/second wind have kept me going well enough in the stuff I have solo'd, though. Potions don't hurt, either, if you've got them.

[Baka_Neko1]

i255 gear might be your problem. you're 15ilvls below gearcap at 60. 61 drops higher ilvl gear than you have.

[DynnDiablos]

This seems more like player error I am afraid. I have leveled DNC to 78 and I haven't died once in any of my time playing. I find myself dealing massive damage, while also holding my own throughout fights. It is important to only move in for your AOE and Standard/Technical Step Finishers, before moving back out for ranged normal attacks.

Honestly, I feel like DNC is the most fluid in terms of movement, with the ability to perform actions/abilities while moving around the battlefield to avoid enemy fire.

Gear is also partly to blame. There's no reason you shouldn't have a full set of Augmented i270 Shire gear with how easy it is to get poetics.

[Straynge]

Early 60's is just rough period. It was like this for all of the new classes for me especially the Black Mage. Machinist had some issues too although not as bad as it sounds like for Dancer. I've noticed that almost all of the expansion type job classes are insanely weak early on and don't start reaching their full potential until at least 70. Red Mage had major issues before I had a decent heal and I died a lot. I died a lot as a Black Mage too. It's not that they're super squishy but more I think that you're just so used to melting enemies faces easily so it comes as a bit of a shock when a new class has a bit of trouble. You just have to start afresh, use new tactics. Use your chocobo, eat some food, learn to kite (not sure if a Dancer can kite or not yet) and play a bit differently until they come into their own. Watch, I can almost guarantee it that once you hit 70 or so things will completely open up and you'll be amazed that the class ever struggled. It's probably missing one or two abilities that make the class really shine and once you have them it'll play completely different.

[Kasmiya]

255 gear seems low. Gear is probably your issue because I never died while leveling dancer outside of like dungeons. But I also always have my chocobo out. When it was out I also made sure to partner my chocobo so if I needed to use the heal I was getting the maximum amount of healing from it by being next to my chocobo.

ETA: Totally missed the part about you being only 61 and read the OP wrong. Hmm I'm not really sure then. I really didn't have any issues with being squishy. If you have some poetics I'd probably invest in better gear though.

[NebulaStarsong]

I rarely have died as a dancer, so Idk what's up with this

[Leloa]

I did some fates on my and didn't die once. Max healed chocobo is your friend and you just gotta know what you're doing.