Profession dance teacher
Dance teachers instruct students in a recreational context in the various dance genres and forms, such as ballet, jazz, tap, ballroom, hip-hop, latin, folk dance etc. They provide students with a notion of dance history and repertoire, but mainly focus on a practice-based approach in their courses, in which they assist students in experimenting with and mastering different dance and dramatic expression styles and techniques and encourage them to develop their own style. They cast, choreograph and produce performances, and coordinate the technical production and the set, props and costume usage on stage.
Would you like to know what kind of career and professions suit you best? Take our free Holland code career test and find out.
Personality Type
Knowledge
- Teamwork principles
The cooperation between people characterised by a unified commitment to achieving a given goal, participating equally, maintaining open communication, facilitating effective usage of ideas etc.
Skills
- Inspire enthusiasm for dance
Encourage and enable people, especially children, to become involved in dance and to understand and appreciate it, either privately or in public contexts.
- Maintain safe working conditions in performing arts
Verify the technical aspects of your workspace, costumes, props, etc. Eliminate potential hazards in your work space or performance. Intervene actively in cases of accidents or illness.
- Guarantee students' safety
Ensure all students falling under an instructor or other person’s supervision are safe and accounted for. Follow safety precautions in the learning situation.
- Demonstrate when teaching
Present to others examples of your experience, skills, and competences that are appropriate to specific learning content to help students in their learning.
- Prepare lesson content
Prepare content to be taught in class in accordance with curriculum objectives by drafting exercises, researching up-to-date examples etc.
- Perform classroom management
Maintain discipline and engage students during instruction.
- Help performers internalise choreographic material
Teach the choreographic material, using physical demonstration and any relevant documentation (written, visual, audio), conveying the choreographer's intent, the nuances and details of the choreography.
- Teach dance
Instruct students in the theory and practice of dance, recreationally or with the aim of assisting them in pursuing a future career in this field. Deliver correcting instructions that support difference and pay attention to ethical codes of conduct around touch, personal space, and appropriate pedagogic methods as a tool to foster participants.
- Balance participants' personal needs with group needs
Apply a variety of approaches in your practice that balances the needs of each individual with that of the group as a whole. Strengthen each individual's capability and experience, known as person centred practice, while at the same time stimulating the participants and support workers to form a cohesive group. Create a supportive and safe atmosphere for an active exploration of your artistic discipline.
- Adapt teaching to student's capabilities
Identify the learning struggles and successes of students. Select teaching and learning strategies that support students’ individual learning needs and goals.
- Provide lesson materials
Ensure that the necessary materials for teaching a class, such as visual aids, are prepared, up-to-date, and present in the instruction space.
- Direct movement experiences
Assist clients or patients in moving in a structured or improvisatory manner for expressive purposes.
- Inspire dance participants to improve
Inspire your group of participants in your sessions through embodied understanding of dance and dance-making. Demonstrate dance movements regarding a correct body alignment, and applied anatomical knowledge in relationship to the dance styles you lead.
- Develop a coaching style
Develop a style for coaching individuals or groups that ensures all participants are at ease, and are able to acquire the necessary skills and competences provided in the coaching in a positive and productive manner.
- Demonstrate technical expertise of your dance style
Demonstrate, describe or correct movement with your participants to enable them learn about their body and the dance style one is delivering in the participants. Compose and structure dance with the participants in the chosen dance style. Communicate the creative and compositional skills and experience and their relevance to the target market.
- Observe student's progress
Follow up on students’ learning progress and assess their achievements and needs.
- Express yourself physically
Express emotions and ideas through movements, gestures, and actions.
- Consult students on learning content
Take students' opinions and preferences into consideration when determining learning content.
- Manage student relationships
Manage the relations between students and between student and teacher. Act as a just authority and create an environment of trust and stability.
- Give constructive feedback
Provide founded feedback through both criticism and praise in a respectful, clear, and consistent manner. Highlight achievements as well as mistakes and set up methods of formative assessment to evaluate work.
- Encourage students to acknowledge their achievements
Stimulate students to appreciate their own achievements and actions to nurture confidence and educational growth.
- Assist students in their learning
Support and coach students in their work, give learners practical support and encouragement.
- Bring out performers’ artistic potential
Motivate performers to take on challenges. Encourage peer-learning. Establish an environment for experimentation using various methods, such as improvisation.
- Apply teaching strategies
Employ various approaches, learning styles, and channels to instruct students, such as communicating content in terms they can understand, organising talking points for clarity, and repeating arguments when necessary. Use a wide range of teaching devices and methodologies appropriate to the class content, the learners' level, goals, and priorities.
Optional knowledge and skills
contextualise artistic work keep up to date on professional dance practice link between dance and music style manage resources for educational purposes assess students keep personal administration develop awareness for your group participants develop a rehabilitation programme evolution in delivery practices in practiced dance tradition develop curriculum facilitate teamwork between students assist students with equipment movement techniques read dance scores develop educational activities assessment processes learning difficulties maintain dance training develop artistic project budgets define artistic approach history of dance style devise choreography coordinate artistic production manage artistic career present exhibitionSource: Sisyphus ODB