Dance Teachers On-Line
QUALIFYING TO BECOME A DANCE TEACHER
|
This is a collection of information supplied by DTOL members. To ensure that you take an appropriate course of action in order to start the process of becoming a dance teacher, you are advised to contact a dance teacher in your area and seek his/her advice. As formal qualifications and licensing requirements vary from country to country, and from area to area, you are also advised to seek up to date advice from your official national/regional education and employment bodies. Dance teaching and examination societies can be contacted through DTOL's Dance Teaching and Examination Societies web page. |
||
| Australia |
In Australia, the Ausdance network exists as a support base for dance
teachers of all societies/styles etc... They can provide anyone with
information on what's happening, local dance teachers and studios and their
own special and unique functions. They don't have specific ways dance
should be taught in Australia, but they do have much information on safe
dance techniques and things of the like that I know I, for one, have found
extremely useful. Anyone interested in contacting Ausdance should contact
the branch in their capital city or their web site http://ausdance.anu.edu.au/
Michele Hope, Victoria |
|
|
There is no legislation in Australia which requires dance teachers to have formal qualifications. However, the profile of issues such as ‘qualifications’ and ‘registration’ has been raised considerably in recent years with the development of the Australian Guidelines for Dance Teachers (1997) and the Interim National Competency Standards (1998), both of which have been endorsed by all national and international dance teaching societies operating in Australia. Prior to these publications Ausdance had invented the term ‘Safe Dance’ and commissioned Tony Geeves to research and make recommendations on the need for injury prevention and management by professional dancers and teachers (1990). Three Safe Dance reports have been published in the last decade, and they are the precursors to the more recent Standards. In 1996 Ausdance sought and was granted funding from the Federal Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs to facilitate a series of meetings throughout Australia to assist in the developments of basic minimum standards for dance teachers. Many dance teaching societies operating in Australia have since worked to include these standards in their own teacher training programs, as have members of the Tertiary Dance Council of Australia, whose university courses train dance teachers. The competencies are referred to as ‘interim’ because it is hoped that some form of registration will eventually be available to those who seek it, i.e. people will be able to have their teaching skills assessed against the standards and advertise their businesses as meeting those nationally recognised standards. ‘Recognition of prior learning’ (RPL) will be integral to this assessment process. Dance teaching societies such as the Royal Academy of Dancing and the Cecchetti Society will continue to offer their own forms of registration, which focus mainly on syllabus content. At present further progress is stalled because CREATE Australia (the government body charged with arts training initiatives in Australia) is still considering the possible scope of the proposed training packages to be developed. This is turning into a slower process than teachers would like – Ausdance has received many requests from teachers wishing to formalise their existing qualifications and upgrade in areas where they perceive there is a need, particularly in the area of Safe Dance practice. In the meantime, teachers who might be interested in viewing the standards (and the accompanying Code of Ethics for dance teachers) should visit the Ausdance web site at http://ausdance.anu.edu.au/education.html. Feedback is welcome – email juliedyson@ausdance.org.au with any comments. Julie Dyson,
National Executive Officer |
||
| Queensland |
There is no State legislation requiring dance teachers to be licenced in Queensland or any other part of Australia that I am aware of. However, dance examination bodies ( of which there are many ) require a rigid training programme to qualify to teach their syllabus and enter students for the examinations. I am involved with the Royal Academy of Dance(ballet), and C.S.T.D. (Commonwealth Society of Teachers of Dancing) ballet, tap and jazz. Both have similar "probation" periods for teachers to enter students for examinations whilst on the study program. Teaching exams require a thorough knowledge of the syllabus, understanding of anatomy and music as well as routine( dance) construction. Then of course the ability to teach, break steps down, count the rhythm, and generally take control of the class. Sandra Breen, Brisbane, Queensland |
|
| Canada | In Canada ,
although there are no government regulations which may specify what
a person must have (in terms of qualifications) before they may teach, there is
an increase in public awareness. Parents are making informed decisions on where
to put their children in dance. The media has started to pick up on the dance
field, and has often recommended that people send their children to "Qualified
Professionals". Usually a teacher with (or at the minimum working towards) their
teacher's certificates in one or more of the reputable societies such as the
ISTD, Cecchetti, RAD, etc... is a safer bet than not. So a dancer who is hoping
to become a teacher some day, should really check out their options, and the
dance methods available. Tanya Strudland, Hinton, Alberta |
|
|
British Columbia |
There are no qualifications. Most
of the instructors I know have taken dance as a child and then just
continue teaching from there. Most people haven't taken any
exams to be teachers. I do have a friend that moved from
Toronto to Vancouver who spent a lot of time getting her teaching
certificate and was quite surprised at the difference between the
West and East in regards to having qualifications. I don't
even think in BC there is an office for the licencing. I can't
remember what it was but it was for teaching Jazz. There are
very few members in the West.
Cari-Lee Stevens, Vancouver, B.C. |
|
| There are no official qualifications
required to teach in your own studio in British Columbia nor (as far
as I know) anywhere else in Canada or for that matter Great Britain ,
the Comonwealth or any other country. When it comes to Education Establishments however (schools, universities etc.) we come up against a totally different set of circumstances A university degree is in most cases required and you cannot get employment in state education without a degree, or, as in British Columbia without a Teachers' certificate (Education) and being a member of the teachers' union. There are a number of dance disciplines being taught that have teaching qualifications such as The RAD(ballet), ISTD(Ceccetti, Imperial Ballet, East Indian, modern, tap, national, Classical Greek, Free movement, North American line and square dance along with the Ballroom Section). Vaganova. Canadian Dance Teachers (ballet, tap, jazz, modern, ballroom), Professional Dance Teachers Of America etc etc. To obtain Teacher status requires hard work and a long apprenticeship.Remember that in many countries you can be sued in court if you cannot back-up your expertise by recognised qualifications in the event of civil action, be it due to injury or public suit or false prospectus. Leon and Sonia Draper, Abbotsford, B.C. |
||
| As in many countries there
are no licences required to teach dance in Canada. I myself took
the RAD teaching certificate and then the diploma. I also studied at
The College at the RAD for one year after dancing and received the
Student Teachers Diploma. The National Ballet School in Toronto has a comprehensive teaching course. Either a three year diploma or 5 years which includes a degree program. In my experience, students who think they can go out and teach after taking classes for a few years usually end up causing harm to their students. Nothing can replace a thorough teaching course. There is nothing wrong in working with a teacher while getting qualifications. Louise Warren, Maple Ridge, B.C. |
||
|
Alberta |
You don't need any
qualifications at all to teach in Canada depending on the style of
dance, but if you actually want to get a job, it is wise to study. I
am trained through the ISTD, SDTA, and RAD. ISTD has a very
rigorous training syllabus first having to complete your Intermediate
dance exam in the chosen discipline and then go on to your teaching
certificates. You should be student teaching in order to be more
prepared for the exams. SDTA is Highland dancing and is much more
strict. You need to have your teaching certificate before you can
teach. You usually go through some medal tests and competitions
before taking your exam because you need to demonstrate all the dances
and movements. RAD is very similar to the ISTD. No matter
which method you have been taught or choose to teach you are much more
marketable as a teacher with teaching certificates behind you, plus
parents and students will respect you more. Scotia Wolf, St. Albert, Alberta |
|
|
Ontario |
At first I did not need any Qualifications but as time has gone on I have become
a member of Canadian Dance Teachers Association which has licensing ...after
exams which are oral and practical. I have also started to get qualifications
in the ISTD Cechetti syllabus . These are not mandatory but I felt better
getting them for my students , then my students could be examined . Debbie Donaldson, Gananoque, Ontario |
|
| There are no qualifications/licences required to teach in Canada. I am
certified with Dance Masters of America and Dance Educators of America. Rebecca Brettingham, London, Ontario |
||
| Denmark | In Denmark no qualifications are needed to open up a Ballet-school. It is not
possible to be educated as a ballet-teacher in Denmark. I am doing the TC and
the Diploma at The Royal Academy of Dancing. Via the syllabus my
students are more conscious of what they are doing than other students in
Denmark, and one does not have to be a teacher to see the difference.
Elisabeth Schaldemose, Copenhagen |
|
| Germany | In Germany a ballroom-teacher
goes to
college for 3 years to be an assistant teacher, 4 years to be able to
open his /her own studio. Tap, Jazz, Modern, Gymnastics: also 3 years. Gaby Thompson, Heidelberg |
|
| Greece | All teachers must be
recognised by the department of culture in Greece.Students studying to
be teachers at a recognised, professional dance school in Greece take
their final exams at the department of culture and are therefore
recognised as teachers.Those, as myself ,who studied abroad must have
their qualification passed by the Greek authorities to be recognised
as teachers.For example my own qualification with the I.D.T.A is
equvalised as T.E.I. (a technical degree).To open a school here you
must have at least 5 years practical experience as a teacher and again
have a permit to open by the department of culture.
Samantha Brimdley-Spirou, Corfu |
|
| Italy | In Italy, there's no need of any license or qualification to teach ballet. It's
up to the teacher to choose a good programme to follow. Personally, I'm a RAD
Registered Teacher. Anyway, there's a state Academy of Dance in Rome which issues a diploma on dance teaching. Even La Scala in Milan is introducing courses for ballet teachers. Antonella Pagin, Verona |
|
| Malaysia | In order to
teach ballet, tap, Social dance, ballroom and Latin American, one must
be a qualified and registered teacher with a recognized dance
organization. In order to teach Jazz dance no qualifications are
necessary as there is no technique which offers a structured syllabus
and regular examinations.
Celeste Theunissen, Selangor |
|
| Singapore | The Dance
Association (Singapore) has compiled the following current list of
Societies and Schools whose dance teaching qualifications are
recognised here. The DAS represents many dance styles, some not listed
below such as Indian and Malay. While there are no certified qualifications here in these dance forms, the experience of the individual is recognised as it takes many years of training to reach a certain level. For more information on the qualifications of individual Societies it is suggested that you visit their websites. CLASSICAL BALLET Australian Ballet School - Teacher's Course Commonwealth Society of Teachers of Dancing Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing Royal Academy of Dancing Royal Ballet School - Teacher's Course MODERN, JAZZ BALLET, THEATRICAL, TAP, HIGHLAND Commonwealth Society of Teachers of Dancing Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing OTHERS LaSalle-SIA College of the Arts - Dance Diploma (Ballet, Modern) Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts - Dance Diploma (Chinese, Modern) CHINESE DANCE Beijing Dance Academy - The Chinese Dance Examination Syllabus |
|
| Switzerland | So far as I
know, no qualifications are required to teach in Swiss Schools.
However, many schools (and teachers) will make it known that they have
qualified with a recognized authority in the dance discipline they
teach, or that they have extensive professional experience. It is becoming more common I think for people to try to get themselves a teaching qualification, especially perhaps in the more "popular" disciplines, like scottish dancing or line dancing. Tap and ballet survive largely without, and I'm afraid I don't know about ballroom, latin american or flamenco. Maghi King, Geneva, Switzerland |
|
| United Kingdom | The Association I hold qualifications
in is the U.K.A (United Kingdom Alliance) (also an R.S.A
Examination Board). Amanda Nicole, Wallsend, Tyne and Wear |
|
| Both myself and my husband
are qualified with the I.D.T.A. (International Dance Teachers
Association. There are two different branches in which you can
qualify, the ballroom branch and theatre branch. The ballroom
branch covers all types of ballroom and latin dancing, plus freestyle
dance. The theatre branch deals with ballet tap and modern
(jazz) and again freestyle. To qualify in these areas you must have a
strong knowledge of the syllabus of these dance styles, plus be able
to demonstrate routines of appropriate levels. Most importantly
you must be able to demonstrate the ability to teach, breaking steps
down. Exam content varies as to which style you are being
examined in, but demonstration and explanation is the structure of all
professional exams. Kerree Bray, Broadstairs, Kent |
||
| Ballet - the largest society in the world for classical ballet is the R.A.D.
(Royal Academy of Dance). To become a teacher you audition to enroll on the Teaching Certificate Programme
and once you have completed this three year course there are many other
qualitications that you can attain to move you further up the ladder. The I.S.T.D (Imperial Society for Teachers of Dancing) is another world-wide organisation. They primarily offer two sections - Theatre Dance and Ballroon but they also have Free Movement groups, Asian groups an excellent National Branch and many more types of dance. Their basic teaching exam is called the Associate and for this you have to be able to demonstrate both performance and teaching abilities and be familiar with their set syllabus for all the grades and medal exams for the faculty in which you are taking your exam. Sophie Watson, Esher, Surrey |
||
| I trained in Yorkshire (England) - qualifying with IDTA (International Dance
Teachers Association). Lisa Colley, Wembley, London |
||
| U.S.A. | Arizona | In Arizona there is no requirement to be licensed, and it is NOT possible to get
a dance teacher's license. You can get a teaching license only for a certain
grade or school level, not by subject (such as dance). Different organizations will CERTIFY you as an instructor
after attending a certain number of hours of workshop training. NTA and CWDI
(Country Western Dance International) will be glad to
tell you how to get certified as a country dance instructor, but even they
cannot license you.
Jan Staley, Mesa, AZ |
| California | There are no restrictions or
licensing requirements to open a ballet or dance studio and teach
ballet or dance. My background is extensive amateur dancing until 30 years and taking
company classes with San Diego Ballet, Santa Barbara Ballet and other
small companies. At 18-year old I received a scholarship and
possible apprenticeship to the Dutch National Ballet, but due to
immigration to the USA that opportunity was not followed up on. My daughter, a competitive ice skater at that time, needed a ballet coach and I ended up teaching ballet off ice and on ice to national competitors. I have teaching certificates from the RAD syllabus and I have attended numerous seminars with David Howard, Joanne Kneeland, William Christensen, medical seminars, Vaganova syllabus. Ellen Schipper, Santa Barbara, CA |
|
| Florida | It depends on the school.
The one I presently teach at does not require licensing for teachers.
For qualifications you must have an audition, have danced 10+ years or
have interned for 2 years, and have an oral interview. Kristen Boggs, Orlando, FL |
|
| Unfortunately, there are no rules or regulations concerning your dance training
in order for you to open a studio here in the USA. You do need to get a
business license and pay quarterly taxes but as far as testing your knowledge of
the sujects you are planning to teach, there are no government regulations.
Dance Masters of America (DMA) and Dance Educators of America (DEA) are
organizations that test their members and certify them to teach in the subjects
that they pass their exams in. The exams are not really hard, do
not require pedagogy or kinesiology background but they do require the
propective teacher to know the correct terminology and steps for the particular
subject they are taking. Right now, I am attending a tap teachers training
program run by the National Tap Dance Institute. It is a three session course of
intensive tap training, history, pedagogy, music and more. I have to write
papers and present presentations on certain aspects of tap. I feel it is
an excellent program for any tap teacher and well worth the effort that is
needed to complete the course. Fortunately, we have Checchetti certified and
Royal Academy certified ballet teachers here so you know your child will get
good training from them. Justine Coulon, Sarasota, FL |
||
| Louisiana | There is no specific license
required to teach dance in the private studio sector in Louisiana.
Some studios will use former students that they have trained.
However, to teach at an arts/magnet or university, a bachelor of fine
arts and or master's degree is required. University of Louisiana-Lafayette offers B.F.A. It is the only degree granting university in Louisiana. All of the other schools either offer dance as a minor or not at all. Marie Savoy-Broussard, New Iberia, LA |
|
| Massachusetts | Getting certified through the
Dance Teachers' Club of Boston, as an example of becoming qualified as a teacher: One must first complete a written application and submit with application fee, annual dues and signatures from 2 "current" member sponsors. The applicant's name is then "posted" in the club's monthly mailing to be sure that the applicant is one in good standing. The applicant then sets a date for "testing" with the membership/chairperson (our club tests only twice a year now - Oct & Feb). The tests are given in your choice of Ballet, Tap, Jazz for Performing Arts or in Ballroom for Ballroom membership (these tests are oral/performance). For the Performing arts division you will be given a list of study guides from which you should prepare for testing. Once testing is completed you are then installed at the next monthly meeting as a member. Dance Masters of America is very similar, but I believe these tests have a written portion also Terrie Legein, Coventry, RI |
|
| Michigan | No licences required. However, it is a benefit to you and your studio to have
completed teacher exams in Cecchetti, and become a member of the Cecchetti
Council of America. Another benefit would be, becoming a member of the Dance
Masters of America, Chicago National Association of Dance Masters, and any other
certificate along with conventions that would prove you are constantly updating
yourself and material. Deborah Felton, Livonia, MI |
|
| Missouri | The USA does not require any teaching qualifications
for one to teach or open their own studio. This has always dismayed me. I have
operated my studio for 24 years and still attend conferences and council with
dance injury specialists to continue staying on top of it all. There are some
organizatione in the USA that have some voluntary testing to belong to the
association but I find that to be just touching the tip of the iceberg to
qualify one to teach. I tell my students after many, many years of intensive
training when I was a student, I still can find more to learn.
Linda Green, St. Louis, MO |
|
| In general, there is a wide range of qualifications of teachers. Professional
schools hire former dancers, or college educated professional educators. The
same is true of college programs. Dance studios however may hire former
students, or anyone who has taken dance for a number of years. Also anyone who
wants to open a studio can with little or no training.
Lillian Trice Butler, Kansas City, MO |
||
| New Jersey | There are no
qualifications/licences required to teach dance in the States. To teach in a Public school in New Jersey, one has
to be a certified teacher in the state but there are no courses one
can take to be a public school certified dance teacher. As dance
is being added to the State Core Curriculum Standards I hope that
things will change to enable more talented dancers and dance teachers
to educate America's youth.
Victoria Clark, Linwood, NJ |
|
| Oklahoma |
I am not currently aware of any license requirements in our state for teaching on the private level. However, to teach in the public school system you must have a B.A. Also, most cities in our state require that you do carry a business license and in some cases a license is required for the school to be listed as a private school. Lori Treadway, Harrah, OK | |
|
There are currently no qualifications or licences required for the instruction of dance in our country. Pam Taylor, Broken Arrow, OK | ||
| Rhode Island | To my knowledge, there is no
statewide certification available anywhere in our country. There are
no licenses required and there are no state requirements to actively
teach dance. Hence the problem: anyone can open a dance studio
business, with or without proper training, and teach dance. This has always been a sore
subject with me. I firmly believe in proper training, continuing
education and certification by a national organization to be qualified
to teach our art to children or adults. Certification can and should
be obtained from a national dance organization such as Dance Masters
of America (which has a chapter is almost every state). Teacher
Training is not only valuable to us but must be continued to be able
to present the best dance possible. After having my own studio for 24
years I have just completed a re-certification with DMA and I'm
thrilled that I took the time to do so. My students will be the ones
to benefit the most.
Terrie Legein, Coventry, RI |
|