Chapters
"To touch, to move, to inspire. This is the true gift of dance." - Aubrey Lynch
More and more people are getting interested in learning how to dance either for fun or professionally. Whether you want to teach ballroom dancing, Latin dancing, or Cuban salsa, there are plenty of dance teacher jobs about.
So how can you start teaching dance tutorials as an instructor or teacher?
There are plenty of different places around the country where you can teach people to dance so if you want to teach jazz, ballroom dancing, hip hop, or ballet, etc., here are some of the best places for providing dance instruction.
Teaching in Dance Schools
Do you dream of working as a dance instructor?
That’s good since there are plenty of dance schools interested in being your next employer.
Whether you’re teaching tap, cha cha, or waltz in a dance school, you’ll be a trained employee with a more stable income than that of a private tutor. Nevertheless, not every dance school is hiring full-time teachers so you may end up just working a few hours a week, especially if you live in a small town. However, being part time just means you have more time to share your passion for dance as a private tutor!
Being classically trained in a style like ballroom dancing or modern jazz can help a lot when you apply to competitive teacher jobs. In fact, there are a lot of schools searching for a candidate who can teach beginners’ dance classes since the styles taught will often line up with what's popular.
Furthermore, if you've got the talent (and the certification) to teach several different styles, you can diversify your offering. By mastering different musical styles, you can increase the number of classes you teach and have more job security. Schools love recruiting an applicant with a broad skill set rather than searching for several qualified teachers.
There are three main types of places to teach dance in the UK:
- State schools
- Universities
- Dance centres
A dance instructor has to have a passion for dancing, good observation skills, be motivated, a good listener, and a dynamic educator. That’s why most talented dance instructors have both dancing qualifications and teaching qualifications so that they have a good knowledge of their subject as well as being able to effectively teach it.
The type of qualifications you have can determine the type of institution you can work in. So grab your tutu and your ballet shoes!
Check for recent online tutoring jobs UK on Superprof.
Being a Dance Teacher as part of an Association
A large number of dance tutors enjoy being members of associations. As a member of a dance teacher’s association, you can get recognised qualifications as well as resources for learning how to dance and planning dance classes. These types of qualifications also look great on your CV or resume when you’re applying to jobs.
What are the advantages of being a member of an association?
The variety of different styles you can learn about.
By being part of an association, you can learn about plenty of different dance styles through workshops and training:
- Modern dance
- Merengue
- Hip hop dance
- Puerto Rican salsa
- Oriental dancing
- Dance workouts
- Viennese waltz
- Dancehall ragga
- Breakdancing
- Bachata and salsa
If you want to teach a discipline such as Argentine tango, or Zumba, etc., a dance teacher requires a solid foundation in dancing as well as being passionate, enthusiastic, and knowing how to encourage their students to dance. By being a good listener, a tutor can help students gain awareness of music and improve their movements and gestures when they dance.
Search for different online teaching jobs here.
Teach Dancing in Secondary Schools
Just like being a maths or English teacher, you can teach students in state secondary schools how to dance on a permanent basis.
If your job search has led to secondary schools or colleges, you’ll need to have official qualifications as both a dancer and as a teacher and be passionate about coaching younger students who dream of joining a famous dance company or school of dance.
You’ll usually need one or several of the following qualifications for teachers:
- A level 3 qualification (A Level or equivalent) in dance or performing arts
- Qualified teacher status (QTS) is essential for jobs British state schools
- A postgraduate degree can help, especially if you have the commitment and are considering becoming a university lecturer once you've got some experience
You’ll be expected to also know about the history of dance, anatomy and physiology, have teaching skills, and have studied both dancing and teaching for a number of years. There are schools around the country with vacancies for a school teacher who can provide dance training.
The PGCE is also recognised around the world, meaning you have the option of also teaching in other countries. This means you could go to another country where they speak English or anywhere, as long as you’re willing to learn the language.
So why not consider teaching schoolchildren in the UK (or anywhere) how to dance?
Become a Dance Instructor in a Convservatoire or Academy of Dance
Conservatoires are some of the most prestigious music and performing art schools in the country. They’re known for the quality of their dance and music teachers.
These are the places where the focus on technique: students train to become stars of the stage and professional dancers. The tutor has to therefore be an expert of choreography and capable of effectively teaching their students.
For example, the Conservatoire for Dance and Drama includes 8 different schools:
- BOVTS (Bristol Old Vic Theatre School)
- Central School of Ballet
- LAMDA (London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art)
- LCDS (London Contemporary Dance School)
- National Centre for Circus Arts
- NSCD (Northern School of Contemporary Dance)
- RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art)
- Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance
If you want to work at these types of institutions, you’re going to need to be experienced and in possession of advanced qualifications. In fact, the conservatoires only hire the best and their vacancies are few and far between: this means that you’ll have to be an expert in a number of styles and have a lot experience.
Of course, when you get a teacher job in a conservatoire, you’ll help the best of the best to learn how to dance. That's why recruitment at these places can be so competitive and new jobs pop up so infrequently.
Find out more about teaching ballet classes in the UK.
Agencies Offering Private Dance Tutorials
If you want to teach people how to dance, why not consider teaching private tutorials at your students’ homes rather than in a classroom or in studios as a dance instructor?
The tutor’s salary will depend on the number of tutorials they teach and the level taught: a beginners’ lesson won’t be paid as much as much as an advanced class.
There are plenty of advantages to teaching private dance tutorials with an agency:
- Salary: private tutors can earn just as much as their full-time teaching counterparts.
- Freedom: private tutors get to choose when they work and can even turn down work if they so wish.
- Approach: since the student is alone with their tutor, they can improve much more quickly than they would during group classes in dance studios where the tutor can’t focus on them as much.
- Casual: both the tutor and the student don’t have to be as serious as they would in a conservatoire.
Offering Private Dance Tutorials
If you work for yourself, you can offer tutorials for whatever type of dancing takes your fancy: Cuban salsa, traditional dancing, paso doble, etc.
You might offer fitness dance classes, rock ‘n’ roll, or breakdancing. You choose the types of class and also where and when you teach them. You have much more freedom than other dance instructors working for conservatoires, dance academies, or state schools.
If you become successful enough, you could even consider starting your own dance company or dance studio. However, this does include more administrative tasks so you may have to consider hiring an accountant, for example.
To make sure people know you’re offering dance tutorials, you should consider posting ads:
- In newspapers
- On dance school bulletin boards (if you’re allowed)
- On conservatoire bulletin boards
- Online
On Superprof, aspiring tutors can create their profile in just a few clicks and show off their experience as a dancer, their qualifications and dance education, and the types of dance tutorials they’re offering. They can then build up a reputation as their profile fills up with testimonials and reviews from their students, which will attract even more aspiring dancers.
Depending on where they live, tutors can expect to charge between £20 and £30 per hour for their private tutorials. Of course, this varies based on your experience and the type of dancing you’re teaching, too. This is also a great way to supplement a salary if you’re working part-time at a dance centre and are looking for more hours of work or a retied choreographer looking to resume working.
So why not offer a taster tutorial and start teaching people how to dance?
Find more information on planning dance lessons here.
See here what equipment you need for dance lessons.
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