To all the dance teachers out there.

[Spitfire]

To those of you who currently work as instructors for a studio or done so previously how much do/did you enjoy working as one and what are the advantages and disadvantages of it?

[Sagitta]

What sort of experience is required? And how much training did you get?

[DancingMommy]

To those of you who currently work as instructors for a studio or done so previously how much do/did you enjoy working as one and what are the advantages and disadvantages of it?

I loved teaching. I got a euphoric high every time a student "got" a particularly difficult step/concept. The advantage of teaching is that you get paid to do what you love. The disadvantages? You get paid *dirt* to do what you love. Your social life tends to revolve around studio functions.

What sort of experience is required? And how much training did you get? In my case not much - to either question. My experience was basically what I learned as a student plus a tiny bit of training. I did have one trainer I particularly admire. DanceMentor knows this person, so I'm not naming names. 8)

Gotta run... The bambina is trying to type and we *have* to eat sometime..... I hate taking breaks for food......

[pygmalion]

So if the studio doesn't provide much training, how does the teacher learn to teach? Pay for their own training on the side?

[DanceMentor]

So if the studio doesn't provide much training, how does the teacher learn to teach? Pay for their own training on the side?
Often the chain studios provide more training than the independent studios, but this is only a generalization.

It's kind of a catch 22 sometimes:
You need to spend money for training to become a good teacher, and you don't always make as much money as a teacher if you lack training.

But if you play it smart, there is always a way.

[pygmalion]

True, DM. The franchise studios do have a relatively good formalized training program. Even the six- to eight week training course is okay. It includes 120 - 180 hours of training. After that much training, especially with previous dance experience, a newbie teacher should be safe to handle a newbie student.

[KevinL]

To those of you who currently work as instructors for a studio or done so previously how much do/did you enjoy working as one

Teaching dance is the absolute best feeling in the world. People come to you unsure of themselves, saying that they have two left feet, and they leave you with confidence and an ability to do something that most of the American population doesn't know how to do. Dance with a partner!

The look on someones face when they finally "get" it, whatever the "it" is, is incredible. I leave my classes and private lessons every day energized and excited. (Tired as well, on those days that I teach 4 hours after my day job.)

However, I never worked for a studio for payment. During my teacher training days at the Metronome Ballroom in San Francisco they "let" the teacher trainees assist the real teachers with classes, but we were just there as dance models, we didn't teach anything. (Yes, I know, that by "letting" us assist in those classes the studio was effectively getting free labor, but I always felt that it was worth it, and no different than an unpaid internship. Being in front of the class, even without speaking, is a different experience from being in class as a student.)

and what are the advantages and disadvantages of it?

Again, a different situation since I never really worked for the studio. The advantage that I saw for the teachers working there was that the studio did all the advertising and scheduling and the teachers just had to be there to teach the lessons. Also, in comparison to my present freelance lifestyle, there were lots of more experienced teachers and dancers around to talk to and ask questions.

I don't think that they instructors were paid that well, but people kept choosing dance teacher as a career. One of my friends even gave up her other job (PhD in epidemology? Something like that), to become a beginning teacher. Of course her husband was willing and able to take up the financial slack while she built a clientele, but she still chose a cut in pay to teach dance. I do know that they were paid better each time the took and passed a national Certification exam. Motivation for them to keep learning and growing as a teacher.


What sort of experience is required?

At the time I was there, the experience required was that you had to audition for the job with the owner, Diane Jarmolow. She is a nationally recognized judge, and helped DanceVision develope their certification exams. I never actually tried to get a job there, because toward the time I took my first certification exam I knew I would be moving across the country, so I don't know how challanging the test was. I do know that most of the teachers had been there for several years before I started, and were still there when I left. Turnover was small, I think.

And how much training did you get?

After dancing swing/Lindy for several years socially I started the Metronome Ballroom's Teacher Training program which at that time consisted of 3 3-month sections. I started with Rhythm, then took Nightclub and Swing, and finished with Smooth. If I had stayed there I could have continued with the silver level, but instead moved to Vermont.

The teacher training classes met for 4 hours each week, at a cost of $350 (? maybe $395?) per month. In those classes we learned both the lead and follow of the dances covered, as well as the technique and dance theory behind the patterns and steps. We were required to dance the patterns with a partner as both lead and follow, and while watching the other students we had to give a written critique of how well/poorly they did. There was a lot going on in that class. We also eventually started doing written tests as well.

However, as a bonus, we were able to take as many group classes as we wanted, as long as we took a balancing role, leader or follower, depending on the needs of the class. (Yes, I realize that this also was a way for the studio to increase the number of paying students, but it was good for me, as well.) There were some months when I was taking 4 hours of Teacher Training, 2 hours of Smooth, 2 hours of Rhythm and 2 hours of West Coast Swing. And I almost always did the Friday and Saturday night dance parties to keep up my practice on the social floor.

I took private lessons as well, but probably averaged less than 1 a week for the year I was there.

After I passed my certification exam I could have probably gotten a job there.

Kevin

[SDsalsaguy]

Diane is a fantastic teacher's teacher and has helped such top notch dancers as Victor Veyraset and Heather Smith prepare for their certification exams.

She doesn't own Metronome anymore but still teaches the teacher training college there and runs much of DVIDA's teacher training.