Dance teacher

Ready to share your passion for dancing with others? Let's learn how to choreograph your dream career as a dance teacher!

In this role, you'll teach students how to dance. You'll work with people of all ages and abilities – from school pupils to adults and pensioners.

As a dance teacher, you'll help your students pass dance exams and organise performances where they can showcase their skills.

Private dance teachers are usually self-employed. You'll offer classes in venues like leisure centres, community spaces or church halls. You'll teach individuals and groups, some of whom may find it difficult to learn and remember the steps! You could also teach people who want to use dance or movement to improve their health and wellbeing.

Dance teachers can also work in schools. In a primary school, dance is usually taught by the class teacher or a private dance teacher brought in to deliver sessions. In secondary school, dance teachers may also lead classes in other subjects like drama, performing arts or physical education (PE).

If your teaching skills are 'en pointe', you could work with professional dance students. In this role, you'll train people to develop their skills and knowledge of dance. You're likely to work at a college or university if you're teaching professional dance students.

Dance teachers are normally able to cover multiple forms of dance. However, many people have a specialism they prefer to teach. For example, you may specialise in ballet, contemporary, modern, tap, line or ballroom dance.

Depending on your role, you may need to know about anatomy and physiology. If you're teaching at a university or college, you should be aware of the history of dance and dance notation – the written system for recording dance movement.

Your tasks might include:

• showing students how to warm up and move safely

• demonstrating the correct way to perform dance moves

• designing dance pieces and performances for your students

• keeping records of students’ performance and progress – delivering regular constructive feedback to help them improve

• entering students for dance exams

• designing or choreographing dance routines for your pupils to perform

• Council for Dance Education and Training (CDMT) – explore approved dance training organisations

• Disclosure Scotland – learn about the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme

• Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing – browse pathways for development to support your dance teaching career