The Duty Of Being A Dance Instructor
The Duty Of Being A Dance Instructor
Expectations of a full-time dance instructor. What to expect.
Dance Instruction is something that one pursues as a career because they are passionate about it and being able to do what you are passionate about is a gift. However, there are a few things that aspiring dance instructors and those new to the game should know about their chosen profession.
Teaching dance full-time is a lifestyle. When you are in front of others who look to you for instruction they not only look at what you do but at who you are as a person. As an instructor you are in a position of influence. People look at your attitude, your style, the way you interact with others, how you portray yourself on social media, what you eat, who you date, what you do in your free time, everything. You are always on and as an instructor you should want your students to respect you. They are coming to you because they believe they can learn from you, and that learning extends beyond the classroom and if you lose their respect, you lose them as students. The instructors that remain relevant and sought after are the ones that realize this truth and constantly strive to represent themselves in a positive light and guide others in a positive way both in and out of the classroom.
As dance instructors, especially if it is what you do full-time, the schedule can be both a blessing and a curse. Most of the time you won't start teaching until the afternoon when the majority of people are starting to get of work. This inverse schedule can lead to conflicts if say your significant other has a traditional 9-5 and as soon as he/she is getting home you're on your way out the door. Same thing goes with wanting to spend time with friends, you can kiss happy hour good-bye.
It also necessary to point out that if you are seeking to teach full-time, you most likely will need to find more than one studio to work at. Often times if you are purely teaching and doing no administrative work, a single studios isn't going to have enough hours for you and you may end up teaching at three or more studios.
On the positive side studios can be extremely flexible when it comes to your schedule. Many studios will ask you what days and times you prefer to teach, making it easier to tailor a schedule to your needs. The other benefit is the ability to get subs. Most traditional jobs in America offer two weeks of vacation a year, however in the dance world if you can get a sub you can get the time off. Now some studios may be more strict than others on this policy but for the most part if you get the opportunity to go on a random adventure, you can as long as you get someone to cover your classes.
That flexibility can be priceless especially if you are pursuing dance professionally while teaching at the same time. That flexibility will come in handy for those last minute auditions that inevitably seem to pop up.
When you are teaching full-time that means you are constantly being active and putting strain on your body. It is important to take breaks when you can and stretch daily in order to keep your body limber and functional.
The other thing is that the creative demand can be taxing at times. Think about it, you may be teaching 20-35 classes a week and although some of them may be easy, at the end of the day it still requires a lot of brainpower to be creative and patient in your teaching.
Teaching little kids six and below requires the most patience but less creativity. Where as if you are teaching older students or adults, you are constantly having to come up with new choreography and training techniques to keep them engaged, constantly improving, and performance ready.
In order to stay current and inspired that means you will have to take class and find time to choreograph for all your classes. This can be hugely exhausting as you go from highs to lows when it comes to choreography.
Before signing up for a schedule of classes, really take into consideration everything that goes into being a successful teacher. Make sure you have time to take, class, choreograph, spend time with loved ones, and relax, otherwise you'll get burnt out quick and you may even begin to despise an activity that you once loved.
The income you can make as a dance instructor really varies depending on where you are teaching. If you are in New York or L.A. you can expect more per class depending on your level.
Most studios seem to pay on a per class basis and that rate usually falls between $20 - $40 per class with $30 being a nice average. If you can get $30 per class and teach on average 25 classes a week that will get you about $3000 a month. That's not an insane amount of money, but it is definitely a livable wage for the majority of cities in America.
You also have to consider that teaching 25 classes a week is far less than the traditional 40 hour work week meaning that you can make decent money while still having a superb quality of life, enjoying your free time.
The important thing to remember is that yes teaching dance is a job but hopefully it is a job that you love, which already makes you better off than most Americans who on average are unsatisfied and flat out dislike what they do for a living.
There really is no cap on what you can achieve in the world of dance if you continue to be a student while you instruct. The more experience you have under your belt the more studios want you and the more money you can request for your craft. There are possibilities to travel and teach dance around the world, be the head coach of a winning dance team, become a YouTube sensation like Matt Steffanina and Willdabeast Adams, or own your own studio and make your mark on thousands of peoples lives as they come in and out your doors.
Your path is yours to choose and if you set yourself up for success the possibilities are endless.
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Your Lifestyle Is Your Brand
Teaching dance full-time is a lifestyle. When you are in front of others who look to you for instruction they not only look at what you do but at who you are as a person. As an instructor you are in a position of influence. People look at your attitude, your style, the way you interact with others, how you portray yourself on social media, what you eat, who you date, what you do in your free time, everything. You are always on and as an instructor you should want your students to respect you. They are coming to you because they believe they can learn from you, and that learning extends beyond the classroom and if you lose their respect, you lose them as students. The instructors that remain relevant and sought after are the ones that realize this truth and constantly strive to represent themselves in a positive light and guide others in a positive way both in and out of the classroom.
The Schedule
As dance instructors, especially if it is what you do full-time, the schedule can be both a blessing and a curse. Most of the time you won't start teaching until the afternoon when the majority of people are starting to get of work. This inverse schedule can lead to conflicts if say your significant other has a traditional 9-5 and as soon as he/she is getting home you're on your way out the door. Same thing goes with wanting to spend time with friends, you can kiss happy hour good-bye.
It also necessary to point out that if you are seeking to teach full-time, you most likely will need to find more than one studio to work at. Often times if you are purely teaching and doing no administrative work, a single studios isn't going to have enough hours for you and you may end up teaching at three or more studios.
On the positive side studios can be extremely flexible when it comes to your schedule. Many studios will ask you what days and times you prefer to teach, making it easier to tailor a schedule to your needs. The other benefit is the ability to get subs. Most traditional jobs in America offer two weeks of vacation a year, however in the dance world if you can get a sub you can get the time off. Now some studios may be more strict than others on this policy but for the most part if you get the opportunity to go on a random adventure, you can as long as you get someone to cover your classes.
That flexibility can be priceless especially if you are pursuing dance professionally while teaching at the same time. That flexibility will come in handy for those last minute auditions that inevitably seem to pop up.
The Demand
When you are teaching full-time that means you are constantly being active and putting strain on your body. It is important to take breaks when you can and stretch daily in order to keep your body limber and functional.
The other thing is that the creative demand can be taxing at times. Think about it, you may be teaching 20-35 classes a week and although some of them may be easy, at the end of the day it still requires a lot of brainpower to be creative and patient in your teaching.
Teaching little kids six and below requires the most patience but less creativity. Where as if you are teaching older students or adults, you are constantly having to come up with new choreography and training techniques to keep them engaged, constantly improving, and performance ready.
In order to stay current and inspired that means you will have to take class and find time to choreograph for all your classes. This can be hugely exhausting as you go from highs to lows when it comes to choreography.
Before signing up for a schedule of classes, really take into consideration everything that goes into being a successful teacher. Make sure you have time to take, class, choreograph, spend time with loved ones, and relax, otherwise you'll get burnt out quick and you may even begin to despise an activity that you once loved.
The Finances
The income you can make as a dance instructor really varies depending on where you are teaching. If you are in New York or L.A. you can expect more per class depending on your level.
Most studios seem to pay on a per class basis and that rate usually falls between $20 - $40 per class with $30 being a nice average. If you can get $30 per class and teach on average 25 classes a week that will get you about $3000 a month. That's not an insane amount of money, but it is definitely a livable wage for the majority of cities in America.
You also have to consider that teaching 25 classes a week is far less than the traditional 40 hour work week meaning that you can make decent money while still having a superb quality of life, enjoying your free time.
The Possibilities
The important thing to remember is that yes teaching dance is a job but hopefully it is a job that you love, which already makes you better off than most Americans who on average are unsatisfied and flat out dislike what they do for a living.
There really is no cap on what you can achieve in the world of dance if you continue to be a student while you instruct. The more experience you have under your belt the more studios want you and the more money you can request for your craft. There are possibilities to travel and teach dance around the world, be the head coach of a winning dance team, become a YouTube sensation like Matt Steffanina and Willdabeast Adams, or own your own studio and make your mark on thousands of peoples lives as they come in and out your doors.
Your path is yours to choose and if you set yourself up for success the possibilities are endless.
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