High School
In high school, immerse yourself in physical education, theatre, art, and dance classes to improve your fitness and develop your artistic abilities. Take speech and English classes to become a good communicator. Foreign language classes will help you to effectively communicate with students who do not speak English as their first language. If you plan to open your own dance studio, be sure to take business, accounting, mathematics, and marketing classes.
Postsecondary Education
A dance instructor at a dance school or community center will not need a college degree, but they do need to be excellent dancers and teachers.
Dance educators who teach at four-year colleges and universities may need a master’s degree in dance. At a community college, a bachelor’s degree in dance may be the minimum educational requirement. About 240 colleges and universities offer programs leading to a bachelor’s or higher degree in dance, generally through the departments of physical education, theater, music, or fine arts. For a list of more than 80 accredited dance programs, visit the National Association of Schools of Dance’s Web site, https://nasd.arts-accredit.org/directory-lists/accredited-institutions.
All 50 states and the District of Columbia require high school teachers to have a bachelor's degree and to have completed an accredited teacher-training program, which includes many hours of supervised teaching.
Certification
The National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) offers a certificate in dance education to those who complete the required continuing education credits through its Online Professional Development Institute.
Some colleges, dance schools, and dance studios offer dance certificate programs. A few colleges—such as MiraCosta College in Oceanside, California—offer certificates in dance instruction. In MiraCosta’s program, students learn the basics of dance techniques, alignment and movement principles, elements of choreography, dance pedagogy techniques, and marketing and business operation skills. Contact schools in your area to learn about available programs.
Other Education or Training
Many dance education associations provide continuing education opportunities. For example, the NDEO offers online classes such as:
- Dance History: 1800 to Present
- Creative Dance for Early Childhood
- Ballet Theory and Composition
- Pedagogy: Learning Styles and Theories
- Introduction to Dance Education K-12: Theories and Practices
- Teaching Dance to Students with Disabilities
Dance/USA and the National Dance Teachers of America also provide professional development opportunities.