What makes a dance teacher qualified?

Are you looking for a new private teacher or coach?  Here are some things to look for when finding a good teacher that can help develop a student into a professional dancer.

1.  College degree.  Degrees in dance come in many shapes and forms, and vary from school to school.  Generally a BA or MA in dance means that the teacher has experience and expertise in dance history, criticism, or choreography.  BFA or MFA in dance means that the teacher has experience in performance.  BA in dance pedagogy means that the teacher has experience and expertise in teaching dance.  A BA or MA in arts management or fine arts management (or a minor in fine arts management when paired with a degree in dance) means that the teacher has experience in dance as a business or studio management.

2.  Professional work.  Has the teacher danced professionally as a member of a company?  In a university performance group?  On Broadway or in musicals?  In film or other video work?  In what productions?  For how many years?  What parts did he or she perform? 

3.  Teaching from a syllabus.  Many ballet teachers work from established methods such as Vagonova, Cecchetti, or Balanchine.  Ballroom instructors may teach from the DVIDA syllabus.  Other styles of dance have their own methods.  In general, if a teacher is using a syllabus (correctly), students who learn that syllabus will be comparable to students at other studios also learning that syllabus.

4.  Where are former students now?  Does this teacher have former students that are now working professionally?  This is a huge predictor of how “good” a teacher is, but this information can be hard to come by.

A teacher that has a degree, professional experience, and uses a syllabus is usually a good, qualified teacher.  However, not everyone with a degree in dance pedagogy is a good dancer, and not everyone with professional experience is a good teacher.  Some wonderfully talented and successful dancers, choreographers, and teachers did not attend college.

 When “shopping” for a new teacher or private coach for yourself or an older child, browse a few local studios’ websites and find teachers with at least 2 of the following 3: a degree, experience, and/or a syllabus.  Then meet with the teachers and take class or lesson with each.  If you would like, you may ask the teacher about his or her qualifications (just remember to be pleasant and not accusatory).  After you have done your research, make a decision about who is the best teacher for you.  It is ok if your perfect teacher is different from someone else’s.

            If you are looking for a dance class for a child (or adult) beginning dancer, look more at the                studio reputation than the qualifications of the individual teachers.  Many classes for small                  children or adult beginners are taught by advanced students in high school or college.  These                teachers should do just fine as long as they are patient, kind, experienced dancers, and teaching            from a syllabus.