A Question of Qualifications
The question of dance teacher training has been on my mind lately. Not because I question what I've been doing for the last 40 years. I always question what I've be doing for the last 40 years. But because there seems to be more dance schools opening than Starbucks has flavoured coffee. Yet it seems that as the number of movement pedagogues increases the standards of teacher qualification moves in the opposite direction. Now who's to say what constitutes enough training to be a good or great dance teacher. Dancing for 15 or 16 years? Winning a few dance competitions? Passing a ballet exam? Or perhaps it's enough just to take dance classes until you graduate high school, make an attempt to go to college or university, then decide that the knowledge I have from my teenage dance training is enough to teach dance to anyone that won't question my knowledge.
When I embarked on my journey as a dancer, the thought of me teaching dance was about as remote as winning the lottery two weeks in a row. I wanted to perform, dance and act until I couldn't do it anymore. But as I grew older the reality of what was really out there became evident. I discovered that my delusion was also the fantasy of a horde of others. Many were better. Some were worse. And a few would give you the shirt off their back just to distract you enough to pilfer your next gig. Because I needed to work and dancing was what I knew, I often fell back on teaching for additional income. It was then that I discovered that it didn't matter if you could do a triple turn while sliding down a banister and ending your most brilliant "Fosse" pose. If you did know the mechanics of a basic plies, the origin of Russian Ballet, or the process of locomotor development in children--you didn't know anything about dance. And you should NEVER TEACH DANCE!
"Take some dance classes and you can teach dance as a part-time job". "She wins gold in every competition. She'll be a great teacher". "She's always helping the other dancers in her class. She should be getting paid to teach dance". "She wants to be a dance teacher when she grows up". These are just a few statements I've heard parents express over the last few decades. Stop! Stop!! Stop it!! Stop encouraging children to do professional things before they're ready to be professional. Take a few piano lessons. You can be a piano teacher. Take a few acting classes. You can be a director. Take a few English classes. You can be a author. Take a few math classes. YOU CAN BE A SCIENTIST! Oh! For crying out loud!!
Would you really trust your child's basic reading, writing, and math to a 19 year old who did fairly well in high school. Would you, really!!! Would you really trust your child's drivers education to the neighbourhood motorcycle dude. Would you, really!!! If we are so picky about school teachers, driv6ing trainers, doctors, lawyers, why do we often trust our talent skills to a charlatan? Is it because no dance teacher is going to prevent a future scientist from discovering nuclear fusion or forget to teach the importance of proper vehicular signalling? No, we are not an important sub-set of the educational system. Yes, I know, where we sit. We are the "ready-to-bump-the-bottom-on-the-teeter-totter" of life skills. There are only a few skills that may have a lower priority. Dog walker, fence painter, karaoke singer, and cat breeder - just to name most of them.
Why is it when we feel we have a little bit of knowledge about something, we feel we are ready to share it with the world. Look at all the people that want to share their new found knowledge of the "art of the selfie". Or the mechanics of posting the latest "You wouldn't believe what happened next..." video. Or the latest South American spice that will not only take 2 pounds a month off you but make you 10 years younger and won't give you gas!! Yes I am lumping these undertrained "dance instructors" with these self-important, cliché spouting, "snake oil" pedlars.
They prey upon the uninformed giving a hope of fulfilling their dreams, but really handing them a lot of bad habits, bad technique and poorly executed copies of really, really bad "Youtube Video" routines.
Is there a fix? I don't really think there is. Because so many of our great teachers and choreographers started in the business so young that they don't have much teacher training. They learned to teach over many years of classes, performances, failures, successes, and mentoring. I don't want to lose those important artists by requiring a standard dance teacher training. But, parents should be very careful in choosing a dance school.
I think the best way to find a great dance teacher is to look back at your own educational experience. Who inspired you learn and how did they do it?
Think of how the teacher influenced you in a good way. What attributes did they have? How did they treat you? How did they treat others or parents? What did they know about what you were taking? Then think of what teacher gave you your worst experience? What attributes did they have? How did they treat you? How did they treat others or parents? What did they know about what your were taking? So, when evaluating a dance school or teacher see how they compare to your experience. Then ask them for their experience and training. Then look at what they have done in the past. How long have they been teaching? What are their past students doing?