Dance teacher
Help people discover the joy of dance, whether they’re school pupils, adults, pensioners – or even professional performers.
About the job
What it's like
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
Explore more information about this job
Here are some useful links to learn more about this career:
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
Like the sound of this career?
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Select qualification level(s)
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Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- taking responsibility
- motivating others
- mentoring
- coaching
- time management
- self esteem
- developing a plan
- creative
- verbal communication
- positive attitude
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
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Childcare and Development
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Dance
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Media
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Performance Arts
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PE (Physical education)
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Skills for Work: Creative Industries
There are a few ways to become a dance teacher. The qualifications you need will depend on the type of dance teaching you want to get into.
Let's explore the routes you can take.
University
Want to work as a dance teacher in a primary or secondary school? You'll need a dance-related degree alongside a teaching qualification. There are also some degrees in dance that include teacher training.
You could study subjects, such as:
Performance
Choreography
Dance Artists or Dance Education
Dance Science and Education
Modern Ballet
Dance Skills for Teachers
Use the My World of Work course search to find degrees.
College
Getting qualifications at college, such as an HNC or HND, could help you find a job or progress to more advanced study.
Useful subjects include:
Dance Artists
Musical Theatre
Acting and Performance
Fitness, Health and Exercise
A HNC, HND or private dance qualification will allow you to apply for dance teacher jobs at a further education college, or as a sessional tutor in schools.
Work
Got several years' experience in dance? If so, you can work your way into a career as a dance teacher.
You can start as an assistant in a private dance school – this'll help you build valuable experience. Alongside your work, you could study a teaching qualification through a college, university or dance organisation like the Council for Dance Education and Training (CDMT).
If you're a qualified teacher who does not have dance subject knowledge, for example a PE teacher, you could also take a CDMT-approved course.
Use the My World of Work job search to find dance teacher assistant vacancies.
Many dancers start at an early age and do graded examinations through their dance classes.
It’s helpful to have First Aid training, especially when teaching children or vulnerable adults.
If you gain the right teaching qualifications, you’ll be allowed to put your pupils forward for accredited dance exams with recognised exam boards.
You'll need to have strong dance technique. This'll help you demonstrate movements clearly and safely.
Most dance teachers are members of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme, run by Disclosure Scotland.
Find the right course for you
Browse courses in Scotland related to 'Dance teacher'
