So You Think You Can Teach

Ever wonder what you'd learn in a dance teacher training program? Get a sneak peek in this week's blog post.


Date added to ADN: Thursday, Jul 18 2013
Originally Published: Thursday, Jul 18 2013
By Diane Jarmolow

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Sometimes when my students get frustrated, I remind them, "It's only dancing!" While this is true, there is another side that says, "If you're going to do something, do it right."

Very famous people have said this way before me. Here are a few examples of this sentiment:

"What is once well done is done forever." ~ Henry David Thoreau

"True happiness comes from the joy of deeds well done, the zest of creating things new." ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery

"Excellence is doing ordinary things extraordinarily well." ~ John W. Gardner

To be an excellent dance teacher, you need to have both a breadth and depth of knowledge. I thought you might find it interesting to see some of what Ballroom Dance Teachers College trainees are required to learn.

Below is an example of a written test (and answer sheet) from our training program for American Style Waltz using the DVIDA syllabus. You might quiz yourself and see how many of the questions you can answer before looking at the answer sheet. Perhaps you'll learn a thing or two about the Waltz in the process.

I also hope getting a peek at small part of our dance teacher training curriculum helps you more fully appreciate all the hard work that goes into training to be a ballroom dance instructor and getting professionally certified. Trained ballroom teachers are truly dedicated professionals!

Click here to see the written test and answer sheet.

Check out Diane's blog here


About the Author:

Diane Jarmolow is a pioneer in the field of ballroom dancing. She founded the first vocational training for ballroom dance teachers, the Ballroom Dance Teachers College (BDTC). Based in Oakland, California, BDTC has trained hundreds of people to become successful dance instructors, and Diane's BDTC-in-a-Box is being used to train teachers in studios throughout North America and abroad.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the AccessDance Network. Be aware that imagery is copyrighted and often licensed for use on AccessDance only. Copying of images is strictly prohibited.

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Ballroom Dance Teachers College
Oakland AND San Francisco, CA 94616

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