Are you "Dance Teacher" Material?
August 23, 2007

by  Phillip Stephens | 713-248-2299

To All Persons Interested in becoming Fully Trained Dance Teachers in the fields of Ballroom and Latin Partnership Dance.

10am Saturday, September 15, 2007, is a date and time to insert into your schedule, calendar or diary.  That's the start-date of the next series of my Learn to Teach courses.

Some folk reading this may already teach and may not really be interested in this particular training course.  That's OK.  Please just read and become familiar with the info in case you know someone who is or might be interested in learning to teach.  And then please pass the info along to them or put them in contact with me so they can get more info if they desire it.  They may either call 713-248-2299 or email philtex44@aol.com.

This type of training is seldom offered outside of franchise studios or outside of studios in which teachers are "hired" to do the owner's bidding.  In those situations, teacher training is "free" so long as you follow strict rules of when to be at the studio, how long to be at the studio, being sure to attend all the meetings and a bunch of other stuff.  And let me point out that the "free" training provided by that type of studio is paid for by your receiving very low wages.  In addition, it is usually taught by teachers with little more experience than you have, so it's not exactly what you'd call "in depth" training.

Right now, I'm going to tell you what you can expect from the training I provide.  Later in this email I'll point out some of the many benefits of having taken these courses.

First of all, this training is provided by one of the most highly certified Dance Educators in North America.  I hold Fellowship Degrees with 4 Dance Teaching organizations.  Two of those organizations are headquartered in England.  One of them is the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) which was founded in 1904 and is the organization for which I am an Examiner.  In that role, I  give dance examinations that provide successful candidates with Professional Degrees stating that they are certified instructors and qualified dance competition judges.  I am certified as a Championship Adjudicator with the National Dance Council of America (NDCA), hold a judging license with the World Dance Council (WDC) and am also a licensed judge for the International Dance Organization (IDO).

The American Rhythm dances of Rumba, Cha-cha and Swing are covered in the 10am class. 

The American Smooth dances of Foxtrot, Waltz and Tango covered in the 11am class.

Training in the Saturday classes is at the Bronze level, starting with the basic figures and moving upward from there.

In addition to learning both the male and female halves of each pattern, the basics of timing, hold, leg actions, leading and following and certain other techniques are also covered in this training.

The goal in each course is to learn 1 dance during each 4-week series and "check out" of that dance before moving on to the next dance. 

NOTE: The first 2 series - Starting September 15 and then again October 20 - will consist of 5 weeks each.  This is due to there being so much to cover regarding hold, footwork, leg actions, etc., during the early stages of learning to teach.

Cost for these courses is $100 per series per style of dance.  (Note that you get a bonus week in each style during each of the first 2 series coming up.  That's a $100 value added to this training at absolutely no cost to you.) 

You must also purchase the syllabus manuals for the style (or styles) you are studying.  The manuals cost $40 each and are very comprehensive, laying out all technical aspects of each figure plus providing variations on how to enter or exit the figures, ways of combining parts of one figure with another, and so on. 

In addition to the training provided in these courses, you are strongly encouraged to attend certain other classes held in the studio each week.  Doing so will enable you to more quickly gain practical experience in how to teach, how to lead and/or follow and in how to deal with students.  Attending these classes is free, adding up to $200 per month additional value to the training you receive in these courses.

As stated earlier, the training I offer isn't free; but the fact that you do pay for it provides many benefits.  In addition to the extra values already mentioned, other benefits include:

1. The training is provided by a seasoned professional.  As stated earlier, I'm extremely qualified with more teaching degrees in the fields of American Rhythm, American Smooth, International Ballroom, International Latin and Theater Arts than any other person in the state of Texas or most of the USA.

2. The training you receive in these programs gives you a teaching system to follow so that you and your students can set goals for their dancing future.

3.  This training will enable you to go virtually anywhere in the country and easily obtain a job teaching people how to dance.

4.  This training will enable you to be independent of studios that require you to attend their meetings.

5.  This training means you won't have to be in a studio for an entire 8 or 9-hr day when you only have 1 or 2 lessons scheduled.

6.  Upon completion of this training, you will have more confidence in your ability to teach.

7.  The "check out" you undergo at the end of each "module" of this training will prepare you for future "tests" in dance so you can pass them with ease.

8.  Going through the full program and passing the final "check out" will provide you with a Certificate of Completion that you can proudly display to testify to the fact that you've had formal training in dance education.

There are many other benefits to this training, such as assistance in locating a job if you want to teach in another studio or even another city.  We also are continually getting new clients in this studio and have a program that allows new teachers to get started so they can gain some practical experience in teaching.  Although these particular courses do not provide you with fully NDCA-recognized teaching degrees, they get you started on the path that will enable you to obtain that type of degree.  And I am quite happy to train you for those types of examinations upon request.

If you (or someone you know) have questions about matters not covered in this information, please contact me either by

email at philtex44@aol.com