Why You Need To Ensure Your Dance Teacher Is Qualified To Teach

More and more dancing schools seem to be popping up onto the map nowadays, but what is shocking to me is that a lot of these schools use unqualified dance teachers within them. Here are some reasons why it is critical that you make sure the person training you in dancing is qualified.

As a paying consumer, wouldn’t you want to know that you are getting value for your money? If you visit your doctor, you trust that he is qualified and knows what he is doing. Most professions have strict regulations with regards to their training and qualifications, as it could be detrimental to the consumer if these sorts of things weren’t regulated. So how come the dancing and fitness industry isn’t just as tightly controlled?

As a qualified dance instructor, I know just how difficult it is to get there. First of all, it takes years of dance training. Most instructors have been dancing since about the age of five or six. Once you decide that you want to teach, you need to be put through a series of courses which include anatomy, injury prevention, musical understanding, business management, as well as in-depth knowledge of the relevant dance syllabus that you are specializing in.

Most dance bodies have set rules and regulations for their teachers and are continuously updating their syllabus and dance knowledge. Teachers are expected to attend regular courses to keep themselves updated with the latest dance trends. Good dance organisations also know what types of training work and what is safe with regard to training young bodies. This knowledge is passed on to their teachers so that they, in turn, can relate this to their pupils and teach according to the highest standards.

In order to stay registered, teachers are required to pay subs each year to the relevant dance organization, and in turn, they are allowed to teach the relevant syllabus and enter their students for the relevant examinations. At the moment it seems the trend for anybody who has had a little dance training to go and open up a studio, create their own set syllabus and fire away.

This could be detrimental to a serious dance student who wants to make something out of their dancing in the future. Many bad habits could be formed that could take years to fix, not to mention the fact that the student could sustain long term injuries that are related to incorrect technique due to bad training methods.

Here are some good reasons why you need to check that your dancing teacher is properly qualified.

1. Less risk of injury, both short and long term.

2. Training and examinations that will further your career one day, should you so choose.

3. Less chance of building bad habits which are sometimes impossible to reverse.

4. The assurance of knowing that the system works, and has trained many good professional dancers in the past.

5. Knowing that you are getting value for your money and not wasting it on irrelevant training.

When joining a dance studio, here are some points to check.

1. Does the instructor hold the relevant certificates and qualifications to teach your method of dance?

2. Do the other students in the studio show a good standard of work, and do they look happy.

3. Does the studio offer the relevant examinations, as well as offer a variety of other options, like stage work, open classes, and optional badge or medal tests?

4. Are the classes overcrowded? A smaller class is best for dancing so that the teacher can pick up relevant faults before they become bad habits.

5. Does the studio adhere to safety standards, like having a sprung floor, enough space and no obstacles that could cause injury?

Choosing the correct dance instructor is a very important factor when joining a new studio or enrolling your child, and could make the world of difference to your dance experience.