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Teaching Credentials

Whether you are still in college or a college graduate, it is worth your time to consider the benefits of earning a dance education teaching credential. This could be for the state in which you currently live, or for where you dream of living in the future.

Dance teaching credentials can open many doors to fulfilling work and stable work within a K-12 system. Are you passionate about arts in education, accessibility, 21st century skills, and multimodal learning? Do you like working with young people? Do you believe that education can be your contribution towards social change?

The National Dance Education Organization recently created an updated map of the United States, indicating which states (38 in total) have a dance education teaching credential.

For states live California, dance teachers must still go through Physical Education (not dance) to earn a teaching credential. The debate around this topic has been going on for decades.

If considering pursuing a teaching credential, find one or two local dance teachers in your area who could meet for an informational interview. Do they have full or part-time positions? What are their benefits? What is their favorite aspect of their jobs? What are the pros and cons of being a credentialed teacher within a school system (versus being a freelance teaching artist)?

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