http://alexandrabellerdances.org/summer-intensive/
Master classes, workshops, or weekly classes? Adults, kids, or teens? They are many ideas and options when it comes to developing an educational program with your dance company.
The value of an educational component – under the umbrella of your company’s name – builds connections, relationships, visibility, audience members, and future dancers in your company. Most importantly, teaching shares dance with more people of all ages within your community. It is important work all around.
As a choreographer, your classes are your lab time to explore and try out new ideas. You also can find future dancers through these classes. Consistently teaching in the community keeps you and your company on people’s radars.
Many educational opportunities can also offer your company members more ways to earn money.
Here is a list of ideas to help get you started:
1. Professional level technique classes
You could be the main teacher of a weekly class, or you can rotate through the company, offering each company member a turn. Check out how Kyle Abraham/Abraham.In.Motion is doing this at Gibney Dance:
https://gibneydance.org/classes/open-class-with-abraham-in-motion/.
2. K-12 students
Consider building one or two relationships that can grow over a few years. You are growing your audience and donor base as well as sharing dance with more young people.
These classes could be:
- Weekly classes
- A residency
- Master classes
- Creating a dance with a student company or a high school group
You could work at an elementary school, middle school, high school, or a studio with a performance ensemble.
San Francisco Bay Area artist Jo Kreiter has a longstanding relationship with Sunnyside Elementary, and the Bay Area group Fog Beast has created several pieces for the Shawl-Anderson Youth Ensemble in Berkeley.
3. Senior centers
Liz Lerman is the role model for this work. Find out more in her book Hiking the Horizontal.
4. Summer workshops for teens
Consider running a one or two week workshop for teens each summer. You can connect with all of the local high school dance departments as well as studios. Surfscape Contemporary Dance Theatre, based in Florida, is a great example: http://www.surfscapedance.org/#!intensives/cee5.
5. Summer workshops for college students and professionals
Summer might also be the ideal time to offer a weekend or 1-week workshop. There are many great models of this kind of educational program, including:
Doug Varone: https://www.skidmore.edu/summerdance/
Ririe-Woodbury: http://www.ririewoodbury.com/education-outreach/workshops
Alexandra Beller: http://alexandrabellerdances.org/summer-intensive/
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Take some time to consider educational programming – what, where, with whom, and why. As Tiffany Mills noted in her artist profile, "Teaching is also a way of contributing to the community and health of the field. I am able to offer my own perspective and knowledge, but I receive valuable information in return. The creativity of the dancers in classes continues to inspire me and open up new questions and perspectives that I can take into the studio and into crafting new work.”
Jo Kreiter shared, "I also thrive on teaching. I especially like teaching the 8-11 year olds. They inspire me. They remind me that dance is one of the most important things in the world."
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Related posts:
Speaking as a Teaching Artist: Thirty Perspectives
Building a Dance Company: Working with a Youth Ensemble
Blog Series: Becoming a Teaching Artist
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Life as a Modern Dancer 
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