5 Realities About Being a Dance Instructor You Should Know
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Is a career as a dance instructor right for you?[/caption]
Being a dance instructor can be an exciting and rewarding career.
This is especially true if you have worked hard to get to where you are, and love what you do. The best dance instructors are passionate about dance, and just as passionate about sharing this love with others.
On the other side of the coin, though, is the fact that being a dance instructor can also be an all-consuming and, at times, thankless job –especially if you’re not absolutely in love with what you do.
If you’re considering becoming a dance instructor, it’s important to know what’s in store. With this in mind let’s take a look at a few key facts that you may not know about being a dance instructor.
1. It’s Highly Competitive
Just because you aren’t on the front lines, doesn’t mean there isn’t any competition. Competition runs deep within the veins of a dancer and doesn’t die just because you become an instructor! You’ll still find yourself feeling nervous for your students, or losing sleep before a big performance. You’ll want them to succeed and will do everything possible to make that happen.
2. You Won’t Always Succeed
As hard as you try and as deeply as you want to –there will be times when you will not succeed. You won’t win the heart of every student, and you won’t be the perfect teacher for every dancer. While this can be devastating news to some, it can also be encouraging. You won’t be right for every dancer, and that’s ok. The other side of the story is that there will be students who are a perfect match for you.
3. You Will Have a Really Weird Schedule
As a dance instructor, you most likely won’t be working 8–5, Monday to Friday. Your schedule will vary, your sessions will change, and your students will come and go. This is especially true when you’re first starting out, and probably covering as many classes as you can. No one probably told you that becoming an instructor will may mean living on the edge of your seat! Your students will have schedules of their own to try to work around, and their needs will vary as well. You will most likely end up working on a really odd schedule –but you will (mostly) love every minute of it.
4. Being an Instructor Will Open Doors That You Didn’t Know Existed
Being an instructor can open the doors to opportunities you didn’t even know were there, and chances that you didn’t even know you wanted. These opportunities can take your career to a whole new level and leave you with exciting opportunities to expand and grow. Very few people talk about the exciting opportunities that come from becoming a dance instructor, but it will help you to become more outgoing and confident, and grow personally as well as professionally. Eventually, you’ll have the experience that you need to start teaching private students, or even open your own studio. The sky’s the limit!
5. You Will Question Things More Than Ever Before
Finally, you will question yourself, your decisions, and your techniques more than ever before. Your students may suddenly quit, or disappear with no warning and you will lay awake at night wondering what ever happened to them. You will also wonder if your classes are stretching them too hard or not enough, and second guess everything that you’re doing. No one can ever prepare you for how much questioning you will do –but in the end, your questions will help you to learn more about yourself, and others than you ever could have thought possible. And that is a good thing!
Being a dance instructor is difficult, brutal, and exhausting, but for many, it’s a rewarding career, and the only thing they can see themselves doing. If you can’t see yourself happy in any other career, then you have what it takes to be a dance instructor –and an amazing one at that.
Serious about dance? Looking to improve your dance skills? Visit Dance Hub to see dance classes and instructors in your area.
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