How To Become A Dance Teacher: What It Is and Career Path

What is a dance teacher and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted Expert

David McMahan Ph.D.

As a dance instructor, not only will you get to polish your dancing skills further, but you also will be able to teach others various styles and techniques. You will be leading dance classes for individuals and groups. Dance teachers typically work at schools, studios, and other such facilities. Some of the duties and responsibilities that you will be performing in this capacity are developing dance curriculums and preparing lesson plans, ability to communicate with a diverse group of individuals, engage with and motivate individuals, choreograph routines, provide an inclusive and creative space, and keep up to date in dance techniques and making changes accordingly.

Essential skills required for this role are physical fitness, motivational skills, effective communication, creativity, and dependability. To qualify for this role, a bachelor's degree in dance-related discipline would be beneficial, although a high school diploma or a GED may suffice as well. Moreover, relevant proven experience in the field, along with knowledge of various dance techniques, is advantageous. The average hourly pay for this role is $25.33, which amounts to $52,682 annually.

What general advice would you give to a Dance Teacher?

David McMahan Ph.D.

Charles A. Dana Professor of Religious Studies, Franklin and Marshall College

Keep open to possibilities beyond the narrow range of what your diploma lists as your major or minor. Whatever job you get trained for today, in 10-20 years, it may be very different. Or it may not exist. Focus on obtaining and maintaining flexibility, critical thinking, creativity, and passion for learning. Being an interesting person is as vital as any credential.

ScoreDance TeacherUS Average

Salary

3.7

Avg. Salary $47,909

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

4.9

Growth Rate 12%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.53%

Asian 6.02%

Black or African American 11.01%

Hispanic or Latino 15.83%

Unknown 5.55%

White 61.06%

Gender

female 85.88%

male 14.12%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress Level

4.9

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

5.9

Complexity Level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

10.0

Work Life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

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Key steps to become a dance teacher

Explore dance teacher education requirements

Most common dance teacher degrees

Bachelor's

67.3 %

High School Diploma

11.3 %

Associate

10.6 %

Start to develop specific dance teacher skills

Skills	Percentages
Hip Hop Dance	17.38%
Role Model	7.93%
Front Desk	6.37%
Musical Theater	5.64%
Dance Program	5.46%

Complete relevant dance teacher training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New dance teachers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a dance teacher based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real dance teacher resumes.

Research dance teacher duties and responsibilities

Lead sports activities and work with younger kids as they create different craft projects.
Lead debates with advance students on topics including globalization, economics, and political history.
Choreograph dance pieces for the children and organize performance details (costumes, rehearsals, parent communication) for company concerts.
Create and run up-to-date and relevant drills.

Prepare your dance teacher resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your dance teacher resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a dance teacher resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Dance Teacher Resume templates

Build a professional Dance Teacher resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Dance Teacher resume.

Apply for dance teacher jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a dance teacher job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do dance teachers rate their job?