7 Ways to Grow your Dance Teacher Career

Over the past couple years, many dance teachers have reached out to me expressing a similar sentiment: they feel as though they are ready for more opportunities in their teaching career, but they’re not quite sure how to make it happen.

Especially if you are living in a smaller town or a rural area, it can come to a point where you’ve reached a ceiling. Maybe there aren’t many dance schools within your radius, and you’re unable to get more teaching hours or choreography opportunities. You love teaching, you're ready to grow, and want to make more money doing it, but you're unsure how to expand your career beyond the community you know.

The good news is, there are things you can start doing right now to create new opportunities for yourself and connect with other professionals in the field.

And even if you’re newer to teaching and don’t feel ready for more quite yet— you should absolutely start working on some of these, too. It will make your life much easier later on ;)

1. Build a Strong Portfolio

Keep documentation of as much of your work as you can!!! (I kick myself for not doing this in my earlier teaching career).

Record and save videos of the dances you choreograph, both for recitals, competitions, and otherwise. In addition, you can have:

• Videos of yourself teaching (I know these can be tough to get, but even just short clips)
• Testimonials from parents, students, or studio owners
• Your bio, teaching philosophy, and resume

This portfolio will be useful when you're applying for teaching jobs, guesting at other studios, or even submitting to festivals and conventions.

2. Connect Online

Using social media as a teacher can be a really helpful, free tool— and it’s not about getting a bunch of followers!

The dance world is small, and Instagram in particular is one of the best places for dance educators to connect, share and network. Not to mention it will be the first place potential employers will go to look you up.

If you’re not already using it for professional purposes, you should definitely start:

• Following and engaging with other teachers, studios, and choreographers you admire— people who are doing what you want to be doing. Comment on their posts, be social!
• Post clips of your work/choreography
• Share your story, teaching values, thoughts, or experiences

I can say from experience that social media holds a ton of opportunity to build relationships. You never know who might be watching and who might reach out because they resonate with your work!

3. Reach Out Directly

You don’t have to always wait for someone to find you!

If there's a studio, organization, intensive, or person you'd love to work with, send a thoughtful email or DM. Introduce yourself, share a bit about your background, include links to your portfolio or website, and let them know you'd love to connect or be considered for future opportunities.

Even if they don’t have anything right now, it’s highly likely they’ll think of you when something does open up.

4. Make the Most of What You Already Have

If you’re maxed out on teaching hours where you work, see if there there are any other tasks or roles you can take on there. Administrative skills, marketing knowledge, event planning, communication, and team-building are all incredibly valuable and transferable to other spaces. Even if you’re not necessarily interested in these things, again I can tell you from experience developing these skillsets will give you a huge edge. Places looking to hire a guest teacher or someone long-term are often looking for people who are organized, dependable, and bring more to the table than just dance knowledge.

5. Create Your Own Local Opportunities

If traveling isn’t happening yet, think about a specialized workshop you could create and offer. Maybe you’re passionate about improvisation, or composition, or preparing dancers for auditions. Host this workshop in your own community and invite dancers, colleagues, and studios from nearby towns. You can also co-host with another teacher!

These types of events aren’t necessarily to make extra income, but to help build your reputation and give you something to document and add to your portfolio.

6. Consider a Certification or Teacher Training

Professional development, although often not required for many studio teaching jobs, is another way to stand out. Continuing your your education shows you are dedicated to what you do, will make you a stronger teacher and applicant, AND help you at the negotiating table.

If you’re looking for an online teacher training program and mentor, I think I know someone ;)

7. Consider a Relocation Plan

Hear me out with this one:

I know this is not going to be realistic for every person. However, transparency is important to me, so I’m going to give you my honest opinion based on my own experience— sometimes the best way to access more opportunities is to move to a place where more opportunities exist.

My teachers growing up used to tell me: it’s better to be a small fish in a big pond, instead of a big fish in a small pond. i.e: When you surround yourself with people who are “better” than you (more skilled, more experienced), that forces you to level up. So if you feel like you’ve reached big fish status where you are and want to continue growing, moving may be an option to consider.

This could mean:

• Saving intentionally for a move over 1–2 years
• Visiting a city during the summer to take class, make connections, and explore
• Researching cost of living, job opportunities, and dance communities in places that interest you

If you do move, that does not mean you need to stay there forever! Maybe you love living in a quieter area. Not to mention, kids who live in more rural areas deserve and desperately need dance/art education— now more than ever. Get out of your bubble for a bit, then come back. Think of how much more you’ll be able to give with your gained experience and perspective!

final thoughts...

I’ll wrap up by leaving you with this: wanting more for your dance teaching career isn’t selfish or unrealistic—it’s a sign that you’re growing. The path to expansion might not always feel clear, but you can absolutely create new opportunities for yourself with the right strategy and support.

Start small, be consistent, and keep showing up for your craft. Over time, your portfolio will grow, your network will expand, and your confidence will strengthen. The industry needs passionate, skilled educators like you!!

👉🏼Don't forget to head back to this month’s newsletter for music picks and a sneak peek at some upcoming resources designed to help you in your teaching journey🌱