Becoming a ballroom dance instructor may seem like a difficult career to achieve, but if you’re passionate about ballroom dancing, learning to teach others could be the best decision you make.
To become a certified ballroom dance instructor you must pass an NATD teacher examination. Additionally, you must have years of ballroom dance training and a history of teaching dance to others to acquire a full-time instructor position. Long academic backgrounds in ballroom dance are not required.
NATD do accept international students into their courses and they have schools worldwide. There are five NATD schools in America.
What Are The Requirements To Be A Ballroom Dance Instructor?
Though some part-time ballroom dance instructor positions may only require a certain number of years of experience and an audition to apply, others will require full certifications and/or diplomas.
You will find that dance experience trumps formal dance education in the world of dance teaching. Studios prefer their instructors to have lived experience rather than to be fresh out of dance school.
The requirements do vary, but at the very least you will need:
- Several years of experience dancing in various ballroom styles (most ballroom teachers also dance Latin styles).
- One year of teaching experience.
It’s a strange conundrum to need teaching experience to be a teacher, but you will find that some studios will hire teachers without teaching experience if they have enough dance experience and can showcase the various styles they know. The more dance knowledge you can put into practice, the better.
Certification Organizations And Their Differences
As for qualifications that you can gain through examinations, here are the most notable awarding bodies to sign-up with:
- Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) – one of the leading dance examination boards in the world, offering initial and higher dance teacher qualifications for residents of the EU and international students studying dance.
- National Association of Teachers of Dancing (NATD)
- Royal Academy of Dance (RAD)
- International Dance Teachers’ Association (IDTA)
We have listed the characteristics of each of these bodies below:
| ISTD | NATD | RAD | IDTA | |
| Internationally recognized? | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Accepts international students/applicants? | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Offers different levels of teaching qualifications? | YES | Level 4 Diploma in Dance Teaching or an Associate Qualification, which is genre specific. | YES | Level 4 in Dance Teaching or higher professional teaching qualifications from Associate upwards. |
| Specific ballroom dance qualifications? | YES | Associate Qualification is genre specific. | Various dance teaching qualifications, but no specific ballroom qualification for teaching. | Level 4 in Dance Teaching has a Ballroom branch. |
| Exam locations | Various worldwide locations | UK only | Various worldwide locations | Various worldwide locations |
You will find that it’s difficult to become a dance teacher qualified only in one genre of dance. Your professional pathway will likely include experience across a variety of dance genres, which will enable you to teach students across the board.
If you want to only teach ballroom dance, it’s best to ensure that you have more experience (both through dance classes and competitions) in ballroom dancing than in other dance genres.
Am I Too Old Or Too Young To Be An Instructor?
The average age of a professional dancer in the US is 28 years old. However, that doesn’t mean that someone older wouldn’t be able to start learning how to dance and become a certified/employable ballroom instructor later on in life. It does, however, become more difficult to reach a high level of dance (which is then valuable as a teacher) as your body ages.
This is because dancers’ bodies need to be extremely strong and flexible, and they require huge amounts of stamina, not to mention an ability to overcome/manage injuries. As we age, our bodies begin to lose natural conditioning of muscle and useful athletic hormones such as testosterone are produced less.
What Sort Of Dance Experience Do I Need Prior To Becoming An Instructor?
Before you become an instructor you will need experience dancing in competitions and several years of training with a dance school. It is often preferred that you have passed several dance examinations and gone on to compete (and even win) various competitions.
Some employers will also want you to have a year or two of teaching experience. This doesn’t need to be full-time teaching experience in most cases, so, if you’re thinking of becoming an instructor in the near future, why not see if your dance school would be willing to have you assist or teach part-time?
You could even try running your own class in your community. All you need is an appropriate location with a room to hire, a way to play music, and people that want to learn.
Competitions Vs Classes Vs socials
Dance competitions are competitive events where dancers sign up (usually with a fee) to compete against each other and win awards or medals. Depending on the prestige of the competition, these can look very good on your resume. Some competitions are small and local, others are international. Many professional instructors will use their competition awards as a way to advertise/verify their skills.
Dance classes aren’t competitive, but they’re excellent ways to start your dance career or learn a new skill. Many dance classes that are led by instructors in dance schools will put on performances for the public to come and see you without the pressure of a competition.
Socials are informal dance events. They’re relaxed and all about enjoyment and meeting other dancers. As a future instructor, you wouldn’t list socials as supporting experience, but you could use socials to improve/experiment with your ballroom skills.
Where Can You Get Certification From?
Depending on the type of certification you want, you can earn a dance teaching qualification from a number of places. The first place to check would be your local colleges and universities. Some of these may have connections to one of the big dance organizations we listed earlier.
Alternatively, you can go directly to ISTD, NADT, RAD, or another dance organization. There are plenty of companies that specialize in dance, with quite a few of them offering various teaching qualifications and certifications. The International Dance Teachers’ Association offers Level 4 Diplomas in Dance Teaching within their Ballroom dance branch.
When in doubt, look for dance or dance teachers’ associations. You could even get in touch with your local dance schools and see what they recommend.
How To Fund Yourself Whilst Studying Ballroom?
Many students end up getting part-time jobs if they’re studying at a dance school as their studies will likely take up the majority of their week.
If you’re studying at a college or university level, you should be able to get some kind of financial assistance. However, the kind of financial assistance depends on where you live, if you’re a domestic or international student, and your study load.
In the event that you’re taking your dance teacher qualification, consider teaching part-time while you do so. You’ll stand out among the other applicants if you have teaching experience and qualifications.
How To Prepare For Your Certificate Assessments
When preparing for your certification exams remember to read the assessment guidelines in your module handbook as clearly as possible and check with your teachers or assessing board if you’re unsure of what is required of you. Alternatively, look for the exam guidelines on your organization’s website and find the information specific to your examination.
A great tip is to reach out to people who have completed such exams to gain insight into what the exam is like. This could be a friend, colleague, your own dance teacher, or even posting on internet forums such as Reddit or Quora.
If you struggle with studying or have little experience studying, use internet resources such as Youtube to learn valuable study techniques. Two exceptional study technique Youtube channels are;
- Ali Abdaal: Qualified UK Doctor, awarded first place at Oxford Medical School.
- Kharma Medic: Qualified UK Doctor, studied at King’s College London.
A teacher exam is different from passing a standard dance exam. You will complete technical assessments to check your knowledge and understanding of dance, as well as other assessments to qualify you as a teacher.
Some dance teaching qualifications are doubled up with certificates in education. These should offer you Qualified Teacher Status, which you will need if you want to teach in schools or other student-based institutions.
Do I need a teacher for my certification?
If you want to become a qualified ballroom dance instructor, you will need a teacher. You cannot teach yourself to dance something as structured as ballroom dance. Any ballroom instructor course from a prestigious dance organization requires a minimum of two years proven dance experience.
A teacher is also valuable because they themselves will have taken the certification exams for ballroom and can prepare you for what is required.
What Is Involved In The Certification Process?
Assessment does vary from programme to programme, however you will generally encounter the following in your ballroom instructor certification process:
- A series of educational modules.
- Hours of professional practice.
- Teaching placements.
- Presentations.
- Practical teaching examinations.
- Written assignments.
Always check with the awarding body or school to gain an awareness of what will be included in your certification process.
How Long Does The Ballroom Instructor Certification Process Go For?
To be specialized in teaching ballroom dance, you can expect to spend at least a year completing a ballroom-specific teaching course at a university level like the IDTA’s level 4 in dance teaching.
Is Ballroom Instructor Certification Hard?
Ballroom instructor certification can be difficult because of the volume of hours that are required to learn and memorize a large number of strict techniques and skills. Once memorized you must then be able to execute them at your examinations while also showing that you understand how to teach others.
The challenge of the written side of ballroom instructor courses come from time management and your own approach to flexible learning. You need to be a highly organized individual to stay on top of your coursework and it can be isolating to complete a course without any classmates around to socialize with. It’s important to remember that you can reach out to your course leader for guidance and to keep to a schedule even when you don’t have classes to attend in-person.
You will have the benefit of having tutors and instructors to help you through your modules, training, and preparing for your examinations, but it can be a challenging process.
Related questions:
What’s It Like Being A Ballroom Dance Instructor?
Being a ballroom dance instructor involves much training and intensive work hours, however the reward is you get to pass on your skills and knowledge to others and watch your students grow.
Instructing ballroom can be more of a lifestyle than a job. Beyond your classes, you need to plan lessons, complete admin work, stay skilled in ballroom yourself, and more.
You may even be competing with your students in what is called ‘Pro-Am’ which is where a professional (aka you) dances with an amateur in competitions, and the amateur is judged. This will likely involve choreography, training, traveling, and costume preparation.
There are many pros and cons to instructing ballroom, which we’ll cover next.
Pros And Cons Of Being A Ballroom Dance Instructor
| PROS | CONS |
| Set your own hours (if you run your own business). | Hours can be influenced by when your clients are available. |
| Passing on your industry knowledge. | Missing performing. |
| Ability to start your own school or classes. | Dealing with client issues. |
| Seeing the difference you make. | Long hours. |
| Doing something you love for income. | If you are injured, your ability to support yourself financially is jeopardized. |
Day In The Life Of A Ballroom Dance Instructor
The day of a ballroom dance instructor isn’t all sparkle and good times. If you’re teaching your own classes, you can expect to wake up early, spend time planning your lessons and practicing what you want to teach, and then spend the day and evening teaching.
Dance classes tend to run outside of normal business hours to accommodate broader client availability. It’s not unusual for dance teachers to go home late at night as this is when most clients are available for classes.
If you are a contracted instructor in an existing ballroom school, your schedule will likely be determined by the dance school. You will have less pressure but less flexibility. You will also likely be part-time or casual. Because you aren’t full time you may need to be prepared for downtime in between your classes, which may be 1-2 hours long, depending on the school’s schedule.
If you are operating a dance school, the workload increases. You will generally be responsible for preparing your students for exams and competitions but also running a full business model which includes administration, budgeting, and employee management. You also likely need to maintain the premises where your school operates.
The typical day in the life of a ballroom dance teacher who teaches in the evenings and has private clients may look something like this:
7am: Morning workout
8am: Breakfast
9am: Chores
10am: Other responsibilities (education, socialising, meetings etc.)
12pm: Lunch
1pm: Private client classes
4pm: Light dinner and checking evening lesson plans
5pm: Evening classes begin
9pm: Finish classes
10pm: Bed
This isn’t what every ballroom dance teacher’s schedule looks like, but it gives you a good idea of what your day might contain if you were a dance teacher. For example, other dance teachers may start at 9am and finish at 5pm or they may teach private classes throughout the day. What your ballroom teaching schedule looks like will vary depending on your employment contract and your clients.
How much do ballroom dance instructors earn?
Most ballroom dance instructors make between $25,000 USD and $35,000 USD per year at an entry level. This can rise as they gain more experience and prestige. Some instructors earn upwards of $50,000 USD per year.
Per hour, private lessons are particularly lucrative with award-winning ballroom dancers (turned instructors) charging $79 USD p/hr.
How Is Ballroom Instructing Different To Other Dance Instructing?
Teaching ballroom dancing often means teaching your students to be comfortable with partner dancing 90% of the time.
Ballroom dancing isn’t a solo dance, students need a partner. This can feel awkward for a lot of students if their ballroom partner has a different personality or dance style to them. This can be a significant social path to navigate if they are dancing with the same partner for many years through high-stress competitions which involve lengthy travel periods. A nuance of ballroom dance instructing is trying to match competition students with suitable partners.
It’s also a very different style to many other dance styles. Ballroom dance can be soulful, slow and meaningful, but it can also be fast and fierce. It’s also highly strict in terms of movements and form. As an instructor, you have to be able to switch mentality depending on the ballroom dance that you are teaching and have a keen eye for detail.
If you are interested in reading more about the nuances of ballroom dancing in general, we have a detailed article on this topic which can be viewed here: The Best Style Of Dance: An experienced dancer weighs in.
Who Are Famous Ballroom Dance Instructors and How Did They Become Instructors?
Five famous ballroom dance instructors who have wowed their audiences through their performances on stage/television or have produced star students include:
Derek Hough (1985-present):
- A professional Latin and Ballroom dancer, Hough was an instructor on Dancing with the Stars and Better with You.
- He won Dancing with the Stars six times with his various partners.
- Over the years, he has had eleven nominations for the Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Choreography and has won the award three times. He has also won the LA Outstanding Dancer of the Year, and the New York Dance Alliance Outstanding Dance awards.
- He’s won several elite competitions, including the WDSF World Latin Championship, and the Blackpool U-21 Latin title with Aneta Piotrowska.
Donnie Burns (1959-present):
- Burns specializes in Latin dance and is an 11-time International Latin American Dance Champion (alongside his partner, Gaynor Fairweather).
- Since 2005, he’s been President of the World Dance Council and holds a Carl Alan Award, which is given for outstanding services to dance.
- Burns has released Ballroom Dance instructional videos and has taught several students personally, including Paul Killick, Carmen Vincelj, and Elena Khvorova.
Pierre Dulaine (1944-present):
- Dulaine turned to dance in the UK at age 14 after fleeing Palestine with his family due to civil unrest with the formation of Israel.
- Despite these difficulties, in 1976, whilst partnered with Yvonne Marceau in the US, he won four world titles in show dancing.
- In 1984 he founded the American Ballroom Theatre which was a pioneering theater featuring full length ballroom performances which were showcased at illustrious locations such as the The Brooklyn Academy of Music, The Joyce Theater, The Kennedy Center, The Herbst Theater in San Francisco, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Akademie der Kunst in Germany, Maison de la Dance and at the Aix en Provence Dance Festival in France, Saddler’s Wells Theatre in London.
- He became a full member of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing at the age of 21 after completing his Associate Degree and three other major dance exams.
- In 1994, Dulaine founded Dancing Classrooms, a program for 5th-grade students that uses ballroom dance to develop them socially and emotionally. Around the same time, he invented the Dulaine method, a teaching method that encourages children to dance together, offers respect and passion in the classroom, and ensures that the teacher is reminded to stay present when teaching.
- He has won the Americans for the Arts Award, the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor, the Carl Alan Award and the United Nations nomination as a Goodwill Ambassador for promoting peace.
- One of his greatest triumphs is returning to Jaffa (his home town in what is now Israel), where he used the Dulaine method to teach children how to ‘dance with the enemy’.
Peggy Spencer (1920-2016):
- Peggy Spencer was a legendary ballroom figure in the 60’s. She was an elite competitor, adjudicator, and instructed some of the most skilled ballroom dancers and celebrities in the history of ballroom dancing. Notably she choreographed for the Beatles and taught Rudolph Nureyev the tango for the film Valentino.
- Spencer is best known for running the Royston Ballroom in south London for over 50 years. Her school became known as a center of ballroom dancing excellence. It was here where she instructed thousands of ballroom dancers. and she was the leading coach for competitive Latin dancers.
- Spencer’s formation dancing team was an essential part of BBC TV’s Come Dancing for forty years, which is one of the longest running series in UK television.
- Her ballroom formation team was also invited to dance for Queen Elizabeth II, twice.
- She was also the president of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing in 2004 and received multiple awards for her work in teaching ballroom dancing – including eight Carl Alan Awards, which are awarded to those who have made a significant contribution to the dance industry in the United Kingdom.
Arthur Murray (1895-1991):
- Murray was an American ballroom dancer who performed and instructed ballroom at the Georgian Terrace Hotel in Atlanta in 1919.
- His business grew after WWII and he continued to dance and teach dance until his very active retirement where he appeared as a guest on the show Dance Fever with his wife.
- Arthur Murray Studios have been teaching dance for over 100 years, with more than 270 studios across the world. His legacy continues on through the dance studios that bear his name.
What To Wear As A Ballroom Dance Instructor
As a ballroom instructor, it’s a good idea to wear tighter clothing so that you can show your posture to your students. This could be leggings or tracksuit pants and a simple cotton shirt.
While some teachers like to use active wear to teach in, the majority will wear ballroom pants and shoes. The culture of ballroom dance is to be impeccably well-dressed even in a training scenario, which is particularly true for instructors.