Vancouver Ballroom Dance Teacher Training | Teach Ballroom Dancing | Dance Instruction | Learn To Teach Dancing

At the Vancouver Academy of Ballroom Dance we teach all 16 dances that make up the entire program for the full Bronze level in American Smooth, Rhythm and Night Club Dances.

You will learn a systematic approach to dancing and teaching ballroom dancing that is truly unique.  This course is ideal for adults considering a career as a dance instructor, or for anyone who would just like to take their dancing to a whole new level.

With our Ballroom Instructors Program teaching dance is now a career option for anyone – no prior dance experience is required!

Taken in its entirety, in this 16-dance course you will learn:

• DVIDA Bronze American Syllabus dances for Smooth, Rhythm, and Night Club

Whether you are taking Smooth, Rhythm, Night Club or all 16 Dances, you will learn:

• To dance as both Leader and Follower
• Technical elements of all the dances
• Musical elements of all the dances

If you are adding the “teacher training” element, you will learn:

• How to teach private and group lessons
• How to prepare for DVIDA certification exams

The next phase of the 16-dance Program is scheduled to begin Monday, March 15, 2010 ~ we will be learning Rhythm 1, consisting of Rumba, Cha Cha, Bolero and East Coast Swing.

Classes are twice-weekly, Monday and Wednesday evenings from 6pm to 8pm, at The Studio at Rhodes Wellness College in the heart of beautiful downtown Vancouver – see Location in the Menu Bar.

Throughout the course, practice time will be made available.  As a group we will plan “social out parties” to practice on and in the public!

For those who are interested in accelerating or “fast tracking” the program ~ please talk to Paul Scott about this option.

Materials

If you are taking the teacher training, the DVIDA Manuals and the Training Binder are required textbooks for the course.  If you  just wanna dance, this material is recommended but not required.  The accompanying DVIDA videos are also recommended, but optional.

The DVIDA Bronze Manuals and videos are available from Dance Vision, and may be ordered online at www.dancevision.com, or by calling 1-800-851-2813.

The Ballroom Dance Teacher Training  Binder is can be ordered by us and would cost you $95USD plus shipping.  It includes all class handouts that are distributed over the entire program.

Tuition for Teacher Training Students ~ Monthly payment options available.

March 15 to May 12, 2010 – $800 -  Junior Associate in Rhythm 1 which includes figures 1-7 in American Rumba, Cha Cha, Bolero and East Coast Swing.

May 17 to July 14, 2010 – $800 – Full Associate in Rhythm 1 which includes figures 8-15 in American Rumba, Cha Cha, Bolero and East Coast Swing.

Just Wanna Dance? ~ Tuition is $600 per Associate or $300 per month.

Rhythm 2, Junior Associate program begins Wednesday, September 1st to Wednesday, October 27th, 2010.

Rhythm 2, Full Associate program begins Monday, November 1st to Wednesday, December 22, 2010.

Night Club, Junior Associate program begins Monday, January 3, 2011 and runs until Wednesday, March 2, 2011.

Night Club, Full Associate program begins Monday, March 7, 2011 and runs until Wednesday, May 4th, 2011.

The Rhythm and Night Club programs will be followed by Smooth beginning Monday, May 9, 2011.

Shoes

All students will need to have proper dance shoes by the second class meeting.  To teach dance, you need the “right tool for the job,” and proper dance shoes are literally the foundation for your dancing!

There are different styles of dance shoes for different styles of dancing, but most students wear a basic “practice shoe,” a practical and durable suede-soled dancing shoe that is made to be comfortable and wearable for long periods.  Some students wear flashier shoes or high heeled dance shoes, but this is a matter of personal comfort.  Shoes can be purchased at the Avalon Dance shop at www.avalondance.ca and or at www.thedanceshop.ca and other retailers throughout the lower mainland.  Specialty Latin dance shoes and custom made dance wear may also be purchased online at www.sexysilhouettes.net through Kelly Foston.

Attendance

This is a professional level course, and we cover a lot of material at a fairly fast pace. Missing class is not advised, as you can easily fall behind. If you do have to miss a class, you can generally arrange to work with one of the other students to help you catch up. You can also schedule private lessons with one of the faculty members BDTC (for an additional private lesson fee) to make up any work you miss.

Class Times & Exam Schedule

Classes held at The Studio at Rhodes Wellness College, Mondays and Wednesdays, from 6 to 8 pm. Exams are scheduled to be held during regular class times. If you miss an exam, you may schedule a make-up exam with the Master Teacher (for an additional private lesson fee).

Practice

Each class meets a total of 4 hours a week per section.  Most students spend quite a bit of time every week studying the material and practicing what they have learned. Though the amount of outside time varies greatly from student to student, please expect to commit one hour of study time for every hour you spend in class (about four or eight hours of study time per week). Becoming a dance teacher takes dedication and practice.

Presentations

Because this is a teaching class, there is a strong emphasis on presentation. You will be expected to present material to the class on a regular basis. You may be asked to demonstrate a figure or to present a brief history of a specific dance. Don’t worry, we hand out assignments in advance, so you will have plenty of time to prepare!

Dancing Both Roles

In order to teach a specific dance or figure, you need to be able to articulate and demonstrate both the leader’s and follower’s part. We spend equal time in class working on both parts, and every student is expected to dance with every other student as both leader and follower, regardless of gender. This is standard practice for professional dance instruction.

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