Dance studios abound in almost every town and city. Some dance studios teach courses strictly limited to ballroom dance like Fox Trot, Tango, Salsa, Viennese Waltz, Pasa Doble, and Swing. Other local dance studios may limit the courses they teach to theatrical arts such as Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Modern, Acrobatic Dance, Flamenco, Polynesian, and Middle Eastern dance. Celtic Dance may be offered as well. Generally, Celtic Dance is taught in very specialized local dance studios specifically geared for this dance form. Its important to know the type of dance your local dance studios offer as well as the style of dance preferred for the course of study. Dance teachers, like regular education teachers, should have some proof of their certification in the dance subjects they teach. Most dance teachers have professional training and performance experience. Being trained as a dancer isnt necessarily the only qualification for teaching dance. Specific courses for instruction of different age levels and proficiency levels of students result in dance teacher certification from a recognized dance education organization. Many colleges offer courses in dance, although most of the courses may be limited to ballet, jazz and modern dance, rather than tap or ethnic dance forms. Acrobatic dance should always be taught by teachers with experience in kinesiology and pedagogy, with kinesiology being the most important in order to teach proper execution of acrobatic dance movement. Pedagogy, the science of being a teacher, is a subject taught in all professional dance teacher certification classes. These are things to look for when choosing local dance studios. Too often, when a professional dancer leaves performing, they naturally turn to teaching. However, be aware that without proper instruction to teach dance, students don't obtain the full value of their instruction.
