Dance Teaching Assistant

Dance Teaching Assistants occupy a formative position in a dance artist's professional development: they are learning their craft as choreographers or performers at the graduate level while simultaneously taking on the responsibilities of educators. That simultaneity is uncomfortable for some and energizing for others — the most effective TAs tend to be those who find that teaching sharpens their own artistic practice rather than merely distracting from it.

In the studio, the TA's role is primarily support and extension of the faculty member's instruction. In a technique class with 20 undergraduates, a TA circulates, offers individual corrections, demonstrates movement on request, and helps students who fall behind the pace of instruction. The TA notices things the faculty member at the front of the room may not see — which students are compensating, which are close to something but not quite finding it — and provides feedback in the moment.

When TAs progress to teaching their own sections — introducing an introductory modern technique class, running a composition workshop — they face the full challenge of pedagogical design. What do you teach in week one? How do you structure a class so it builds rather than just covers material? How do you give correction to a student who is working hard but working incorrectly without discouraging them? These questions can't be answered from watching other teachers — they require the TA's own experience in the role.

The production side of the role — supporting rehearsals, assisting with staging, participating as a performer in faculty works — integrates the TA into the full life of the department. Graduate students who engage fully in department productions often form professional relationships with faculty and visiting artists that persist well beyond the graduate program.

Who holds this role: Dance Teaching Assistantships are positions within graduate programs, allocated as part of admission and funding packages. They are not applied for externally by those outside the program.

Enrollment requirement:

• MFA in Dance, Choreography, or Dance Education
• BFA senior year assistantships at some conservatories

Technical skills developed during the role:

• Studio teaching: physical demonstration, verbal cuing, tactile correction
• Alignment and kinesiology vocabulary: the ability to name movement specifics clearly
• Class structure: warm-up sequencing, technique progression, cool-down and reflection

Administrative responsibilities:

• Grading written assignments and movement assessments using faculty-provided rubrics
• Attendance documentation
• LMS course management: uploading materials, managing assignments in Canvas or Blackboard

Production skills:

• Rehearsal support: note-taking, schedule coordination, warm-up leadership
• Stage management basics: calling places, tracking technical cues, coordinating with crew

Professional development opportunities:

• TA pedagogy workshops offered by departments or graduate schools
• Peer observation and feedback with other TAs
• Mentorship from supervising faculty through regular check-ins

Physical expectations:

• Ability to demonstrate technique at a level appropriate for the courses being assisted
• Injury management and transparent communication with faculty about physical limitations

The Dance Teaching Assistantship is a training role, not a career destination. Its value lies entirely in what it enables: professional teaching experience, a graduate education, and the relationships and reputation built within a department and broader field during the graduate years.

For dance artists who want to teach at the college level, TA experience is an expected component of the credential. Academic job searches in dance are among the most competitive in higher education — far fewer tenure-track positions are available each year than there are qualified MFA graduates. TAs who use their assistantship years to develop real pedagogical range — teaching technique, choreography, and dance history; directing student work in productions; building a documented portfolio — are more competitive on that market.

Outside the university, the teaching skills developed as a TA are applicable in community dance studios, K-12 school residencies, arts organizations, and dance fitness contexts. Many dance artists build hybrid careers that include part-time college teaching, studio instruction, and their own choreographic or performance work. The TA years are good preparation for that multi-stream professional life.

The economic reality of dance teaching at the graduate level is modest. Stipends are designed to support graduate study, not provide long-term financial stability, and the transition out of the TA role — whether into an assistant professor position, adjunct work, or non-academic employment — typically involves a significant change in financial circumstances. TAs who are building toward academic careers should develop realistic timelines and financial plans for the post-graduate job search period, which often lasts two to four years before a tenure-track position is secured.

Dear Admissions Committee,

I'm applying to [University]'s MFA in Dance program and would be grateful to be considered for a teaching assistantship as part of my funding package.

I've been dancing and teaching since I was 18 — starting as a teaching assistant at my home studio, then as a company member with [Company] for three years, and most recently as a teaching artist with [Organization]'s K-12 residency program. Through all of that I've been developing choreographic work on the side, primarily for informal showings and collaborative residencies, and I've reached the point where I need the focused time, mentorship, and community that graduate school offers.

I want the assistantship not just for the financial support but because teaching accelerates my understanding of movement. When I have to explain why a particular weight shift changes the phrase's momentum, I understand it more clearly myself. Teaching and making are not separate activities for me — they're the same investigation from different directions.

I bring contemporary technique training with a somatic orientation, experience working with beginning and intermediate adult dancers in studio and community settings, and a clear professional ethic about the TA role: showing up reliably, communicating clearly, maintaining appropriate boundaries with undergraduates, and treating the teaching responsibilities as seriously as my own creative work.

I'm attaching my portfolio and look forward to the possibility of joining your program.

[Your Name]