Dance Instructor

THE OPPORTUNITY:   

At the West End House (WEH) our mission is at the heart of all we do. We provide high-impact programs that support youth as they achieve academic success, explore the arts, develop career readiness & leadership skills, and adopt healthy lifestyles. We are committed to advancing racial equity through our work and throughout all aspects of our organization- our youth programs, our community and family engagement, and our board and leadership.    

Youth need to grow in a holistic, well-rounded manner and one of the ways in which we seek to facilitate this is through our arts program. As our Dance Instructor, you will be a key member of the arts team. The Dance Instructor will engage youth in high-quality programming in our state of the art Performing Arts Pavilion and advance dedicated members to increasing levels of artistic skill. In this role, you will teach a variety of dance genres reflective of the diverse population we serve. In addition, you will provide young people with the opportunity to build their artistic skills, increase self-confidence, and promote physical fitness as they learn, create, and perform. 

A key component of this role will be using your talents to build close-knit relationships that will help youth remain engaged in programming. These relationships, in combination with reflections from program data, will enable you to adapt and grow the program to create the best outcomes for young people. The ideal candidate will be a well-rounded dancer and educator with experience and passion for working with youth in an urban setting.  

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:  

• Create curricula and teach dance classes such as Hip Hop, Ballet, Modern, Latin Dance, etc. to youth ages 7-18 in our afterschool and summer programs 
• Design showcase opportunities for youth to perform and present their work 
• Use a trauma informed approach in all instruction  
• Engage, encourage, and motivate West End House youth and teens to reach their goals 
• Foster a positive and inclusive environment 
• Sustain and expand partnerships with dance institutions around the city  
• Maintain a system of assessment to ensure youth’s advancement of skill level  
• Collect and submit youth participation numbers, surveys, and other information to ensure that organizational decisions and plans are informed by relevant on-ground data 
• Manage and provide feedback to assigned volunteers and peer leaders  
• Implement and adhere to Boys and Girls Clubs of America membership and safety requirements  

WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR: 

There are many ways to learn and excel professionally. We are aware that people gain skills through a variety of experiences and welcome your individual background. We respect this when we review applications and take a broad look at the experience of each applicant. We want to get to know you and the unique strengths you will bring to this work. With this in consideration, we are most likely to be interested in your candidacy if you can demonstrate most of the qualifications and experiences listed below: 

• 2+ years' experience teaching dance and movement to young people of various ages and abilities  
• Proven track record of building trusting relationships with youth through empathy and robust communication skills 
• Strong program facilitation skills and an understanding of classroom management  
• A passion for dance as a vehicle for youth development  
• Demonstrable knowledge of youth psychology is a strong plus