I’ve seen a lot of social media posts lately through which the authors are offering their services as dance teachers. These posts typically contain some information about the authors’ training and usually include a video clip or reel highlighting the teachers’ dance and choreographic abilities. And many of these prospective teachers are really struggling to find employment despite being extremely well educated and having absolutely stunning dance footage. I know some of these dancers, either personally or through social media, and I know how deeply frustrated they are.

I may be out of line, but I would like to offer some advice. I have done pretty well, over the years, securing employment as a dance teacher in New York City, and I would like to share how I was able to secure the positions that I did.

For those of you who may not know me, I am teaching/have taught at: The Joffrey Ballet School, Ballet Academy East, Broadway Dance Center, The Manhattan Ballet School, The Kanyok Arts Initiative, New York Film Academy, The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, CAP21, Marymount Manhattan College, Hunter College as well as several smaller studios in the outer boroughs of NYC. I have also traveled the country and overseas as a guest teacher.

The competition for teaching jobs can be very stiff and lately it seems that EVERYONE has a fantastic education and EVERYONE has a gorgeous reel. So people continue to post about their education and continue to post their reels and continue to get no response.

So, to those of you finding yourself in this struggle:

There is one thing that consistently seems to be missing from these posts and seems to be missing from the cover letters that I’ve seen. No one seems to be telling prospective employers why they should hire YOU. Do a “deep dive”. Look at your work in the classroom. Look at what you bring to the table. What do you have that no one else has? What is your unique perspective on making a dancer? This is the information that, in my opinion, should be at the forefront of your social media posts, cover letters and applications. This is the information that can get you hired.

The other piece of advice I can offer is to take class anywhere and everywhere that you might be interested in working. Most studios offer some “adult” classes. Meet the teachers, meet the administrators and let these relationships develop slowly and naturally. This kind of networking can’t be forced. This kind of networking requires a lot of patience. But it was this kind of networking, and endless patience, that led to my positions at Joffrey and Ballet Academy East. And it took a couple of years, and a lot of patience, to build the relationship and rapport that led to a job offer.

I am in my 60’s but I actually haven’t been teaching that long. Social media was pretty much where it is now when I started teaching. I was hired by CAP21 with only two years of teaching experience and Joffrey with only 3 1/2 years of teaching experience, and I never once sent or posted a video or reel. A video or reel can show a studio owner or program director what you do as a dancer or choreographer. But a knowledgeable studio owner or program director knows that that has little bearing on your ability to teach and inspire a student. Develop the skills to explain YOUR unique perspective on dance education. Offer to teach a sample class. Let the industry learn how you can open a door to something uniquely yours to help train, educate and inspire a student to become the uniquely special dancer that they can be.