Hello,<BR> I live in Canada, and I desperately want to teach dance. I am dancing full time now and I am auditioning for York and Ryerson in Toronto in February, unfortunately, I don't thik that I have the exceptional talent they are looking for. I I do not think that the way I should go about it is through examinations, ie. ISTD, etc... I would prefer to go to a university of some sort. Does anyone know of any that would be maybe easier to get into?? that I could send a video for if I cannot make it to the audition?? Please help, dance is my life, and there is nothing else I want to do in life, then teach dance.<BR>Thank You, Jennifer

welcome jennifer! <P>you might like to start by reading this previous post, about one canadian dance teaching university course, which apparently comes highly recommended...<BR> <A HREF="http://www.criticaldance.com/ubb/Forum7/HTML/000056.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.criticaldance.com/ubb/Forum7/HTML/000056.html</A> <P>...then, perhaps, by tomorrow rabbit will have hopped in, to offer more personal advice........

Welcome to the board, Jennifer - glad to have you join us.<P>Do you want to stay in the same area in which you are now? <P> I know that in the United States there are several universities and colleges that you could go to. There are two of them here in San Diego; San Diego State University and Grossmont College. You could most probably get a student's visa. Another would be in North Carolina, Chappel Hill. <P>Some of what you would need to decide is what kind of dance you want to teach and how far you what kind of degree you want ot get.<P> Also what level do you want to teach? College? At a private studio? Performing Arts High School? For some of those programs you need a degree and for others you don't.<P>There are pluses and minuses to each way of doing it. <P>------------------<BR>Approach life as a dancer approaches the barre, with grace and purpose.<BR>

Jennifer, I don't know what kind of dance you want to teach but...<P><A HREF="http://www.sfu.ca" TARGET=_blank>Simon Fraser University</A> in BC has a dance program (BFA) and also trains teachers through the education department. Dance is now being recognized as a teachable subject in public schools so some dancers are doing double majors or a major in education with a minor in dance in order to be able to work in the public school system.<P>The <A HREF="http://www.nationalballetschool.org/pages/teacherprograms/index.html" TARGET=_blank>National Ballet School</A> has a very good teacher training program, and for some reason I *think* they have an affiliation with York University or maybe U of T, so that you can get a degree as well, but you would have to check on that.<P>Good luck!<P>