Dance Teacher Training and Professional Development for Dance Educators

There is no dance without dance education, and there is no dance education without prepared and empowered dance teachers. 

Since 1995, Dance Education Laboratory (DEL) has been training dance educators — giving them the tools and the confidence to bring movement, imagination, and emotional awareness into the lives of their students.

Our Vision: Dance for Every Child

Jody Gottfried Arnhold, DEL Founder | Excerpt from “Detours and Destinations” Podcast Interview

Whether you teach in a public school, studio, community center, or university, if you’re brand new to education or you’ve been teaching dance for years, you can learn from the DEL Model.

Our approach gives dance educators a shared vocabulary, a flexible and proven lesson structure, and the tools to build dance experiences that work for any learner — regardless of prior training, age, or learning environment.

This is teacher training that transforms learning: professional development for dance educators who want to teach more thoughtfully, plan more effectively, and connect more deeply with the students in front of them.

“There is no dance without dance education.”

– DEL Founder Jody Gottfried Arnhold

How to Learn with DEL

Online or In-Person Courses

Sign up for a single DEL course or webinar and apply new skills and knowledge to your dance teaching.

Browse courses

Organizational Support

Hire DEL to design customized professional learning or access group course discounts for your organization.

Inquire

Training and Mentorship

Commit to a year of structured, supported growth with the DEL Institute Teacher Training Program.

Learn more

Teaching Resources

Browse and download our free curriculum and other resources to use in your dance class right away.

Start with Literacy

Curricular Design

DEL holds expertise in meeting and exceeding national arts education standards and can design custom curriculum.

Contact us

Learn, Grow, and Connect

Community is core to the DEL experience, rooted in a deep sense of support and mutual respect. By bringing dance educators together, we make space for synthesizing expertise, developing new ideas, and responding to the moment. Educators are invited to collaborate and learn in an environment that is non-judgmental and supportive. Inclusivity is a hallmark of the work, underpinning our mission to bring Dance to Every Child. 

The DEL model allows for exploration, creativity and growth. We encourage teachers to be lifelong learners and to nurture a sense of discovery in every classroom. In DEL programs, educators reconnect with their “Teacher’s Heart,” the reason they chose this profession and the driver of their day-to-day work.

We understand that, as an educator, you’re eager to immediately implement what you learn through DEL in your own classroom, so we prioritize practical application. Our model teaches educators how to embody and apply DEL’s core principles and best practices, which can be directly incorporated into your own work.

Build Lessons Around How Children Actually Learn

The DEL Lesson Plan moves organically through: introducing a theme, warming up the body, exploration of key movement vocabulary, student dance-making, and sharing, reflection & feedback.

At every step, students embody problem-solving, collaborate, and discover that you can make a dance about anything. 

Our Year-Long Dance Teacher Training Program​

The DEL Institute

The DEL Institute Teacher Training Program is an online program that includes:

  • one-on-one coaching,
  • community-building with your peers, and
  • a final practicum

All built for dance educators who want sustained professional growth through consistent mentorship. 

Support Dance Education in Every Public School​

We’ve produced two feature-length documentaries about dance education in public schools. The New York Emmy-nominated PS DANCE! captures what happens when students have dance in their curriculum. PS DANCE! THE NEXT GENERATION shows what happens when high school and middle school dance students are immersed in DEL’s teaching methods and empowered with teaching the younger generation.

Both films have aired on PBS THIRTEEN. Watch the films and share with friends, coworkers, teachers, principals and neighbors. Tell them what moved you, and show them the value of dance education!

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Banner Image Photo Credit: Cherylynn Tsushima