The DEL Institute

A Teacher Certificate Program for dance educators dedicated to online professional learning and advancement in dance education

The 2025-26 DEL Institute Application is Now Open!

Early-Bird Application Deadline: April 30, 2025 

Regular Admission Application Deadline: July 18, 2025

Apply Now!

Questions? Reach out to [email protected]!

The DEL Institute Features:

career-continuum

Professional learning across the career continuum for classroom teachers, dance educators, teaching artists, professional dancers, choreographers, and practitioners with a commitment to providing a comprehensive dance education

top-experts

High quality training from top experts in the field with years of experience teaching and facilitating professional learning in dance education

Programming-01

Extensive virtual programming offering a comprehensive approach to dance education with an emphasis on culturally-responsive pedagogy and student-centered learning

customized-pathway

A flexible and sequential program designed to meet the needs of practitioners in the field.

Our Curriculum

DEL Institute 5.5x8.5 1.25 P.4+5 (1) (1)

Required Courses

Required courses include DEL Foundations (10 wks) and six core courses (6 wks each), with breaks between courses, that address key components of the DEL Model.

Cohort Seminar

DEL Institute participants engage in six Cohort Seminar meetings held via Zoom (including Orientation and Graduation) designed to build community and deepen learning.

1:1 Coaching

DEL Institute participants receive five one-on-one coaching sessions throughout the program with Ann Biddle, DEL Professional Learning and Curriculum Senior Consultant.

DEL Curriculum Project

The DEL Institute program culminates with a final curriculum project designed to enhance one’s professional portfolio in the field of dance education. Each student will work under the guidance of a DEL mentor to design, implement, and document a curricular project with students.

Download our 2025-26 Brochure Here
Apply Now!

2025-2026 DEL Institute Calendar

Cohort Seminars: October (Orientation), January, April, June, September, and December (Graduation)

One-on-One Coaching: November, February, May, August, November

View Course Descriptions

Invest in Professional Advancement

2025-2026 DEL Institute Admission:

$2,190

Early-bird discount  (Mar 1 – Apr 30, 2025)

Regular admission (May 1 – Jul 18, 2025)

Need-based scholarships and payment plans are available. 

Financial assistance application are included in the DEL Institute application form. The deadline to submit a financial assistance form is April 30 for Early Bird applicants, and July 18 for Regular Admission applicants.

Apply Today!

Will your School Administration Help Fund Your Enrollment?

Copy our letter-writing template to request financial assistance from your Professional Learning budget! Financial assistance and payment plans are available. Please contact [email protected] for more information.

Copy Our Letter Template

Earn a DEL Teacher Certificate

As a DEL Institute participant, you will: 

  •  Receive extensive training in all aspects of the DEL Model
  •  Discover and refine your unique voice as a dance educator and artist
  •  Engage in an immersive laboratory learning experience
  •  Receive personalized one-on-one coaching from experts in the field
  •  Connect to a dedicated and passionate community of dance educators
  •  Design dynamic dance curricula that engages all learners
  •  Complete a final curriculum project to add to your professional portfolio
  • Apply the DEL model to your distinct teaching interests and contexts
"This experience was one that I was searching for the past five years. I wanted to find a way to connect my love for teaching and my passion for dance. I searched for a program that would allow me to grow as a dancer and gain more pedagogy as well. The DEL Institute provided exactly the right ingredients."
-DEL Institute Participant

DEL Institute Testimonials from Current Students

Meet DEL Professional Learning and Curriculum Senior Consultant

Ann Biddle

Ann Biddle M.A., has been a dance educator, staff developer, curriculum consultant, writer, and choreographer for the past 30 years. She is currently the DEL Professional Learning and Senior Curriculum Consultant. As the Founding Faculty of the Dance Education Laboratory (DEL) at the 92nd Street Y with Jody Arnhold (1994 to present) Ms. Biddle has designed and taught multiple courses for DEL including Foundations in Dance Education, DEL Essentials, Planet Dance-Multicultural Dance Education, Dancing in Early Childhood, Dance and Nature, Teaching from Transformation to Inspiration (Tina Curran), Dance and Literacy (Barbara Bashaw), Teaching Dance Technique, DEL: The Next Generation, the DEL Facilitators Training Program, Dance for Social Change, Hip Hop to the Top (Shakia Barron & Eli Kababa), Tracing Footsteps, and the DEL Essentials OPDI course for NDEO. Ms. Biddle has been a Dance Lecturer at UMASS/Amherst Dance Department, Mount Holyoke College, and Skidmore College. Read Ann’s full biography. 

Meet your DEL Institute Faculty

Banner Image Photo Credit: John Suhar