The DEL Institute

You’re Invited to Join DEL’s Year-Long Teacher Certificate Program for Dance Educators Dedicated to Ongoing Professional Learning and Advancement in Dance Education

The 2023-24 DEL Institute Application is Now Open!

Apply Today!

Early-Bird Application: August 15–September 14, 2023 | $1,950

Regular Admission Application: September 15–October 16, 2023 | $2,250

All applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. You will receive confirmation of your acceptance into the DEL Institute via email communication from DEL Institute Director, Ann Biddle by no later than October 20th, 2023.

Partial financial assistance is available for qualifying applicants. Applications for financial assistance are due by no later than October 1, 2023.

Questions? Reach out to DEL Institute Director, Ann Biddle, at [email protected].

The DEL Institute Features:

Professional learning across the career continuum for everyone who teaches dance, from public school dance educators and college dance professors, dance studio teachers, to professional dancers and choreographers with an interest in community engagement.

High quality training from top experts in the field with years of experience teaching and facilitating professional development courses using the DEL model

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

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

DEL Institute Testimonials from Past Students

Earn a DEL Teacher Certificate

The DEL Teacher Certificate Program is offered in an asynchronous format and is equivalent to 200-course hours and 32 SUNY Empire State College credits.

Participants 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 online learning experience
  • Design dynamic dance lesson plans and units that engage all learners
  • Receive personalized one-on-one coaching and mentorship from experts in the field
  • Connect to a dedicated and passionate community of dance educators from across the country and the world
  • Complete a teaching practicum and final project to add to your professional portfolio
  • Enjoy DEL’s nationally acclaimed and expertly designed courses at a discounted rate
  • Apply the DEL Model to your distinct teaching interests and contexts

Our Curriculum

The DEL Institute Teacher Certificate program combines DEL’s diverse course offerings, individual coaching and mentoring, and peer cohort support with a customized practicum experience.

DEL Institute Teacher Certificate participants complete a series of seven consecutive courses which are offered asynchronously. Participants are expected to complete all assignments and engage in course content for approximately 3 to 4 hours per week.

The first course in the series is DEL Foundations (Nov 2023 – Feb 2024), a 12-week introductory course that provides an overview of the DEL Model. The six core content area courses run in consecutive order from February 2024 through November 2024, with breaks between each course.

DEL Institute participants will meet every other month as a cohort for the Cohort Seminars, including Orientation & Graduation. DEL Faculty visit the cohort seminar to share expertise in specialized topics related to dance and dance education.

One-on-one coaching sessions with DEL Institute Director, Ann Biddle, will guide the participant through the entirety of the Teacher Certificate Program and will provide valuable professional expertise and support. 

Participants will also receive personal mentoring with select DEL Faculty who will guide students through the DEL Teacher Certificate final project and practicum process.

The DEL Teacher Certificate Program culminates in a customized teaching practicum and final project scheduled for the Fall of 2024. Designed to enhance one’s professional portfolio in the field of dance education, each participant will work under the guidance of a DEL Mentor teacher to design, implement, and document a curricular project with students.

Download the full DEL Teacher Certificate brochure here

DEL Institute Certificate Pathways!

As part of the DEL Institute, we offer different DEL Teacher Certificate pathways, to meet your personal and professional schedule.

DEL Teacher Certificate Hybrid Pathway: 

The DEL Institute offers some options for in-person learning in lieu of asynchronous learning for participants who live within the tri-state area. Visit the DEL website (danceedlab.com) for a course schedule for 2023-2024.

DEL Teacher Certificate Alumni Pathway:  

DEL will waive some DEL Institute course requirements for DEL Alumni who have completed DEL courses between 2018 – 2023.

DEL Facilitators in Training (DEL FIT) Certificate:  

The DEL FIT program is an intensive professional development training designed for experienced dance educators interested in learning how to design and facilitate professional learning workshops based on the DEL model. The immersive training consists of four Zoom sessions and four modules of asynchronous learning led by DEL Founder, Jody Arnhold and Director, DEL Institute, Ann Biddle. DEL FIT is scheduled for the Spring of 2024.

Please email Ann Biddle [email protected] for more details about the Hybrid Pathway, Alumni Pathway, and the DEL FIT Certificate Program.

Photo credit: John Suhar

DEL Teacher Certificate Perks

  • One-on-one coaching and mentoring sessions with the DEL Institute Director, Ann Biddle, who will guide the student through the entirety of the certificate program and provide valuable professional support and expertise
  • Access to high-quality curricular materials such as lesson plans, dance units, and extensive resources for the dance classroom
  • Peer feedback/cohort engagement during the entire DEL Teacher Certificate experience
  • Customized DEL practicum and supervision (synchronous via zoom or in person) either at the participant’s home school or at a designated site with a DEL dance mentor
  • Free access to DEL synchronous courses and events throughout the 2023-24 academic year
  • Ongoing professional learning and support
  • Opportunity to earn the DEL Facilitators in Training (DEL FIT) advanced professional learning certificate
"My biggest takeaway from the DEL Institute program was learning how to really engage children, create a safe and inclusive learning space, and learn to be flexible to reach all learners based on their various interests and backgrounds."
DEL Institute Participant, 2022

Invest in Professional Advancement

$1,950 Early-bird discount rate: Aug 15 – Sept 14, 2023

$2,250 Regular admission rate: Sept 15 – Oct 16, 2023

In order to provide individualized support for DEL Institute participants, enrollment is limited to 28 participants divided into two cohorts.

Click Here to Apply!

Need-based scholarships and payment plans are available.

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 DEL Director, Erin Lally for more information: [email protected]

Copy Our Letter Template

Meet the DEL Institute Director

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 Director of the Dance Education Laboratory (DEL) Institute for Professional Learning and Advancement and the Director of DEL at Jacob’s Pillow. 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