TEACHING ARTIST IN DANCE & CREATIVITY

                        Part-Time Position Description

Mark DeGarmo Dance is a leading not-for-profit organization founded in 1987 as Dynamic Forms, Inc. MDD has produced over 100 dances and multiple international tours involving cultural diplomacy and exchange with 13 countries. Our education programs target under-resourced and disenfranchised NYC Title I PreK-5 BIPOC public school students and communities without adequate highest-level dance and arts education. The organization currently serves up to 500 students and 30 classroom teachers in 5 public elementary schools in 4 NYC boroughs and reaches over 90,000 individuals annually across all programs. 

 

We seek outstanding results-oriented dance teaching artists experienced working in New York City’s Title I BIPOC PreK-5 NYC public schools across Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens. The position is an excellent opportunity for passionate, effective, and skilled teaching artists to grow their professional teaching work over the longer term. Teaching Artists in Dance & Creativity will report to the Executive & Artistic Director, Dr. Mark DeGarmo with support from MDD administrative and teaching artist staff.

Responsibilities:  

Participate in Mark DeGarmo Dance’s annual, paid Professional Learning Program.

Design and organize age-appropriate skills-based and interdisciplinary programs of study (16 lessons) grounded in Dance and the elementary curricula. 

Write projected and actual lesson plans, meeting notes and evaluations.

Implement MDD’s PreK-5 curricula.

Facilitate collaborative team teaching with classroom teachers. 

Create a safe and inclusive learning environment.

Engage all PreK-5 students, including Students with Disabilities and Multi-Lingual Learners.

Guide students expertly through a dance learning process leading to outstanding final sharings and performances grounded in NYC DOE Blueprint for Dance (to which DeGarmo contributed).

Support Mark DeGarmo Dance's vision, mission, core values and programs. 

Be an ambassador for MDD and our programs in the field with our BIPOC communities.

 

Key Attributes: 

Experienced

Experienced in developing and channeling group dynamics for positive learning outcomes.

Experienced and conversant in relational and restorative justice classroom management approaches with and for BIPOC students.

Successfully teaching under-resourced PreK-5 BIPOC students in disenfranchised NYC Title 1 public schools and communities. 

Teaching age-appropriate creative movement, dance skills, student self-directed improvisation and composition, and interdisciplinary inquiry projects during and after school. 

Integrating learning standards and arts blueprints. 

Highly motivated and motivating. 

Open to learning and professional critique to improve practice and problem-solve in the field. 

 

Committed 

Demonstrates child-centered teaching and learning methods.

Serving students, teachers and communities similar to ours.

Using differentiated and culturally responsive instruction. 

Continually improving practice. 

Supporting an organizational vision, mission, core values and programs similar to ours. 

 

Artistic Excellence 

Dance education grounded in professional artistry. 

Choreography, improvisation, pedagogy, world dance forms and performance.

International and intercultural exchange and communication. 

 

Education 

Higher education degree. 

Certifications of relevant learning.

 Professional experience equivalent to credentialing. 
 

Professional

Punctual; attention to detail and deadlines. 

Empathic with strong classroom management. 

Excellent communication and conflict resolution skills.

Creative problem solving and professional responsiveness-in-action. 

 

Qualifications:

Two to five years plus in dance education with at least one year teaching in similar communities.

Experience with NYC dance, dance education and youth services organizations desired but not required.

Master’s degree or equivalent a plus.

Bilingual Spanish or other multilingual skills with native fluency a plus. 

 

Compensation: 

This is a 1- to 3-day per week artistic staff (W-2) position with payroll benefits to begin immediately. Compensation is competitive with NYC arts education organizations. Benefits include: paid professional development, paid disability payroll deduction, and travel reimbursement. This is a growth position with potential to advance within the organization. Candidates are expected to be working dance professionals, to have other means of employment and to be seeking seasonal work, as this is not a fulltime position. 

 

Application Instructions:

Qualified candidates should email cover letter with availability through August 2023; résumé; three professional references, including from direct teaching supervisors; video links of artistic and preK-5 in-person teaching work; and sample syllabus with overview of 10 lessons minimum and 1-3 lessons in detail. Optional materials include: schedule of teaching for observation.

Email materials to: search@markdegarmodance.org

Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.
MARK DEGARMO DANCE IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, national origin, marital status, religion, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, personal appearance, family responsibilities, political affiliation, or enrollment in a college, university, technical school, or adult education. All inquiries are kept confidential.