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 AAPI, BIPOC, and Latinx public school students and communities without dance and education. MDD 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 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 English Language 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 and MDD 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 public elementary school 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 to benefit our AAPI, BIPOC and Latinx students, families and communities.
Successfully teaching under-resourced PreK-5 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.
A Master’s degree or equivalent is a plus.
Bilingual Spanish or other multilingual skills with native fluency a plus.

Compensation:

This is a part-time hourly permanent position with payroll benefits (W-2) to begin immediately. Compensation is competitive with NYC arts education organizations. Benefits include: paid professional development, paid disability payroll deduction, and travel reimbursement. Special projects, rehearsal space, and New York City, national, and international networking opportunities for your professional artistic growth are additional benefits to working on MDD’s team. This is a growth position with potential to advance within the organization. Successful candidates are dance professionals who seek permanent part-time employment with an established New York City dance organization with a research-based and evidence-based dance education program targeting Title I elementary schools.

Application Instructions:

Qualified candidates should email a 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

Complete applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis until available positions are 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.