Cora Dance seeks a part-time Youth Advancement Programs Director to provide educational, directorial, and administrative leadership within the education team. The YAPD will serve as the lead modern dance teacher; direct and administrate two levels of CYC/Cora Youth Company - middle and high school repertory companies chosen by audition - and provide family and student leadership within CYC’s Advancement & Extension Programs: professional performance, apprenticeship, and internship opportunities and training offered to CYC dancers and their families. The role combines creative work in the studio with administrative leadership in an intimate, collaborative environment of deeply engaged staff, artists, educators, and families.

Cora demonstrates exceptional cooperation and diversity at all levels of the organization. Candidates should be comfortable working in an organization that places equal focus on transformative art, exceptional training, and deeply personalized engagement with families from a wide range of demographics. Strong candidates must be experienced dance educators; possess lived experience working in diverse settings that address equity; and be passionate, detail-oriented, highly-motivated collaborators with a sincere desire to work cooperatively with youth, parents, community partners, faculty, and staff. 

Creative Responsibilities:

     – Direct and manage the CYC/Cora Youth Company - a repertory group of 6-15 dancers age 11-18 - facilitating the annual audition; leading weekly rehearsals; directing choreography by guest artists, faculty and/or setting choreographic work; and overseeing contract compliance, logistics, booking, communication, and administration related to CYC programming;

     – Teach four levels of Modern Dance technique to students ages 7-18, some of whom participate in the CYC program and/or will be eligible to audition;

     – Under the direction of the Artistic Director, serve as the Rehearsal Director for additional rehearsals for CYC students apprenticing with the professional company;

     – Attend all CYC and major education-related performances, events, and workshops locally and on tour. (Cora’s most advanced CYC students apprentice with the professional company and tour quarterly out-of-state. 3-5 days of quarterly travel may be required. Additional compensation, accommodations, and travel provided.);

     – Assist faculty in securing substitutes in case of an emergency and, at times, serve as the substitute if an outside sub cannot be secured.

 

Administrative and Production-Related Responsibilities:

     – Work collaboratively and engage regularly with the education team including the Artistic Director, Programs Manager, General Manager, After-Care Associates, faculty, and teaching assistants, to provide quality youth advancement programming and assist in the development and implementation of new education-related programs as needed;

     – Lead the education, administrative, and production teams in producing CYC events including live performances, virtual events, auditions, youth company concerts, informal showings, community showcase events, fundraising events, and the like;

     – Conduct observations and site visits to ensure successful teaching, correct placement of students, address concerns or impediments to student progress;

     – In collaboration with the education team, provide peer-led professional development, follow-up, and/or resource assistance as needed;

     – Communicate and meet with CYC families, individually and in groups, as needed to ensure they remain consistently engaged and informed of activity and have proficiency with Cora’s communication and management platforms;

     – Attend episodic outreach opportunities and events related to Cora Dance education and youth advancement programs to help ensure awareness of the programs offered to the community;

     – Maintain relationships with Cora’s team of volunteer social workers, physical therapists, legal aid team, housing specialists, and the like as needed to meet the individualized needs of youth advancement programs dancers;

     – Generate CYC related content for monthly education newsletters and other printed marketing materials related to educational programming;

     – Stay actively aware of new practices, significant artists, and influences in the dance field, and provide guidance to faculty, staff, students, and families to keep the programs relevant and current within the dance community;

     – Assist in hiring candidates for available positions within the education department including faculty, teaching assistants, guest artists as needed.

 

Other Responsibilities:

     – Cora Dance’s In-Studio programs are youth-centered. While there is ample staff to directly supervise students, at times, occasional assistance with the supervision of young children may be necessary during program hours;

     – Attend all required program meetings and events;

     – Be willing to grow with the needs of the department and its members.

 

Qualifications:

     – Required:

           – Bachelor’s degree in dance or related field and/or at least 4 years of experience in dance education as an educator and/or youth company director.

           – Excellent written and oral communication skills.

           – Occasional lifting of objects up to 30 lbs and traveling up and down a set of stairs.

           – Fully vaccinated against COVID-19*.

     – Strongly preferred:

           – Bilingual in English/Spanish.

           – Experience in social work, youth development, and/or social justice engagement.

           – Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of the dynamics and issues facing NYCHA residents.

           – Valid driver’s license.

This posting is intended to describe essential job functions and requirements and is not an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. Cora Dance is an equal employment opportunity employer dedicated to maintaining an inclusive and equitable work environment and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other legally protected class. Cora Dance is committed to creating a dynamic work environment that values community, teamwork, creativity, understanding, and appreciation. People of color, women, LGBTQ individuals and people with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply. *Cora Dance employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, unless the employee cannot be vaccinated on the basis of disability or religious beliefs.

 

Compensation & Schedule:

     – $34,000-$37,000 annually, commensurate with experience; salaried; part-time (28 hours per week).

     – Must be available 2-7:30pm Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays with additional hours adjustable for administrative work and attendance at episodic evenings and/or weekend events.

     – Paid time off:

           – 3 weeks vacation: 2 full weeks in July and 1 full week in December at predetermined dates. 

           – Cora is closed on all federal holidays.

 

Please send a cover letter addressed to the General Manager and your resume to jobs@coradance.org with Youth Advancement Programs Director in the subject line by Tuesday, May 10, 2022. Position begins July 18, 2022 with paid training in the last two weeks of June.

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ABOUT CORA DANCE

Founded in 1998, Cora Dance began as the NYC-based professional modern dance company of choreographer and educator Shannon Hummel. For 25 years in NYC, Hummel’s work has been continually acclaimed for its humble sophistication and unflinching emotion, garnering high praise from critics, presenters, and community leaders as a “rare gem” (The New York Times).  Cora incorporated as a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization in 2001 and expanded in 2009, opening a sliding scale studio in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Rooted in a community that serves as home to Brooklyn’s largest NYCHA public housing community surrounded by affluent waterfront, Cora committed to providing equal access to programs while using dance as a catalyst for community intersection. From its beginning, the studio served as a home for the professional company and a pay-what-you-can school for dance, offering exceptional training while addressing disparities that restrict engagement. Turning no one away based on ability to pay, NYCHA, Section-8, and unhoused families receive priority enrollment, and SEA/Supporting Equal Access Services – after-school pick-up; childcare; free food, dance attire, and shoes; among other services – help ensure equitable experiences. As a result of Cora’s continued growth, CYC/Cora Youth Company – an audition-based repertory company for students age 10-18 – was formed in 2011 to offer select advanced students opportunities to learn and perform the works of professional choreographers while having access to counseling services; parent workshops; internships; paid professional work opportunities; and audition/application assistance to MS/HS/College programs. To date, 90% of CYC students have gained entry into their top choice of college, most on scholarship.

Cora Dance continued to grow and, in 2018, opened a larger facility in Red Hook to accommodate the increased demand for equitable and accessible arts programs. Remaining home to the company and school – now serving 600+ students per year, over 80% attending free or reduced tuition – the space also enjoyed  pre-professional CYC/Cora Youth Companies,  satellite programs, guest/resident artists, sliding scale space rental, a studio-theater, and presentation of 20+ live events annually, including Red Hook Community Prom, an annual pay-what-you-can high-school prom-themed dance party.

In 2020, as programs in NYC were diminished due to COVID-19, Cora expanded on its 25 years of episodic rural programming to establish a residency and office space in Clifton Forge, VA. Desiring to mirror the programs and practices of its Red Hook center in a rural “Cora South” hub, professional company work and weekly pay-what-you-can dance education programs will launch in January 2023 with expanded opportunities for urban and rural youth to intersect via The Crossroads Project, a transformative initiative using dance to create connections between rural and urban youth across America. Presently, Cora is restoring programs that were reduced during the pandemic in its Red Hook home – rehiring and growing staff and faculty positions while growing its presence in VA and WV – and predicts a return to full programming by 2024. For information, visit www.coradance.org or call 718-858-2520.