The Baltimore School for the Arts seeks a Dance Department Head (Teacher-level position) to begin in August 2022. The title for this position will be Dance Department Head.
The Dance Department Head is the artistic director and educational leader of BSA’s dance program and has primary responsibility for envisioning and implementing educational and performance programming in the dance department.
The BSA Search committee, made up of members of the BSA Board of Trustees, faculty, alumni, parents, and artists, seeks a department head who will ensure that BSA will provide excellent, relevant dance training to its 100 high school dance students and 300 pre-high school students in our TWIGS program.
THE POSITION:
DANCE DEPARTMENT HEAD
(TEACHER-LEVEL POSITION)
BSA’s Dance Department Head leads a pre-professional dance training program that serves a diverse student body, largely drawn from Baltimore City. BSA’s students are selected through an audition for the dance program, many being new to intensive dance training.
This person will be responsible for the High School dance program and the TWIGS dance program. The High School program is part of a full school day, with a minimum of 3 hours of dance instruction per day. This training program features frequent visits of professional choreographers and college dance faculty. The Department Head selects and coordinates the work of the guest artists. The Dance Department Head will also teach classes and choreograph works for the dancers in the High School program.
The TWIGS program, free to 2nd through 8th grade Baltimore City residents, is an after-school and Saturday program with class time ranging from 1 hour to 3 hours per week. TWIGS dance students are involved in several large-scale dance productions each year.
The dance program offers a rigorous, physically demanding program modeled on real-world expectations for today’s young dancers. The program features intensive technique as well as auditionbased performance opportunities. A comprehensive curriculum of classes in traditional ballet and modern technique prepares students for advanced college-level dance programs, as well as for future work with professional dance companies – both modern and ballet – and theatrical, television or film productions.
Baltimore School for the Arts | Dance Department Head Search
The Dance Department Head is responsible for organizing the program’s curriculum, schedule, and staff. The administrative work required for this position is balanced by creative performance and teaching opportunities. The training ranges from beginning classes for elementary students to upperlevel classes and productions that involve professional orchestras and masterworks of the dance repertoire. Many graduates of this dance program will be qualified for the most selective post-secondary dance training programs. Mentoring students as they progress is central to this role.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
● Strong training and experience as a dance professional
● Knowledge of and connection to the professional dance world
● Strong evidence of successful teaching in a dance program
● Strong evidence of progressive leadership of an art or educational program
● Demonstrated interpersonal and communication skills as well as the ability to bring diverse
constituencies together to support a common mission
● Respect for the value of public education and the understanding of the challenges of working in apublic school system
● Bachelor’s degree in education or related field from an accredited college or university; Master’s degree preferred
● Eligibility for Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) Standard Professional
Certificate, Advanced Professional Certificate or MSDE Conditional Certificate
More about the Position Here
