Log In
March brings fresh, springlike momentum into the studio, so this month’s DT+ stories highlight thoughtful, joyful teaching. First up, we’re diving into a timely conversation on safe stretching practices—taking a closer look at how flexibility is taught and how we can better protect dancers’ long-term health without sacrificing artistry. March is also your chance to […]
Great teaching deserves to be recognized—and you can help. The 2026 Dance Teacher Awards nominations are now open! Each year, we honor outstanding dance educators for their contributions to the field. We’re looking for dance educators who: Dance educators of all kinds are eligible to receive the Dance Teacher Award, including those working in private […]
Join us in celebrating our 2025 Dance Teacher Award honorees on Tuesday, October 7th, at The Loft at City Winery in New York City. Doors open at 11 a.m., and the event will run from 11:30-1:30. Light refreshments will be served. Get your tickets here! The annual Dance Teacher Awards honor extraordinary educators for their […]
The Dance Teacher Awards provide an important opportunity to recognize dance educators who are making a mark in the field. Since the awards’ inception in 2003, the long list of honorees has grown to include luminaries like Judith Jamison, Jacques d’Amboise, Kay Mazzo and Risa Steinberg, and Jawole Willa Jo Zollar. This year, we’re excited […]
When one thinks of the legendary dancer Sylvia Waters, excellence, poise, and artistry are among the first attributes that come to mind. But in the classroom, her heart, brilliance, and spirit are what have elevated and inspired thousands of dancers. Selected by Alvin Ailey himself to join Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and later to […]
Roger Montoya believes teaching dance helps students gain lifelong skills centered in the creative development of the mind, body, and spirit. His organization, Moving Arts Española, serves the rural communities that make up his native northern New Mexico—areas hit particularly hard by the opioid crisis and where a large percentage of residents live in poverty. […]
“I’m kind of going to go off script for a minute,” Dianne Walker says within the first minute of our interview. With a chuckle, she adds, “Like I needed to preface that.” For a teacher who is as beloved worldwide for sharing stories as she is for sharing steps, it’s no surprise that she’s eager […]
“I love mistakes and confusion before we get to clarity and precision,” says dancer, choreographer, and dance teacher Lori Belilove. For her, the point of teaching dance is to “tap into the student’s artistic imagination.” Belilove is a direct heir of Isadora Duncan, whose students were Belilove’s teachers. Since 1989, she has been artistic director […]
Each summer, Dance Teacher celebrates educators who have made a profound impact in the field. Our 2025 Dance Teacher Award recipients are trailblazers, community-builders, and legacy-keepers whose influence in their students’ lives—and in the larger dance world—is deep and far-reaching. Stay tuned for the official announcement of this year’s honorees later this month, as well […]
On Friday nights in Burbank, California, street dancers of all ages and abilities pack into Mihran K. Studios to join in a cherished tradition. At the center of the class is Jackie “Miss Funk” Lopez and Leigh “Breeze-Lee” Foaad, the co-founders of Versa-Style Street Dance Company and legends of the Los Angeles dance community. The […]