Dance teachers for different age groups

In the state sector it is rare that a teacher is qualified and employed to teach in Nursery, Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, University and 3rd Age education. It is standard practice for most teachers in the education sector to pursue a career in one specific area. Not so dance teachers in the private sector. They are expected to teach all the age groups with equal confidence and competence. Surprisingly some of them actually manage to achieve this although I would suggest that if truth be told the majority are far more comfortable teaching one specific age or ability group. Teaching some classes can present a teacher with a weekly nightmare!It might be a class of adults, teenagers or the under fives or a combination of any of the three. Newly qualified teachers starting out in their careers who are at first simply trying to earn a living seldom have the luxury of choice in the matter. As feelance teachers they will often teach anywhere and to any age group.
It has been my privilege to travel around the UK and abroad teaching the Lafour Prima Dance syllabus. In my travels I have come across many people who do not possess the required physical demonstration and knowledge of dance technique to teach dance at an advanced technical level. They do however possess an acceptable standard of personal dance performance and a natural rapport with young children. These qualities in combination with a syllabus on which they can depend and a training programme which instructs and inspires almost guarantees that they become excellent communicators of dance to early years.