How do you get yourself into teaching in a scene where there are already a lot of teachers and places to do balboa?

Do you live in scene that already has lots of balboa teachers and dancers? Lucky duck! Here are some suggestions to get started in an already established scene:

Find a mentor.

Find another teacher in your scene that will mentor you or a more experienced teacher who will co-teach with you to give you practice teaching.

Seek out informal opportunities.

Group practice sessions can be a good opportunity for new teachers to get practice teaching in an informal setting. Try teaching at a house party of free event.

Offer something new.

Look at what other teachers are offering and come up with new class content. Consider specialized classes like follower footwork, strengthening connection, slow bal, or pure balboa rhythms. What are your strengths and what are the needs of your scene?

Market yourself.

Explain your credentials and what you have to offer students. What can you offer that is different from other instructors? Get yourself some business cards!

Look for leadership opportunities.

Get involved in organizing in your scene. Chances are that opportunities for teaching will appear and promoters will start looking at you as someone who might be ready to teach.

Build your resume.

Continue to attend classes and strengthen your skills. Look for opportunities to perform and compete. Start building a resume that can compete with other local instructors.

Recruit students from outside the scene.

Try recruiting teachers from outside the current dance scene. Advertise your classes by having a “bal bomb” at a public place. Have your fliers ready. Use a Facebook advertisement to reach new potential students. Put out posters or fliers in public locations.