Listening to Maks and Val Chmerkovskiy riff together makes it crystal-clear why each has mastered the art of partnering in the ballroom—they've long been doing this dance in real life as brothers and business partners. Along with their "Dancing with the Stars" pedigree (and a combined three mirror-ball trophies between them), Maks and Val (and their father, Sasha) also run Dance With Me, a dance company hosting six ProAm Dancesport competitions annually and running 14 brick-and-mortar studio locations across the U.S. Last year, the pair launched an online component, Dance & Co. The onlin ..read more

In the spring of 2012, Barry Kerollis was abruptly forced into treating his career as a small business. Having just moved cross-country to join BalletX, he got injured and was soon let go. "I'd only ever danced with big companies before," the now-freelance dance-teacher-choreographer-podcaster recalls. "That desperation factor drove me to approach freelancing with a business model and a business plan." As Kerollis acknowledges, getting the business of you off the ground ("you" as a freelance dance educator, that is) can be filled with unexpected challenges—even for the most seasoned of giggi ..read more

American dance educator Shannon Oleson was teaching recreational ballet and street-dance classes in London when the pandemic hit. As she watched many of her fellow U.S. friends pack up and return home from their international adventures, she made the difficult choice to stick with her students (as well as her own training—she was midway through her MFA at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance). Despite shutdowns and shelter-in-place orders, she was able to maintain a teaching schedule that kept her working with her dancers through Zoom, as well as lead some private, in-home acro cla ..read more

Whether you're in need of some wintertime inspiration or searching for new material for your classes, these six titles—ranging from personal stories, classroom materials, detailed essays and coursebooks—are worthy picks to add to your pedagogy bookshelf. Dance Education Resources For the Classroom, by Lindsay Blackburne Blackburne's book opens up her classroom to fellow middle school and high school teachers. Composed primarily of notes, assignments, forms and rubrics, the information is practical and applicable—you might end up using some of the forms yourself or allow the book to ins ..read more

The day that your class of young dancers learns they're going on pointe can be just as exciting for you as it is for them. It's gratifying to be able to announce that their—and your—hard work has led them to this milestone moment. But what if there's one student who's not as ready as her peers? The one who's not yet strong enough physically or technically, or whose foot structure may make pointework extra-challenging or dangerous? Having to deliver disappointing news is never easy, but there are ways to make the conversation positive and motivating. Set the Stage Lay out clear guidelines wel ..read more

The first time Courtney Schwartz assisted choreographer Talia Favia at a dance convention, Favia didn't even want her onstage, according to Schwartz. Favia was convinced she didn't need an assistant that week, and had told Artists Simply Human convention staff that Schwartz was welcome to take class from the floor. Somehow, the message wasn't relayed to Schwartz, who stepped onstage at the top of class and was met with a sharp look from the choreographer. Puzzled, she soldiered on in her standard assistant role, learning the combo for the first time with the class. Then, she heard Favia anno ..read more

An assistant is a teacher's secret weapon. They're an extension of the instructor's teaching style, a positive role model for students, and a key to maintaining class structure and order. But the role requires much more than just being a great dancer. An effective assistant must be highly responsible and creative, possess organizational and leadership qualities, and be able to take disciplinary action if necessary. "The assistant needs to be someone who's not selfish," says Denise Wall, co-owner of Denise Wall's Dance Energy in Virginia Beach, Virginia. "They need to be someone who pays atte ..read more

With the exception of heavy metal, Grace Buckley has choreographed to almost every genre of music—from pop to country, soulful indie rock to R&B. Buckley, who's been a New York City Dance Alliance faculty member since 2012, describes her tastes as a "mixed bag," with one caveat: She prefers lyrics. When she first started teaching at her hometown studio in Westchester County, New York, this instinct seemed unfounded and simplistic. "I used to feel that it wasn't creative to connect so literally to lyrics," says Buckley, "but there's a lot to be said to listening to what the artist is say ..read more

As a dance parent, you know that dance training can get expensive—and classes are only one piece of the pie. Factor in a pandemic, and an economy that has consistently seen about a million Americans filing for first-time unemployment benefits each week, and the financial burden can be entirely overwhelming. Whether a member of your household has lost income, or your dancer's training and performing is just adding up, what are your options? And should you involve your child in talks about money? Making It Work Talking about money is never easy, but Lindy Fabyanic, owner of Dance Conservatory ..read more

Odds are, there are families at your studio who are struggling financially. And if dance training ends up on their budget chopping block, doing what you can to keep students dancing doesn't just benefit them and their family, but your retention as a studio owner. But how do you offer financial support without breaking your own bank? According to these owners, who have maintained sizable scholarship programs at their studios for decades, the key is setting clearly defined parameters for scholarship families and thinking creatively when it comes to funding. How to make your scholarship program ..read more