RECENT NEWS
Technique Placement Class
Our next placement class for students interested in taking technique classes and who are not placed at a level will be on Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 5pm in studio 322. Registration is not required.
Undergraduate Dance Audition:
Our next audition for prospective dance majors will be on April 3, 2010. Registration for the audition is required and interested students should submit a completed Audition Request Form to the Department. The registration deadline for the April 3, 2010 audition is Friday, March 26, 2010.
Department of Dance
Public School Dance Teaching
Many UNCG graduates have found satisfying careers as dance educators in public schools. For many years, there have been many more jobs available than there have been licensed teachers to fill them. UNCG has a program approved by the state for recommending students for public school teaching in dance. Like all other teacher licensure programs in all subjects, UNCG is currently “revisioning” its requirements to better prepare teachers for 21st century schools. These will be in effect for students entering in Fall, 2010. In the meantime, the following requirements for dance education licensure are in place (The DCE courses below can also count as requirements for the major):
*DCE 231, 216 or 316, 241, 353, 458, 461, 463, 546, 557
*DCE 114 or higher (note that a grade of B in DCE 212 is a prerequisite for DCE 458)
*LIS 120, HEA 201, ELC 381, CUI 450, CUI 535
Recommended: CUI 545, DCE 417, DCE 230
Note that the sequence of dance education courses culminating with student teaching (546, 557, 458, 461/463) requires a minimum of two years to complete.
In addition to coursework, students must apply and be admitted to Teacher Education and Student Teaching; see the Teachers Academy website (www.uncg.edu/ted) for details.
Students seeking licensure should contact the undergraduate dance education coordinator, Melinda Waegerle (mhwaeger@uncg.edu).
IMPORTANT: Students planning to get licensed and graduate in four years should take the following DCE content courses no later than the semester indicated (Failure to do so will delay graduation):
Sophomore year, spring: DCE 217, 241, 205
Junior year, fall: DCE 253, 305
Junior year, spring: DCE 353, 505
What about Lateral Entry Teaching in Dance?
North Carolina public schools can hire teachers with a college degree who do not have a teaching license. They have a maximum of three years to complete licensure requirements (sometimes less, depending on the school) while teaching full-time. About one-third of all North Carolina teachers are currently entering the profession this way. School systems do not ordinarily cover the cost of taking additional courses.
Once teachers are hired, they may seek initial licensure offered through North Carolina’s Regional Alternative Licensure Centers for Lateral Entry teachers. If this is your goal, we recommend that you select these courses as part of your undergraduate degree requirements:
DCE 546 and DCE 557, followed by DCE 365 (note g.p.a requirements for this practicum course)
CUI 450, CUI 535, CUI 545
We also strongly encourage you to take these additional courses to help you be better prepared as a dance educator: LIS 120, HEA 201, ELC 381, DCE 230, DCE 353, DCE 417. Further, we strongly recommend that you attain the highest level possible in contemporary dance and other dance forms.
Please know that the state is subject to changing its requirements at any point, so we recommend that you check with Melinda Waegerle (mhwaeger@uncg.edu) on a regular basis regarding changes to these requirements. The NC Department of Public Instruction website is an important guide for requirements for licensure, including minimum gpa requirements (currently 2.5; see http://www.ncpublicschools.org/).
What if I want to teach in another state?
Licensure is regulated by states. Not all states offer licensure in Dance or jobs for dance educators. For those that do, many of them will offer a license to those who have been licensed by UNCG because our teacher education programs have been accredited by NCATE, a national accrediting body in teacher education. Check with the state that you are interested in to be sure.