Dance Teacher - Academy of the Holy Cross - Kensington Maryland

Catholic Schools Office, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington•Kensington, MD

16h•Onsite

About The Position

The Dance Teacher is responsible for delivering a high-quality dance education program and supporting the school’s Fine Arts Department initiatives and overall Mission. This role requires a dynamic and engaging educator who can inspire and challenge students of all levels, choreograph multiple styles of dance (jazz, hip-hop, musical theatre, tap, modern/contemporary/lyrical), manage several classes and overlapping production timelines, and contribute to the overall success of the Fine Arts Department. The Dance Teacher also plays a vital role as the choreographer for our after school theatre productions and ‘Summer Stock’ performing arts camp. Enthusiasm for being a collaborative member of an extra-curricular theatre production team is highly preferred. This is a full time position with the potential for additional departmental leadership opportunities for highly qualified and experienced candidates. SCHOOL MISSION AND CORE VALUES: The Academy of the Holy Cross, a Catholic College preparatory school sponsored by the Sisters of the Holy Cross since 1868, is dedicated to educating young women in a Christ-centered community which values diversity. The Academy is committed to developing women of courage, compassion, and scholarship who responsibly embrace the social, spiritual and intellectual challenges of the world. All faculty and staff must demonstrate a commitment to the Core Values of the Academy: community, Catholic identity, academic excellence, educating the whole person, tradition, diversity, leadership, single-sex education, environment, and communication. About the Fine Arts Department The Fine Arts Department empowers students to develop courage, compassion, and scholarship through the arts. In classes, clubs, and extracurricular activities, students explore visual arts, theatre, public speaking, music, dance, and film. They develop technical skills, explore creative ideas, and express themselves while strengthening critical thinking, resilience, and collaboration. Whether in the studio, on stage, behind the camera, or in front of an audience, students develop the confidence and creativity to shape their own lives and the world around them. The skills developed through the arts prepare students for success not only in creative fields, but any path they pursue. Dance is one of our flagship programs at Holy Cross, with nearly one-third of the student body enrolling in a dance class in any given semester. Our Winter and Spring Dance Concert performances feature each semester’s dance classes, as well as the Adrenaline Dance Team (an audition-only club), and regularly sell out our 400-seat venue.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
Several years of experience teaching a variety of styles to dancers of all experience levels.
Expertise in several of the following dance styles: jazz, hip-hop, musical theatre, tap, modern, lyrical, ballet.
Must be able to stand, walk, and move actively for 6-8 hours per day.
Must be able to work in a loud, high-energy dance studio environment.
Must be able to demonstrate and model choreography, including turning, bending, stretching, jumping.
Must possess the physicality and stamina to dance along students for 3-4 minute dance routines.
Must have the vocal capacity to call out corrections or other verbal feedback during dance routines.
Must have the ability to lift and carry up to 25 lbs. to select, move, and organize dance costume bins.

Nice To Haves

BA/BFA or Masters in Dance, Dance Education, Musical Theatre, or a related field is preferred.
Candidates with a degree in another field and significant professional dance, dance education, or choreography experience are also encouraged to apply.
Extensive work with teenage dancers is highly preferred.
Experience as the director or lead choreographer for dance studio recitals or theatrical productions is a plus.
Candidates with Arts Administration or arts leadership experience may be considered for additional departmental leadership responsibilities.
Enthusiasm for being a collaborative member of an extra-curricular theatre production team is highly preferred.

Responsibilities

Teach four dance class sections per semester. Typically: Fall: Musical Theatre Dance, Jazz / Hip-Hop (2 sections), Modern Dance; Spring: Jazz / Hip-Hop (3 sections), Modern Dance
Choreograph two dances per class, plus a combined grand finale featuring all dancers.
Teach dances to classes on an appropriate timeline in preparation for dance concert week (and Open House in the fall semester).
Build in opportunities for students of all experience- and ability-levels to learn technique, improve coordination and flexibility, and experiment with movement approaches that serve as the foundation for bodily awareness and creative expression.
Monitor and record daily class attendance, and employ effective classroom management for dance classes of up to 24 students.
Provide students frequent feedback and coaching, and maintain a gradebook with an approach aligned with school-wide and departmental expectations.
Serve as the Director for two yearly dance concerts: Winter (late-November or early-December) and Spring (late-April).
Create line-up from dance classes, Adrenaline Dance Team numbers, and any special guest performers.
Select costumes from our Costume Loft, and coordinate the ordering of any additional needed items with Department Chair and Technical Director; manage fittings and costume organization for student dancers.
Collaborate with Technical Director on the selection and editing of dance concert songs and audio tracks.
Provide necessary information for the creation of Dance Concert posters and programs to dept. Chair.
Serve as the moderator and coach of AHC’s Adrenaline Dance Team, an auditioned group of generally 6-10 of the top dancers at AHC. Generally meets twice per week, Wednesdays and Thursdays after school until 4:00 PM. Mentor student-choreographers and supervise guest/alumnae choreographers as they work with Adrenaline Dance Team members.
Serve as faculty moderator for the National Honor Society for Dance Arts (NHSDA), mentoring student-members and providing/encouraging opportunities for dance education, advocacy, and service.
Serve as the Choreographer for one musical per school year (generally January through mid-to-late March). Rehearsal schedule for dance is generally 2-3 times per week, often 4-6:30 PM after dance team. Coordinate with Theatre Director on choreography needs and rehearsal schedule per show.
Opportunity for flexibility in work schedule during production weeks to respect a 40-hr work week (e.g., shifting start time on a given day to 10:00 AM if no first block class or Advisory responsibilities).
Attend and support (e.g., box office, house management, etc.) all other Fine Arts Department events.
Work our annual ‘Summer Stock’ Performing Arts Camp, a 2-week admissions-geared experience from mid to late June for students entering grades 6-10. Example dates: June 15 to June 26 (excluding weekends) for Summer Stock 2026. Camp Day: 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM; performance at 7:00 PM on the second Friday. Summer Stock adult staff receive separate stipends for working the two-week camp.
Maintain Dance Studio and Dance Costume Storage in Costume Loft.
Attend required department meetings, production meetings, admission events, and school-wide faculty meetings and/or professional development.
Serve as an Advisor for a group of approximately 15 students, and attend grade-level Advisor meetings.
Build school spirit and support the AHC community and admissions initiatives by teaching dances at select events such as Fine Arts Night for Middle School Students, freshmen orientation, Accepted Students Night.