Job Type: Independent Contractor 

 

About the Organization

Dance Project of Washington Heights (DPWH) is home to an ever-growing community of young dance students, adult professional dancers, and various other artists passionate about dance, dance-making, and arts education. DPWH currently serves over 3500 students of different ages, backgrounds, cultures, and socio-economic status. In addition, we make our space available to other dancers, choreographers and arts groups - furthering our reach beyond our direct student base. 

 

The mission of Dance Project of Washington Heights is to remove barriers to dance education and to build community through dance. We believe the art of dance is transformative for individuals and communities. There should be no barriers to everyone experiencing the magic that dance holds, so we work to remove the barriers that do exist. In our efforts to remove such barriers, all of our kids' classes are Pay-What-You-Can. 

 

Full Job Description

We are seeking a social justice-focused, dedicated, and enthusiastic teaching artist who specializes in teaching West African dance and drumming, Caribbean, or other Afro styles for kids and adults. We are seeking teaching artists who are highly trained and immersed in their styles, who value both strong technique, play, and positive classroom management. The perfect candidate will have experience working with children aged 4-adult.  This position has plenty of opportunities for growth as the instructor will have their own classes to conduct at Dance Project of WH with a possibility of additional outreach classes and events. 

 

We are committed to inclusion, and require teachers who embrace the opportunity to include students of all learning styles and needs. Participation in periodic faculty meetings and various training is required. We are seeking a commitment starting this September and continuing  through at least the end of the academic year (June 2026), preferably longer. 

 

All faculty and staff will receive training on trauma-informed teaching practices, anti-racism training, LGBTQ sensitivity training, and ongoing opportunities for other professional development. 

 

Basic Qualifications of the Dance Instructor:

Dance teaching experience with children aged 4+

Ability to communicate to diverse audiences and communities through movement and dance

 

Compensation and Benefits

 

This is an independent contractor position . Compensation for this position is per hour, commensurate with experience, and negotiable. 

 

How to Apply 

 

To apply, please send your cover letter and resume to HeatherG@danceprojectwh.org. Indicate in the subject heading: “Dance Instructor Opening– Your Name.” No phone calls please. 

 

Dance Project of Washington Heights celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive, diverse environment for all employees. We seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. We are especially interested in maintaining a staff that is reflective of the diversity of our student body and participating families. DPWH is an Equal Opportunity Employer.