Here at Blues Union, we strive to help people become better blues dancers. For some, that path leads to teaching, so we’ve created a training program!
On this page we’ve included our values and criteria, as well as an explanation of the training process. Enjoy!
Guiding Light:
This is what we love and what’s important to us; it’s what we’d like to see from current & future teachers at Blues Union, in their dancing and in their teaching:
- A basic understanding of and respect for blues dance history and its roots in Black/African-American culture. Part of this respect includes understanding the blues aesthetic.
- Dancing that is characterized by the blues aesthetic. This includes a grounded, relaxed posture, a pulse that reflects the baseline rhythm of the music, and a lag that echoes the “pocket” found in most blues music. For more details, see What is Blues Dancing.
- Respect for your partner & their creative ideas. Dancing where both partners give creative contributions, and those ideas are listened to and built upon between partners.
- A deep connection to the music. The music drives the choices you make as a dancer.
- An emphasis on (and ability to teach) both solo & partnered dancing.
- Continuing to work on your own dancing and a continual deepening of knowledge & understanding, through class planning, teaching, & otherwise. For yourself (and to instill in students), an excitement about learning and exploration!
We have four tiers of instructors:
- white belt – in training
- rainbow belt – trained to teach beginner classes
- brown belt – trained to teach intermediate+ classes
- black belt – can train other teachers
Teacher Training process:
If you haven’t taught blues dance before (or otherwise want to start from step 1), you’ll start with a self-assessment & discussion with Julie Brown, then 3 months of training with black belt instructors (doesn’t have to be consecutive). Follow up with Julie to learn more.
Experienced teacher intake process:
If you’re moving to Boston and already have experience teaching blues, we have a separate process for evaluating your existing blues dance teaching skills. The intake process involves a trial period where we observe your teaching. It may involve additional training & evaluation, depending on your existing skills. Contact Julie Brown or Jenn Martinez for details.