Program History
The International Dance Teaching Standards (IDTS) was formed in 2006 in British Columbia Canada through a collaboration of dance education professionals seeking a higher standard of educational expectation for dance teachers. While all modules are valuable for teachers of every experience level, our program is divided into three sections. The module one course concentrates on core teaching concepts that are crucial for teacher development such as anatomy, injury prevention, skill acquisition, classroom management and competetive dance issues. The module two course ladders on these core topics and adds additional topics relative to more advanced teachers such as nutrition and weight management concerns, dance history, biomechanics and music theory. The module three program focusses on the business side of the dance industry and is for the more career focusses instructor, topics include business management, marketing, advanced choreography, teaching reflection and career practices.The topics taught at each level range based on their significance of importance with a bottom up approach. Built on the strong foundation of The Canadian Dance Standards, our name changed in 2010 when the new name became fitting as the majority of our registered teachers were from abroad. The IDTS now has graduated students worldwide in thirty-three different countries. Our in person courses are taught in a collaborative manner; the collective experience of the attending group is cultivated. Topics, theories and ideas are presented to teachers and the collective team discusses these topics to strategize solutions for implementation. Our anatomy unit is taught with scientific grade life sized anatomical models and skeletal figures for a more realistic and memorable approach to studying muscles, joints and physical structures. Our program teachers are required to meet extensive credential standards and have years of experience teaching dance at the studio level. Our teachers understand the needs of dance teachers at all levels in the industry.