How your teacher shapes your path in dance education

Your dance teacher might be shaping your future in dance education more than you realise!

If you’ve ever walked out of a dance class feeling inspired, more confident, or excited for what’s next, there’s a good chance your RAD teacher had something to do with it. Our recent research shows that dance teachers don’t just shape you as a dancer — they influence who you become, the choices you make, and even whether you might step into their world one day. Many young people discover their passion for teaching because of the encouragement, example, and energy their own teacher shared with them, creating a powerful cycle that inspires the next generation of dancers and dance teachers.

Your teacher might see something in you

Sometimes your dance teacher sees qualities in you before you see them in yourself — your patience, creativity, leadership, or the way you encourage others. Those are the qualities of a future teacher.

Your teacher’s legacy will live through you. All those moments in class — the corrections, the encouragement, the “you’ve got this” — they stick with you. You take them into school, into your friendships, and into the choices you make about your future. And if you ever decide to teach one day, their influence grows even bigger by sharing what they once gave you.

You don’t have to become a professional dancer to have a career in dance education

Lots of young dancers dream of being on stage. But the truth is, not everyone becomes a professional performer — and that’s okay. Because some of the most impactful people in the dance world aren’t on stage at all.

They’re in the studio.
They’re teaching.
They’re caring, nurturing.
They’re inspiring the next generation.

Almost every dancer remembers the teacher who made them fall in love with dance — and, for many, the teacher who first sparked the idea that they could become a teacher one day too.

Recent studies into youth mentorship and creative education underline this truth: a passionate, skilled teacher can be the key factor in shaping a young person’s sense of identity, purpose, and career aspirations. That’s the impact of RAD excellence in dance education.

If you love dance, enjoy helping others, and get a buzz from seeing your friends improve, teaching could be the path where your passion shines the brightest.

Why teaching is an amazing career

Being a dance teacher is not a “backup plan, a plan B.” It’s a rewarding, creative, life-changing career where you:

• share your love of dance with others
• help people gain confidence and wellbeing
• become part of the global RAD teaching community
• help students discover their own passion for teaching too
• make a difference every single day.

And the best part? Many young teachers say their biggest inspiration was their own dance teacher — the person who shaped their dance education from the very start.

Where your dance education can lead

If the idea of teaching excites you — even a little — there are real pathways you can take at the RAD.

Starting Out

If you’re still early in your journey or just curious, there’s our Assistant Teacher Award (AsTA) and our Certificate in Dance Teaching (Ballet).
These are great first steps if you want to get experience, build confidence, and learn what teaching — and dance education — is all about.

Turn your passion into a degree

If you’re thinking ahead to university, RAD undergraduate degrees – BA (Hons) Ballet Education or BA(Hons) Dance Education – can turn your love of dance into a recognised qualification and a clear career path. You’ll learn how to teach, create, inspire, and lead.

Keep growing with postgraduate study

If you want to go even further, the Master of Arts in Education (Dance Teaching) lets you specialise and develop deep knowledge through research in your own practice — perfect for those who want to shape the future of dance education.

For professional dancers looking ahead

If you go on to become a professional dancer, the Professional Dancers’ Graduate Teaching Diploma offers an internationally respected RAD teaching qualification. You can study while performing, preparing for ‘what’s next’ when you step off the stage. Many dancers choose this route to stay connected to dance and to pass on their experience and passion.

A future in dance education is completely possible

Even if you don’t end up on stage, you can still build a meaningful, exciting, lifelong career in dance. And the RAD can support you every step of the way. You would join a huge global family of RAD teachers. It’s pretty amazing to think that your journey could become part of a chain that stretches across the world’s dance education community.

Discover all our programmes in our 2026/27 prospectus and see what a future in dance education might look for you!