Adaptive Dance Teacher (Special Needs / Inclusive Dance)

Job Description

Job Description

Opening for 2026-2027 Season
Building Connections Dance Teacher (Special Needs/Adaptive Dance)

Dance Connection is seeking a compassionate and skilled instructor to teach weekly classes for our Building Connections program - adaptive dance classes designed for students with special needs and varying abilities. Our performing arts schools have an emphasis on excellence and love for the art of dance, and we believe every dancer deserves a place to move, grow, and shine. This role centers on making that belief real for students who benefit from an adaptive, individualized approach.

With locations in Islip and Bay Shore, we serve dancers throughout both Suffolk and Nassau counties. We pride ourselves on fostering a sense of teamwork among our teachers, operating with a professionally managed office and administrative staff, and offering many opportunities for growth to all the artists that work for us.

About the Building Connections Program:
Building Connections offers dance instruction adapted for students with a range of physical, cognitive, sensory, and developmental needs. Classes emphasize inclusion, confidence, self-expression, and joy, with movement and pacing tailored to each dancer. The ideal teacher creates a warm, patient, structured, and encouraging environment where every student can participate meaningfully and celebrate their own progress.

Availability: We are looking for a teacher with weekly Sunday availability from 9:00am-12:00pm at our Islip location. Classes run from September 2026 through June 2027.

Requirements:

• A love of teaching and a genuine passion for making dance accessible to students of all abilities.
• Experience working with individuals with special needs, whether in dance, education, therapeutic, or caregiving settings (adaptive dance or inclusive movement experience strongly preferred).
• Patience, empathy, and the ability to adapt lesson plans to meet diverse and individual student needs.
• Effective classroom management skills, of both students and assistant teachers, including the ability to create a calm, safe, and supportive environment.
• Comfort communicating and collaborating with parents, caregivers, and support staff.
• Written and verbal communication skills.
• Professional, organized, proactive, and friendly attitude.
• Ability to utilize the internet and email.
• While our teachers are free to hold employment elsewhere, we require exclusivity from dance studios within a 10-mile radius of our location, unless otherwise approved.
• A high school diploma or G.E.D. is required.
• Hands-on experience in both dance instruction and special education is required.
• A Bachelor's or Master's degree in Special Education, therapeutic recreation, or a related field is a plus, but not required.