April 20, 2026
NDI seeks Assistant Dance Teaching Artists to join our team in NYC Public Schools for the 2026–27 school year!
National Dance Institute (NDI) is looking for dance educators and experienced performing artists who are ready to grow into the art of teaching — and who want to do it inside one of the most rigorous, supported, and dynamic dance education programs in the country.
Working as an NDI Teaching Artist is a rare opportunity in dance education. It provides reliable, structured work across the full school year. When you join NDI, you can count on a consistent schedule of work — typically three to four days per week — from October through June.
This is not a solo teaching role. Every NDI class is led by a team of three professional Teaching Artists: a Lead Dance Teaching Artist, an Assistant Dance Teaching Artist, and a Musician/Accompanist. NDI staff handles school relationships and administrative coordination, so you can focus on lesson planning and teaching. Teaching artists who have worked at other organizations consistently describe the level of mentorship, coaching, and day-to-day support at NDI as unlike anything they have experienced elsewhere in their careers.
Who We're Looking For
We are looking for teaching artists with a developed performance career — whether through professional company work, touring, dance captaining, sustained freelance performance, or significant professional training. Performance fluency, versatility across dance styles, and the ability to pick up movement quickly are essential, as the NDI Method requires artists to bring that artistry and dynamism into their teaching. Prior in-school or studio-based teaching experience is highly preferred.
Specifically, we encourage Dance Teaching Artists to apply who:
Are strong, versatile performers with well-developed dance content knowledge across multiple styles
Bring dynamism, theatricality, and an engaging presence into the room
Are as passionate about the art of teaching as they are about dancing
Possess confident, positive classroom management skills
Will commit to creating inclusive, culturally responsive learning environments where children of all abilities can belong, participate, and succeed
Thrive in a collaborative team dynamic
Are ready to commit to a full school year with an eye toward growing into a full-time, lead teaching role
Teaching artists who can teach in multiple languages, including Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Arabic, and American Sign Language, are strongly encouraged to apply.
Job Responsibilities
Assist NDI programs in partner schools by working alongside a Lead Dance Teaching Artist and a Musician/Accompanist:
Planning and teaching weekly classes
Attending planning meetings with partner school educators
Mounting culminating performances
Learn to teach using the NDI Method by participating in required and paid professional development:
Three-day fall retreat
Teaching Artist workshops held every other month during the school year
All-staff equity trainings
Complete a self-assessment and development goals with an NDI mentor
Minimal required administrative work:
Maintain an NDI email account and communicate promptly and professionally
Submit digital timesheets every other week, adhering to deadlines
Compensation
First-year NDI Teaching Artists are hired on a part-time basis at a rate of $50 per class. Classes typically run 45 to 50 minutes, and we schedule no fewer than three classes in succession at any partner school, meaning a single school day generates $150 or more in predictable, plannable income.
NDI commits to its teaching artists for the full school year. This is reliable, structured work, not short-term or project-to-project cycles that define most freelance teaching artist positions.
Additional compensation includes:
Paid summer training: NDI Level One Intensive Training (July 27–August 7), $2,000 total (1st year of employment)
Paid fall retreat: $150/day for three days ($450 total)
Professional development paid at your teaching rate
Yearly stipend for out-of-school time planning for each school assignment
Additional compensation for evening performances and special projects
Paid sick leave
Eligibility for pay increases upon continuous employment
Professional Development
The NDI Method is a distinctive and acclaimed teaching methodology rooted in joyful, rigorous learning, teamwork, and the power of performance. Learning to teach in the NDI Method is a professional credential that opens doors across the dance education field.
If hired, your training begins immediately. The NDI Level One Intensive is two weeks of in-person training with real students present each morning. You will observe, teach, and receive coaching in real time as part of a cohort. It is rigorous and transformative. Throughout the school year, you will receive ongoing one-on-one mentorship and coaching from NDI master educators, participate in workshops every other month, and grow inside a community of teaching artists who hold each other to a high standard.
Qualifications and Requirements
Ability to make a solid commitment to teaching during the school day, three to four days per week, for the duration of the school year (early October to mid-June)
Reliability and punctuality
Ability to travel within all of NYC's boroughs
Must be currently authorized to work in the United States for any employer (no visa sponsorship available)
Successful completion of fingerprinting and a background check with the NYC Department of Education (paid for by NDI)
NDI is dedicated to building and sustaining an equitable and inclusive workplace where people of diverse backgrounds can contribute and thrive. In order to fulfill our mission, NDI maintains a highly qualified workforce that represents the rich diversity of the children, families, and communities we serve. We are committed to removing barriers to opportunity and strongly encourage people from historically marginalized and underrepresented groups to apply.
NDI is an equal employment opportunity employer. Our policy is to select, place, train, and promote the best-qualified individuals based upon relevant factors such as work quality, attitude, and experience. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, creed, color, national origin, gender, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital status, familial status, military status, domestic violence status, sexual orientation, predisposing genetic characteristics, or any other factor protected by applicable federal, state or local law.
What's Next?
May 27, 6-6:45 pm: Attend our optional virtual info session
June 1: Submit an application by this deadline
June 25, 5:30-6:45 pm: Select candidates will be invited to an in-person audition at NDI's Jacques d'Amboise Center for Learning & the Arts in Harlem, NY
Week of June 29: Select candidates will then be invited for an in-person interview
If selected:
July 1–25: Complete fingerprinting, DOE background check, and hiring process
July 27–August 7: NDI Level One Intensive Training, Monday–Friday, 9:30 am–4:30 pm in person at NDI ($2,000 total compensation)
September 23–25: Annual Teaching Artist Retreat ($150/day, $450 total)
October through June: Teach in NDI partner schools
APPLY BY CLICKING BELOW:
About NDI’s In-School Program
NDI's In-School program is held during the school day, teaching dance as an integral part of the elementary school curriculum. Our programs culminate in celebratory and community-building performances. We utilize a movement vocabulary rooted in accessibility and theatricality, and informed by each teaching artist’s style, our annual curricular theme, and the children’s unique contributions.
NDI Teaching Artists utilize the NDI Method, which demonstrates our belief in joyful and rigorous learning, the importance of teamwork, and the power of performance.
NDI employs Lead Teaching Artists on a full-time, salaried basis, offering benefits to those who master the NDI Method and want to build careers. We are interested in Assistant Teaching Artists who wish to grow with us into these Lead, full-time positions.
NDI’s In-School Program At-a-Glance:
More than 6,500 students participate in NDI classes each week
We partner with over 50 schools across the New York City region
NDI primarily serves elementary schools (PreK-Grade 5)
NDI programming is inclusive; all students in a selected grade (or grades) participate in the program
Every NDI class includes live music, a crucial piece of our unique methodology
Each year, NDI selects a curricular theme that guides the learning in our partner schools. Past themes have explored science, poetry, musical genres, visual art, and social activism
All of our programs culminate in a joyful performance, bringing together the entire school community in celebration of the students’ achievements
Questions? Contact us at ndicollaborative@nationaldance.org.