Please share a short introduction about yourself.

My name is Erin, I regularly assist at my local dance school and studied the Level 3 course when I was in Year 9 at school.

 

How did you hear about the bbodance teacher training courses?

I saw the course advertised in bbodance emails and was encouraged by my dance teacher to apply. There were also several older students at my dance school who had studied the course; seeing them achieve Level 3 inspired me to look into doing it myself.

My dance teacher encourages her students to complete the course to give us credibility and more understanding of how we are teaching and assisting in classes. She can introduce her assistants to new customers and say they have a Level 3 Certificate.

The course also provides UCAS points and is great to put on personal statements for university or college. It shows commitment and dedication to activities and learning outside of school.

 

Why did you choose to do the Level 3 course? How does it fit with your career development plans?

I’m at the beginning of my teaching journey and wanted to get more involved in the classes I assist in. Level 3 is an opportunity to start training at a young age and build a foundation of skills before moving onto higher qualifications. For example, it is a stepping stone and pathway to apply for the Level 4 Diploma Introduction to Dance Teaching.

 

What was the application process like? Were there any challenges?

The process was very straight forward and I didn’t have any issues. I had to write a personal statement and have an interview. Both processes were great practise for when I will need to write more applications in the future, for example for university.

The interview was a chance to understand the course requirements and ask questions. The bbodance team had a personal approach to make sure I was ready for the course, it was just as much them learning about me as it was me learning about the course.

 

How did you feel at the start of the course?

I was a bit apprehensive before starting the course because I was so busy with school and dance. At the time, I was at school full-time, taking dance classes after school and attending an Associate Scheme on Sundays. This meant that I often had to watch the recordings of the webinars rather than attending live, but I was definitely able to adapt and had amazing support from the course tutors.

 

What has been your favourite module and why?

My favourite module was Devising Dance Training Activities. I had a lot of clarity in what was expected of me and it felt very connected to how I was teaching. It was motivating to develop an exercise which I could implement straight away and see progress in the students I was teaching.

 

Would you recommend our Level 3 course and why?

I would definitely recommend Level 3. The course teaches great self-discipline and gives you tools to use when preparing for dance college or GCSEs and A-Levels. I don’t feel as daunted by GCSEs because I know I have a solid foundation of academic skills from Level 3 to draw upon.

I can adapt my teaching depending on the age and developmental stage of my students. It’s important to see every student as an individual learner and not assume they will all learn in the same way. 

From a personal perspective, the Level 3 course has changed the way I take feedback and criticism. The first bit of work you hand in might not be the best but the tutors are there to support you and provide important feedback to help you progress. I have applied this to my dance training too, all feedback is useful and is there to help us improve.

 

What are your plans for after the course? Where is your dance journey taking you next?

I am just starting my journey so have lots of options to explore. Now that I have completed Level 3 with bbodance, I am on a clear pathway and can stay with the organisation to continue my training.

The course acted as a wonderful introduction to what studying for qualifications involves; it can be hard to experience academia in dance at a young age but now I know how study can aid dance. Even if I don’t pursue a career as a dance teacher I believe the courses are really valuable for any career; they teach empathy, academic skills, time management and commitment.