Off the Deep End: Nigel Lythgoe and crew now offering dance teacher certification?

Katie Farhat | Jul 07, 2009 | 0

Nigel Lythgoe

2 words in my opinion.

absolutely preposterous?

an excerpt from the press release: "The Dizzy Feet Foundation also aims to elevate and standardize the quality of dance instruction throughout the United States by offering accreditation and/or certification to dance schools and studios in most styles of dance, including ballroom, contemporary, ballet, tap, jazz and hip hop. Dizzy Feet Foundation’s Accreditation Program will set the gold standard of dance instruction in the United States and ensure that students can feel confident that they are receiving high-quality dance instruction aligned to a national standard."

read on for more..............

OK folks. I came across this posted on the message board and had to take a look for myself. Katie Holmes? I love that she comes to this from the perspective of a mother and I am sure she is a gifted dancer, but really? I am all for dance scholarships for students and having studied abroad for my advanced degree, I am familiar with the systems of accreditation that exist both here and over seas. My personal take on dance teacher accreditation is that it can fall short of what the accrediting body intends. Some less scrupulous certification bodies can even fuel the fire of bad dance teaching. Just because someone puts in 6 hours at a workshop twice a year does not mean that they are qualified to teach. It is just not a solution to the problem and I for one am a bit offended that this group could believe whole heartedly that it is their place to offer a solution. Dance teacher certification has a long history in the United States and there has been a long argued debate as to whether DT certification is a legitimate indicator of a practitioner's qualifications. I need not say more than "look at the level of talent coming from countries that have gone certification crazy". I know teachers who are "certified" who could be way better at what they do, unaffiliated teachers who are absolute super stars and certified teachers who are worth their weight in gold. Certification is a great way to broaden your scope of knowledge as a teacher and develop a camaraderie with other "technique specific" practitioners.....but does it mean you indisputably are the real deal? I think not. When an accreditation or "certification" is coming from an organization with as little history or scope as this new entity.....I tend to be skeptical of its merits or intentions. Scholarships yay! Accreditation, by these guys? Yikes?

What do you guys think?.......

Dizzy Feet Foundation

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