Ballet Instructor
2019 Student-Produced AIDS Benefit
The Chicago Academy for the Arts (chicagoacademyforthearts.org), Illinois’ premier visual and performing arts high school, seeks a part-time ballet-focused teaching artist for the 2024-2025 school year.
The Academy’s educational model is co-curricular: students engage in rigorous academic classes for five hours each day before immersing themselves in 3-5 hours of professional-level training in dance, filmmaking, animation, writing, music, musical theatre, theatre, or visual arts. (Note: The Chicago Academy for the Arts is a different school than “ChiArts”, a CPS school.)
Students at The Academy are characterized by an extraordinary sense of purpose and community. Most continue with the arts after high school: alums include hit songwriters, Grammy Award nominees and winners, Broadway stars, internationally acclaimed dancers and visual artists, and award-winning filmmakers and writers. Students also pursue degrees and careers outside of the arts: many alums are successful professionals in the fields of science, mathematics, technology, business, law, healthcare, and many more.
Reporting to the Dance Department chairs, this role will teach various ballet classes between 1:30 - 4:30 each school day, mentor pre professional teenage students, assist in rehearsal for and producing of all dance concerts and other activities associated with The Academy's dance program (this will include occasional weekend rehearsal and performance). There is also opportunity for teachers who are also established choreographers to set and/or create work of their own on the department dancers. This role is also responsible for taking daily attendance, communicating with parents when necessary, assessing the students at various points throughout the year, as well as submitting written progress and grades of each student.
This position is an extraordinary opportunity for an ambitious teacher/mentor to play an important role in a school that routinely transforms the lives of its students. Simply put: this work matters.
The ideal candidate will have:
Professional performing and teaching experience
Experience teaching high-performing adolescents
Knowledge of anatomy and physiology as it relates to ballet education.
The knowledge, skills, and passion to teach beginning levels of ballet, pre-pointe, and pointe techniques (including knowledge of appropriate pointe shoes for beginning students)
The knowledge, skills, and passion to teach advanced-level ballet, pointe, and partnering techniques.
The ability to incorporate the concept of musicality while working with live or recorded accompaniment.
An understanding and application of developing artistry in pre-professional students.
An authentic, engaging, and energetic personality
Successful teachers at The Academy are passionate about their subject area and its pedagogy, believers in the ethos of independent schools, committed to ongoing communication with colleagues and families, and have the interest and energy to uphold a rigorous curriculum while having a greater degree of autonomy than is typical at a larger high school.
The salary range for this part-time position is commensurate with professional and teaching experience; the working environment is inspired and authentically mission-driven.
Please submit a thoughtful cover letter and resume via email to Patrick Simoniello, Dance Department Assistant Chair: psimoniello@chicagoartsacademy.org