Virginia Law

The program in dance arts shall ensure that the candidate has demonstrated the following competencies:

1. Understanding of the knowledge, skills, and processes of the dance arts discipline as defined in the Virginia Standards of Learning and how they provide a foundation needed to teach dance arts.

2. Understanding of the knowledge, skills, and processes for teaching dance arts to meet the developmental levels and academic needs of students in preK-12, including the following:

a. Knowledge of and experience in planning, developing, administering, and evaluating a program of dance arts education;

b. Knowledge and understanding for teaching dance arts, including performance, creation, and production; dance history and cultural context; analysis, evaluation, and critique; and aesthetics;

c. Ballet, folk, jazz, and modern dance with an area of concentration in one of these areas;

d. Scientific foundations, including human anatomy, kinesiology, and injury prevention and care for dance arts;

e. The relationship of dance arts and culture and the influence of dance on past and present cultures;

f. Knowledge and understanding of technological and artistic copyright laws;

g. Knowledge and understanding of classroom management and safety, including performance and studio and use of toxic art materials in various aspects of dance arts production, performance, and the classroom;

h. Knowledge of a variety of instructional and assessment strategies to foster, support, and enhance student dance arts learning;

i. Knowledge and understanding of technology, with applications for instruction, resources, artistic expression, administration, assessment, and communication;

j. Knowledge and understanding of appropriate and sensitive attention to diversity and cultural understanding;

k. Knowledge of related areas of the fine arts, such as music, theatre arts, and the visual arts; and

l. Observation and student teaching experiences at the elementary, middle, and secondary levels.

3. Understanding of and proficiency in grammar, usage, and mechanics and their integration in writing.

4. Understanding of and proficiency in pedagogy to incorporate writing as an instructional and assessment tool for candidates to generate, gather, plan, organize, and present ideas in writing to communicate for a variety of purposes.