Welcome to the 2023-2024 Gotta Dance InTURN Application page for the 2023-24 season! We are so glad you are interested in InTurning with Gotta Dance. Please read through the guideline applications carefully.
The benefits of an internship are limitless. Through our program, dancers learn important life skills such as how to work with a team, interact with a supervisor, meet direct report expectations, and develop time management skills while being placed in a leadership position. InTURNs will learn to effectively and clearly communicate with our families and dancers, and set positive examples for the Gotta Dance Community. InTURNs will gain industry knowledge by spending extra time in a dance studio setting and observing how professional educators run their classes.
The completion of an internship also looks wonderful on a resume when applying for college and future jobs. We recommend a Gotta Dance Internship for dancers who may one day want to work in a performing arts setting.
Gotta Dance InTURNs will be dance ambassadors, role-models and will provide the necessary support to our Gotta Dance educators. Gotta Dance InTURNs will inspire, motivate, and set a positive example for the dance class.
InTURNs get a list of expectations at the beginning of the season. We expect them to learn the class warmup. They must demonstrate combinations on a dime, exhibiting proper dance technique. They may also be expected to take attendance, find/play music, communicate regularly with families in the lobby, help keep dancers focused, give individual attention to struggling dancers, and assist with basic studio cleaning and sanitization. Specific instructions get detailed in their job checklist. Gotta Dance InTURNs have a critical role in the function of classes. All of our InTURNs matter to our educators as well as to our younger generations of dancers who look up to them!
All InTURN positions will be volunteer positions. We assign all qualifying applicants (see below) to at least one dance class.
Dance InTURNs will need to attend an introductory meeting. We will announce the date soon and whether or not this meeting will be virtual or in person. During this meeting, InTURNs will be able to meet with their assigned educator to review their responsibilities.
InTURNs get a checklist of tasks in which they must complete weekly, much like a job description. Educators will use this checklist to review their InTURNs in November and again in January. We release dancers who don’t meet all requirements from the program in January.
Gotta Dance is looking for fun, fit, and focused dancers in 8th through 12th grade to assist our team of educators. Gotta Dance can no longer accept dancers younger than high school freshmen. The ideal dance candidate will also have had at least 3 years of dance training.
Application Deadline: July 21st, 2023
We place applicants meeting the requirements as an InTURN in 1-3 dance classes, or as an InTURN for a Dance Company (like Dynamite or Heartbeat). We give Juniors and Seniors assignments July 17th-21st. Sophomore & Freshman & 8th graders get their assignments July 24th-28th.
For your benefit, your educators will evaluate you twice a year—once in November and once in January. These written evaluations will be based on the checklist given to you at the initial meeting. You will be able to use these evaluations for future work or school applications!
We expect InTURNs to have regular attendance, the same as our educators. We understand the need to be absent occasionally due to sick days, etc., but consistent absences are grounds for dismissal from the program.
An InTURN position is not just about you supporting your educator; it is about Gotta Dance supporting you in your future endeavors!
By accepting the position of a Gotta Dance InTURN, you have stepped into an excellent leadership role! All InTURNs who complete the season get a letter of recommendation to use as a supplement for future internships, jobs, and college applications.
This time counts towards volunteer hours for religious commitments, National Honor Society applications, and college applications.
Most importantly, you will be getting valuable insight into what it is like to be in a dance leadership position. We strongly suggest that dancers who hope to one day work in an educational field will apply for this position.
Additionally, dancers who have completed at least one year of InTurning and who will be high school seniors in the 2023-24 season, are eligible to join our INSPIRE Educator Training Program. INSPIRE takes the GD assistant program one step further, and trains dancers to become dance educators (Garnet- Citrine levels). After training, we might offer INSPIRE dancers the paid opportunity to substitute teach throughout the season if Gotta Dance educators are absent.
