Think Like a Pro

Teacher Training Program Overview and curriculum

Professional Training Program

Interested in teaching dance? Want to strengthen your own dance skills? Want to teach your friends a few basic steps?

Join us to learn how the pros think through studying both the lead and follow roles in the most popular ballroom dances. You’ll learn professional techniques, teaching tools, and more.


Check back for more dates & times!

About the Master Instructor:

Diane Jarmolow

Diane Jarmolow is an innovator in the field of ballroom dancing whose passion is providing the resources people need to become outstanding professionals and dance studio owners.

She founded the Ballroom Dance Teachers College in 1992, which offers Teacher Training, Certification Preparation and Business Consulting to aspiring and working ballroom dance professionals at all levels. Her program, the Ballroom Dance Teachers College Curriculum is her greatest accomplishment to date – a 300-hour ballroom teacher training program available to dance studios, teachers and dance enthusiasts.

Diane is the author of Teach Like a Pro: The Ultimate Guide for Ballroom Dance Instructors, a book for both new and experienced dance teachers. She co-created (with Kasia Kozak) the Move Like a Champion training, book and DVD for all ballroom dancers to help them better understand how their bodies work so they can “operate” their own bodies to produce beautiful movement. She is the creator of the remarkable Salesfree Sales Workshops and Audio Program designed for dance teachers to build authentic, long-term relationships with their students.  She has been teaching ballroom dancing since 1978, and has trained hundreds of teachers, including U.S. and International dance champions. She is the founder and former owner/director of the renowned Metronome Ballroom, San Francisco’s “Best Place to Learn to Dance.”

She is a Dance Vision National Examiner, and created the original, rigorous, innovative system of professional certification exams which has set a new standard for professional excellence in the industry. Diane is a multiple winner of the “Top Teacher” award at national competitions, and a Dance Vision Certifying Expert. She has multiple professional certifications with USISTD and U.S. Terpsichore Association.


About the Curriculum

With the Briora Ballroom Dance Teachers Academy, you CAN begin a career you will love for the rest of your life!  


You will learn to teach the beginning steps of the Bronze Syllabus (5 figures in each dance) as leader and follower. You will be ready to teach upon graduation and Briora Ballroom may be hiring the top graduates. Upon completion, you will be ready to begin teaching the basics to anyone – anywhere!




Who Is This Program For?

Our Programs are for anyone with the desire to:

  • Change to a career you know you will love

  • Make your dream come true of spending your days and nights dancing

  • Go from being a ballroom dance student to a professional

  • Improve your dancing by learning both Leader’s and Follower’s parts and learn the elements of dancing in a structured way

  • Become certified and fill in the gaps of your knowledge

  • Share the transformational effects of dancing with others in your life

 

What Is the Program?

Our comprehensive intensive Teacher Training program, based on the Internationally-recognized Dance Vision American-Style Syllabus, incorporates two essential aspects of teaching dance.

1. Syllabus Training

  • Comprehensive knowledge of all figure patterns as both Leader and Follower

  • A precise, detailed and universal “language” for teaching

  • Musicality, history and technical aspects for each dance

  • Posture, frame, footwork, movement, timing

  • Regular homework assignments and in-class presentations

  • Development of teaching and presentation skills

  • Exams (dance & theory) and written tests

  • Optional Professional Certification (additional fees apply)

2. Body Mechanics (Move Like a Champion)

  • Create exceptional dance posture and poise

  • Learn specific, anatomical actions to produce beautiful dancing

  • Acquire the knowledge and tools to help your students improve their posture, arm styling, foot action, balance and expression  

For those who are interested, Professional Certification will be available following the Course for an additional fee.  Private lessons with any of the Briora staff members will be available to those who need help with the coursework, want to explore other dances and/or prepare for certification. These lessons can also be shared with another trainee.

 

Schedule and Location

Classes are held at Briora Ballroom. See dates and times above.

 

Pre-Requisites

This Course is focused on Teacher Training, wherein you will learn both the Leader and Follower roles in great detail as if preparing for Professional Certification. Dance experience is not required, but attending the Open House OR a personal interview will be required to be certain you have the aptitude to learn the material, or in some cases, admission may be upon invitation. 

 

course Materials

  • Trainee Handbook: This handbook will guide you through the program, keep track of your lessons, exams, homework and more.

  • Briora VIP Membership will be included for the duration of the course: Includes Weekly Group Classes on Popular Dances and Technique, Special Workshops with Master Teachers, Unlimited Practice During Briora business hours, Monthly Social Dance Party and Briora Video Library (videos include our Social Variety Program, as well as Popular Dance Steps, Technique, and Lifestyle videos)

ADDITIONAL COURSE MATERIALS AND COURSEWORK (Additional fees apply)

  • Teach Like a Pro Book ($69.95) Purchase on Amazon.com

  • Briora Certification ($100): Weekly Assignments and Final Exam Required