Dance Teacher Professional Development Challenges
Join monthly Dance Teacher Challenges designed to help preschool dance teachers strengthen classroom management, curriculum planning, choreography, student engagement, and whole-child teaching strategies throughout the dance season.
The Dance Teacher Challenges inside Dance to Learn® are time-sensitive professional development experiences designed to support dance educators throughout the entire dance season. Each challenge is available for one month only before rotating into the next seasonal destination, creating a motivating and intentional learning experience that aligns with what teachers are actively experiencing in their classrooms at that time of year.
Rather than overwhelming you with large amounts of content all at once, challenge materials are released gradually throughout the month in an easy-to-follow drip schedule. This allows you to implement ideas in real time while staying focused, inspired, and supported during your teaching year.
As you complete challenges, you’ll unlock valuable teaching resources, classroom tools, downloadable materials, achievement certificates, Destination Dance Passport stamps, and Professional Development Credit Hours that can continue supporting your classroom long after the challenge month has ended.
From classroom management and curriculum planning to choreography, recital preparation, and seasonal reflection, each challenge is designed to help you strengthen your teaching systems, create more meaningful classroom experiences, and continue growing as a dance educator throughout the year.
2026-2027 Dance to Learn® Teacher Challenges
Back to Dance Challenge
The Back to Dance Challenge is designed to help dance teachers step into a new season feeling more intentional, supported, and prepared for the year ahead. Throughout this challenge, you’ll identify the classroom blocks creating the most stress, uncover the strengths you naturally bring into teaching, create a classroom focus word or mantra, and build realistic support systems that help your classroom feel more connected, manageable, and successful throughout the dance season.
Season Curriculum Planning Challenge
The Season Curriculum Planning Challenge is designed to help dance teachers confidently map out their entire dance season using the Dance to Learn® Curriculum Planner. Beginning July 1, this challenge will guide you through organizing themes, dance concepts, lesson progression, and classroom goals so you can enter the season with a clearer plan, stronger structure, and less week-to-week overwhelm.
First Class Connections Challenge
The First Class Connections Challenge is designed to help dance teachers create strong relationships with students and families from the very beginning of the season. Starting August 1st, this challenge explores strategies for easing separation anxiety, increasing participation, creating welcoming classroom environments, and building the trust and connection that help young dancers feel safe, confident, and excited to return each week.
Class Flow and Engagement Challenge
The Class Flow and Engagement Challenge is designed to help dance teachers create classroom routines that feel organized, intentional, and engaging for young dancers. Throughout the month of September, this challenge explores strategies for improving transitions, maintaining attention, increasing participation, and building a class structure that supports smoother flow and more successful learning experiences from beginning to end.
Skill Progressions Pathways Challenge
The Skill Progressions Pathway Challenge is designed to help dance teachers map out movement skills in a developmentally appropriate sequence across Creative Dance, Ballet, Tap, and Hip Hop. Beginning October 1, this challenge explores how foundational movement patterns, the Pyramid of Learning, and developmental milestone progressions can support stronger skill building, clearer class progression, and more successful learning experiences for young dancers.
New Year New Me Challenge
The New Year, New Me Challenge is designed to help dance teachers reflect on their season, celebrate growth, and set intentional goals for the months ahead. Beginning in November, this challenge guides teachers through reflection activities, goal setting, classroom vision planning, and personal growth strategies to help create a more focused, organized, and inspired new year inside and outside the dance studio.
Preschool Choreography Challenge
The Preschool Choreography Challenge is designed to help dance teachers confidently plan and teach recital dances for young children in a developmentally appropriate and engaging way. Beginning in December, this challenge explores how to choose age-appropriate music, incorporate choreography naturally into class flow, teach formations using tools like Window Buddies, and create recital experiences that feel successful, organized, and enjoyable for both dancers and teachers.
Summer Camp Experiences Challenge
The Summer Camp Experiences Challenge is designed to help dance teachers create meaningful summer programs that go beyond a traditional dance camp. Beginning January 1, this challenge explores how to design immersive dance experiences through themes, creativity, sensory play, obstacle courses, movement exploration, and engaging classroom activities that create memorable experiences for children and families all summer long.
Recital Season Challenge
The Recital Season Challenge is designed to help dance teachers continue providing meaningful educational dance experiences throughout recital preparation season. This challenge explores how to successfully balance choreography practice with creativity, skill development, classroom engagement, and age-appropriate learning so recital preparation becomes an intentional part of the classroom experience — not the only focus of class time.
Spring Survival Challenge
The Spring Survival Challenge is designed to help dance teachers navigate the time of year when engagement can drop and end-of-season energy begins to rise in the classroom. Filled with quick wins, fun classroom activities, engagement strategies, and easy-to-implement ideas, this challenge provides practical tools teachers can use on the go to keep dancers focused, motivated, and excited through the final stretch of the season.
Curtain Call End of Season Challenge
The Curtain Call End of Season Challenge is designed to help dance teachers finish the season on a high note while strengthening relationships with dancers and families for the year ahead. Beginning April 1, this challenge provides resources, reflection tools, family engagement strategies, re-enrollment ideas, end-of-year surveys, celebration activities, and classroom tips that help teachers close out the dance season with intention, connection, and confidence.
Back to Dance Challenge
The Back to Dance Challenge is designed to help dance teachers step into a new season feeling more intentional, supported, and prepared for the year ahead. Throughout this challenge, you’ll identify the classroom blocks creating the most stress, uncover the strengths you naturally bring into teaching, create a classroom focus word or mantra, and build realistic support systems that help your classroom feel more connected, manageable, and successful throughout the dance season.
Completing Challenges earn Professional Development Achievements
Destination Dance Passport
The Destination Dance Passport is your personal way to track and celebrate your Dance Teacher Challenge journey throughout the season. Each time you complete a monthly challenge, you’ll unlock a special challenge stamp to place inside your passport as a visual reminder of the growth, skills, and accomplishments you achieved along the way. As your passport fills with stamps, it becomes a collection of the milestones, strategies, and professional development experiences you completed throughout your dance year — encouraging you to continue learning, growing, and exploring new “destinations” inside your teaching journey.
Certificates and Professional Development Hours
As you complete Dance Teacher Challenges throughout the season, you’ll unlock Certificates of Completion and Professional Development Credit Hours recognizing the time, learning, and implementation you invested into your teaching practice. Each challenge is designed to provide meaningful professional growth through practical classroom strategies, reflection, and hands-on implementation; allowing you to not only learn new ideas, but actively apply them within your dance classes. These certificates and professional development hours help celebrate your commitment to continued education while providing documented recognition of your growth as a dance educator.
