In five years’ time I would like to run my own dance school and employ other dance teachers to be part of the school’s cohort. I would also like to own my own dance studio however, in five years this seems unlikely but I do intend to have started saving money towards buying a studio. One way to do this would be to apply for a grant from the Arts Council, or I could apply for a small business grant from the Government. If I could not get a grant I would look into getting a loan, possibly from the bank. I believe that the most likely way for me to begin my dance school would be firstly become a practitioner which goes into schools and residential homes to facilitate dance to a range of people. After this I hope I would be able to open my dance school but continue as a practitioner in these places alongside this. There are many skills in which I need to acquire in order to succeed in my ambitions, such as:

• Becoming first-aid trained.
• Developing my communication skills.
• Having an up to date DBS.
• Gaining extra qualifications in dance.

There are also other skills which are not a necessity but are desirable in order for me to be a more successful practitioner:

• Continue to improve and develop my dance technique.
• Strong ability to choreograph and teach within chosen styles.
• Passion for working with and inspiring people of all ages.
• The ability to work well as part of a team.
• Organisation skills and time management skills.
• Self-discipline.
• Good patience skills to allow students to learn at their own pace.

In order to achieve these skills I believe shadowing current dance teachers for example some of my lectures, when they teach classes outside of university, or work experience at a dance school will be invaluable. Moreover, I must keep active in my field of dance in order to remain creative and inspired by dance and to continue to improve my dance technique. One way to begin my work as a practitioner would be to join a local dance organisation, such as ArtsNK, and use my time spent with them to develop my teaching skills as all new staff are trained on how to deliver classes to children for example. At the organisation I will also develop my understanding of how a business is ran, this knowledge will help me when I am trying to start my own business. Furthermore, whilst doing this I could continue to gain dance qualifications with ISTD and BBO, making me qualified to teach grades in a dance school. After being with a dance organisation I could move on to teaching within a dance school so I become more familiar with how specifically the business is run and what skills I need to develop before being able to open my open school. These skills could include business management, communication skills and choreography skills. Finally, by gaining first-hand experience of teaching both in the dance school and with the local dance organisation, I can acknowledge if there are any age groups which I struggle to teacher and allow myself to reflect upon why that is, in the hope that I can resolve this issue.