What’s the Difference Between Teaching Dance in Public Schools vs. Private Studios?

As someone who has spent years teaching dance in both public school settings and private studios, I can tell you: the environment you teach in shapes everything. From your lesson plan structure to how you manage the room, what your students expect to learn, and even how you define success, it all shifts depending on where you are.

A big difference is how I teach lessons in a public school setting versus a private studio. Now, when I say public school, I’m not referring to a performing arts school or a magnet program. I’m talking about regular public schools, where dance is offered alongside other enrichment subjects like PE, art, or music. Specifically, elementary school, where I’ve spent most of my time in the public school system.

Let’s break down what those differences look like.

1. The Purpose of the Program

In private studios, families often choose to enroll their children because they see value in long-term dance training. The goal might be building technique, preparing for performances, competitions, or even a professional career. There’s usually a clear path for progression, from recreational classes to company levels or pre-professional tracks.

In contrast, dance in public schools is generally considered an enrichment. It’s there to expose kids to movement, creativity, and maybe a little culture. Most students take dance once or twice a week, and many of them have never had any formal training before. The purpose here is more about exposure, coordination, confidence, and integrating the arts into their daily experience. Not necessarily turning them into dancers.

2. Class Structure and Lesson Planning

As a dance teacher, the setting I am teaching in changes my lesson plans. How I teach ballet to pre-professional conservatory students is very different from how I teach ballet at a competition school. How I teach my recreational classes versus my company classes differs, even within the same studio.

But nothing highlights this more than comparing private studio teaching to public school teaching. In the studio, I can structure a class with a focused warm-up, across-the-floor progressions, and choreography that builds week by week. I know my students will be there consistently, and I can plan accordingly.

In a public school, I may only see a class once a week for 40 minutes, if that. And depending on the school’s schedule, assemblies, or standardized testing, I might miss weeks at a time. That means my lesson plans have to be super flexible. I focus on engagement, rhythm, and movement exploration. A lot more brain breaks. A lot more “start fresh each week” rather than building toward a polished performance.

3. Student Expectations and Experience Levels

At a studio, students and families come in with some level of expectation about behavior, attire, and commitment. Even in a recreational class, most kids come in ready to move, in proper shoes, with some understanding of studio etiquette.

In a public school? Not so much. Students might be in jeans. Some might come in from recess still hyped up, or feeling low energy after lunch. Many haven’t chosen dance, they’re placed in it. So, part of my job becomes getting them to buy in, feel comfortable, and understand what dance class is all about.

It’s also common in school settings to have wide age or ability gaps. A single class might have students with special needs alongside students with advanced athleticism, and I have to plan for all of them in one room.

4. Behavior Management and Classroom Culture

In private studios, I can set expectations from day one, and if a child becomes disruptive, there’s usually some sort of protocol, whether it’s a conversation with the parents or transitioning the child to another class.

In public school, behavior management is a huge part of the job. I’ve taught dance to over 500 kids a week in some schools, often without an assistant. It’s loud, it’s busy, and sometimes you’re managing students with behavioral challenges while trying to keep the rest of the class engaged. Your dance lesson becomes 50% classroom management and 50% actual dancing.

That’s not a complaint but it’s a reality. And for many of us who care deeply about our students, we find creative ways to meet those challenges. But it’s a far cry from a quiet studio with mirrors and marley floors.

5. Resources and Space

Let’s talk about facilities.

In a studio, you have barres, mirrors, sprung floors, sound systems, and a culture that supports dance as a discipline. In public school, your “studio” might be a multipurpose room, a gym, or even a corner of a cafeteria. You learn to work with what you’ve got, rug burns and all.

This impacts what you can teach. I’ve had to modify choreography because we couldn’t do floor work on rough tile. I’ve adjusted barre exercises because we didn’t have any barres. It builds your creativity as a teacher, but it also limits what you can realistically expect from your students in terms of technical growth.

6. Performances and Accountability

Studio students often perform in recitals, competitions, and community events. They rehearse with intention because they know they’ll be on stage soon. There’s a natural accountability built into the calendar.

In public schools, performance opportunities vary. Some schools may not have a budget or time for a formal recital. And if you do get to choreograph something, you’re working around school bells, testing weeks, and sometimes teaching choreography in 10-minute chunks. It’s rewarding, but incredibly challenging.

7. How This Shaped My Teaching Journey

Teaching in both environments has made me a better educator overall. It’s helped me stay grounded and flexible. I can walk into a school and teach a creative movement class with no music and a room full of first graders. And I can also walk into a studio and rehearse pointe variations with teenage dancers preparing for summer intensives.

But the balance eventually became too much. If you’ve read Why I’m Leaving the Public School System, you know this decision didn’t come easy. But I knew it was time to move toward a teaching environment that better supported my long-term goals—and allowed me to show up fully present for my family and my students.

Final Thoughts

Teaching dance in public schools and private studios are two very different experiences. Both are valuable. Both require heart, patience, and skill. But they serve different purposes and demand different approaches.

If you’re a new dance teacher deciding where to start, or a seasoned educator wondering why you feel so stretched between the two—it’s okay to acknowledge that these settings aren’t interchangeable. They ask different things of us. And honoring that is part of what makes us better at what we do.

If this resonated with you, explore more of my teaching journey and insights at myorderedsteps.co. You might enjoy articles like:

Happy Dancing!

Taylor B

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