I have had an assistant helping with my preschool classes for three years now. She's a middle-aged woman who has taken adult jazz and tap with me for about five years, but other than that has no dance training or degree. She is absolutely wonderful with the little ones, is extremely creative and obviously enjoys working with this age group (she has worked in regular pre-school settings in the past but never in a dance class.) She has taken over several of my classes in the past when I've been out sick and has done a great job (positive feedback from many of the parents). I'd really like to turn a couple of the classes over to her next year - how do you feel about someone without a dance degree and not much dance training teaching this age group.
The class is almost all creative movement with just some very basic ballet and tap at the beginning. I forgot to mention that she has attended teacher training courses along with me for two years.

Sorry, I'm not a dance teacher but I do creative movement, of a sort, with preschoolers, so maybe my opinion will be a bit helpful? Given the low technical requirements of a creative movement class and the rarity of finding people that are really good with preschoolers, I would think that the fact that she's great with the kids would more than outweigh her lack of dance training. If she's had some training, is aware of safety issues, and relates as well to the kids as you say, she sounds like a gem to me! As a dance parent, I'd be thrilled.

It sounds fine, I am an advanced dancer without a degree and I dont plan on going to college . however I do teach and everyone is fine with it. I say if a person can motivate the kids to have fun and learn something new then a piece of paper holds no weight compared to that.

I know many a great teachers without a dance degree but they did have great training in dance. I also think that people can learn to teach dance without being great dancers themselves. As long as you have worked with this teacher and continue to work with her, I think it would work out wonderfully. Best of Luck.

I had an extensive dance background before I started teaching, but I don't have a degree and I've been teaching for 7 years now and I make 30 an hour.

It is not about technique or training when it comes to teaching young ones... its all about how good one is at reaching them and how well the kids respond.

A degree is just a piece of paper. A degree is nothing compared to the love and compassion that teachers have for this age group. Save the degrees for when those babies are teenagers. At this age they need someone to love them and nurture them. You can't learn that in school. It's a God given gift and He only gives it to special people.

Parents of dancers that young usually don't care about a degree. They want a mature, responsible, and bubbly person who knows how to work with children. One of my baby teachers has a degree and one does not. When discussing the teachers with parents they usually seem happiest to discover both teachers have children of their own. Parents understand what other parents want better than anyone else.

Just wanted to thank everyone for their comments. I myself hope to be a children's dance instructor one day. I love children and dance and can't think of anything that would make me happier than teaching them. I've taken dance all my life but never had any really intensive training (I've never taken pointe classes) and though I am studying it in college, I only plan to minor in dance and major in early childhood education. A teacher at a former college I attended once made a statement that dance teachers are nothing without a degree, but I know that to be false, esp. with all the comments you all have posted. What's important is a love for children, a passion for dance and a lot of patience!(haha) I know that teaching children and helping them to grow and learn through dance is for me and I'm not going to let anything stop me from getting there!

Good for you dancin diva. So many people do not know their purpose in life and you seem to know what you are to do. Go for it!. There are many great, degreed dancers out there, but they may not be great teachers! I do not have a degree either, but have experience, patience and love of children and that says a whole lot more than a peice of paper!
Blessings!

I began working with the little people without a degree. It was great experience, and I got my diploma shortly thereafter. No one was told that I didn't have it when I started with them, but I didn't get any pay, either. It was good training, & I started out this year with my diploma and teaching the little ones. You guys said some really nice things above....especially that it takes a special kind of person to work with the little ones & love it. It is so fulfilling to me, & I am in agreement with whomever said that it seems to help matters when a teacher is also a parent. Parents DO indeed relate better to other parents. I think that as I've matured, I've developed way more patience and appreciation for kids as not just kids, but little people. They have good & bad days, and they need to know that you still love 'em even on the really bad days! I don't think it's as important to have a degree as it is to truly love working with children and being good at it. I learn something new every class! It's a wonderful adventure in life.