Job Title: Teaching Artist (African Dance & Music)
Department: Education and Humanities
Division: Education
Reports To: Director of Education and Family Programs
FLSA Status: Non-Exempt, P/T Seasonal
Direct Reports: Program Manager
Job Purpose:
Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) seeks several highly qualified and experienced Teaching Artists with expertise in African dance and music to lead in-school pre-show preparatory workshops, residencies, public workshops, and after-school programs for Pre-K-12 participants during the 2014-15 academic year.
BAM is the United States’ oldest performing arts center located in Brooklyn, New York. For more than 150 years, BAM has been the home for adventurous artists, audiences, and ideas—engaging both local and global communities—by providing world-renowned programming in theater, dance, music, opera, and film. Over the years BAM has showcased the work of emerging artists and icons such as Robert Wilson, Peter Brook, Pina Bausch, Robert Lepage, Merce Cunningham, and Philip Glass. BAM’s annual Next Wave Festival has grown to be the largest festival in North America dedicated to the contemporary performing arts. BAM Education strives to provide every student access to BAM’s live performances and film offerings while engaging them with high impact arts learning experiences and educational resources.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- Facilitate a one-time or a sequential series (ie. residency) of workshops within BAM Education DanceAfrica programs
- Develop and submit lesson outlines and step-by-step plans per BAM’s template(s)
- Communicate with school administrators/teachers to determine workshop scheduling
- Participate in planning/reflection meetings with BAM staff and school partners
- Attend relevant BAM performances
- Provide pre-show introductions
- Facilitate post-show Q&A dialogues between audience and artists
- Submit online post-workshop reflection form to BAM following workshop(s)
- Support program assessment and evaluation procedures
- Support the planning and coordination of student culminating events
- Attend BAM TA staff meetings, professional development, reflection and curriculum development meetings
- Utilize organizational time clock system for each work service and submit work notes on a weekly basis each Friday
Working conditions:
- Work will occur in traditional (ie. public school classroom) and non-traditional learning environments. Meetings and professional development generally occur at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
- Required Education, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- College degree (BA/BFA required, MA/MFA preferred)
- Proven artistic and educational expertise in African dance styles
- Strong interpersonal, communication, public speaking, and customer service skills (both in person and over the phone).
- Ability to build positive, collaborative working relationships with BAM staff, school teachers, administrators and diverse range of young people.
- A minimum of two (2) years of teaching in New York City
- Curriculum development experience
- Familiarity with the NYC Blueprint for the Teaching and Learning in the Arts, NYS State Arts Standards, and the Common Core State Standards
- Willingness to work collaboratively with BAM Education staff and BAM Teaching Artists to develop curriculum
- Experience working with diverse youth populations
- Awareness of youth developmental stages and current youth issues
- Ability to work during school and/or after-school hours
- Commitment to ongoing growth and refinement of teaching artist skills by participating in appropriate meetings and BAM professional development
Application Materials
- A Cover Letter that succinctly communicates in one page how your educational and artistic background aligns with the arts education mission and services of BAM.
- A Teaching Resume that outlines all completed educational training and relevant teaching experience.
- An Artistic Resume that outlines all completed artistic training and relevant artistic experience.
- A Lesson Plan Activity designed to engage a class of 25-30 students for 10-15 minutes that prepares them for a performance by an African dance and music ensemble. The activity should include student learning objective(s), set-up instructions, step-by-step facilitation directions, and post-activity reflection questions. The activity should be developed with a particular age/grade range of students in mind.
- Three References with contact information who can speak to your past experience, particularly your facilitation skills and ability to engaging young people through the arts.
For information about BAM Education’s past season go to www.bam.org/education
If qualified, please apply online at: http://www.bam.org/about/careers
Application Deadline: Friday, November 21st, 2014
Qualified applicants will be notified and invited for an interview/audition. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. EOE Employer – No Phone Calls Please.