Texas Future Dance Educators

Texas Future Dance Educators (TFDE) was founded in 2008 in the Austin area. It is currently sponsored, funded, and managed by Round Rock ISD dance teachers and administration and is supported by the Texas Dance Educators Association (TDEA). It seeks to bring community, support, and opportunities for those students who plan to pursue dance in higher education and future careers. Each year the organization offers 1-2 big events that are open to students, high school age and above, who dance in both public and private schools as well as dance studios. It is open to all levels of experience in any local district or surrounding schools/studios. Students attending events can expect to be exposed to professionals in the dance community, have unique experiences aimed at the student dancer, and connect with other students hoping to pursue a dance education career at the studio, high school, college, or company level. Upon graduation, students can join TDEA to continue to support their future careers. Teachers can join as a supporter and businesses can join as a sponsor as well.

If you have previously been a member, we have some very exciting news to share with you!! TFDE has under gone some big changes this year in order to aid in the growth of this organization to model after well-developed similar programs. CONTACT US TO START YOUR OWN CHAPTER TODAY!!

NEW TO TFDE IN 2013-14

1. Official adoption by TDEA: We have been officially "adopted" by TDEA as our parent organization. We are working on ways that TDEA can offer benefits for TFDE and how we can help encourage TFDE members to become TDEA members after graduation. We will work with TDEA to help found more chapters throughout the state.

2. Member registration: We will now begin to register and collect dues from members in order to grow our organization. The fee is a very small $5 for standard membership or $30 with a patch (see #5 below). The students will get the following benefits for being a member:

TFDE Letter Jacket Patch: Junior and Senior members have the option to purchase a patch for their letter jacket. Patches will be delivered at the yearly TFDE event.

Certificate: Each member will receive a certificate of participation for each year they are a member. This verifies that you may use TFDE on your résumés.

Letters of Recommendation: TFDE has a standard form that we can use to verify your level of participation in the organization. This can be used for company auditions or college applications.

Yearly Events: Members will participate in the yearly events organized by TFDE at no additional cost. Each event will aim to provide members an opportunity to aid in their future endeavors as a dance educator. Members get priority registration.

Membership Directory and Newsletter: Members will have the opportunity to connect with other dancers in TFDE as well as receive notice about local opportunities.

Social Media: Members can stay connected to their peers through Facebook, Twitter, Instgram, YouTube, Google+ and our TFDE website.

Connection to TDEA: Members will have a close connection with our parent organization Texas Dance Educators Association and its various benefits it can offer to TFDE members.

I have attached a paper copy of the membership form as well as a link to the google form. It is also available on the website.

Google form: http://goo.gl/1vfmcp SIGN UP TODAY!!

3. New website and email: Our new website is up where we are accepting member registration online. It is still a work in progress and hope it will be a hot-spot for all things TFDE!! https://sites.google.com/site/texasfuturedanceeducators/ Please visit our site and save to your favorites. We have our own central email as well. texasfuturedanceeducators@gmail.com. Please save it to your contacts.

4. Social Media: Follow us on Twitter @TxFutureDanceEd. We will post updates for our events as well as help members connect. Like us on Facebook (both the "person" TFDE Austin and the "page" AND now join our Texas Future Dance Educators Group! This group is open to both TFDE members as well as current dance teachers in order to provide a forum for connection and support. Follow us on Instagram @tfde_austin and subcribe to out Youtube channel. We also have a Google+ page and a Community group. Join us! Links below!!

5. TFDE Letter Jacket patch: We have designed a new TFDE patch that paid and participating members can chose to order for their letter jackets.

NEW in 2014-15

6. We have added TFDE student officers. Officer positions will help with the following duties for helping manage, promote, and shape the future of TFDE:

-manage social media accounts

-develop and promote events

-membership recruitment

7. We have also hardly been able to maintain our excitement about about another great new position that TFDE has created: TFDE College Ambassadors! These students will serve as mentors for younger members/dancers and will also be publishing monthly blogs regarding their experiences as college dance majors. Want to contact them? Ask a question? Please visit their webpage to read all about them or fill out their contact form! Blogs will be posted at the end of each month.

NEW in 2015-16

8. Professional Mentors: Those working in the field of dance professionally (company, team, choreographer, teacher, professor, business owner, arts manager, etc) will be