Start a Chapter

Are you interested in starting your own Chapter of TFDE! We would love to help you get started. Read the information below and then contact us at texasfuturedanceeducators@gmail.com to register your Chapter today!

Chapters:

Austin Area (founding chapter)

Northside ISD (San Antonio)

MORE COMING SOON!

Description:

Looking for a way to help support your student's dance careers? This workshop is for those educators interested in starting their own chapter of Texas Future Dance Educators! TFDE seeks to bring community, support, and opportunities for high school age students, from both schools and studios, who plan to pursue dance in higher education and future careers. 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.

Outline:

I. WHAT IS TFDE?

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 and businesses are also encouraged to join as supporters or sponsors.

II. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS FOR MEMBERS?

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.

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, as well as teacher mentors, through Facebook, Twitter, 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.

Sponsor Benefits

TFDE is currently seeking business to offer our members special benefits.

III. HOW DO I GET STARTED?

To start a chapter you will need to have the following…

1. Faculty sponsor(s)-2 or more are preferable

2. A school/district money account for membership dues to be placed; district account would be easiest.

3. Set up an email for your chapter; gmail preferred for a TFDE community. (TFDEdallas@gmail.com, TFDEsa@gmail.com etc.)

4. Set up a website for your members to get news and register (Google sites are easy to use)

5. Contact texasfuturedanceeducators@gmail.com with your information.

6. TFDE-Austin will send you the flyers, certificates, membership forms, Google registration links that you can update with your chapter’s information. We will also give you the TFDE logo jpg.

IV. STUDENT RECRUITMENT

1. Research the districts that you are hoping to contact and find and get contact information for the dance teachers in the area. You can get these by contacting the district Fine Arts Admin, TDEA Regional Rep, contacting one teacher for the district that can help you, or locating the dance teachers on each school website. (TFDE-Austin used all of these methods to get our database)

2. Research and gather emails to area studios, companies that would have students interested in such a program.

3. Send your flyers, email, website to the teachers/studios to give to students.

4. Print flyers to send or deliver to the different schools or studios.

5. Send your info to TFDE-Austin that can post on Facebook and Twitter.

6. OPTIONAL- Twitter—connect to all local teams, studios, companies that you can find. We also connect with professional/college dance teams and Universities to help post their Tweets to our followers about auditions etc.

7. OPTIONAL-Facebook—create your own Facebook page and group. You are welcome to also use TFDE-Austin page to post info too. We would love the Facebook group to be a statewide group. I would add approved administrators to the site. That was we can inform students across the state about our events. Then each Chapter could have their own “page” for info on your Chapter.

8. OPTIONAL-Google+ —create a Google+ circle. We also have a TFDE Google+ Community Page that is for all Chapters.

V. STUDENT REGISTRATION

We are currently using Google Forms as well as paper membership. We can share the Google link for each chapter to update for their own chapter and then make available on your website and flyers. We chose to have a $5 membership fee. Each chapter may set their own cost. For students wanting a patch we charge $30 ($5 standard plus $25 for patch).

VI. LETTER JACKET PATCHES

We currently have a TFDE patch through Balfour. The patches are $25 a piece and the shipping is $8.95. TFDE-Austin is currently ordering at the end of the semester/year based on the demand of our order. Contact us for the contact info for out representative at Balfour.

VII. SPONSORSHIP

You can contact local dance/arts related businesses for any sponsorship. They could be a sponsor by helping pay for an event, offering discounts or deals to your members. Ideas: free summer or fall registration, special pricing on master classes, offering positions as demonstrators/student assistants, interns as studio manager assistant, etc.

VIII. STUDENT OFFICERS

We currently have student officers that help plan events and run social media.

IX. BLOGGING

We currently have College Ambassadors and Professional Mentors that blog for us

X. EVENT IDEAS

Guest speakers or panel discussions or workshops on practice tips, injury prevention, stage fright, auditioning tips, time management, writing a resume, scholarship applications, technology in dance, interviews, surviving the first year of college/teaching, setting up private studios, building the portfolio, rehearsal techniques – individual, large ensemble; workshops on building the portfolio; mock college auditions; choreography workshop; master classes in different styles; dance team preparation or mini shows; visit area colleges/universities; create a performance; assist with Auditions/Contests, assist with Clinic/Concerts; attend a Concert/show together; shadow a teacher; headshots and resumes; host a Dance conference; college dance fair….

(Notes to consider-How many events per year, vary the experiences for student retention, consider your membership interests)