Faculty and students from Debra Collier's School of Dance in Warsaw attended the Chicago National Association of Dance Masters' (CNADM) annual Ballet Forum, Dance & More, Training School and Convention, held in Oak Brook, Ill.
Studio owner and CNADM Past President Debra Collier, all of her faculty members and students attended the various workshops to improve their skills in ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop, contemporary and modern dance. The attendees received instruction from a faculty of renowned dance professionals.
Colliers staff member Claire Kois was accepted into membership by the organization after successfully completing written and demonstrative testing in three disciplines of dance.
CNADM provides three levels of certifications where a teacher’s knowledge and competence as a dance educator are measured and qualified. After attaining membership, teachers may then apply to become a certified dance educator by completing 240 hours of teacher training, passing written and oral testing and submitting a DVD of themselves teaching.
Master dance educator certification may be acquired by an additional 160 hours of training and submission of a teaching portfolio.
“Teacher certification is important in our industry,” said Debra Collier. “It is essential to a child’s success in dance to have instructors that have been trained not just how to dance, but how to teach. The CNADM certification program assures an instructor has the ability to teach with a progressive curriculum and to develop a student’s skills properly.”
The CNADM awards banquet is a highlight of the organization’s summer events, according to a news release from Deb Collier’s. Over 300 teachers and students joined together as they honored choreographer Tom Alexander as the recipient of the 2017 Artistic Achievement Award. The event opened with a performance by CNADM Dance & More participants, including Collier’s students Annie Petro, Eliza Kuhn and Tiffany Moore, as well as Collier’s faculty Claire Kois and Rosalyn Miller.
Five Collier’s students also attended the CNADM ballet forum where they worked with teachers such as Josh Manculich, Lyn Cramer and Melissa Anderson. The students presented newly commissioned pieces at the ballet gala where Annabel Parker was selected as an honorable mention recipient for a Ballet Forum Merit Scholarship. Merit Scholarships are awarded based on attitude, ability to work with others, ability to accept corrections and dance ability.
Collier’s alumnus Grace Robison attended the CNADM training school and was awarded a $2,000 college scholarship. Scholarships are awarded to students pursuing a major or minor in dance and is based on in-class observation, academic performance, personal interview, and video submission of individual work. Grace is currently attending Butler University.
For more information about Debra Collier’s School of Dance or Chicago National Association of Dance Masters, call 574-267-7055 or visit collierdance.com.
