The Calpulli Mexican Dance Company is a premiere arts organization based in New York City that tours domestically and internationally with a message of honoring and celebrating Mexican people and our stories. Calpulli was founded in 2003 with the mission of celebrating the Mexican community through dance including live music. To this end, the organization produces performances via its international touring company, designs arts-in-education experiences for all ages, and leads community outreach activities in the northeastern USA.

Teaching Artists with Calpulli are highly valued individuals who take the artistic vision of the touring company and translate it into immersive, interactive learning experiences for audiences of all ages in diverse settings in New York City and beyond. The Teaching Artist will work with the Arts-in-Education Director and Educational Projects Manager to deliver workshops, residencies, educational performances, and new projects to schools, community centers, and wherever there are opportunities to share our understanding of Mexican culture through the performing arts. The role may support ongoing classes year-round and also project-based classes as contracted throughout the year. All work at this time is in person and may be conducted during the week and weekends during the day and evenings as available.

The ideal candidate will be highly organized, adaptive, and have a love of learning and teaching in the arts. The Teaching Artist will be courteous and respectful of all venues and hosts as a guest at their facility and as a representative of Calpulli Mexican Dance Company.

Duties, Values and Responsibilities:

Lesson Plans and Curriculum

• Draft lesson plans and effectively execute them meeting the goals of the students, teachers, Calpulli, and other stakeholders within time constraints
• Prepares choreography, dance movement, and other performance elements inspired by Mexican dance traditions of all types ranging from native/ indigenous, Hispanic, and contemporary
• Delivers dance lessons adapting to the skill level and movement ability of students
• Conducts research on the dance form including history, cultural details, music, and much more to provide to students and educators to enhance the learning experience within the Calpulli-led arts project and beyond
• Facilitate planning discussions with hosts including faculty, teachers, parents, and Calpulli staff to understand the goals and needs of every arts-in-education project
• Leverage the artistic resources with knowledge, experience, costuming, music, and more that Calpulli offers to enhance the arts experience for all students
• Proactively resolve and anticipate issues for the betterment of the student experience
• Document lessons so they are transferable if needed for urgent coverage
• Engage students and participants in dynamic ways to ensure that the maximum number of students receive benefit and feel the content is accessible and inviting

Administrative & Class Management

• Collaborate with the Educational Projects Manager to understand schedule and assignments and proactively communicate changes and update from hosts back to Calpulli staff
• Communicate content of arts-in-education to Arts-in-Education Director
• Proactively and urgently communicate any issues related to student and general safety to school administration, host contacts, and Calpulli
• Communicate any changes to availability for classes to all impacted stakeholders within and outside of Calpulli
• Manage costumes if used for arts-in-education projects
• Ensure all equipment needed for the school is either provided or obtained
• Prepares the studio as needed removing/ adding equipment including sound
• Meet all safety requirements for schools including identification, vaccine, and registration in local and city systems including the NYC Department of Education and fingerprinting
• Prepare documents for reporting to schools and Calpulli as needed
• Prepare and submit invoices for payment for work

QUALIFICATIONS

• 3+ years Teaching Artist experience in the performing arts with documented knowledge of lesson plans and content design; in addition working experience with students of diverse ages and class management of class sizes ranging from 5 to 30 students
• Knowledge of and experience with applying learning standard at the local, state, and additional levels to be able to inform lesson plans and meet goals (NYC Blueprint for Dance preferred)
• 3+ years experience in dance training including footwork or similar performing arts learning
• A passion for learning and teaching in the performing arts
• Bilingual (English and Spanish) preferred but not a requirement
• Ability to communicate with individuals of all ages

Interested individuals please email your cover letter, resume, and/ or curriculum vitae to Educational Projects Manager, Christy Fischer at cfischer@calpullidance.org with the subject line “Teaching Artist.” Individuals proceeding to the interview process will be requested to provide references.