TEACHER TRAINING - STATE DIPLOMA (DE)

PNSD Rosella Hightower is one of the accredited centres authorised to deliver training for the State Diploma in Dance Education (DE) in all three disciplines (ballet, contemporary and jazz dance).

The State Diploma in Dance Education is required for the teaching of dance in all three options – ballet, contemporary and jazz dance.

The State Diploma in Dance Education consists of 4 course units (UE) that can be validated independently :

• 3 theoretical course units including Physiological Anatomy, Dance History and Musical Training.
  
• 1 course unit in Pedagogy (in the option chosen by the student). Validating the Pedagogy course unit is dependent on the validation of all three theoretical credits.  
  

Find out more about the certification framework

Find out more about the Official Framework of the training and the State Diploma in Dance Education (updated in December 2021 – see pages 154-188).

The State Diploma aims to train professional or amateur dancers in dance education. It provides the fundamental knowledge necessary for developing autonomous dance practices in students.

Depending on the circumstances, it ensures activities of awakening, initiation, and the instruction of initial learning, notably within the framework of the undergraduate course leading to the certificate in choreographic studies delivered by specialised artistic education institutions under the jurisdiction of local authorities.

Training objectives

1. I. Possessing the associated knowledge necessary for the transmission of one’s choreographic style.

   1. a. Engaging both the fundamental and specific elements of one’s choreographic style
      
   2. b. Engaging one’s knowledge in anatomy and the physiology of movement
      
2. c. Engaging one’s knowledge in music and bodily rhythm
   



3. II. Establishing an educational project

   1. a. Taking students’ specificity into account    
      
   2. b. Considering the characteristics of the subject being taught



III. Implementing one’s educational project

4. 1. a. Designing and animating a collective learning situation
   2. b. Conducting learning sequences in both their technical and artistic dimensions
      
   3. c. Mobilising associated knowledge
   4. d. Conducting assessment
      
   5. e. Engaging in expanded practices

Access to training and Auditions

Access is based on passing the Technical Aptitude Examination (EAT), holding the Choreographic Studies Diploma (DEC) or the National Diploma of Professional Dance Orientation (DNOP) awarded by conservatories.

Information on the examination modalities for the 2024 Technical Aptitude Examination

• The Examination of the Technical Aptitude as a Dance Teacher will take place remotely
  

Coming auditions to enter our training will take place at the PNSD Rosella Hightower in 2025
Registrations open in January 2025

The PNSD offers two support modules to help you prepare for the technical aptitude exam. One module prepares candidates for the eligibility phase, the other prepares candidates for the admission phase. The two modules can be taken separately. In each option, a variation from the programme will be deciphered and then worked on with the Rosella Hightower PNSD teachers.

Training at PNSD Rosella Hightower

The 2-year training is delivered by our permanent teaching staff on our campus fully dedicated to dance in Cannes-Mougins, complemented by guest pedagogs and contributors.

It consists of 4 course units and involves over 600 hours of training.

Welcome meeting : September 2025.

Training starts : September 2025.

Locations : Mougins Campus, Studio at 5 rue de Colmar in Cannes, and Méliès Campus in Cannes-La-Bocca.

See the 2024-2025 Presentation Brochure

Experience at PNSD Rosella Hightower

By joining PNSD Rosella Hightower to study for the State Diploma (DE), students are ensuring that they can prepare for their examination under the best conditions, supported by a competent team that listens to them, with the opportunity to train with actual students.

2025 Examinations

1st Year : Theoretical courses: (shared by the PACA region)
- From 19 to 21 May: Musical Training (at the Rosella Hightower PNSD - Campus Méliès Cannes-la-Bocca)
- 23 and 24 May: Anatomy and Physiology (at Centre Café Danse, Aix-en-Provence)
- 26 May: History of Dance exam (in each centre in the region, then marking from 27 to 28 May at the PNSD Rosella Hightower, Mougins)

2nd Year : UV Pedagogy : (PNSD Rosella Hightower only)
- Classical: 3 June
- Contemporary: 4 June 
No Jazz session

Self-employed candidates may register for the tests with Swanna Yengo:
- UV Theory (1st year): until 31/03/2025
- UV Pedagogy (2nd year) until 15/05/2025
Subject to acceptance of the application and availability of places.

PNSD Rosella Hightower

PNSD Rosella Hightower is attentive to any specific requests in case of disability, in order to facilitate your participation in our training. Please contact our Disability Coordinator.

Holders of the State Diploma in Dance Education work in a wide range of environments :

• Conservatories : refer to the National Dance Centre Brochure on the Teaching of Dance in the Local Public Sector
  
• School environments
  
• Sport or cultural associations : refer to the National Dance Centre Brochure on the Teaching of Dance in the Private Sector

State-certified dance teachers will enjoy a range of career opportunities. After a few years in practice, they may transition to leading extra-curricular activities in schools, or establishing their own private dance clubs.

Examinations organised by the Ministry of National Education to become a Headmaster or Inspector are open to holders of the State Diploma.

Further studies :

• Career prospects and pathways after the DE
• Dance Teacher Aptitude Certificate
• Dance Heath Ageing Diploma

Refer to the Ministry of Culture’s page on Teacher Training.

Refer to the refer to the National Dance Centre Brochure on the State Diploma of Dance Teacher

Other pathways to access the State Diploma in Dance Education :

1. The State Diploma of Dance Teacher is accessible to choreographic artists through a streamlined training of 200 hours

Prerequisites to access the 200-hour training are : demonstrating at least 3 years of professional experience within a national ballet in France or in Europe and an authorisation to enrol in the training issued upon request to your local DRAC  

Check the entry requirements for the 200-hour training : pages 4 and 5 of the decree dated 07/23/2019.

The accredited centres delivering the 200-hour training are :

• CND in Pantin
• CND in Lyon

The PNSD Rosella Hightower can organise collective training requested by dance companies or groups of dancers identified within dance companies to deliver the 200-hour training tailored to their needs. However, PNSD must seek prior accreditation from the Ministry of Culture. Therefore, the implementation of such tailored programmes may take up to 9 months.

2. Validation of Acquired Experience (VAE)

The State Diploma of Dance Teacher can be awarded through VAE with no age limit or nationality requirement, for candidates who can demonstrate skills acquired in the practice of dance teaching, directly related to the activities and skills as defined by the certification standard in the diploma option specified in the VAE application – whether as employees, self-employed individuals, volunteers, or through voluntary work, continuously or intermittently. The total cumulative activity duration is at least 600 hours spread over a minimum period of one month.

Three sessions were implemented from 2018 to 202, for which the Ministry of Culture designated 3 centres offering access to the DE in Dance Education through VAE :

• The Higher School of Music and Dance Hauts-de-France - Lille (ESMD) - in 2018  
  
• Higher Institute of Arts and Design in Toulouse - Toulouse (ISDAT) - in 2019  
  
• The Higher Education Centre of Music and Dance in Bordeaux Nouvelle-Aquitaine (PESMD) – in 2020  
  

For the 2022-2023 academic year, no sessions were opened. As for the upcoming 2023-2024 year, no sessions have been announced yet.

Pass rate for the State Diploma of Dance Teacher

Year 2023/2024

First Year (Theory Units : anatomy, Music, and Dance History) : 60%

Second Year (Pedagogy Units and Diploma) : 83,33%
Classical : 100%
Jazz : 80%
No Contemporary session

Year 2022/2023

First Year (Theory Units : anatomy, Music, and Dance History) : 86.67%

Second Year (Pedagogy Units and Diploma) : 88.88%

Classical : 100%

Contemporary : 100%

Jazz: 80%

Year 2021/2022

First Year (Theory Units : anatomy, Music, and Dance History) : 90%

Second Year (Pedagogy Units and Diploma) : 81.25%

Classical : 85.7%

Contemporary : 100%

Jazz: 66.7%

Year 2020/2021

First Year (Theory Units : anatomy, Music, and Dance History) : 86.5%

Second Year (Pedagogy Units and Diploma) : 40 % in the the jazz option (no candidates in the classical or contemporary options)

Year 2019/2020

First Year (Theory Units : anatomy, Music, and Dance History) : 100 %

Second Year (Pedagogy Units and Diploma) : 100 % in the ballet and jazz options (no candidates in the contemporary option)

Year 2018/2019

First Year (Theory Units : anatomy, Music, and Dance History) : 100 %

Second Year (Pedagogy Units and Diploma) : no candidates

2022-23 satisfaction rate: 70% (40% response rate)

For more information, please contact Ms Swanna Yengo, Artistic Studies Department