I am the "dance educator" posted above. I teach dance and dance composition at a private school. We also cover dance history and dance science ( kinesiology etc) in addition, I work with classroom teachers to collaborate projects based on common core standards that can incoperate movement. ( this year we used dance while teaching coding, science standards and English projects)

People with degrees in dance Ed can also get jobs with arts orgs like the Kennedy center who have community outreach programs - going into schools and doing guest artist in residencies.

(In addition, I teach at a dance studio in the evenings - that's typical dance teacher and recital stuff)

How about PE teacher or family/consumer science teacher -- or both! Always good to diversify and if she likes the teaching aspect, this is a good career.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I majored in dance education! I am so happy my parents gave me their blessing ( although at first my dad was nervous that I wouldn't be employable ). The fact that she wants to get her Ed degree is great - so many more opportunities. Although, I would recommend teaching full time and cooking as a hobby. I make over 100k as a dance educator. It can be done.

What is a dance educator?

I'm guessing that a dance educator is somebody who teaches dance. What else would a dance educator be?

Anonymous wrote:I majored in dance education! I am so happy my parents gave me their blessing ( although at first my dad was nervous that I wouldn't be employable ). The fact that she wants to get her Ed degree is great - so many more opportunities. Although, I would recommend teaching full time and cooking as a hobby. I make over 100k as a dance educator. It can be done.

What is a dance educator?

I'm the pp at the top of this page and 100% agree that being a good dancer has nothing to do with being a good educator. I'd suggest your daughter ask to be an assistant in some lower level classes at her studio to see if she really enjoys it

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a full time dance educator. I may not be rich or well off according to the standards in the area, but I can afford an apartment in a nice area and live very comfortably supporting myself. More importantly, I am happy. I love my job and look forward to going to work everyday. I can take modest vacations and save when I want nice things. I feel like I have a good life. If she really wants this, it is possible to make it work.

OP said her daughter is not that good of a dancer or a cook. I feel that if she was one of those kids who HAS to be a dancer or a cook, they would both know it already. It isn't really a passion if all she does is idly wonder.

Being a good dance teacher and being a good dance educator are two very different skillsets. Furthermore, this kid has 6 years of dance education ahead of her. She can work part time as a dance teacher, take classes and grown and learn. Maybe she'll learn new skills, and maybe she'll learn more about herself and realize something is better.

My kid who wanted a theater degree in junior year is off to college to study nursing. People change. But there's a big difference between figuring out your path for yourself, with your parents as allies and cheerleaders, and having someone force their idea of "success" on you.

Anonymous wrote:I am a full time dance educator. I may not be rich or well off according to the standards in the area, but I can afford an apartment in a nice area and live very comfortably supporting myself. More importantly, I am happy. I love my job and look forward to going to work everyday. I can take modest vacations and save when I want nice things. I feel like I have a good life. If she really wants this, it is possible to make it work.

OP said her daughter is not that good of a dancer or a cook. I feel that if she was one of those kids who HAS to be a dancer or a cook, they would both know it already. It isn't really a passion if all she does is idly wonder.

In my family we push for stem activities since early elementary. Introduce things slowly so you can eliminate the dislikes. It's a process. They like something, you build on it. They like lego, you add in lego with robotic, add on math, etc. they like cooking, add on science of cooking, chemistry etc. it is consistent thru the years to build interests. You can't decide the year before graduation that you want to go into science. It's a life learning process. Similar to a sport where you keep practicing and changing strategies to improve your game. It is the same with academics or anything else. It's your job to guide her towards independence, but she has to know that she's the driver. There will be bumps on her road but she will have to learn to maneuver. If she has passion to dance, you must let her follow it but add in economics and business classes in order for her to run the business and support herself. Otherwise, be ready for her to live with you or hope she marries rich!

I think that your daughter just needs to be realistic and go in knowing the chances of getting the jobs she wants, how much she will make, etc.
Help her research it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm an attorney and there isn't a day that goes by when I don't wish that I had gone to culinary school instead. I wish that I had been your daughter and realized that that's what I wanted at 16 rather than at 36, when it was way, way too late.

a.) People often find that when they try to turn their passions into paying work, it ruins their love for the hobby

b.) you probably make a lot more money as an attorney which affords you nice things that you wouldn't have as a caterer or chef, such as vacations. It's a really hard industry to make an UMC living from.

This is just sad to read. I would never ever say this to a child. Getting to a "UMC living" through a corporate soul crushing job might be worth to some, some even forget that life outside of work exists. Those mediocre engineers, analysts, attorneys, that went into the field purely to earn a living are often miserable.

This! I am do b??d i never went to ?aw school, as inthink i would hate bri g a lawyer. Plus, have so many kawyer friends with crushing debit and few Real career prisoects. I went to a reception with DW the other night at her Big Law firm and when asked "what do you do?" Answered immediately "I'm not a lawyer."

OP, listen to Mike Rowe's TedTalk. There is no one recipe for success.

https://www.ted.com/talks/mike_rowe_celebrates_dirty_jobs

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

She could use her science degree and go to medical/dental school.

OP, please be the parent of the child you actually have, not of the child you wish you had.

I am. Is it wrong that I want the only child I have to be successful?

Pushing a stem career when she's a junior in high school is pretty pathetic. You should have thought of this 10 years ago.

pushing a stem career is pathetic.

have her visit an IT person at work. she can sit at long tables in open conference room with H1Bs from India. until she is 40 and then she will be fired.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/are-h-1b-visas-being-hijacked-to-lower-labor-costs/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab7e&linkId=35626681

+1

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

She could use her science degree and go to medical/dental school.

OP, please be the parent of the child you actually have, not of the child you wish you had.

I am. Is it wrong that I want the only child I have to be successful?

Pushing a stem career when she's a junior in high school is pretty pathetic. You should have thought of this 10 years ago.

pushing a stem career is pathetic.

have her visit an IT person at work. she can sit at long tables in open conference room with H1Bs from India. until she is 40 and then she will be fired.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/are-h-1b-visas-being-hijacked-to-lower-labor-costs/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab7e&linkId=35626681

I majored in dance education! I am so happy my parents gave me their blessing ( although at first my dad was nervous that I wouldn't be employable ). The fact that she wants to get her Ed degree is great - so many more opportunities. Although, I would recommend teaching full time and cooking as a hobby. I make over 100k as a dance educator. It can be done.