DVP Introductory Teacher Training Program

Empowering the Next Generation of Creative Aging Leaders

Join us for a transformative 3-day training designed for dance professionals eager to bring the power of movement to older adults of all abilities. This in-person training is based on DVP’s award-winning MOVEMENT SPEAKS® model, equipping you with the skills to lead creative aging programs in your own community.

Led by Artistic Director Naomi Goldberg Haas and DVP’s expert teaching artists, this immersive training provides hands-on learning, live class observations, and guided teaching practice with older adults.

Why Join This Training?

• Gain a functional understanding of aging and movement
• Learn to debunk myths about physical activity for older adults
• Understand how dance fosters positive aging
• Receive hands-on training in DVP’s MOVEMENT SPEAKS® model
• Practice leading exercises & engaging older adult students
• Get personalized feedback from DVP’s expert team

Who Should Apply?

This program is designed for dance professionals interested in leading creative aging programs. Ideal candidates will have:

• Proficiency in a dance or movement art (ballet, jazz, hip-hop, Latin, etc.)
• Experience with improvisation and adaptive movement
• A passion for working with older adults
• Basic knowledge of functional anatomy (preferred)
• Bilingual dancers (especially Spanish speakers) encouraged to apply!

Training Details

Dates: May 17–19, 2025
Location: Playwrights Downtown, NYC
Address: 440 Lafayette St, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10003
Nearby Subway: 6 (Astor Place), R/W (8th St), B/D/F/M (Broadway-Lafayette)

Schedule:

Cost & Application Process

Program Fee: $1,500

Scholarships & work-study options are available – contact miriam@dvpnyc.org for details.

Before applying
Please review the application material below.

How to Apply:

Please complete the application form by clicking the button below.

Selected candidates will be invited for a phone/video interview.
Finalists will be notified of acceptance and next steps.

For questions, email Miriam Grill at miriam@dvpnyc.org.

About the Presenters

NAOMI GOLDBERG HAAS is the founding Artistic Director of Dances for a Variable Population (DVP) since 2005, which promotes strong & creative movement among adults of all ages and abilities. DVP’s model of community creative aging education program MOVEMENT SPEAKS® has served 5000 older adults in NYC and is a model in best practices for creative aging in community-based performance and education programs for older adults. Goldberg Haas has been a leader in the field of creative aging, starting with founding the successful intergenerational and mixed-ability dance company, Los Angeles Modern Dance & Ballet (1990- 2004). She danced with Pacific Northwest Ballet and holds an MFA from Tisch Dance/NYU. Goldberg Haas received the LMCC President’s Award for Performing Arts (2014), served on the Age Friendly Media, Arts & Culture Working Group (2015–2018), and received the DANCE USA 2019–20 Fellowship for Artists addressing Social Change.

THEO GILBERT (Teaching Artist/Dancer) is a Native New Yorker, Movement Motivator, and Dance Fitness Professional. She lives in the Bronx and teaches Zumba Gold and numerous Dance Fitness classes throughout the city. She says her “favorite group to teach is elders, gathering so much from their wisdom and humor!”She has been a lead Teaching Artist with DVP since 2015.

REBECCA HITE (Teaching Artist/Dancer) received her MFA in dance choreography/performance from Smith College in Northampton, MA, where she was also a teaching fellow and guest artist at Amherst College.  She holds a BA in dance from Connecticut College. Rebecca has worked with David Dorfman, Lisa Race, Heidi Henderson, Adele Myers, Nicholas Leichter, Jeremy Nelson, Wally Cardona, and Monica Bill Barnes. Along with working with DVP, Rebecca is a freelance choreographer and teacher in NYC and collaborates with Raja Kelly/The Feath3r Theory, MachineH Dance, and is co-creator and co-artistic director of Reject Dance Theatre.