OLI Careers
Choreographer
Toronto (Hybrid), ON, Canada .
contract . July 25, 2022
Description
Introduction
Outside Looking In is looking for multiple dance teachers/choreographers to add to our roster of dance professionals serving Indigenous communities across Canada. They will travel to a First Nations, Metis and/or Inuit community across Canada to teach and choreograph dynamic, high-energy and thematic dance routines for Indigenous youth in Grades 7-12. As an OLI teacher/choreographer, you will be part of an inclusive organization that provides arts education and support services for Indigenous youth across Canada from fly-in reserves and urban centers.
POSITION OVERVIEW
The OLI Dance Teacher/Choreographer will support the delivery of our high-school dance-accredited program. They are also role models, mentors, and ambassadors who represent the organization. They must travel to remote (fly-in reserves) or urban communities to choreograph, teach, and facilitate daily dance rehearsals (1.5-6 hours each day, depending on group size). They must choreograph and teach a 2-4 minute routine for the community that they will be paired with for the entire school year.
REMOTE MODEL
- Teachers/Choreographers will travel to fly-in or remote communities, 4-8 times during September-June. Each trip lasts for about 5 days (usually Monday-Friday)
- Flights and accommodations are covered by OLI & Community. Meal allowances are included.
- Any other expenses incurred during travel for OLI purposes can be reimbursed.
URBAN MODEL
- Choreographers will travel to urban communities 2-3 times per week during September-June if the community is within 2-3 hours from where they reside. Each class will be between 1.5-2 hours
- Mileage can be reimbursed if you are using your own vehicle
- Transportation and meal allowances can be included, only if necessary.
JOB DESCRIPTION
- Submit song selections to the Associate Director for approval prior to use to prevent duplicates and ensure alignment with the theme.
- Facilitate 1.5-6 hour dance rehearsals (pending on community size) every day that they are in the community and ensure participants follow dance rehearsal etiquette (ie. hair tied back, no extra baggy clothes, indoor shoes on (ideally), no gum chewing, and drinking plenty of water.)
- Choreograph and teach 2-4 minute high-energy and age-appropriate routines (to be completed by the end of March)
- Include a 10-15 minute warmup/fitness session at the beginning of each class and a 5- 5-minute cooldown at the end of each class
- Assist with credit course delivery by teaching basic dance vocabulary and terminology
- Film tutorial videos of the routine and submit/post them on a private Facebook community page after each trip. Encourage youth/volunteers to film you going over the dance with counts before you leave the community.
- Submit the rough mix and rough costume ideas by Mid-December
- Submit the final mix and costume ideas by the end of February
- Complete 2-3 digital performance assessments of each student in person or virtually between Sept and April.
- Be in regular contact and receive ongoing support from the Associate Director and Program Coordinators/Managers
- Submit reimbursement receipts and submit hours in a timely manner.
*Depending on the community, some may need to create 2 dance routines for one community (will be compensated accordingly)
*There is an opportunity to be paired with more than one community if the choreographer is available/interested
KEY DETAILS:
- Type: Contract Work
- Compensation: Competitive and depends on years of experience
- Reports to: Associate Director, Dance Program
- Start Date: September-June (training in August)
- Location: Remote
- Travel: Frequent travel to remote communities within Canada between September-April
We encourage all First Nations, Metis, Inuit, and Indigenous peoples of North America to self-identify in their applications.
IDEAL CANDIDATES
- 2+ years of dance teaching experience
- Very flexible schedule and ready to travel frequently to Indigenous communities from September-June
- Preference over choreographers who reside in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan or Alberta
- Preference over choreographers with Street Dance background (open to other high-energy styles)
- Passionate about dance and wants to have a long-term career in it
- Warm-energy, approachable, reliable, punctual, organized, coachable, accountable
- Works well with youth, loves to travel, adventurous, easygoing, adapts well to new environments, welcomes new experiences and challenges
- Strong interpersonal, communication, and relationship-building skills.
- Familiar with best practices for working with youth, volunteers, and staff.
- Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience, tact and diplomacy.
- Clear police background check
- A driver’s license is an asset
- Experience working with Indigenous youth or racialized populations is considered an asset
- A First Aid or Mental Health training Certification is considered an asset
We are open to:
- Emerging or pre-professional choreographers (0-1 year of experience) with a flexible and open schedule from September to June.
- Seasoned choreographers that may have limited availability but are highly interested and invested in working with Indigenous communities *We are also building a sublist and an on-call list for one-off workshop opportunities*