Lower School Dance and Creative Arts Teacher

The Opportunity:

Carolina Friends School (CFS) is seeking a part-time 50% Dance and Creative Arts Teacher in the Lower School to serve an interim position for the 2026-2027 school year. The teacher will join a creative and dedicated community committed to developing a vigorous, student-centered, and mission-driven curriculum. We seek a visionary, collaborative, dynamic, and innovative teacher to provide instruction to students in our Lower School (ages 6-10).

Responsibilities:

• Teaching five sections (10 class meetings) of Lower School movement, drama and improvisation classes
• Though this is not a recital-driven position, the teacher is responsible for initiating and supporting formal and informal performances
• Attending and participating in weekly afternoon staff meetings and cross-staff professional development activities

Skills and Abilities:

• Degree in Dance, Dance or Theatre Education, Elementary Education, or experience in teaching dance, movement activities, and drama to children
• Demonstrated success teaching dance to children from ages 6-10 at widely varying skill levels
• Desire to help students develop their “voice” as a dance designer and to embrace dance and creative expression as a part of their daily lives
• Ability to manage a movement classroom and see the light in individual dancers and to cultivate a program that is inclusive, thus building community and embracing differences
• Ability to generate and teach technical and creative sequences that are developmentally appropriate for each age
• Ability to create new choreographic works for multi-age, level students
• Ability to instruct classes in theatrical movement, voice work, storytelling, scene-making and improvisation
• Ability to nurture and support the development of students' interest and skills in dance, choreography, and theatrical scenework
• A keen understanding of body mechanics, anatomy, mindfulness, and safe practices in a classroom and studio setting
• Ability to teach the basics of partnering, including safe practices
• Ability to facilitate a creative, dynamic, and inspiring environment, using dance and movement as a language to express the uniqueness of the individual
• Commitment to continued professional growth
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills
• Flexibility to adapt to the changing needs of the students and the School
• Demonstrate an affinity for and interest in the Quaker values as embodied in the CFS community.
• Demonstrate commitment to understanding and exploring how power and inequality, influenced by factors such as race, class, gender, sexuality, neurodivergence, and different physical abilities, impact our students, families, and colleagues

The Lower School

The Lower School, strongly rooted in Quaker philosophy and student-centered practice, nurtures the intellectual, social, emotional, spiritual, and physical growth of the whole child. The School focuses on the unique worth of the individual, recognizing that each child grows in different dimensions and at different rates. The Lower School also recognizes that children learn best by doing, by being engaged in activity; learning is enhanced as children engage their senses and interact with their environment. As they experiment and explore, answering questions of real relevance, children develop skills of inquiry, reasoning, problem-solving, and communication.

Located on the main campus of Carolina Friends School, the Lower School rooms are open, colorful, and designed for maximum flexibility, providing space for independent study, group learning, and play. The large playground invites a variety of creative play activities, while the School's creek and wooded, rural setting offer an ideal environment for exploration and nature study.

One of the greatest strengths of the Lower School is its community of talented, dedicated, and collegial teachers. The School is fortunate to attract outstanding educators who see teaching as a calling, as an art, and as an opportunity to nurture the whole child. CFS staff possess strong academic backgrounds and enthusiastically embrace the habit of lifelong learning. They are self-directed thinkers, always considering how to best meet the needs of their students. We welcome new teachers to the School who share similar educational goals and with whom Carolina Friends School’s philosophy and practice resonate.

How to Apply:

Interested candidates should submit, when possible in one complete PDF file, the following:

• Cover Letter
• Resume
• Statement of Educational Philosophy
• Names and contact information for three references

Please compile all these documents into one complete packet and submit it to [email protected]. Please indicate LS Dance and Creative Arts Teacher in the email subject line.

Resumes will be reviewed immediately and will continue until the position has been filled. CFS reserves the right to close the recruitment at any time. Candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as all materials can be compiled.

APPLICANTS: Please review the Who We Are, Commitment to Diversity and Inclusivity, and Important Information for All Applicants sections on the CFS job opportunities page.

Carolina Friends School actively strives to be a community of staff, students, and families of diverse backgrounds. CFS does not discriminate based on age, race, color, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, disability, socio-economic background, family structure, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, or military service in the administration of its policies and programs.