Mentorship for Dance Teachers

NOJA Dance Education
Grounded in the principles of Verticality

The Mentorship for Dance Teachers under NOJA Dance Education is an independent educational initiative dedicated to supporting dance educators in their professional, ethical, and artistic responsibilities.

It was created as a space of reflection and guidance for teachers working with children and young dancers, beyond competition results, rankings, and immediate performance expectations.

The mentorship is offered as a free educational platform, developed as a professional contribution to the dance teaching community and grounded in responsibility rather than commercial exchange.

Verticality

At the foundation of the mentorship lies the principle of Verticality.

Verticality refers to axis, values, ethical responsibility, and artistic coherence in dance education. It represents the alignment between physical clarity, pedagogical awareness, and long-term artistic vision.

Verticality is not a method or a system.
It is a conscious position from which teaching, choosing, and guiding take place.

Purpose of the Mentorship

The purpose of the mentorship is to support dance educators in consciously aligning their teaching practice with responsibility, values, and long-term artistic coherence.

The mentorship does not aim to correct, evaluate, or standardize teaching methods. Instead, it offers a reflective space in which teachers can:

  • clarify their professional position

  • deepen awareness of their educational role

  • engage with the ethical dimensions of dance education

Grounded in Verticality, the mentorship encourages teachers to move beyond immediate results and performance pressure toward sustainable, age-appropriate, and meaningful formation of young dancers.

Through guided dialogue and shared professional experience, the mentorship supports teachers in becoming conscious transmitters of technique, culture, and responsibility.

Nature of the Mentorship

The mentorship is:

  • reflective and dialogical

  • non-competitive and non-hierarchical

  • non-evaluative

It is not:

  • a course or training program

  • an assessment or examination

  • a certification or qualification

  • a therapeutic, medical, or psychological service

The mentorship exists independently of competitions and has no influence on rankings, results, or jury decisions in any competitive context.

Format

Mentorship sessions are conducted online or in person and are developed as focused, guided encounters.

Each session:

  • lasts 60–75 minutes

  • includes a maximum of six (6) participants

This limited format ensures presence, trust, discretion, and meaningful exchange.

Mentorship Sessions

Sessions are structured to support:

  • pedagogical clarity and responsibility

  • age-appropriate and sustainable training

  • ethical awareness in competitive and non-competitive contexts

  • artistic coherence in repertoire and long-term development

The emphasis is placed on understanding teaching decisions, not on prescribing solutions.

STRUCTURE – Mentorship for Dance Teachers

Duration: 60–75 minutes
Group size: Maximum 6 participants
Format: Online or in person

1. Opening & Alignment

Time: 8–10 minutes
Purpose: Create axis, presence, and common ground.

  • Brief welcome

  • Recall of the Verticality principles

  • Framing the session as guidance and reflection, not evaluation

2. Context Sharing

Time: 15–18 minutes
Purpose: Situate real teaching realities.

  • Participants briefly share:

    • teaching context (school, studio, age group)

    • a current situation, question, or challenge

  • Focus on situations, not individuals

  • Listening only — no correction or advice

3. Verticality Focus

Time: 15–18 minutes
Purpose: Deepen one pillar of Verticality per session.

  • One focus area per session, such as:

    • Axis and physical alignment in pedagogy

    • Values in daily teaching decisions

    • Ethical responsibility in competitive contexts

    • Artistic coherence and repertoire choices

  • Short reflective input from the mentor

  • Reference to lived professional experience

  • Open questions, not prescriptions

4. Guided Reflection & Dialogue

Time: 12–15 minutes
Purpose: Integration, not solutions.

  • Moderated dialogue

  • Shared reflections

  • Clarification of perspectives

  • Emphasis on long-term formation

Key rule:
No “right answers”. Only conscious positioning.

5. Closing & Continuity

Time: 7–9 minutes
Purpose: Close vertically, not abruptly.

  • Brief synthesis of shared insights

  • Invitation to observe one’s own teaching practice differently

  • No tasks, no homework, only awareness

Optional Session Formats

(Developed within the same philosophy)

  • Case Reflection Session – One real teaching situation discussed collectively, without judgment

  • Silent Observation Session – Listening and observing before speaking

  • Verticality Talk – Short conceptual reflection followed by dialogue

    The first mentorship session will begin on February 15th, 2026, at 3:00 PM (Austrian Time).
    Participation is limited to six teachers and requires prior registration per email at: ndanceenterprises@gmail.com

Professional Framework and Alignment

Participation in the mentorship presupposes openness to reflection, professional respect, ethical responsibility, and discretion.

Before joining, participants are informed of:

  • the reflective and non-evaluative nature of the mentorship

  • its independence from competitions and institutions

  • the importance of confidentiality, trust, and shared responsibility

If, during the initial dialogue or at any point in the mentorship process, it becomes clear that there is no alignment with the values and spirit of NOJA Dance Education, participation may be respectfully discontinued or not pursued further.

This decision does not represent a judgment of professional competence but serves to protect the integrity, safety, and coherence of the mentorship space.

How to Join

The mentorship is not open for direct enrollment.

Dance teachers may initiate contact through:

  • an expression of interest sent to: ndanceenterprises@gmail.com

This introductory conversation is a space for dialogue and clarification of professional context and expectations. It is not an evaluation, audition, or selection process and carries no obligation to participate.

Participation in mentorship sessions takes place by invitation or confirmation, based on professional dialogue and mutual agreement.

Professional Boundaries and Further Support

The mentorship sessions are collective and reflective in nature.

If, outside the mentorship framework, a teacher requests additional private or individualized professional support, such support falls outside the scope of NOJA Dance Education. It may be subject to separate agreements and fees, determined independently by the involved professional or entrepreneur.

NOJA Dance Education does not assume responsibility for private professional services arranged outside the mentorship context.

Responsibility and Liability

Participants engage in the mentorship voluntarily and retain full responsibility for their professional decisions, teaching methods, and actions in their own educational contexts.

NOJA Dance Education does not replace formal education, professional training, medical care, or psychological support and cannot be held responsible for outcomes resulting from the application or interpretation of mentorship discussions.

Founder

Simona Noja Nebyla
International ballet artist, educator, author, and founder of the European Ballet Grand Prix

The mentorship exists not to define how teachers should teach, but to support from where they teach.