High school dance program are designed for all students—those with no prior dance experience and those with previous training. Students work to understand and evaluate dance performances, pursue dance as an avocation, or study dance at the college and/or professional levels. The Dance Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) define the parameters of effective programs, focusing on:

• Utilizing the movement of the body to perform techniques in ballet, modern, tap, and ethnic dance
• Understanding the history of dance and the influences shaping diverse dance traditions
• Learning and demonstrating a comprehensive knowledge of dance vocabulary to clearly describe positioning of feet, legs, hands, arms, and torso and basic step sequences
• Understanding the concepts of time, space, dynamics, rhythm, motivation, and gesture in relation to dance performance
• Developing and utilizing personal criteria to evaluate and discuss performance in dance.

Dance I–IV are described in the TEKS. Dance I establishes the foundation of knowledge and skills that will be developed in Dance II–IV. Each course level is a series of discrete instructional units and is an integral building block for more advanced work. Students acquire knowledge, skills, and techniques through daily coursework and application of discipline, commitment, and problem-solving skills. In Dance II, III, and IV, students may focus on specific genres, such as ballet or modern, to gain in-depth knowledge and proficiency. Dance requires consistent, structured practice to refine techniques. It is a rigorous art form that fosters the exploration and appreciation of diverse dance traditions and develops skills of observation, analysis, expression, and reflection.

Scheduling

Course content and health and safety considerations are key factors in scheduling dance. The optimum class size is approximately 20 students. To prevent injury to the dancers, sufficient time should be allotted for appropriate warm-up and cool-down activities. Certified and qualified teaching staff and adequate facilities are needed to safely teach dance. Grouping Dance I students apart from more experienced dancers establishes a solid foundation for beginners, helping them succeed in more advanced classes. With teacher approval, advanced courses can sometimes be combined into one class. However, smaller classes may be necessary to individualize instruction and to ensure that all students learn the TEKS for each course level.

Facilities

For safety and optimum student learning, dance facilities include a studio; showers; restrooms; and storage space for costumes, props, and equipment along with office space and a workroom for constructing and maintaining costumes. Most schools have a theatre or auditorium with a proscenium stage. Locating the dance studio and dressing rooms adjacent to the stage is important for smooth, uninterrupted performances.

The dance floor requires an air space, or cushion, between the building foundation and the wooden floor. A sprung, or floated, wood floor has the resiliency to cushion landings from elevated movements and prevent student injuries. The floor should be non-slippery, yet not too sticky. Ballet, modern, and jazz dance requires linoleum covering securely adhered to a sprung wooden floor. Folklorico and tap dance require a wood floor to produce a clear, unmuffled sound. 

The dance studio should consist of 100 square feet per student.  If the studio also serves as a performance space, it should be at least 4,800–5,000 square feet. A ceiling height of 20–24 feet is ideal, with at least a 16 foot high ceiling. There should be no posts or columns in the interior space. Each dancer requires a minimum of five feet of barre. The barres should be 36"–48" from the floor to accommodate students of various heights, and the barres should be mounted 6"–8" from the wall. If necessary, freestanding ballet barres, made of aluminum or iron pipes provide an acceptable and less expensive alternative to wall barres, and they can be easily stored against a wall when not in use. The dance studio should also be equipped with mirrors to enable students to easily observe personal progress and make self-initiated corrections during class. Placing mirrors on two adjoining walls allows students to analyze movements from two perspectives. 6'x8' mirror sections should be attached to the wall approximately six inches from the floor.

Additional considerations to make the dance studio a safer and more effective learning environment are:

• Dimmers for lighting and heavy duty wiring
• Numerous, strategically-placed electrical outlets
• Safe locations for pianos and sound and video equipment 
• Secure storage for equipment and collections of CDs, records, tapes, and videos
• Additional storage space for costumes, materials, mats, and other equipment
• Temperature and ventilation controls on dedicated circuits
• Ceiling fans, if ceiling height permits.