Meaning & use
dance instructor
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Meanings
nouncountable
A person whose job is to teach people how to dance, often in a studio or privately.
Grammar: Countable: a dance instructor, two dance instructors. Often followed by 'at' or 'for' to show where or for whom they teach.
Patterns
- a dance instructor at a studio
- a dance instructor for children
- work as a dance instructor
She hired a dance instructor to help her prepare for the wedding.
My dance instructor at the community center is very patient.
He works as a dance instructor on weekends.
nouncountable
A professional who coaches dancers or teaches a particular style, such as ballet, salsa, or hip-hop.
Grammar: Countable; often used with a style: a ballet dance instructor, a salsa dance instructor.
Patterns
- a ballet dance instructor
- a salsa dance instructor
The ballet dance instructor corrected the students' posture.
They found a salsa dance instructor online.
Word forms
| plural | dance instructors |
|---|
Common combinations
- hired a dance instructor
- They hired a dance instructor for their anniversary party.
- private dance instructor
- A private dance instructor can give you one-on-one attention.
- dance instructor at a studio
- He is a dance instructor at a local studio.
- certified dance instructor
- She is a certified dance instructor with ten years of experience.
Synonyms and how they differ
- dance teacher
- Very similar, but 'dance teacher' is broader and can refer to anyone who teaches dance, including schoolteachers; 'dance instructor' often implies a professional or specialist.
- choreographer
- A choreographer creates dance routines, while a dance instructor mainly teaches technique and steps; some people do both.
Word family
- dance verb
- To move your body rhythmically, usually to music.
- instruct verb
- To teach or give orders; the base verb behind 'instructor'.
- instruction noun
- The act of teaching or the directions given.
Commonly confused: dance instructor or dancer?
dance instructor vs dancer
A dancer performs dance, while a dance instructor teaches it. A dance instructor may also be a dancer, but the jobs are different.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'dance instructor' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'At' is the usual preposition to show where someone works or teaches: a dance instructor at a studio. 'Of' would suggest possession, 'for' could mean she teaches for the studio but is less natural here, and 'on' is wrong.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “dance instructor”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.