Pones

Are you a compassionate, skilled dance practitioner who uses movement as a tool for creative expression, emotional wellbeing, and community connection? Do you enjoy supporting students diverse in age, background, and abilities through a combination of artistic excellence, social-emotional learning, and trauma‑informed, healing‑centered facilitation? We’d love to talk to you about being a teaching artist in the Pones Arts in Healing (AIH) program! AIH classes take place in a variety of settings and with a wide range of students, but have the common goal of using movement as a tool for health and healing. Pones partners with several local organizations, from schools to health care to senior living, to deliver AIH programming.

Please complete our Interest Form or email Jackie@pones.org indicating that you’d like to be considered for an Arts in Healing instructor position. Jackie Smith, our Education Director, will review your submission and follow up with you. We look forward to hearing from you!

 

Summary
Teaching artists contracted in the Pones Arts in Healing (AIH) program are compassionate,
skilled dance practitioners who use movement as a tool for creative expression, emotional
wellbeing, and community connection. This role blends artistic excellence and
social-emotional learning with trauma‐informed, healing‐centered facilitation to support
participants of diverse ages, backgrounds, and abilities. The Teaching Artist designs and leads
inclusive, movement‐based workshops, residencies, and community programs that foster
self‐expression, resilience, and holistic wellness through the arts.

Typical Responsibilities
Program Delivery
● Facilitate engaging, healing‐centered dance classes, workshops, and long‐term
residencies for youth, adults, and/or special populations (e.g., seniors, survivors,
individuals in recovery, community groups).
● Create a safe, welcoming environment where participants feel empowered to explore
movement at their own comfort level.
● Integrate techniques from somatic practice, culturally responsive movement
traditions, improvisation, mindfulness, and expressive arts therapies (non‐clinical).

Curriculum & Planning
● Design lesson plans and movement experiences aligned with wellness goals,
social‐emotional learning, and participant needs.
● Collaborate with program staff, social workers, educators, or community partners to
adapt content for specific groups or settings.
● Maintain documentation, reflections, and evaluation materials to support program
assessment and growth.

Community Engagement
● Build trusting relationships with program partners, participants, and families.
● Model empathy, cultural humility, and inclusive practices.
● Represent the organization at community events, showcases, and professional
development sessions.

Artistic & Professional Practice
● Stay current on best practices in dance education, trauma‐informed pedagogy,
arts‐in‐health, and community arts.
● Participate in ongoing training, team meetings, and collaborative planning sessions.

● Uphold professional ethics regarding boundaries, participant confidentiality, and safe
movement instruction.

Qualifications
Required
● Strong dance/movement skills in one or more of these techniques: somatic practice,
creative expression, dance and mindfulness, yoga, meditation, and breathwork
● Experience teaching diverse groups in community, school, or therapeutic‐adjacent
settings
● Understanding of trauma‐informed facilitation, movement safety, and inclusive
classroom management practices
● Strong communication, empathy, and interpersonal skills
● Ability to adapt instruction to different ages, abilities, and comfort levels
● Ability to pass BCI/FBI criminal background checks at a minimum; additional
screenings, training, and proof of vaccinations may be required for some partner
locations
● Availability and commitment to teach at least 10 classes per contract year
● Ability to ensure timely arrival to class location by self-selected means of
transportation

Preferred
● Experience collaborating with social service, healthcare, school, or community
partnerships
● Bachelor’s degree in Dance, Education, Arts Therapy (non‐clinical), or equivalent
professional experience

Working Conditions
● Work may occur in schools, community centers, healthcare settings, or arts
organizations.
● Some evening or weekend hours may be offered; teaching artists opt into classes they
are available and qualified to teach.
● Example partners and students include:
○ TriHealth Good Samaritan Hospital: adults in the day treatment program for
mental health – an intensive, short-term mental health service designed for
crisis stabilization and psychiatric support
○ Cincinnati Veterans Affairs Medical Center: veterans in treatment
○ Goodwill: adults with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) and/or
experiencing homelessness
○ Cincinnati Art Museum Art in Motion: adults with I/DD
○ Giving Voice Foundation: adults with memory disease diagnoses in care
settings

○ Episcopal Retirement Services & Creative Aging locales: senior citizens in
community and assisted living settings
○ NewPath: minors with behavioral and specialty healthcare, educational
treatment, and youth support needs
○ Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center: children with chronic or complex
medical needs through the be.well program’s “Groove” series
○ Ronald McDonald House Charities: young patients and their families receiving
care at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and other medical
facilities

Compensation
This is an independent contract position paid at the standard rate of $45 per 60-minute class;
occasionally, classes with longer durations or other special circumstances may have higher
rates. This position is not eligible for benefits.

About Pones
Pones provides artistic opportunities for community growth by creating engaging new ways
for audiences to experience dance. Pones is committed to providing arts education to
participants of all ages and experience levels. Visit Pones.org to learn more.