"I Wanted to Be Part of the Legacy": Why This Dance Educator Chose Point Park University Alumni Profile
Meet Amanda Valletta
- Job Title & Employer
- Dance Educator, Little City Montessori
- Job Title & Employer
- Dance Educator, Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts
- Major/Program
- PreK-12 Dance Education-M.Ed.
- Graduation
- 2026
- Hometown
- Philadelphia, Pa.
- High School
- Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts
- Now Living In
- Philadelphia, Pa.
- Hobbies & Interests
- Baking, traveling, hiking and time outdoors, Phillies games and spending time with my husband and puppy
"At every turn, in every show and on every contract where I danced professionally, there was at least one Point Park University School of Dance graduate. Point Park's reputation is undeniable, and I wanted to be a part of the legacy! I joined the M.Ed. dance education program to marry my love of teaching with my love of dance."
Amanda Valletta has always loved being a teacher and being a dancer equally, and now, she can marry those two loves as a dance educator.
Valletta was among the first graduates of the M.Ed. in Dance Education and received her teaching certification in dance education. This fall, she’ll begin in two roles that will use the skills she’s developed: teaching part-time at a Montessori school and part-time at The Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts.
Describe your career path until this point.
I received my bachelor's degree in early childhood education with a concentration in special education K–8 from Temple University in 2018. During the summers, I was lucky enough to work as a dancer at Hershey Park and in a casino in Niagara Falls, Canada. I continued my undergraduate program and auditioned in NYC whenever possible.
On a day off from classes at Temple, I attended an open call audition for RWS Global for a cruise ship. Hundreds of dancers attended, and I made it into the final seven people by the end of the day. I didn't get my hopes up — I was still in college! But soon after, I received word that I had been offered a contract. I was told that the ship I had been offered traveled to the Baltic Sea, the Caribbean and New England/Canada. That itinerary was a dream come true, so I accepted the contract without hesitation and took a leave of absence from Temple. I stayed with that company for the majority of my career and visited 50 countries throughout my contracts with them! They produced phenomenal shows and the travel was spectacular. I still pinch myself when I think of all of the experiences that dance has offered me: seeing the Pyramids of Giza, spending the summers in the Mediterranean Sea, hiking all over New Zealand. But the most special parts to me were dancing in beautiful shows and meeting my lifelong best friends.
Between ship contracts, I attended Temple University and eventually graduated with my undergraduate degree in elementary education PK–4 and special education K–8. I would also work as a special education teacher between contracts. I taught in kindergarten, fifth grade and middle school special education classrooms. This balance was perfect for me. I loved alternating between teaching and dancing. Once I retired from the stage, I knew I wanted to bring my two passions together. That's what brought me to Point Park University!
Why did you choose Point Park's M.Ed. in Dance Education program?
I have been a dancer my entire life, with a professional career that took me all around the world. At every turn, in every show and on every contract, there was at least one Point Park School of Dance graduate. Point Park's reputation is undeniable, and I wanted to be a part of the legacy! I joined the M.Ed. dance education program to marry my love of teaching with my love of dance. I am so happy that I enrolled in the program, because over the last two years, that is exactly what I have been able to do!
What are your career goals?
My career goal is to teach dance to the PK–12 population in local schools. I would also like to take my experiences to the collegiate level. I have a unique background: teaching academic subjects, teaching students with disabilities and now being certified to teach dance. I would love to take all of that knowledge and help the next generation of dance educators, as my professors have done for me. Lastly, I would love to continue creating spaces where students with profound disabilities can enjoy the power of dance.
What did you learn in the classes that has prepared you for that career path?
Point Park did a wonderful job curating a schedule for this program that offers classes in teaching pedagogy, dance history, dance pedagogy, introductory special education courses and more. The coursework, in my opinion, helped me understand not only how to teach dance, but also a great deal about children and the art of teaching as a whole.
What was it like being an online student?
All coursework for this program is virtual and asynchronous. I think that this is a wonderful feature, as I am located in Philadelphia and held three jobs throughout my time in the program. The flexibility of virtual classes allowed me to fit in my schoolwork when I could amidst my hectic schedule. The professors personalized the experience through pre-recorded video lectures, discussion boards and group work. I never felt disconnected from my peers in the cohort, despite all of us being from all over the state and even country!
What was student teaching like as a dance educator?
Student teaching was amazing! I chose to student teach at a performing arts high school, and it has been the best experience. The students are wonderful, the staff members are wonderful and teaching dance all day is a dream come true. I also love that we have a local student teaching supervisor who visits to give us feedback in addition to the cooperating teacher within the school. There is also a student teaching seminar class that goes hand-in-hand with student teaching. The seminar class helped me stay in touch with the educators in my cohort, understand the challenges and successes of teaching and much more. Student teaching feels like the reward at the end of 18 months of rigorous learning.
What’s next for you?
I will be working as a dance educator! I will be truly stretching my limits by teaching children aged 3–18 in the school setting. This degree is PK–12, and I am definitely hitting all of the marks! I am thankful that this program gave me the tools to do this job.