Professional Practice, Ethics, and Business Essentials
Domain 6 - Professional Practice, Ethics, and Business Essentials
This domain tests the non-movement side of teaching: scope of practice, legal risk, confidentiality, certification upkeep, and sustainable business conduct. The exam expects professionalism that protects clients and your livelihood.
Core rules
- Stay in scope. Barre instructors teach movement; they do not diagnose injuries, prescribe diets, or provide physical therapy. Refer out when symptoms exceed your training.
- Use informed consent and waivers, but do not treat them as substitutes for safe instruction. Keep records of incidents and modifications.
- Protect privacy: do not discuss clients' health details, bodies, or attendance outside professional need. Store forms securely.
- Maintain credentials: keep certification current, complete continuing education, and carry professional liability insurance.
- Be ethical in marketing: represent credentials accurately, avoid guaranteed results, and do not use before-and-after claims that imply medical outcomes.
- Run clear business systems: pricing, cancellation policy, payment terms, and class capacity. Use licensed music and follow facility rules.
- Respect intellectual property: do not copy another studio's choreography or branded sequences without permission.
Worked example
A client asks, 'Is this knee pain a torn meniscus? Should I stop barre?' Reasoning: diagnosis and treatment are outside scope. Acknowledge the concern, avoid naming a condition, advise stopping painful movement, suggest a healthcare provider, and offer a modified class with reduced knee flexion and no pivoting. Document the conversation and the modification.
Traps
Giving medical advice; guaranteeing weight loss or rehabilitation; using unlicensed music; misrepresenting certification; skipping waivers; breaching confidentiality; and treating a waiver as permission to teach beyond scope.