NYSTCE Dance study guide
NYSTCE Dance · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The NYSTCE Dance Content Specialty Test is one of New York State's Content Specialty Tests, listed on the official NYSTCE test table as "164 Dance." It is a certification exam for candidates seeking a New York teaching credential in dance, and it sits alongside the other Arts CSTs - Music (165), Theater (166), and Visual Arts (167) - which were revised together and opened for registration on 07/14/20, with study guides released 06/23/20. The exam is delivered in multiple-choice format. Its content spans four equally weighted areas: dance techniques and performance; dance creation and composition; dance history, culture, and analysis; and dance education, including pedagogy, curriculum, and assessment. Because the dance field was redeveloped, candidates should confirm the current test code and framework on the official NYSTCE test page before registering; older program announcements used a different code for Dance. The NYSTCE Dance study guide has 4 sections and about 1,389 words.
01Dance Techniques and Performance
This domain assesses how well you diagnose, describe, and teach movement execution. Questions range from anatomical alignment and codified vocabulary to performance quality, stylistic accuracy, and safe practice.
370 words, about 2 min02Dance Creation and Composition
This domain tests the choreographic process: how movement is generated, selected, organized, and revised. Expect questions on improvisation, the elements of dance, choreographic devices, form, and the use of criteria in feedback.
349 words, about 2 min03Dance History, Culture, and Analysis
This domain asks you to place dance in historical and cultural context and to analyze works using explicit frameworks. Questions may cover theatrical dance traditions, social and ritual dance, major figures, and the ethics of representation.
330 words, about 2 min04Dance Education: Pedagogy, Curriculum, and Assessment
This domain tests planning, instruction, and measurement. Expect questions on standards alignment, motor learning, cueing and feedback, classroom management, inclusion, and assessment design.
340 words, about 2 min