Dance Teacher Certification with Progressing Ballet Technique
PBT Certification is a practical dance teacher training programme built on Progressing Ballet Technique, the body-conditioning method used by 13,000+ certified teachers in 60+ countries. You learn the method, prove you can teach it, and join a global directory of certified PBT teachers. You can certify through a live workshop or entirely online at your own pace.
If you searched for dance teacher certification or dance instructor certification, this page explains exactly what the PBT credential is, who it is for, how the process works, and what you get at the end.
What is PBT Certification?
Progressing Ballet Technique is a conditioning and strengthening program designed for dancers, dance teachers and educators. It builds strength, muscle memory and body awareness through a graded series of exercises using equipment such as exercise balls and resistance bands. The method is grounded in neuromuscular repatterning, a well-documented field in sports science and physiotherapy, and has been developed and refined over 30 years by founder Marie Walton-Mahon OAM.
PBT Certification confirms that you understand the program and can teach it safely and effectively to your own community, whichever style you teach. It is not a licence to certify other teachers: it equips you to teach the program to students. Certification is recognised to fulfil Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements by reputable associations worldwide.
Who can become certified?
- Dance teachers of any style, not only ballet
- Studio owners building a conditioning programme into their school
- Pilates, yoga and gymnastics instructors
- Physiotherapists and dance medicine professionals
- Dance professors and lecturers
The training is not open to dance students who are not studying to teach.
Two ways to get certified
Live workshop
Book a PBT Teachers Workshop: a full-day intensive (or two half-day sessions), held in person at studios around the world or via live Zoom. Train directly with an Official PBT Tutor, with real-time feedback alongside other dance educators. Certification is confirmed by the tutor, not automatically awarded. If you are not certified on the day, you receive constructive feedback and free access to the online training portal to complete the assessments at your own pace. Your certificate arrives by email within 72 hours of confirmation, plus a free month of online training and your profile on the Certified Teachers Directory.
Online, at your own pace
Sign up for a teacher membership on pbt.dance for full access to the training materials, tutorials and follow-along classes. Study until you are confident, then open the Assessment section in your account. Answer questions and submit videos of yourself instructing them, section by section. Each section is reviewed by the PBT team, normally within 7 days, with detailed feedback and badges as you progress. Complete all sections to be awarded certification and added to the Certified Teachers Directory.
What you learn
- The full PBT exercise program across 5 levels, from Sub-Junior to Advanced
- How to use the equipment: exercise ball, fusion balls, resistance band, massage ball, loop bands, and mat
- Targeted work on alignment, turnout, core control, posture and port de bras
- How to structure and run PBT classes, including mixed-age and mixed-level groups
- How to apply the method for injury prevention and safe technique development
Online teacher members also get access to 800+ tutorials and follow-along classes, class plans, the PBT App, and new content added monthly.
What certification gives you
- A globally recognised credential: certification fulfils CPD requirements with reputable associations worldwide. As a guide, Level 1 is worth 6 CPD hours and Levels 2 and 3 are worth 3 CPD hours each, organised with your chosen accreditation provider.
- A public profile on the Certified PBT Teachers Directory, where students and studios search for qualified PBT teachers by location
- Immediate classroom impact: teachers report improvements in student technique from the first lessons, along with the knowledge to help prevent injuries
- A professional network of dance educators worldwide, with ongoing support from the PBT team
A method with 30 years behind it
Certified Teachers Worldwide
Countries
Dance Schools Integrated
Of Development & Refinement
Created by Marie Walton-Mahon OAM, a former professional ballet dancer, choreographer and educator with over five decades in dance education. She was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2021 for her service to dance as a teacher. Trusted by teachers, professional dancers and sports physiotherapists for injury prevention and rehabilitation as well as technical development.
Examined in academic research: a 2019 case study by Dr Jenna M. Alsteen at Edgewood College found that PBT certification changed how teachers taught, sharpened their precision in targeting specific muscle groups, and led to measurable technique improvements in their students.