Introduce yourself at your recital please! And a few other promo tips for your show

Recital season has arrived. It's been awhile since my last blog post, but I'm still here!
Our theme this year is Elements of Dance - Earth Wind and Fire.  Should be a great show with fabulous costumes from Revolution, Weismanns, Dansco, and Curtain Call this year. Thankfully, all the costumes have arrived and we are set to go! I can't wait to get our backdrop from Backdrops Fantastic too!
With only 2 weeks left until our 13th recital, I still get excited about the whole experience and what this means for our dancers.  I've always positioned our studio as a non-competitive but performance focused studio.  I aim to have a great show (three recitals total, 1500 guests) for my students and their guests. It's been said many times but it's worth stating again your recital is your BEST form of advertisement.  With that in mind here's a quick check list for you:
Write a Press Release - tell them when, where and who will be performing and if any tickets are available.
Invite the media to come and take photos, give them a front row seat. (local paper etc.)
Post pre- and post- show news on your website and social media sites. 
Create a hashtag for your studio #BrodheadDance and tell your students and parents what Hashtag (#) to use - that way when they tweet and post they begin to create a set of posts with the same searchable Hashtag ie.  #BrodheadDance
Get a twitter account for your studio! The kids are all on it so use it!   Might want to get Instagram too while you are at it! 
And last but not least please INTRODUCE yourself and your staff - I attended a friends recital last week and the owner never told us her name... I guess I was supposed to figure it out by the name of the studio on the program but really?  Let's just remember the basics - Hello my name is (Insert your name here) I'm the owner and director of the (insert studio name here). I'd like to welcome you to our annual recital and be the first to thank you for being here today to support our dancers.  .... simple and basic. Just don't forget it okay?
Break a Leg everyone!  Remember, you make a difference everyday because you are a dance teacher.  Be Proud!
Ms. D

Costume time and I'm not talking about Halloween

It's Halloween week and Hurricane Sandy is making sure the east coast will never forget this scary holiday!  Since I'm sitting here in Wisconsin, I'm enjoying some calm weather and took an opportunity today to visit with Curtain Call costumes whose reps were in Madison, Wis. for a costume showcase.  How nice it was to see the entire collection and get to touch and feel it.   I didn't get to any UDMA shows this fall, so this was my first "hands on" costume event for the year.  

Definitely demonstrates again how different costumes in real life and catalog photos can be.  It's important to try to get to see these costumes (from any manufacturer) in person as there were several costumes in the catalog that I would have breezed right on past - the photos simply did not do it justice.   Always read the descriptions!   They had some new multi-facetted sequins that were cool too. 

I'd have to say their new "confetti" sequins are a hit - I'm going to make something work out with my music selections just so I can pick one of those costumes!  In general all the costumes were  well-made and very stylish, as I have come to expect from long term suppliers like Curtain Call. 

Their timing was great because my first set of books is going out to one of my teachers tonight - we have 6 teachers so we need to rotate books and get these costumes picked out before Dec. 1st.  I usually pick only 3-4 suppliers and try to get as many costumes selected from those books as possible.  Why?  First for the discounts and second for my sanity... too many costume suppliers and I start to pull my hair out in the Spring.  

Costumes are so important to the overall tone and polish of your recitals.  And as I've said over and over again, your recital is your single most important marketing technique. If you can't pull of a great show you will not win the competitive battle for children's time.  Recitals must make memories and amazing costumes are one of the elements to acheive it.

I always make a big deal about the "unveiling" of the costume selections in January, the kids just wait and wait for their class to be revealed.  Upon arrival,  for my pre-ballet, first time students, I always tell them how important taking care of their very special costume is: "Take extra good care of it, let Mom hang it in her closet until picture day and recital day ... then AFTER the recital you can wear this costume as much as you want - you can even wear it to the grocery store!" -- and they all laugh, but they get the point.

Later, I get a huge smile when I see one of my dancers in the grocery store the week after the recital. "You know (insert name...she never forgets," says the Mom with a shrug.  Then I smile and say, "well at least you are getting your money's worth!" 

The Finale' - a costume collection at it's best.

A great show is all in the details

As dance teachers we get really busy.  I've found over the years that preparing for the recital is my favorite experience of the year.  I love to put on a great show... I'm a planner.  So, I make lists, check stuff off , and try to stay one step ahead.   Some people say to me, "Oh, you must be so busy this time of year..." and I smile.  Because to be honest, I'm all ready done with my check list.  I'm sort of tappin' my toe waiting for May 19th to arrive.   But I'll play along and pretend that I'm busy just to make this look a little harder than it is--after 11 years I can say I'm a master recital planner.  (knock on wood)

I love this time of year because the students are taught their dances, now I get to just drill them during class. The costumes are in and we had picture day, so I know everyone is ready.   The music is edited.  Tickets are sold out. And bills are paid.

So while I wait, I pay attention to the details.   I make sure my programs are ready and a table display is appropriate for the theme is boxed up and ready for a volunteer to set up at rehearsal night.

I fill my stage boxes with little necessities like sewing needles that are pre-threaded, hot glue guns loaded, hair supplies and extra Revolution tights for backstage runs, and a first aid kit for whatever comes our way. 

Make sure I have rosin ready and in a good container - I like to recycle the box trays from Panera Bread for our rosin boxes.  Then I can throw them out after the final show.

I get my music ready to play before and after the performance to keep the auditorium festive.

I take my costume photo clips and post them to sheets of paper which we then post in the hallways backstage, so kids know where to line up.  (this works great to keep the backstage organized)  Put the show order number on the sheet and tell parents to find the matching costume - works like a charm! 

With my extra time I added some fur boa to some headpieces to make them pop and I have to do one more coat of paint on my "suitcases" for the opening tap number... that's about the only thing left on my to do list other than that final press release to promote the show. Since I'm a PR person in my day job, I can pretty much write that in my sleep. 

And then just when I think I have it all covered... I remember I need to finish the Pre-Registration forms for next year... I like to pass those out when the parents get their picture day pictures in hand... when everyone is loving dance!     It never hurts to do your next season registration at the end of the year...get them to commit now before you have a few weeks off for summer break. And don't forget to update the website.

So, I guess I better stop my toe tappin' and get to work on my registration stuff... hope you have yours ready too.   And remember the key to a great show is all in the details!  So plan ahead to give your mind and your hands time to work on them. That way it can be fun for you too and not stressful.

Hope your show is amazing!    Ms. DeAnne

It's the little girl in the back row, back corner that needs the most help

I've been teaching dance since I was in high school. I've observed a lot of recitals, classes, workshops in my time and it continually amazes me that teachers can do a few simple things in the studio that can make a huge difference to the quality of the dancer's learning experience.

Here are a few tips:

Watch for the student in the back row, in the corner... that will be the student who struggles the most. As a teacher it's imperative that you find away to get that student up front or to the middle of the room. If they are so shy they don't want to step up closer, you must at least move yourself closer to them - demo the steps twice - up front and then move yourself back to their "safe space".

Check for right handed - left handed students. As a teacher it's not always apparrent if a student favors a side. Normally, I always teach a combo to the right foot/side and then we reverse to left. Sometimes students need to learn it first on their strong side from a mental standpoint. Physically they are often balanced but "getting it right" might mean starting on the left for the left handed student. Teachers need to be aware and let the students show their strengths in the best way possible.

Welcome each student at the start with roll call process - make it fun. I like to have students state their name and tell me something else like their favorite color. Talking out loud is important and you can scout out the shy ones that will need more attention quickly with this technique.

Its imperative that you learn their names! Do whatever it takes to memorize the names yourself and make sure any class helpers do too. Avoid calling all of them "sweetie" or "honey" - force yourself to learn the name. If you can't then use name tags.

Repeat what they learned today at the end of class. Do a quick review.

These few teaching techniques will help you have a successful class!

Do what you love! Connect the dots later.

With the passing of Steve Jobs I took some time to look back at his life via all the posts, tweets and stories now circulating. One of the most popular items I found was his commencement address at Stanford University. It was an amazing message to the young graduates. Bottomline: he tells them to do what they love and waste no time doing it because death comes to all. How prophetic that now is.

This week was our first week back in the studio for our Dance Academy. I'll admit every single year I ask myself, "Should I continue with this Academy or not?" Steve Jobs told a story that every day he looked in the mirror and asked himself if he was in the right place, doing the right things that made him feel good. He said that it's good to always question what we do and if it doesn't feel right to change it. Because afterall life is short and definate.

So, as I'm in the chaos of the first night, fitting shoes, getting children into the right studios and trying desparately to remember names of the new dancers it hits me...I love what I do! Passing along the art form of dance is a gift that I give and I'm actually quite good at it - despite the fact that I never danced professionally nor got a degree in it. I graduated from college with degrees in Journalism and Psychology - both of which I use on a daily basis in the studio and at my day job as a Public Relations person.

Jobs, in his Stanford address, also shared a story of how he dropped out of college but "dropped in" to the classes he found interesting like calligraphy. It is why the MAC has so many cool fonts. So, I can say that I've "dropped in" to dance since I was in college taking classes at school, going to seminars, getting motivated by Rhee Gold, getting advice from DanceStudioOwner.com and attending Dance Master events to keep up my training. Recently, I purchased a set of CDs for teachers by Mary Lynn - it was a great refresher too.

When you do what you love you never stop learning simply because it's fun. And life after all should be fun. (Now I just need to remember that when I'm battling with a student who deparately wants to go on pointe or wants to move into another class with her friends)

In the end, year after year for the past 10 years, I've answered my own question of "Should I continue?" with a "Yes". Many times I tell myself that I do it for the kids, but the truth is it must be for me or I wouldn't keep working so hard to make it all happen. Dance makes me feel alive. Dance makes me happy.

So, do you LOVE what you do? If you do then celebrate the fact that you are one of the lucky people who get to do what they love and are good at it. If you don't, it's time to find a new direction because as we learned from Steve Jobs - life is short, don't waste it.

His advice in the closing quote of the address was to "Stay Hungry and Stay Foolish" -- now that's the best definition of a dance teacher I've ever heard.

Are you on hold with the costume company?

If you've been on hold more than 20 minutes with a costume company this season raise your eyebrows!

I thought so. It's frustrating that after all these years some companies with a long history of costuming still can't get enough people on the phones during recital season. I'm not naming names because I do respect the companies that help us dress our dazzling dancers, but I do hope they read this post!

Being on hold is managable, you put it on speakerphone and do some other work while you wait, but it's really not a great way to do business. There are many phone companies that could work with costume makers to route calls, staff up and give them some advice. So, to all those costume companies reading this --- please call your local phone system provider and get some free advice!

There is a lesson here for all of us business owners. Understand what the phone experience is like from your customers point of view. Do your phones get answerered on time? How does your on hold music sound? What does your voice mail message say? How do people answer the phone? Call yourself and check it out.

Take some time and work with your local phone provider to find out if there are new technologies you can use as a small business owner. There are many new solutions such as VoIP that are affordable and flexible -- call the local phone company for help and free advice.

Back in the Groove - New season start

It's September that means it's time to get back into the studio for me. Many of you may have started classes already but we wait until late Sept. to let the kids get back into the school routine first, then they can add in dance to their busy schedules. Our staff is busy preparing for the classes and selecting recital music and costumes. I love our costume choices this year, Weissmans will really rock it out for us this year!

It's our 10th Anniversary year, so I'm trying to think of cool things we can do all year to celebrate. Does anyone have any ideas? Our "theme" this year is Growing up in Dance. Our recital will be like a garden etc. So, any ideas for monthly things we can do?

One idea I have is a poster at the end of the year. I've traded time for class with a parent who is a graphic designer. I want to have 3 or 4 flowers with blank middle spots and then have the kids add photos of themselves to customize the poster for our 10th anniversary. I envision it to have a lot of green, florals and their cute faces in costumes inserted. I'll let you know how that one turns out! You never know it could be a new idea for our Releve' product line.

I'd love to hear more ideas from you! At 10 years we are still rookies compared to a lot of studios out there!

Tights for pasty wisconsinites

Don't laugh if you run studios in California or Florida, but the tan tights often worn by my tap and jazz dancers are simply too tan for dancers in the northern states. I finally found tights that work for our pasty skin in Wisconsin. The Revolution brand Classic Pink - is actually about perfect nude color for our non-tanned dancers. The added plus is they are very affordable and of solid construction, no baggy ankles on the young dancers either. Plus they match their shoes perfectly for a very clean line.

Last year I tested these tights on all my ballet students and snuck in a few tests on the Tap classes. The result is that the Suntan/Tan traditional tights we wore for the past 8 years are out the door! Now, all classes can wear the same tights and look fantastic with all costumes.

Parents only need to buy one color, so they are saving money too. Win/Win. Thanks Revolution for supplying us with a great tight, in a great color, at a great price! (how's that for a non-paid endorsement :)

Happy recital planning... it really is almost Spring.

Listening to weird music - only a dance teacher can relate

Last week I picked out all my recital music for my own classes, I know a little late, but that's ok. I'm right on schedule for me. As I was riding down the road listening to the Dora Dora the Explorer CD I realized I might be the only person listening to this CD that doesn't have a three year old strapped in the backseat. Am I crazy for getting excited about her variation of Row, Row, Row Your Boat? (its adorable you should try it- goes perfect with Revolution's sailor pre-ballet costume) As Dance Teachers we often get to hear many types of music others simply don't. It's one more gift we get for being in our profession. A little jazz, a little reggae, a little Bach --it comes with the territory. So the next time you are secretly enjoying a catchy little tune know you are in good company! But only a Dance Teacher will understand, so you better hide that CD under the front seat. Happy Listening. And remember to register your music, so those song writers can make a living too.

Halloween costumes get creative, sell supplies

It's nearly time for the little goblins to come out and guess what? If you are a dance teacher you likely have a lot of supplies that people could use hiding in your closet, attic or back storage room. You know the place where you dump all the things you don't know what to do with at the end of the year... well, those extra sequin belts, fishnet tights and mis-fit costumes and hair pieces can come in handy to the do-it-yourself costume maker this Halloween.

People are reportedly cutting back on their Halloween spending this year, so the hand-made costume must be coming back into high fashion! I put out a grab box at our studio last week and it's been fun seeing the parents dig through it and mess it up each night. Really. (And they complain their kids don't clean up after themselves!) But it's been well received and appreciated by the parents and kids. So, have some fun yourself- clean up your back room and earn a little cash.

Recital Success=Marketing Opportunity

As dance teachers each year we have a huge marketing opportunity- the recital. I'm proud to say mine went great this year. In our town of 3,100 people we had 1,500 people come to see our 3 performances! Now that's what I call community support!

I sent out press releases to all the papers in our town and those nearby to celebrate our sold out shows and highlight our program. We received a lot of press which should help with enrollment this year. In an economic downturn like we have now it's important to keep marketing, more than ever. Don't rest on what you did last year, increase your marketing budgets and get creative with public relations.

Last year two days after our recital I received a tragic call from one of my dance moms. One of our pre-ballet students, Isabella died the Sunday after our show while riding a bike. She had a brain aneurysm. At our first show this year we dedicated the performance to Bella and placed a photo and flowers on the corner of the stage so she could dance with us. There wasn't a dry eye in the place. It felt good to honor her, a bit of closure I guess for all of us.

This year we also did a ballet production which was actually our first in our 8 years because now I have the talent level I need in a variety of dancers to pull off a production number. It was fantastic and actually proved to be a great marketing tool itself. Now, the other dancers who had left ballet for jazz or hip hop want to return to ballet after they saw what the potential was on stage. That is rewarding to me. They love ballet! After years of hip hop getting all the attention it's nice to see ballet demand picking up again. Don't get me wrong, I've always had many ballet students, but mostly because I make them take it until they are 8 before I let them move to the other study areas like jazz, tap or hip hop.

I hope all of you out there also had great shows this spring! Now it's time for a quick breather. Make sure to take a few weeks off to decompress and renew your spirit. Creative work like teaching dance is demanding of the heart and mind- give your soul a break.

But keep a notebook close for those inspired moments when you hear a great song or catch a cool beat-- after all the next recital's less than a year away.