Postcards from Paris...Is your recital memorable?

Next week is "Picture Night" at our studio.   My favorite night when the kids come to class and get their photos taken in their recital costumes.   We use it as a "costume and make up rehearsal" too.  Good chance to get all those last minute parents motivated to make final costume, tights and hair tweeks before our big events next month - the annual recital.

It's this time of the year when the business of being a dance teacher really sets in.  Promoting a show, selling tickets, finalizing payments for year end and trying to think about the next season of dance even though you are totally exhausted from the current year. 

Now is the time to think about marketing your dance school...your recital is your biggest marketing tool.  A successful show can mean new students, but most importantly it KEEPS students returning to you year after year.

I know, I know many people have told you this before, including me and Rhee Gold at Dance Studio Life, but your recital is  your moment to shine.  Make sure it's memorable, well run, and most importantly fun for your students and parents. Don't make it so long that it's even painful for dance enthusiasts to like it.  Do what you have to do to make it enjoyable and entertaining.

I have a good system that works for me, but I'm sure every dance teacher out there has their own "system".  For instance, my dress rehearsal is scheduled in chunks, so the entire dance academy doesn't have to be there all at the same time.  We do dress rehearsal the evening before the show.   And we do photos a month before that... like next week for instance.  I always contact the local paper and issue a press release about our event too.   This year we are using social media -Facebook page with invites to recital event.

I also try to create a show.  Not just a recital.  I do my best to stick with a theme and give our small town, rural customers a glimmer of what a real Broadway show might be kind of like... (insert "clear my throat" sound effect)

I've had parents tell me they love the recital "as much as Christmas".... which is a good thing I think. 

One of my surprises each year is the backdrop selection - for over ten years we've been using Backdrops Fantastic and I love them!!!   This is in no way a paid endorsement, just a real time word of mouth plug for a great company that is ready and detailed for busy studio owners like us.  The backdrop makes the stage stand out and it sets us apart from other studios in the area who don't use them.

This year our theme is "Postcards from Paris" - my spin on an international theme.  I tried something interesting... on LinkedIn I posted a call for postcards in one of the dance teacher groups... we've started getting postcards from around the world to display at the studio/recital.   I want to say Thank You to all those who are sending or have sent cards!  I can't read every one's handwriting or languages, but it sure is fun!  (if you want to send a card to us there is still time-  BHF Dance Academy, 804 23rd Street, Brodhead, WI, 53520)  Our show is May 19, 2012.

What do you do to make your recital memorable?   I'd like to hear from you... because quite frankly I'm having a hard time picking my theme for next year and I need some help.

Thanks for reading,
DeAnne
a Dance Teacher just like you!

Hey Ms. DeAnne, do you watch Dance Mom?

At class this week I finally had a young student ask me if I watch Dance Mom on TV. Here was my response: "Yes I have watched it but I really don't like it much." To which the student replies, "I like the dancers but that teacher really scares me! I'm glad you aren't like that Ms. DeAnne"..."Well at least most of the time," she added with a smile. To which I smiled back because I know I'm not at all like that teacher, Ms. Abby. "The parents scare me more," I responded.

I shared with the student that it's great for her to watch the dancers for ideas on choreography, but that she shouldn't compare herself to them unless she practices as much as they do. I reminded her that they practice everyday and take classes every day. "Did you know that?", I asked her. She replied, "Well I know they practice a lot more than I do because they have better turns."

I'm glad she noticed that the other dancers were better than her and that they are good because of their work ethic in the classroom. I made sure to remind her that she could be just as good as them with more practice and boy did she SMILE!

I know we've bashed the Dance Mom TV show before in other posts, but perhaps there's a light at the end of this tunnel afterall. Students can learn that to get to a level of dance they see on TV they are going to need to make sacrifices and put in the studio time to do it. Not a bad lesson to learn. Disney Channel and all the other cool dance shows do make it all look so easy - they don't show the hours of rehearsal that it takes to make it all look so great. Dancing with the Stars is doing a great job of showing the hard work it takes. So, while I don't have time to watch that show either I do like it on premise.

But for the record, I still don't like the Dance Mom show on TLC - I think it has become like Desparate Housewives- full of Botox, big lips and big hair. Those Moms are really scary.

Dance Mom has a new meaning

The term Dance Mom is often referred to as the Mom of a student, but what about when the dance teacher becomes a Mom for the first time? That term, Dance Mom, has a new meaning for our studio this year. I have one teacher who recently had her baby and has returned to teach. And another teacher with her first baby on the way who's on hiatis til next summer.

The role of Dance Teacher Mom is a tough gig. Often dance teachers are balancing a day job while teaching at night...throw a new baby in the mix and you have one tough assignment. Sleepless nights, nursing, lack of confidence, mom guilt --you name it and a new Mom has a lot on her plate.

As I watch them switch roles from teacher to mother it made me think about the advantages of being a Mom and a Teacher at the same time. Are young teachers without kids at a disadvanage with a lack of parental experience that is sometimes needed in the classroom? Or do dance teachers have some special skills they can bring to motherhood? Physical balance and flexibility will be an advantage during pregnancy, will patience and practice be an advantage in motherhood?

What do you think?

All I know for sure is that it is going to be fun to watch my teacher's grow in to their new roles as Dance Moms. And I certainly can't wait to get those new little feet dancing as soon as possible!

Being flexible in the studio and in your business

I've learned this summer that you have to be flexible in more ways than just with your body. My business needs to be flexible too. In the Midwest good teachers are hard to find, especially in rural areas where our studio is in Brodhead, Wis. I've been really blessed in the 10 years we've been teaching to find excellent teachers, often getting only one applicant, but they've been well qualified so it didn't matter how many. My quality was exceptional.

And then this summer happened. In planning for our fall season I was faced with changes in staff due to new babies that arrived or are in process. And I simply could not find staff to fill in. I did many interviews, but none were qualifed. And we all know that a bad hire can break your business, so I'm playing it safe. I did what I had to do and decided to teach more nights myself. Since I could only teach two nights without impacting my own daughters' sporting events (which I will not miss) we went from 4 nights to 2. Doubling up the studio spaces - we have two rooms, but most of the time we only used the main studio. With three teachers on two nights, we are still serving more students than we did last year over 225. Every class is FULL! (but no more than 11 in a class)

Now we'll see how flexible the parents will be in crowded waiting areas, parking lots and visitor nights. I've communicated the situation very clearly, so I'm hoping they will understand! It's going to be an interesting year...hoping next year we can return to normal.

If anyone reads this who can teach ballet... CALL ME! I'd be happy to be flexible and let you join the team mid-stride. I know you are all saying, "it's only two nights", but my studio is my hobby. I work full time at another job, so adding l2 classes be a struggle. Actually, it will be choreographing all the dances that will put me over the edge. Thankfully, I've bartered for house cleaning - that oughta help! I'd rather dance than clean any day!

Dance Mom's TV Show - will it hurt or help your business?

The new reality TV show Dance Mom's has a lot of dance school owners up in arms or laughing, depending on which side of the fence they are sitting on. My Linked in dance studio owners group is a buzz with people saying this is bad for dance and that competition team focused studios are losing busines because of it. "Parents are afraid to get their kids involved..."

I should make a disclaimer that I'm a studio owner that has never, ever supported dance competitions. In fact, my brochures say we don't do competitions, period. When I first opened my studio ten years ago, some asked, why not? My response has always been the same. "It's not that we don't have the talent, we do. It's just that I want my kids to love to dance for the love of dance, not for a trophy." We do a recital instead. It like the art of dance, not the sport.

So, I sort of laughed when I first viewed the show, until I realized that at least 50% of this reality TV show is actually real. Then I get sad. If kids want to be professional dancers, dance on broadway and be big stars can't they can do that without all this fuss and drama of nasty competitions? Where are the exhibitions?

Don't even get me started on the inappropriate costumes, moves and music many choreographers choose for the students. I think the Dance Mom's on the show and around the country need to speak up for their little girls and boy's on what's appropriate for stage. I applaud this reality TV show for showing this, maybe it will help.

Reality TV shows are not real. Well, not totally. So, for that 50% of the show that is real - I see amazing dancers, a nice studio, a teacher that knows her stuff and has successful dancers to prove it. These Dance Mom's have sought out a teacher that they think will make their little dancer famous someday. That's good marketing. They are getting what they pay for, what they ask for. It is for them to decide what winning looks like.

Competitions are what create the difference between dance as art and dance as a sport. My own children compete in sporting tournaments (and yes even in rough sports there is drama.) It's the hair, costume and make up that throw you off at first with dance. This is dance for the sport. Hard core competitons to get your dancer noticed - get the scholarship -- same as a young basketball, fastpitch or volleyball stars. You wouldn't tell those kids in sports not to compete would you?

It's clear that these Dance Mom's who are on the show to be famous themselves. Have you seen their hair and make up, outfits...they are the true performers here. And what a performance it is. I think these Mom's will be embarrassed later in life for exploiting their dancers. Or maybe they will all be rich and famous...the world of reality TV is not rational.

As for competitions - there are good ones and bad ones - so if you are planning to have your dancers compete you may need to set the stage for your dance parents who have watched this show. Tell them why you are competing -- what's the goal? Why did you select this particular competition vs. others? What will be success for all of you?

The dance competition industry is huge. And the dance magazines that could talk about this show might not because much of their revenues are based on dance competiton full page ads.

Lifetime's Dance Mom's TV Show will either make competitions more popular or more scrutinized. Either way, I think all dance teachers will need to become very clear about WHY they do competitions.

So, WHY do you compete?

Anniversary Posters are Ready!

Remember I said I had a cool idea for my 10th anniversary show? Well I did it.

With the help of a parent with graphic design skills, we created a "Growing Up in Dance" poster for our students to customize with 3 photos of themselves growing up as dancers.

The theme of our recitial is of course "Growing up in Dance" with a garden backdrop from Backdrops Fantastic. (I can't wait to see it) So, in keeping with that theme we created a poster with three large flowers with the center of the flower blank (insert photo). When done the dancers will have a keepsake to hang in their bedrooms and remember how much they love to dance.

I wrote a cute little poem that runs up one of the flower stems. It says, "From my first little sprout to my long straight stem. I'm a dancer now and that will never end."

I hope they enjoy customizing their posters. We are going to display all 220 of them at the show in the entrance. I'll take a picture and post when I can.

Feel free to use this idea in your own studio. I'll let you know how it's received by the parents and students. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

If you need a printer/designer my friends at Kramer Printing in Madison, Wis. can work with you from anywhere in the USA.

Getting ready for the big show. Recital time.

It's recital time. Dance teachers across the country are working hard this time of year making sure their year-end recital keeps students (and parents) coming back for more. I know you are all old pro's at this, but it's important to remember to work ahead so you have time at the end for the "little extras" that make the recital work as a marketing tool for you.

Don't forget to do some PR:

Send out a press release to your local paper(s) and local radio station if you have one.

Schedule "Break a Leg" posts on your Facebook page.

Consider inviting media to attend picture night or dress rehearsal to get some good pictures for that press release.

Radio stations are often forgotten, but a pair of tap shoes can make a create audio story. Think about it! Call the station and offer to do an interview about Dance. (National Dance Week makes a good reason as well, but tie in your own show too.)

Take out an ad for special anniversary years to recognize your staff/students/community for their support. Remind your local Chamber of Commerce (hope you are a member) that your event is coming up and to add it to their newsletter.

Write up your comments now, so you don't forget to say all the right things at your show.

Pick out your own outfits/shoes etc. You don't want to look like a tired out dance teacher at the performance. Dress up! Market yourself. (At my school I've made a tradition of getting some "cool shoes" the girls all wait to see which high heels I will wear. )

It's important to remember that the entire recital experience is your opportunity to "sell" your program to your existing parents and also to new ones. That critical word of mouth marketing can only happen if you give them something great to TALK about!

Break a Leg!

SillyBanz and other rewards

Rewarding dancers in the studio is a constant challenge for dance teachers. What's the best way? Praise.

One thing I've learned is the single greatest reward you can give is praise - direct praise with the child's name. "Nice plie' Brooke" or "Great leap Blake", those words go a long way to keeping your dancers motivated. It's easy to start generalizing your praise to the whole group - how many times have you said, "Nice work ladies!" Sorry, but that doesn't cut it for individual motivation. You have to be direct and at the time of implementation. When I have a little one that has really worked hard, I'll walk out to the waiting room with my hand on her shoulder and tell her mom or dad - "Abie worked really hard today, she's doing just great in class." Try that sometime for a huge smile from both parent and dancer.

As teachers, it's easy to get lost in direct corrections and sometimes hard to remember to praise even when they don't get it perfect. Remind yourself often that the words that come out of your mouth are like pieces of sweet candy! The more they hear them the more they want! And the harder they will work to hear it.

For special holidays, I do usually give out candy treats and on most nights a sticker to the little ones- this year for Halloween I ordered the ART themed SillyBanz online and they were a HUGE HIT! I decided that I'd set a healthy eating example and skip the candy, no one complained, they love collecting the SillyBanz.

Do you warm up for your day?

In the dance studio, the warm up is the first thing you do before you take a class. Same should be true at home.

Is your morning routine working for you or just a survival tactic? Consider this, for a working Mom the most hectic part of the day can before you even get to the office. You’ve gotten up early to get yourself ready, packed the lunches or diaper bags and then you still need to feed and dress your children and get them in the car seats, drive to a daycare provider or school, and THEN you finally get to go to work.

I can remember this crazy schedule when my own daughters were little; then I topped it off with a 50 minute commute. Ironically, the commute is what often saved me. It gave me time to think, to regroup. I could drop the ‘Mom job’ and put on my work face for the rest of the day. It worked in reverse on the way home, from work back to being Mom in 50 minutes (or less) depending on what was waiting for me at home.

I felt like one of those blankets that convert to a cute cuddly animal.

As it turns out, the 50 minute commute was critical to my success. How many of you can honestly say you spend an hour or two each day planning and thinking? I could plan and be purposeful each day without running around in a needless hustle. If you don’t enjoy a long commute like me, you can still start your day with some extra time. Wake up 20 min. early – give yourself some space and time to live within. A little warm up, even if it means just sitting quietly on the couch thinking about one topic before the rest of the house wakes up, will help you focus and be more productive.

Every dancer knows the importance of a good stretch. All of us, dancers and non-dancers alike, can take care of our body before we even get out of bed in the morning.

Here’s a great way to wake up:

1. Pull your knees to your chest while laying on your back.
2. Circle your feet in both directions. Do some push and pulls with your feet.
3. Now it’s time to get up, put your feet over the side of the bed and when your feet hit the floor say “Good morning” or “Thank you” or whatever mantra you chose.
4. When you brush your teeth you can easily do ten Plie’s and even throw in a few Releve’s while you are at it.
5. Next, stand tall, reach for the sky, take a deep breath and then reach for your toes. And hold it. Repeat as necessary to feel great.
6. Shake it out and smile.

Now you are warmed-up for the day.

Another Year Done.

Well, it's recital season and that means that dance teachers across the country are beginning to breathe a sigh of relief...another year well done! Whew!


You already know this, but your end of the year recital is your biggest marketing tool for the next season. I hope you remembered to invite your local newspaper in to take photos, sent a press release before/after with audience results, and included an annual summary along with your registration dates for the next season with the release. I also hope you put your URL for your website and Facebook contact info in your show program. These are just some simple steps to expand your marketing opportunities at no cost. (If you didn't, put it on your list for next time!)


This year our class photos were posted on our Facebook page which people really enjoyed. Also, I encouraged students/parents to post their own snapshots on our site and asked them "What was your favorite performance?" Asking questions in your Facebook account is very helpful to start discussions.


Of course parents love to show off their photos and dancers love to tag their photos and share with friends. Creating buzz after the show is important to keep your successful show at the tip of their tongue when they are socializing online or in the local cafe.


I hope you all get a small break before summer classes begin. Breathe! :) Congratulations on another successful year. I'll be off for the summer from teaching, but working on fulfilling orders from dance teachers around the globe of my Releve' Dance Posters.

Reflections on Mother's Day

Reflections on Mother’s Day

Time heals all wounds, but a Mother’s love conquers all first. - D. Boegli

When you’ve lost your Mom, Mother’s day is bittersweet. I struggle each year with this day. A day to honor Mom and yet be honored by my own daughters. Somehow, I’m still trying to learn how to be a good mom, trying to make sure I don’t mess up, trying to be as good a mother as my own Mom was to me. She was a tough act to follow.

I often wonder how my life would be if she were still here. I wonder if her loss and the ultimate changes it created in my own life’s path were destined. I know her life was too short, but in my heart of hearts I believe her end was my beginning. Had she not died I would have been on a different path, for starters I would have gotten married to the wrong person. I would not have found my best friend. I would not have my amazing daughters. I wouldn’t have founded the dance school. Life would be different.

Her gift to me was ultimately her life. Knowing that, I have always worked to live my life to the fullest, give back to others as much as I can, and to keep on dreaming with her spirit living inside of me. I often do things for Mom. When I’m on a trip I see something that she would have loved, and I look at it or touch it – letting her see it though me.

It’s weird I know, but she and I are still connected in ways that many may never understand. I go to Rocky’s and have her favorite pizza so she can taste it on her birthday. I decorate her grave even though many never see it, because she would want it nice if someone comes to visit. I say things to people because that’s what she would have said and sometimes she even tells me what to buy people for gifts. She lives in me in many ways and she always will.

For those of you who still have Mom’s living – enjoy them. You just never know when time will stop and your path will change. But when it does remember that a Mom’s love is stronger than anything and it conquers all – even the pain of her loss eventually.

It's been 18 years and I still think of her every day.

Smile! Special moments for Mom

It's recital season - personally my favorite time of the year. Last week was picture week, so all the students and Mom's (and a few brave Dad's) arrived at the studio bursting with excitement, flashing their sequins and trying to make sense of the chaos.

The recital at our school is the icing on the cake. This year at picture night I was able to observe a little more than usual with my staff fully functioning and able to pose their own students and classes. I watched as Mom's and daughters cooperated, got frustrated, got happy and shared unique moments together. Recital time is like playing "Barbie" all over again for the Mom's. You get to tease hair, put on makeup and try your best to put clothes on "your doll". It's fun!

Since I had a few extra moments and cameras were out in force capturing the behind the scenes drama and groups of smiling friends, I took the opportunity to say..."Let me take a picture of you and your daughter" -- Mom's never get to be photographed, they are always the ones taking all the pictures-- they gladly handed over their camera or cell phones for a quick picture.

It was fun for me to connect with my customers by giving them a free gift - a photo of them together, happy and sharing a moment in Dance.

Enjoy your recital day Dance Mom's across the nation! Have fun playing Barbie with your little girls.

If you need a gift idea for your dance teacher or studio, consider giving them Releve' dance posters. They are a unique and useful gift that will help all the students and teachers alike.

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.

Dance Correlation to Higher Grades

Yesterday I had the privilege of attending our local elementary school's final assembly to honor students for grades, attendance and civic duties. I am always a local celebrity when I enter the school - I get lots of waves, smiles and "there's Miss DeAnne" when I visit. It sure is fun. We have the majority of our Brodhead Dance Academy students attending this elementary school, so it's a good place for me to make the following observation/correlation.

Of the top academic students in the school (for girls) ALL but two were dancers at our Academy! These kids were the top in their grade and scored the highest on the State Tests in Math and Reading - to be in the top 25% in the state. I was amazed when dancer after dancer arrived on stage to accept their certificates.

I realize there could be many reasons for this correlation and its been discussed before - parents are more engaged, higher income, thus they can afford dance classes...etc. But for today, I think I will let Dance Class take the credit. The skills we teach help on and off the stage to make a life-long difference. I've always known there was a big tie to Tap and Math, "must be the same side of the brain" has been my assumption over the years. But now I see it first hand in all categories. The brain development and learning skills translate across classrooms, be it in the dance studio or the elementary school.

Kudos to all dance teachers who are making the world a better, smarter place one dancer at a time! Bravo!

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.

Research shares benefits of early training age 3-4

I know most all dance schools provide pre-ballet/creative movement programs for young children, but until recently I hadn't read research to support WHY parents should select this for their children, other than the traditional, balance, poise, social and rhythm advantages.

Recently, I attended a 4-Kindergarten session from a local school district administrator in Wisconsin. While many schools in our area now offer 4K training in the school systems, many don't. So,they are still out there trying to convince taxpayers of the long term benefits of 4K. While I was listening it occurred to me all the same benefits imply for pre-K dance training too.

The Research they shared...

A child's brain grows 75-90% of it's adult size between age of 3-5.

85% of the child's intellect, personality, and social skills are formed by age 5.

There's more, but I guess I don't need more proof. Use research information like this to ADVERTISE your program. What parent can say no to dance class when they think about it this way? It's not about dance class being a "nice to do" its a MUST do when you look at this data.

As teachers we know this intuitively, we see the children progress in the classroom quickly and we can tell the kids that are in a pre-school program from the ones who are staying at home.

Dance training like 4K schooling is an important part of the development process. Especially for kids who are not in other training programs by age 3 - dance can make a big difference.

Another key differentiator was the income of the parents, and while I agree that dance typically tends to go to children in more affluent homes, there's great opportunity for your studio to reach out to low-income families with options to get their children in the studio too. Or maybe this will motivate you to reach out with efforts to your

Baggy ankles and sequins

It's recital season. Dance teachers don't live by a regular calendar year we live by our business calendars. Registration time, back to school, nutcracker season, recital season and summer school... gee, when is it time for vacation season? I need another vacation. Recently I was lucky enough to travel to Las Vegas to the Dance Retailer News Expo for Releve' it was a good show. And I did take a mini-vacation for a day before the show. Las Vegas is fun; it's the place where sparkley dance teachers look right at home in thier sequins and high heels. You know what I'm talking about ladies... admit it.

A couple of observations from the show:

I observed there doesn't seem to be anything all that innovative in the dance world, just more of the same. Some new fabrics were kind of neat, and ballroom is still hot. I did run into a new company that makes barre' wraps, it's called Gypsywraps. She doesn't have a website yet, but maybe a distributor will pickup her products and it will be available soon to us. It's a velcro, terry cloth personal attachment for the barre'. I thought it was cool. I think I will approach her about selling with my Releve' posters too, heck I guess I could be a distributor for her.

I also observed that even in a fashion show models/dancers need to wear tights! Rhee Gold talks about this all the time in his commentary and I totally agree, all dancers need tights. Speaking of tights, I'm trying some new ones out this year at my studio, Revolution brand classic pink. They guarantee no baggy ankles, we'll soon see. I hate baggy ankles. I really do. Makes the kids look like 90 year old women. They already look 30 years old with all the make-up hate to make them grow up too fast with baggy ankles too.

Will the economy hurt my business?

Will the economy hurt my business?

Sounds like an obvious question, but the answer is not completely obvious to me. As a dance studio owner of less than 10 years I have not experienced a downturn in the economy the likes of the one we are facing now. I know that dance studios have been around for a really long time- so what's in their business model that has kept them running all these years, even during economic hard times? What's the secret to staying afloat and keeping kids in the classroom?

When I look at my business I feel like I give an great product at a reasonable price. I know people (and my customer target group) invest in their children before all else. I know as a mom I would do without to make sure my daughter could keep dancing. So what's the answer?

The only way to know if the economy will hurt you is to start asking your customers. I am working on my annual customer survey to every parent - I hope you all do these too- feedback from parents is very valuable. Each year I ask if we met their expectations and other typical stuff. However, the most important question I ask them is "Would you recommend us/or Have you recommended us to a friend or family member." This is the all-important question- to understand word of mouth marketing impact. And word of mouth is a powerful method of marketing during troubled times. People trust each other more than anything else.

This year I'm working on adding a question or two tied to the economy to my survey - Will you be able to continue to provide your child with dance classes next year? Or, what can we do to help you with more flexible payments? etc... I don't have the right question yet, good questions take time, but you get the idea.

I encourage you to start thinking about a question or two you can ask to make sure you can respond and react smartly to the downturn next season too.

Dropping your price is not necessarily the best option(even though your customers may tell you to do it); increasing the value of your product is probably the most sound advice.

You could consider offering "specials" or "loyalty rewards" to existing and new customers. Remember, not to leave the new deals for the new students only. Even if it's a free pair of tights or a free logo'd bag (can be a marketing expense for you, ask your accountants) it can go along way in this deal seeking economy we are in- so reward your customers!

Some other random marketing ideas:
Re-packaging your classes to be more affordable without lowering price is also an option. Shorter term- less price, but at same hourly rate for you. Allows parents to keep some flexibility without committing to a long term service agreement making them feel safe spending money.

Summer programs are probably the most at risk right now. You could offer a free class as part of your package to get people over the hump or other added value efforts.

Other marketing tricks would be to say "we are not raising prices this year" - holding the barre' on prices.

Look for alternate sources of funding, health care plans that cover some classes as part of a fitness program. This is working well at my school. You just may need to rename and invoice differently to make it work for their needs.

Bottom line is you need to be empathetic without sounding to desperate in your conversation with customers in person or in your marketing materials. The economy is tough on all of us, but we'll get through this with some creative thinking.

The little gifts a teacher receives

Had another "Smile" moment this week at class when a student gleefully pranced into my studio to give me a gift. She made it herself, a necklace of colorful beads made just for me - her Dance Teacher. She asked me if I'd wear it, so of course I did. She was proud as a peacock.

I love little moments like that -- the pretty drawings we get, the occassional wilted tulip or silk bouquet-- all are lovely just the same. Gifts from the heart. That's where dance comes from too, we've awakened a spot in thier hearts so bountiful they can't help but share it with us. That's truely something you and I can be proud of.

Enjoy the gifts my fellow teachers. The love always returns to us.

What's in a name? Taking Attendance a new way

After reading the most recent issue of Dance Studio Life from Rhee Gold I was inspired to find a more fun and interesting way to take attendance. We've always sat in circle in the youngest classes and I've called their names off. Mostly I do it so I can remember thier names... little do they know. But the article I read talked about how taking attendance is important so the dancer learns responsibility to come to class etc. and it encouraged teachers to make a big deal about taking attendance.

So, I began thinking on my drive to the studio, "What could I do to make it more fun?" When I arrived I pulled out a 99 cent princess wand out of my trusty, secret closet and wall-a instant fun... well almost. I decided to have the kids pass the wand around the circle and they could say "My name is ...." and it was fun! Not only did it get each childs voice heard during the class it gave them an additional public speaking opportunity! It really brought out thier personalities too, which in just a few short seconds is enlightening. Some look egar and take it really seriously, some say thier name in one big motion as they try to get rid of wand and limelight as quickly as possible. And I had 2 girls that night who gladly grabbed that wand and then FROZE! They couldn't say thier own name. Now, for me that's great to know. I will focus on getting those girls comfortable saying thier name in a few weeks. I'm always up for a challenge.

In tap class they stated thier name and gave me three shuffles. I guess we could add ballet turns or curtsies to ballet class. The options are endless.

If you have ideas that have worked for you please share them with us.