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.

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.

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.