A day in the life of a dance studio owner
There are many misconceptions about dance teachers and studio owners out there. Thanks, Abby Lee. I think of dance studios like coffee shops; you might like Gypsy Bean, Bean Sweet, or Starbucks... either way, you are there because you want and enjoy coffee. Not every dance studio is for every dancer, and that's quite alright. I love being able to share my love of dance with my students at Legacy Dance Project.
Yes, I began my studio because I love movement, love to teach dance, and I especially love to choreograph. I didn't know what I was getting myself into nine years. Initially, I didn't realize how much behind-the-scenes and back-end work running a studio would take and how much I'd be learning from the ground up. I did not and do not have a staff that tackles all these things for me, so I had to learn pretty quickly.
From my point of view, running a small business, at least a dance studio is not just a full-time job but a 24/7 job. I think entrepreneurs never get to entirely turn their brains off from their jobs, especially when your career revolves around making art and training children.
Here is a little insight into my life. This bullet-pointed list is nowhere near the end-all-be-all of the to-do's, more like an example of how my studio-owner brain runs all day.
Essential parts of my day as a dance studio owner:
planning classes. A LOT of research goes into this. I follow a ton of dance educators, universities, and professionals in the business to spark my brain. Teaching needs to evolve if you want to reach students on all levels. So, planning classes may also include: researching listening to new, fresh music, reviewing the basic steps that will help my students excel more with more advanced steps, reviewing dance terminology and recalling what a particular class needs to be strengthening and stretching, creating specific fitness workouts for my dancers, researching specific preschool or age-appropriate dance training programs (I genuinely believe that I, as an instructor, should never stop learning myself), looking and referencing back to my higher ed dance training to instill that advanced training, follow along with my favorite instructors, learn their techniques and choreography, and help pass that along
the money stuff. No one tells you in the collegiate dance programs how to manage a dance studio financially. I so wish a university would offer a specific program to prepare better dance studio owners who enter this world. Sometimes dancers are so motivated by passion they think they can press through the other issues and the bottom line at the end of the year is one of them. I was lucky enough to have a mom who operated a successful studio and watched her every move. Was she always perfect? No. But she was true to her word, students appreciated her tough love, and she was renowned as one of the best tap instructors. The money includes items like: paying for the bills to keep the place running, paying instructors and assistants that work hard, making deposits, paying for fees for conventions, competitions, costumes, etc, saving and budgeting for improvements around the studio, and looking into advertisement opportunities and their cost also
program development. Program development is when I daydream about my studio. What program and students need something more? That may be anything from a particular program, like the petite preschool level, to what equipment is required to help the students, like stretch bands or new acro apparatuses, to writing a newsletter for the entire studio. We have a communication app, which has been a blessing, as Facebook groups weren't addressing our communication hiccups.
social media/marketing. Again, social media management needs to be explained to aspiring dance studio owners in higher education. I lived in the Myspace, Farmville, and Aim Messenger era and saw how important social media would one day be. But I missed the whole coding, web design, and HTML back-end connection things, so while I'm far from an expert, I feel I have a surface education pertaining to online marketing. Our studio’s social media is a little different. I like to show off the students of Legacy. I want to show off their hard work, happiness, dedication, and love for dance. My students are a blessing, so I like to give them the spotlight because they deserve that. I also want to share inspirational quotes. As dorky as it sounds, I believe in putting more good out there on social media because there is so much negativity, depression, fear, and drama floating around on the internet, so I earnestly want to use that tool for its good to reach everyone. (Also, one of the reasons I started this blog!) I also don't post daily, even though most business gurus would agree I need to be posting more than once a day. I try not to measure my worth by a social media algorithm.
planning rehearsals and planning choreography. Planning rehearsals is not my favorite because everyone has busy lives filled with family, friends, school, and social events. Getting everyone to prioritize dance at the same level can be challenging. But planning choreography is one of my favorites. I love listening and trying to find the right song for all my students. My suggestions and picks may be slightly off the wall, but they appreciate my differentness. A good friend told me backstage at a recent performance, "I love how you give your students the grunge and the realness." I responded, "If we're gonna do it, let's do it." Art is supposed to mirror and reflect life. And life isn't always pretty or how we want it, but it is accurate, filled with emotion, and twisty and turny, so let's dance to that. I spend hours watching inspiring dance choreography to immerse myself in a creative space. I love bringing ideas from other choreographers that give you goosebumps and then morphing those ideas into your own. I also spend hours editing choreography to fit my dancers' skills best. I always want to show what they can do successfully to boost their confidence. I spend even more hours editing music and finding costumes that flatter and fit the idea of what I'm trying to put together on stage.
website updates. This task is one I could improve at. Just like I don't think I have changed the outgoing voicemail at the studio in like a year, sometimes the website sits untouched for a little while because it's just not in front of me. It falls on the back burner when I'm trying to prioritize other things and people.
returning messages. You'd be surprised at how many emails and messages Miss Dawn and myself reply to throughout the day. It's a lot.
the studio space. I clean and tidy the studio over the weekends. (Finding a free weekend is also problematic as there are performances, rehearsals, competitions, etc, over weekends).
Then there's the additional task that needs to be completed from time to time like:
rhinestone-ing costumes
seeking out competitions, workshops, conventions, and other learning experiences that best with our students needs and studios values
arranging for guest artists
rental of venues and spaces
studio trips
creating printouts and handbooks
hours of posing pictures
ordering costumes and shoes
staying updated and staff support
creating class schedules
creating or contracting out props
the list goes on
Dance isn't my hobby. It's my passion. And quite frankly, it's not just about "dance". It's about all those things listed above plus the positive influence I'm trying to make in each of my student's lives. If it were just me teaching dance, and that's it, I wouldn't have so many gray hairs or sleepless nights. My years of being dedicated to dance showed up in being dedicated to the dream that I have to inspire others via the studio. Many dancers don't want to leave the studio when their classes conclude for the night because it's part of their "home" and sanctuary. It's a space for dancers to explore their potential, make mistakes, and grow. (It's my space to do that as well.) I can promise you this. I have no doubt every dance studio owner/instructor is resilient, adaptable, strong, and creative because of the challenges and rewards they meet every day. I nod my head to all in my profession.
K bye
Megan
Doing life the best I know how…