As the owner of a dance studio, it’s in your best interest to keep your students and staff happy. Happy students mean continued business, and happy instructors mean inspired routines. However, it can be tough to keep everyone content, especially with all your other responsibilities. Here are three easy dance studio tips that will keep your students and teachers in good spirits and eliminate problems before they happen.
1. Keep “Mama Drama” in Check
You’re bound to run into a few troublesome parents when you run a dance studio. They’ll want their child in the front of all performances. They’ll want to oversee all your events. They’re more than happy to tell instructors how to do their job. They’ll be eager to share their own dance studio tips with you, even if they’ve never been in charge of a studio.
It’s important to find ways to handle drama mamas, as they can lead to unhappy teachers and dancers. First thing’s first – don’t leave it to the teachers to handle unruly parents. As owner, it’s your responsibility to make sure your studio is a positive learning environment.
If you’ve never had a troublesome parent before, Bree Hafen, a professional dancer and experienced teacher, recommended on her blog that you start by sitting down with the parent to talk about the problem. Explain that the teachers are doing the best they can to include everyone. Also point out that you’re trying to teach the dancers to be independent, so constant hovering is undermining the cause.
2. Cultivate Inspiration
If you’ve ever had a mundane office job, you know how tedious it can be to do the same thing every day. The Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing explained that to keep students happy, you need to keep them inspired. You can do this by mixing up the music, warm-up routines and genres.
It can also be beneficial to organize field trips to live performances and foster interaction outside of the studio. Talk to your teachers about switching up classes and allow them to pursue activities they think will engage the students.
3. Foster Open Lines of Communication
The best way to nip problems in the bud is to talk about them. Whether one of your dancers is falling behind or your teacher needs to adjust her schedule, a sit-down conversation is the best way to resolve the issue. Emphasize to everyone that your studio is a place where all ideas are welcome.
Make an appearance in each class, and try to learn as many names as possible. The more familiar people are with you, the more likely they’ll trust you with their problems. An open-door policy is an established way to encourage communication among your teachers and students, and can go a long way to keeping everyone happy.
What about you? What are some of the dance studio tips you’ve used to create a happy, positive atmosphere at your studio? Leave us a comment below!
