It is April and I am diligently working on scheduling over 400 classes across my six locations of dance studios. I set aside a block of time each day to work on the schedule uninterrupted because as we all know your new season schedule can make or break the financial success of your dance studio.
In my 21+ years of owning dance studios I have learned a few business trade secrets that have helped me maximize my classes while still continuing to train and grow dancers. Here are some tips as you create your new season schedule:
Keep your menu simple - Too many class variations on your menu means new and even returning customers often make no choice. If a parent of a three year old has to decide between Tot Hop, Creative Movement, and Pre Dance they will choose nothing. Instead, offer Twinkle Stars 3-4 at different days and times on your schedule.
Have a class for that age each day of the week - If a four year old calls and wants to come to class on Tuesday is there a Twinkle Stars 4-5 class available? This doesn’t mean they need to be at the same time everyday. Consider offering complementary classes back-to-back on the same day, such as Mini Showstars Jazz ages 5-7 and Mini Showstars Ballet ages 5-7, so dancers can take two classes.
Offer classes on Saturdays (and Sundays) - More and more families need weekend class options to participate in dance. We still offer weekday mornings and weekday evenings during “prime time” after 4:30pm, but many of our locations are running lineups Saturdays and even Sundays from 8:30am/9:00am until 2:00pm/4:00pm (with waitlists).
Preschool Dance Curriculum - To build your foundation from the youngest dancers up, you need to have a codified preschool dance curriculum for all of your teachers to follow. This enables teachers to focus on the delivery of the class material and not creating the content or experimenting on your customers. You also need to have a clear progress path for your customers to see. For example, dancers start in Twinkle Babies 2-3, then progress into Twinkle Stars 3-4.
Create a buzz around your schedule - in the spirit of rebuilding our businesses we are in the process of rebranding our dance studios and launching a Grand Reopening with our new season schedule.
Four steps to create a buzz:
Dancer evaluations for all currently registered dancers with recommendations for classes and summer camps.
Email blasts and/or postcard mailers to all dancers who did not register this season or any leads.
Preview your new season schedule 2 weeks prior to Registration Day for dancers to plan which class day and time works with their schedules.
Offer your best promotion on Registration Day for example waived registration fee and free Sparkle tutu dress or leotard dress code items.
Ready to increase your preschool dancer enrollment and engagement? Join Tiffany on Friday, April 23 at 1:30pm ET/ 10:30am PT for a FREE webinar on how the Twinkle Star Dance curriculum, marketing, and branded class materials can help you rebuild your dance studio. Register here.
Meet Tiffany Henderson
Tiffany Henderson is an industry leader and dance business expert. Tiffany owns and operates seven Tiffany's Dance Academy locations in Northern California. Her video-based teacher training system and curriculum, Twinkle Star Dance, is currently implemented in 300+ dance studios worldwide.