Dance Studio 411

Episode Summary:

In this episode of Dance Studio 411, host Jill Tirone welcomes Shanna Kirkpatrick, a veteran dance studio owner with over 19 years of experience, to discuss the value of feedback in running a successful studio. Shanna shares personal insights and strategies on how soliciting and responding to feedback from families, staff, and students has transformed her leadership approach and studio operations. The episode dives into the challenges of receiving feedback, especially for creative professionals, and highlights actionable practices for turning feedback into a powerful growth tool.

Key Takeaways:

• Importance of Feedback: Studio owners benefit significantly from feedback, not only for professional growth but for maintaining a healthy, responsive studio environment.
• Best Practices for Feedback: Shanna advises creating structured, regular opportunities for feedback, such as using simple Google Forms or initiating casual conversations with parents and staff.
• Implementing Feedback: Real examples from Shanna’s journey show how to embrace feedback constructively, even during challenging times, and how these conversations can clarify a studio’s vision and values.
• Leadership Through Feedback: By asking her team for feedback on her own leadership, Shanna builds trust and respect, showing that feedback isn’t just top-down but can be a two-way process that empowers everyone involved.

Notable Quotes:

• "If you want to improve, you need to be tenacious about receiving and sifting through feedback." - Shanna Kirkpatrick
• "The people closest to you, like your staff, can provide invaluable feedback—use it to better yourself as a leader." - Shanna Kirkpatrick
• "It’s about listening without defensiveness and using that feedback to craft a studio that aligns with your values and the needs of your community." - Jill Terrone

Timestamps:

• [00:29] - Welcoming Shanna Kirkpatrick
• [02:13] - Why Feedback is Essential for Growth
• [04:34] - Asking Staff for Feedback
• [07:01] - Shanna’s Story: Turning Feedback into Action
• [10:08] - Using Calendar Reminders to Follow Up on Feedback
• [11:03] - Closing Thoughts on Intentionality in Leadership

Connect with Us: Follow Dance Studio Owner and Revolution on social media for more tips, resources, and inspiration to help you navigate the dance studio world. Don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform!

In this episode of Dance Studio 411, host Jill Tirone sits down with the talented Taylor Hiller, Revolution's Channel Brand Manager and seasoned choreographer. Taylor reveals her tried-and-true formula for creating flawless recital choreography. Whether you're a seasoned dance instructor or just starting, Taylor’s insights on curriculum structure, lesson planning, and choreography processes are sure to inspire. Plus, you'll learn her tips for balancing creativity with structure, emphasizing the importance of organization, preparedness, and efficiency in the classroom so your recital performances shine.

Key Takeaways:

• What’s the Formula? Understanding goals and expectations to selecting music and costumes.
• Class Efficiency = Performance Proficiency: Discover how being organized in class leads to a more confident and polished recital performance.
• Curriculum, Syllabus, Lesson Plans: Taylor clarifies these key elements and how they help create a cohesive learning experience for students.
• Choreographic Process: Whether you start with music, movement, or costumes, Taylor’s step-by-step approach will help you map out your choreography with ease.
• Pro Tip: "Class efficiency equals performance proficiency."

Time Stamps:

[0:56] Taylor's introduction

[2:44] Taylor clarifies the terms curriculum, syllabus, and lesson plans so listeners understand how these three elements work within their studios

[5:43] Taylor dives into the importance of arriving to the studio prepared and organized. The more effient we are with our class time, the more profient our performance will be. 

[7:36] Taylor disscusses her choreographic formula

Resources Mentioned:

• Revolution Dancewear
• Taylor's Choreography Formula Template (available through Dance Studio Owner)

Connect with Us: Follow Dance Studio Owner and Revolution on social media for more tips, resources, and inspiration to help you navigate the dance studio world. Don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform!

Episode Description

In the podcast episode "Back to Basics: Making Money In Your Dance Studio with Tiffany Henderson," Tiffany provides clear and focused strategies for increasing revenue in dance studios. The episode highlights two primary revenue streams: optimizing class curriculum and organizing successful holiday shows and recitals. Tiffany discusses how to structure classes to enhance their value and attract more students, while also creating memorable recitals that boost ticket sales. She emphasizes the importance of calculating and maximizing profit per dancer throughout the season, offering practical advice to help studio owners boost their financial outcomes while maintaining high-quality dance education.

Key Takeaways

• Focus on Core Revenue Streams: Prioritize class tuition and recitals as the main sources of income for your studio.
• Structured Teacher Training and Curriculum: Implement a clear, replicable curriculum and offer consistent training for your teachers to improve class quality.
• Student Retention Through Skill Progressions: Tracking student progress and sharing it with parents is key to maintaining enrollment.
• Recitals Drive Retention and Profitability: Recitals are more than just performances—they create emotional connections and traditions for families while generating significant revenue through ticket sales and costume fees.

Time Stamps

[00:29] Tiffany Henderson joins the show. As a seasoned studio owner and creator of Twinkle Star Dance, she dives into her journey and her current projects, including producing parades at Disneyland and studying psychology at the University of Pennsylvania.

[03:15] Tiffany shares the importance of going "back to basics" to reduce distractions. She references Warren Buffet’s Ultimate Concern exercise: focus on two top priorities and ignore the rest.

[05:37] Tiffany identifies the two core revenue streams studio owners should prioritize: class tuition and recitals. She explains how focusing on these can ensure steady revenue and business growth.

[10:59] Tiffany discusses strategies for setting tuition prices and ensuring profitability while addressing studio owners' common anxieties about raising prices.

[13:21] Tiffany emphasizes the importance of consistent teacher training, clear class structure, and replicable curriculum to ensure success in preschool and elementary classes.

[18:39] Tiffany introduces the Twinkle Star Dance passport system, which tracks students’ skill development, engages parents, and boosts retention.

[21:33] Tiffany explains why recitals are vital to student retention and the emotional value they bring to families. She also highlights how to maximize profitability by selling tickets and bundling participation fees with costume costs.

[27:17] A detailed breakdown of recital profitability, including strategies for selling more tickets (on average, 5 tickets per dancer) and optimizing costume commissions.

[29:37] Tiffany encourages studio owners to consider adding holiday shows, noting how even a small-scale performance can significantly boost profitability.

[34:00] Tiffany concludes by reminding listeners of the positive impact dance studios have on their communities, urging studio owners to focus on future thinking and the importance of the work they do.

Links Mentioned in this Episode…

• Grit by Angela Duckworth

• Warren Buffet’s Ultimate Concern Exercise

• Twinkle Star Dance Passport Books

• Theme or Not to Theme Podcast

• Level Up Your Holiday Shows Podcast

Connect with Us: Follow Dance Studio Owner and Revolution on social media for more tips, resources, and inspiration to help you navigate the dance studio world. Don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform!

In this episode of Dance Studio 411, Jill is joined by Joe Naftal from Naftal Creative. Joe shares his expertise on how dance studio owners can take their holiday shows to the next level. Whether you’ve been running holiday performances for years or considering starting one, Joe offers practical advice on organizing, managing, and profiting from holiday shows while ensuring they are stress-free for both staff and families. He also introduces Check In Pointe, a performance management platform designed to simplify backstage operations.

Timestamps

(00:29) – Jill introduces guest Joe Naftal, who shares his background as a second-generation dance studio owner and how he developed Naftal Creative.

(02:03) – Discussion on how to reduce stress in planning holiday shows by using calendars, to-do lists, and project management tools.

(03:46) – Importance of holiday shows for students, dance families, and business profitability.

(05:21) – Joe explains the significance of budgeting and how to ensure profit from holiday shows.

(07:19) – Communication strategies for keeping families informed about holiday shows and performance logistics.

(09:35) – Joe introduces Check In Pointe his backstage management solution for holiday shows.

(12:38) – Final thoughts on organizing a successful holiday show and how it can enhance studio reputation and retention.

Key Takeaways

• Organization is Key: Use tools like Excel, Trello, or Asana to plan every detail of your holiday show.
• Budgeting for Profit: Include profit as a line item in your show budget to ensure financial success.
• Effective Communication: Personalize messages to parents and segment emails to ensure they’re reading the right information at the right time.
• Backstage Management with Check In Pointe: Joe’s software offers a seamless solution for dancer check-in, backstage management, and show coordination.

Links Mentioned in this Episode…

• Check In Pointe Free Demo Account – Get a free demo of Joe’s performance management software.
• Revolution Dancewear Holiday Costumes

Connect with Us: Follow Dance Studio Owner and Revolution on social media for more tips, resources, and inspiration to help you navigate the dance studio world. Don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform!

In this episode of DanceStudio411, we're joined by Stephen Reinstein from Market Muscles to explore the essential elements of a dance studio website and how to optimize it to attract and retain more students. Stephen will walk us through common pitfalls studio owners often face, like putting too much emphasis on current students, overwhelming their site with information, or displaying schedules and pricing too soon. Discover how these missteps can hinder your lead generation and learn actionable tips to enhance your website and attract more students to your studio.

Key Highlights

• Stephen’s background and Market Muscles [1:46]
• The purpose of a website for a dance studio / common mistakes [8:43]
• Retraining our students and parents on where to find information [12:40]
• What improvements can you make to your website to make it convert better [14:07]
• What type of images, copy, and call to actions should you be featuring on your website [20:18]
• Why removing your schedule & pricing from your website is so effective, and how to turn it into the best call to action ever! [25:28]
• Lead generation, CRM Systems, and AI [30:46]

Resources Mentioned:

Market Muscles

Market Muscles Website Audit

Snappr

[email protected]

Stephen’s book: “From Clicks to Customers”

Connect with Us: Follow Dance Studio 411 on social media for more tips, resources, and inspiration to help you navigate the dance studio world. Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform!

In this episode of Dance Studio 411, hosts Jill Tirone and Patty Rielley dive into the popular topic of themed dance shows. Should your recital have a theme, or should you keep it simple? Patty, a seasoned dance studio owner and Revolution's Rewards Manager, shares her insights, experiences, and expert advice on managing recital themes that excite students, engage families, and boost retention.

Key Highlights:

• To Theme or Not to Theme? [2:50] Patty explains the benefits of having a themed recital, from boosting student excitement to fostering studio retention. While some studio owners worry that themes might restrict teachers, Patty emphasizes that themes can be flexible and enhance creativity.
• Managing Faculty Expectations [5:05]: Patty offers valuable tips on navigating faculty pushback when implementing themes, stressing the importance of clear communication and collaborative planning. Use project management tools like Trello or Google Sheets to streamline the process and ensure everyone is on the same page.
• Incorporating AI for Creative Ideas [6:56]: Patty and Jill discuss the emerging use of AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude for generating theme ideas, song selections, and choreography inspiration. AI can be a fantastic resource for sparking creativity and refining existing ideas.
• Communicating Themes to Families [8:26]: From social media teasers to in-studio reveals, Patty shares strategies for building excitement around recital themes. Engaging students and families early can drive anticipation and keep everyone looking forward to the big event.
• Exploring Alternatives to The Nutcracker [11:08]: Patty talks about expanding beyond the traditional Nutcracker for winter shows. Whether it’s a condensed “Nutcracker Sweet” or an entirely different holiday theme, there are countless ways to keep holiday performances fresh and exciting.
• Favorite Recital Themes [16:00]: Patty shares some of her favorite recital themes, including “From Page to Stage,” “Tune In and Turn Out,” and the ever-popular “Around the World.” Her all-time favorite? “Masterpieces,” where dances were inspired by famous paintings and sculptures, creating a unique and memorable experience for students.

Listener Challenge: What's your favorite recital theme, or what are you planning for your next show? Share your thoughts, experiences, and suggestions in the comments or connect with us on social media. We’d love to hear from you!

Resources Mentioned:

• Revolution Dancewear Holiday Costumes
• Recital Theme: Winter Snow Party

Connect with Us: Follow Dance Studio 411 on social media for more tips, resources, and inspiration to help you navigate the dance studio world. Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform!

Tune in to this fun and insightful episode as Patty and Jill help you navigate the world of themed dance shows, bringing excitement and creativity to your next recital!

In this episode of Dance Studio 411 podcast, Jill Tirone welcomes Cathy Graziano, Executive Director of the National Dance Foundation, to discuss the exciting changes to National Dance Week and how dance studios can get involved. Cathy shares the history of the foundation, the mission behind its initiatives, and why the shift of National Dance Week to October is a game-changer for the dance community. From promoting kindness, inclusion, and community to engaging students in various activities, Cathy provides insights on how studio owners can leverage this celebration to grow their businesses and inspire their dancers.

Key Topics Covered:

• Introduction to the National Dance Foundation [1:14]: Cathy shares her journey to becoming the Executive Director and how the foundation evolved from National Dance Week, highlighting its mission to promote the benefits of dance across communities.
• Why National Dance Week Changed Dates [5:34]: Learn about the decision to move National Dance Week to October, creating an opportunity for studios to celebrate the start of the dance season and engage students in a new and exciting way.
• Ways to Participate in National Dance Week [7:45]: Discover various activities like "Bring a Friend to Class Day," kindness pledges, and fun dance challenges that can help studios connect with their communities and promote dance inclusivity.
• The NBA Pre-Game Performances [12:06]: Cathy talks about the incredible experience of performing at NBA games, a unique opportunity that brings dancers of all abilities together, creating a sense of community and joy.
• Luv Michael Partnership [15:08]: Learn about the foundation’s collaboration with Luv Michael, a program supporting autistic and special needs adults by providing purposeful work through granola sales, which also serves as a meaningful fundraising initiative.
• How to Get Involved and Become a Proud Partner: Cathy encourages studios to become proud partners, highlighting the benefits, including opportunities for student ambassadors and community service hours, which are invaluable for young dancers.

Links and Resources:

• National Dance Foundation
• Coloring Pages
• NDF Dance Mob Choreography
• Become a Proud Partner
• Luv Michael

Join the Conversation: Follow the National Dance Foundation on social media and use the hashtags #KIC and #NationalDanceWeek to share your studio’s participation in the festivities. Let’s spread kindness, inclusion, and community through dance!

Submit Your Questions: Have a question you’d like us to cover in a future episode? Visit Dance Studio 411 to submit your questions and find more great resources to help you build a successful dance studio business.

Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Dance Studio 411! If you enjoyed today’s conversation, please take a moment to rate, review, and subscribe to our podcast. Your feedback helps us reach more dance studio owners like you and keeps us inspired to bring you valuable insights every week. Don’t forget to share this episode with your fellow dance community members, and stay connected with us on social media for more tips and updates. Keep dancing, keep growing, and we’ll see you in the next episode!

 

In our latest episode, our special guest, Ginger Haithcox discusses a topic that comes directly from our member group and it is one of the biggest challenges dance studio owners face: finding, hiring, and retaining high-quality staff.

Listen in as Ginger talks about what dance studio owners can do to attract applicants for Job openings, how using KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) is a game changer, and how to avoid headaches when delegating to your staff.

We’re grateful to Ginger for providing her insight and expertise.

You can get the Studio Staffing Success course for your dance studio here: https://learn.revolutiondance.com/courses/studio-staffing-success

As a special bonus... Podcast listeners can take $50 off Ginger's course - use code "staffing50" at checkout!

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Running a dance studio is hard work, and growing your studio is even more of a challenge. No matter if you're just starting out or you're a well-established owner, we understand that it's a uniquely demanding and personal business to own and operate.

As studio owners ourselves, we've been there. But, it's also very possible to be a happy owner of a thriving dance business that you love. 

Learn More About Membership: https://dancestudioowner.com/podcast

In this episode of the Dance Studio 411 podcast, we sit down to have a very frank, open conversation with Amelia Fazio to discuss dance and body image and how you can develop a positive and supportive dance studio environment. The goal of this episode is to keep it real and we hope this outlines how important body positivity and positive language practices are to your studio. We can't wait for you to listen to this episode with Amelia because her passion shines through in all she does. We hope this conversation inspires you to create a studio environment where everybody feels welcome!

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For the full episode recap and to download Revolution's Costume Preference Worksheet visit: https://dancestudio411.com/dance-and-body-image-developing-a-positive-and-supportive-studio-environment/

Join Suzanne Blake Gerety as she shares one of the keys to studio business growth - change! In this podcast episode you’ll learn the simple yet impactful way to approach making meaningful decisions - from pricing to policies and beyond. You’ll hear how you have an advantage as a dance educator and studio owner to “dance with change”. This episode is designed to boost your confidence and courage when it comes to approaching parents, students, faculty or staff with any new or improved policy.

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Running a dance studio is hard work, and growing your studio is even more of a challenge. No matter if you're just starting out—or perhaps you're a well-established owner; we understand that it's a uniquely demanding and personal business to own and operate.

Learn More About Membership and Join Our Community: https://www.dancestudioowner.com/podcast