Any and all advice about opening a dance studio?

I have always wanted to own my own dance studio. I have 1 year left in college and really feel this is what I want to do. I would love any advice any of you have about where to even begin? Do you think its possible for a upcoming grad to achieve this? I would want to teach ballet jazz tap hip hop modern and possibly aerobics class (open to anything else that would present its self). Like I said anything you can tell me I will gladly take! Thanks!! :)Any and all advice about opening a dance studio?
I grew up with a family that ran a dance studio, have taught for over ten years, and have run my own studio... and there's one huge thing that you need to know: it's a labor of love. Your first few years WILL NOT make you money, unless you ridiculously overcharge for costumes.





Look for a space that is big enough for students to not only do any exercises/drills/whathaveyou that cross the floor (diagonally), but also for either portable or wall-mounted bars. Remember that pre-ballet and early-level ballet classes, hip hop classes, younger children's tap classes, and adult ballet classes will often be very full, even if you have several available on your schedule.





You have a few options for flooring: shell out the bucks for floating floors (if you're going to do wood, floating will prevent your students from getting shin splints) or get one of those large rubber floor mats that are so popular these days. Portable and wall-mounted bars are available and, aside from their usefullness in class, help give the ';professional dance studio'; look. If you know someone handy, you might be able to con them into making you some out of heavy metal pipes and pvc pipes or wood bars. And don't forget mirrors! You must have mirrors on the wall, or students can't see their own lines and form.





It's a big investment, but if you love dancing and you love teaching, it's worthwhile.





Schedule and pre-ballet (generally age 3-5yrs) classes in the mornings on weekdays - 11am is good - and also early Saturday afternoon. Keep school schedules in mind for those age groups, and remember that you'll have both really dedicated students who attend every class they can as well as students who are just there because they're bored of everything else, or Mom made them sign up. Be patient with them! Adult classes are best around lunchtime and in the evenings on weekdays, and weekends after 11am. Leave that beloved/hated 10a Saturday slot for your intermediate ballerinas.





Once a year, usually in May or June when school's finally out and before everyone leaves for summer vacation, do a recital. This is imperative - the parents want to see how much their kids have learned, and the students love any chance to perform. AT first, you can rent a small community theatre or school theatre for cheap, and work your way up to a bigger stage with stage hands et al - until then, recruit dads! Dads are awesome for handling lights, sound, hauling props, ushering, and more. Moms who aren't ';stage moms'; can help backstage, keeping little ones in line and assisting with quick costume changes and emotional meltdowns. Another tip from my years of teaching: if your students are generally pretty cool but prone to diva fits backstage, and you've known them for at least two years, start threatening them about a week before the show with the thought of you bringing a super soaker - and soaking anyone who pulls attitude backstage. Show up at the show with said super soaker. I don't recommend actually super soaking anyone, though.





Also, look for other opportunities to showcase your students, and thus attract more candidates! Local festivals, organizations your students and/or their parents may belong to (oddly enough, the Shriners LOVED my Irish dancers), and even RenFaires.





Also, you might want to consider hiring help if you can't physically handle up to twelve hours a day of teaching - i.e. dancing for twelve hours straight. It is possible, but extra staff makes all your paperwork and planning easier to actually get done. Pay them DOA and depending on how many students (i.e. $15/hr for really small classes, then up on a sliding scale), and if the studio's doing well, give them a little raise. They'll be loyal to you for it. And remember, a well paid teacher is a happy teacher, a happy teacher is a happy student, and a happy student is a happy studio.





Finally, don't forget that you can rent the floor to others who might want rehearsal space, a room for their own dance class, etc. This can really come in handy for a little extra money - and a dinner break for you.





By the way, bellydancing always brings in a little money - adult women love it for both exercise and because it's so sensual. Go buy a video or three of bellydancing technique, get it down, and teach a beginner's bellydancing class once a week. Advertise that heavily.





One final note: go through the yellow pages. Are there a lot of schools/studios in your area? If so, you're going to have a lot of competition and you might want to consider relocating. If there aren't any at all, then the field is yours but you'll have to do some heavy recruiting, i.e. fliers near schools, grocery stores, kids' shops, and more. Fliers are actually good no matter what competition you have - try your local mall, too! Also, know where your nearest dance supply store(s) is/are.





Good luck, and I wish you the best!Any and all advice about opening a dance studio?
when you open your studio, you should think about having competitive teams, and sell dance wearr at the studio. the studio i dance at has a Dance Wear Noww in it and they get a lot of business from people just coming off the street to get stuff for their kids at other studios, and then they pick up the class scheduale on the way out! i hope your successful! (:
i think the main dance classes people want to take are ballet, lyrical, hip hop, tap, acro, and excersise. And I definitely think that if you keep trying and you gain a little more expierience (try doing some ballet theatre shows or just teaching at another dance school for now) you will be able to achieve you goal. Best of luck to you! =0 )
at my town there are many dance studios, but the reason i chose the one i'm at now is because it's the only one in my town that does competition. make performing groups and go to regionals and if you score high enough to go to nationals! during your first few years you may not be able to, but it will attract costumers like it did me!