Winter Show = GO!

It’s that weird time of year where it still kinda feels like summer, but the routine of the academic calendar is returning with back to school and back to dance.  In the midst of it all, NOW is the time to say “yes!” to some type of winter show. Here are 3 reasons why:  1. […]

Independence Day, Lobby Edition

row of empty blue chairs against a white and red background

During the pandemic, many dance studios closed their lobbies and found alternative ways to successfully execute administrative tasks and serve their populations.  This shift was a positive change for our dance studio locations. By repurposing our former lobbies, we now have more productive workspaces that serve a variety of functions. If you’re considering doing the same, […]

Five Reasons Why I’m Opting Out of the “Done Club”

hand holding pen over pink card with the word "Done"

The Done Club. Around May or June, if you’re in the dance industry, this phrase starts popping up on social media with the frequency of 2014’s Ice Bucket Challenge. But, for us, it happens like clockwork, every single year. “Made it to the Done Club!” “Meet the newest member of the Done Club!” The “Done […]

Resurrecting Your Recital, Part I: De-Escalation

Girls in tutus backstage

Recitals are back, baby! If you’re like me, you feel nothing but excitement for that familiar dusty, wooden smell of a theater. Before you jump to the celebration, take some time to think about these five important tips for de-escalating stress and conflict. 1) This isn’t 2019. Keep in mind this is a different world […]

F@!* and Other Four-Letter Words to Remember this Recital Season

Woman with hand covering her mouth

It’s the most wonderfully crazy time of the year: Recital Season! While we may not fully be “post-pandemic,” we are most certainly entering the most normal performance season we’ve had since 2019. Entering this new normal means that we can make adjustments to better serve our shows, our businesses, and our clients.  And, while you […]

A State of Grace: Balancing the New Normal

Woman in pink meditating

As we all finish our show seasons, we might have allowed ourselves a second of celebration before the reality of the challenges ahead fully set in. While we are closing the chapter of the people that stood by us and cheered us on throughout an entire season of the pandemic, we are now facing the […]

Falling ≠ Failure: Three Steps for a Graceful Recovery

dancer in leaves

As dance educators, we know how GOOD it feels when our students persevere. Whether it is the music cutting out during a performance or a brave recovery after an unexpected fall, we champion and encourage their resilience, in rehearsal and in performance.  In our industry, we’ve surpassed the year benchmark of COVID-19 shutdowns and challenges. […]

Time to Get it Done: Bossing Up and Being Present

Girl in butterfly costume

Happy New Year!  We are still trucking through the COVID-19 crisis and salvaging our businesses. But we have more knowledge than ever and gain more with each and every day! It’s 2021, and that means it is time to GET IT DONE.  One of my favorite quotes is:  “You can’t talk butterfly language with caterpillar […]

Making the Most of Your Minutes: Planning with Purpose

Daily planner with pens and scarf

We all know the song “Seasons of Love” from the musical RENT. It asks, “How do you measure, measure a year?” If you’re like me, many of my minutes in 2020 were measured through processing, applying, and mitigating public health information, applying for grants and funding, and spinning on the hamster wheel of the global […]

How to Not Get Holi-Dazed: Avoiding Burnout and Maintaining Your Momentum for 2021

woman meditating on yoga mat with dog

It’s the most wonderful time of the year? If you feel like you’re crawling into 2021, you aren’t alone. Crisis leadership is exhausting, and we haven’t had a break since March. With holidays feeling unusual amidst an escalating pandemic, the heaviness may continue to weigh on you during this festive season. Now is the time […]

Dance Studio Software Reviews: 2020

Smiling African-American woman on computer

For the sixth year in a row, we are excited to present the survey results collected from our annual dance studio software reviews survey. We asked dance studio owners to answer questions about their dance studio management software, and over 500 studio owners did just that. If you’ve considered investing in software to help you […]

5 Pillars of a Profitable Studio

Growing your studio doesn’t have to be stressful, right? There’s got to be a better way; a better way to streamline marketing and sales, and get more students… right? Yep, there is… Hey, I’m Austin Roberson—Founder & CEO of Studio Studio, the all-in-one marketing automation tool for studios, and in this video, I’ll share with […]

6 Best Practices for Interviewing Job Candidates

6 Best Practices for Interviewing Job Candidates

When I first opened my studio over 20 years ago, I had a big learning curve when it came to all things human resources-related—interviewing, hiring, firing, payroll, benefits, and everything in between! One of the biggest lessons I learned right away is that hiring great people for my team was a lot of WORK, especially […]