I have a new reason to love the acronym “TGIF”. Yes, Fridays are pretty great for quite a few reasons. But just recently my Fridays got a lot more interesting... it’s a day where I get to talk with my studio owner friends!  On Friday mornings we hop on a zoom call to discuss everything going on, support each other, share ideas, and feel really appreciative we aren’t the only ones trying to navigate through this!  We all had to shut our studios down back in March. At first that felt like “hey, we can do this no problem. t’s just temporary!” And immediately started “zooming” our lives away. But fast-forward 7 months later and we’re just as confused as when this all started. Planning a reopening and keeping kids dancing is different for everyone depending on where you live. But regardless, everyone has had to make some serious changes. We’ve had to get innovative

and adapt.

All the meanwhile, trying to keep our sanity and make the best decisions possible for our communities and families.  How amazing could it be that we have this opportunity to help each other, even when we can be in completely different parts of the country. 

“We’ve had to get innovative and adapt.”

There’s nothing like the energy of a thriving dance studio. Kids are moving, rehearsals are running, teachers are planning everything that lies ahead... it’s what makes a studio work. We plan an entire year in advance, if not more, and then everyone just gets to work and makes it happen!  Navigating through this uncertain time as a studio owner is, needless to say, overwhelming. Never so much has there been a push and pull of mandates and guidelines, and understandably so, decisions to be made.  Never so much have I laid in bed awake in the middle of the night wondering how to make it all work... not just for the sake of the business, but for all these kids and families who have immersed themselves in my studio.  It wouldn’t be natural for us, as the devoted and sometimes overly-obsessed leaders of the studio, to just give up and “let it pass.”  It’s not really in our wiring, nor is it I imagine for any business owner.  It’s just not an option.

“There’s nothing like the energy of a thriving dance studio.”

The question that remains in the forefront of every studio owner’s brain is, HOW do we make this work? What do we tell our dancers and families? Will there be competitions to attend? Should we order costumes?  Is anyone going to dance if we’re on zoom all day? These are just some of the questions that go through our minds 24 hours a day, literally.  And there are so many more.  It’s virtually impossible to do all this alone. Support is crucial!  I’m so thankful for my fellow studio owners, and know that even though these times can be challenging, we’re all in this together. So, cheers to Friday’s and I say let’s make everyday TGIF! 

Here’s a TOP 10 list of helpful tips from one studio owner to another! 

1. Start a “Studio Owner” group in your area!  Reach out to other studio owners and teachers who maybe you’ve seen at competition or are connected to, and start a weekly or monthly zoom call!  You’d be surprised how many ideas get started here and how much this can help.

2. Create a Digital Dance Portfolio program for your company dancers!  Have your competition kids begin documenting their journey through dance this season. Have them film themselves doing combos, working their technique, dancing in a park or somewhere out of the norm...and show them how to edit a dance reel.  You can even teach them how to write a proper dance resume and get the best headshots for auditions in the future!

3. Send a diagram to your families on how to make individual, portable ballet barres! Provide them with measurements and instructions on how to make the barres with PVC pipe. It might be a fun family project, and dancers can continue to work on their ballet techniques from home!  If their local studio is open for in-person classes, they might like bringing their own barre to use in class too.

4. Build an outside dance space!  If you’re unable to do in-person classes, this is a great option for some of your classes!  You can call your local event company to rent those huge wedding tents (who are most likely to LOVE doing business with you right now), and create a space in your parking lot. Of course you’d have to check with your landlord but everyone I know that has done this so far has had nothing but cooperation and success.

5. If your studio is open for in-person classes, provide lightweight face coverings for dancers.  Sometimes they forget their own and this will ensure a great option for anyone who needs a mask!

6. Virtual guest choreographers!  Have anyone that you love bringing into your studio to set choreography or work with your kids?  Reach out and see if they’ll do a Zoom class for your students once a week!  Everyone is open to working more right now and they’d probably jump at the chance!  Charge students a small fee and cover your costs.

7. Consider a virtual winter showcase and call it “Home for the Holidays”!  Create a way for your dancers to learn a simple piece of choreography and send you the video. Edit all the videos together to make one big montage of a dance!  Think of the app Elf Yourself. Have your teachers come up with a dance for each class, suggest what to wear, create a theme, and help edit each video.  Send them out at the end of your Fall session. Dancers and families will love this!

8. Maintain good relationships with your families. It’s hard when you don’t get to see everyone as often as you normally do.  Dedicate an hour a week and send out some personal emails, or better yet, make a phone call!  Check in, say hello, give them some ideas to do from home...the kids love hearing from their teachers!

9. Always be understanding with everyone’s decisions.  If someone doesn’t want to do online classes, it’s ok. If someone doesn’t feel comfortable taking in-person classes, it’s ok. Whatever services you can offer, just remember you’re doing the best you can. People have all different levels of comfort and their reasons are valid. It’s not easy because we’re so close with our studio families and we just want it all to be “normal” again.  But remember you can’t please everyone. What you can do is be accepting, understanding, and a positive voice in your community.

10. Get sleep, take care of yourself, and remember you’re doing a great job. You run a dance studio...that’s pretty amazing already!  Don’t be too hard on yourself. These are challenging times.