Dance Principals United: Dance Studio Growth & Marketing Podcast

It's easy to look at what other dance studios are posting and wonder if you should be doing the same. A certain style of choreography keeps appearing. Students ask for the classes they've seen online. Before long, you're questioning a training programme you've spent years building. But is the most visible training always the training your students need? In part two of our Q&A with Shannon Atkins, recorded at the Studio Growth Club Fiji retreat, we continue a conversation about looking beyond your immediate dance bubble. Shannon shares her observations from teaching and judging overseas, the small routines that help her make space for herself, and how dance teachers can begin building connections internationally. It's a thoughtful episode for any dance studio owner balancing student expectations, teaching standards and a calendar that rarely leaves much room to breathe. In this episode we discuss... Shannon's observations about technical foundations and traditional training overseas. Why popular dance trends may not tell the whole story about industry expectations. Looking more closely at jazz, hip hop foundations and different approaches to heels training. The value of tap and a broader dance education for musicality and versatility. Small daily routines Shannon uses to create quiet in a busy schedule. Booking rest into your calendar, even if you start with half a day. Why performing, teaching and choreography require different skills. Building overseas connections through classes, conversations and ongoing learning. You don't need to rewrite your whole timetable or book an overseas trip after listening. You might start with one conversation about your training programme, one fresh learning opportunity for a teacher, or one morning in your calendar that stays clear. Listen to part two of our Shannon Atkins Q&A, and take the idea that feels most useful for your dance studio right now. If you enjoy the episode, subscribe to Dance Principals United, leave us a review and share it with a studio owner or teacher who'd appreciate the conversation. We'd love to hear what stays with you.

What does it really mean to run a successful dance studio? Is it the trophies? The competition results? The students who go on to professional careers? Or is it something much bigger? In this special episode of the Dance Principals United Podcast, recorded at our Fiji Retreat, Bec sits down with internationally recognised dance educator and choreographer Shannon Atkins for an honest conversation about dance studio ownership, student development, mindset and the lessons that have shaped her career. From building a successful studio on the Gold Coast to selling it and starting again in New York, Shannon has experienced both the rewards and the pressures that come with running a dance business. How Shannon went from studying law to running a successful Gold Coast dance studio. The challenges of managing parent expectations and competition pressure. Why dance studio values matter more than maintaining a winning streak. The importance of teaching a broad range of dance and performance skills. Shannon's decision to sell her studio and pursue opportunities in New York. How confidence, preparation and putting yourself forward can create new opportunities. Why reflection, rest and positive self-talk belong in dance education. How Shannon's Dance Journal encourages students to recognise their progress. Why showing parents the personal development behind dance classes can support retention. The lasting value of dance education, even for students who never become professional dancers. Listen to this episode of the Dance Principals United Podcast for a thoughtful, practical and inspiring conversation with Shannon Atkins. Click here to pre-order Shannon Atkins' Dance Journal: https://inmotionsociety.com/products/shannon-atkins-dance-journal  If you enjoy the episode, we'd love you to subscribe, leave a review and share it with another dance studio owner who might need to hear it. And if you'd like more support with the business of running your studio, check the show notes for our special offer of two weeks free inside Dance Principals United Tribe. https://danceprincipalsunited.com/dpu-tribe/  

What if your dance studio timetable was costing you thousands of dollars in missed revenue, and you didn't even realise it? It's that time of year again. Concerts are coming, teachers are exhausted, 2027 planning is underway and somewhere in the middle of it all, you've got to put together a timetable that actually works. But here's the thing. Your timetable isn't just about fitting classes into rooms and keeping teachers happy. It's one of the most important business decisions you'll make all year. In this episode of the Dance Principals United Podcast, Amanda and Bec share the practical timetabling strategies they've used in their own studios, including how to fit more classes into your week, encourage students to enrol in more styles and make better use of your available space. In This Episode We Discuss... Why your dance studio timetable should be built around students and families, not just staff availability. The three questions to ask your teachers before planning next year. How a 15-minute change to opening times could create significant additional revenue. Why 45-minute classes can work when teaching quality and class structure are strong. How to encourage more enrolments by grouping classes together. Why your most popular classes might belong on different days. How to protect prime afternoon teaching times from private lessons. When weekend classes could create more opportunities for your studio. Why you should think about sales and student progression before allocating teachers. How the new DPU Timetable Optimiser can help you approach your planning. One of the biggest lessons from this conversation is that your timetable needs to be easy for families to say yes to. If you'd love a student to take three classes, but those classes are spread across three different afternoons, you're making that decision harder than it needs to be. Instead, think about the journey you want students to take through your studio. Which classes naturally work together? How can you make it easier for a child to try another style? Are your most popular classes helping you fill the rest of your timetable? These small decisions can have a huge impact on dance studio enrolment, retention and profitability. Ready to rethink your 2027 timetable? Tune in to this episode for practical ideas you can put to work straight away, along with a few entertaining detours into Dance Moms and reality TV. If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to the Dance Principals United Podcast, leave us a review and share it with another studio owner who's currently deep in timetable planning. And don't forget, podcast listeners can access two weeks free in Dance Principals United Tribe through the link in the show notes. https://danceprincipalsunited.com/dpu-tribe/  

What does it actually take to build a dance studio with more than 1,000 students? Is it brilliant marketing? An incredible teaching team? A competition program that wins everything? Or something much simpler? This week, we're coming to you from Fiji, where Beck is joined by one of our wonderful Studio Growth Club members, Katrina, the owner of Townsville Academy of Performing Arts (TAPA). Katrina has been running her dance studio for 27 years. She bought the business in 1999 for $10,000, when it had around 50 students, and has since grown it into a thriving studio with more than 1,000 dancers, six purpose-built studios and a building the business now owns. But what makes this conversation so interesting isn't just the size of her dance business. It's how Katrina thinks about growth, teaching, studio culture and the people who walk through her doors. Because after 27 years, she's still learning. And she still genuinely loves what she does. In this episode we discuss… How Katrina bought her dance studio for $10,000 with around 50 students The old-school flyer drop that helped grow enrolments to almost 500 Why rapid dance studio growth means your systems need to change How TAPA has maintained more than 1,000 students over the years Why preschool programs and dance studio retention are so important How Katrina maintains high technical standards without a large competition program Her clever approach to organising concerts for a huge student base What happened when a car drove through the studio's front entrance Why dance studio owners need to stop copying their competitors The importance of continuing to learn, even after decades in business

Dance competitions can be exciting, exhausting, stressful, hilarious and completely chaotic — sometimes all before your first routine has even hit the stage. There's the missing hairpiece. The last-minute position change because someone's sick. The costume that suddenly doesn't fit. The six-year-old who can't remember where she starts. And, of course, the pressure to perform. In this episode of the Dance Principals United podcast, Amanda and Bec are talking about something every dance studio owner with a competition team should think about: What experience are we actually creating for our dancers at competitions? Because it's easy to get caught up in scores, placings and cleaning that final formation. But when your dancers look back on their competition years, the things they remember might have very little to do with the trophy. In this episode we discuss… The different types of dance teachers you see backstage at competitions How much rehearsal dancers actually need on competition day Why younger dancers may benefit from familiarity and routine Simple ways to make dance competitions more fun The story of Bec's accidentally ordered "Lucky Octos" Why winning can't be the only measure of a successful competition How teachers' stress can transfer to dancers Why complicated hair, costumes and quick changes might not be worth it What teachers should say when dancers come off stage How to set competition-day expectations with your dance studio team Your competition culture doesn't happen by accident. You build it. Listen to the full episode of the Dance Principals United podcast for a very honest conversation about winning, competition pressure, Lucky Octos, crazy hair changes and how we can make comp days better for dancers, teachers and parents. https://danceprincipalsunited.com/podcast/ If this episode gets you thinking differently about your own competition team, share it with your teachers before your next comp. And don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review so more dance studio owners can find the podcast.