Dance Principals United: Dance Studio Growth & Marketing Podcast

A parent calls your dance studio asking about preschool jazz. Do you give them the time and price for one class, or introduce them to a whole morning their child could love? That conversation is where this episode begins. With re-enrolment and timetabling on studio owners' minds, Amanda Barr and Rebecca Liu-Brennan explore how to build, present and market preschool dance programs that make sense for children, parents and your business. From school drop-off times to snack breaks and the way your front desk answers an enquiry, there are plenty of small decisions that shape what families enrol in. And sometimes, the first thing to change is how you explain what you already offer. Building a preschool program around family life When you're planning preschool dance classes, the child's experience matters. So does the parent's morning. If school drop-off happens at nine, a nine o'clock preschool class could be difficult for families with older siblings. A slightly later start gives them time to get across town without rushing. A well-planned morning can also give parents a useful window to go to the gym, do the shopping or have some time to themselves. Bec shares how her studio approaches a preschool morning with several dance styles and a recess break. Amanda and Bec discuss why that break can help parents feel more comfortable trying a longer program, while giving children time to eat, chat and practise little moments of independence. Opening a lunchbox, sitting with other children and joining a conversation can all become part of the experience families value. In this episode we discuss… Planning preschool dance times around school drop-off and family routines. Introducing the full program when a parent enquires about one style. How a supervised snack break can support a longer preschool morning. The difference between bundling dance classes and reducing your teaching time or fees. Making your timetable and pricing easy for parents to understand. Using average class placements by age group to guide timetable decisions. Grouping complementary styles to make an extra class an appealing next step. Showing real preschool moments consistently in your dance studio marketing. Why your front desk team plays an important role in the enrolment experience. If preschool is a program you want to grow, give it regular space in your content so prospective families can picture their child there. Listen to the episode for practical ideas to bring into your next timetable planning session, team meeting or parent enquiry. Subscribe to the Dance Principals United podcast, leave a review and share this episode with a studio owner who's planning their preschool program. https://danceprincipalsunited.com/podcast/    

A family can love your dance teachers, enjoy your classes and have a wonderful concert experience. Then one badly handled conversation becomes the thing they remember. That's a difficult thought when you know how much care goes into running your dance studio. But it's also a useful reminder: the way people feel when they deal with your business matters just as much as the systems working behind the scenes. In this episode we discuss... How thoughtful service helped Amanda and Bec choose their Fiji venue. Why different parts of the same business can leave very different impressions. The value of small, unexpected touches in your dance studio customer experience. How to budget for inclusions rather than treating every extra as an unplanned expense. Why repeated payment requests can affect how studio families feel. How defensiveness can get in the way of handling parent complaints. The importance of hearing different perspectives before deciding what happened. Why a relevant response and reliable follow-up matter more than a generic gesture. How owner exhaustion and feeling underpaid can spill into client conversations. Why one difficult interaction can overshadow many positive experiences. If this episode gives you a useful idea for your dance studio management, subscribe so you don't miss the next conversation. We'd love you to leave a review and share it with another studio owner who's working on building stronger family relationships. https://danceprincipalsunited.com/dpu-tribe/  

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/