Laurieann Gibson arrived for the Dance Teacher photo shoot the morning after Lady Gaga’s awe-inspiring show at Madison Square Garden. Though Gibson said she was tired, you’d never know it had been a late night. (Doesn’t she look great?) Still fueled by adrenaline, the pop star’s creative director chatted with us about her start in dance and the phone call she made to tell Gaga about her concept epiphany—“We’re going to birth a new race!”—which they developed for the video “Born This Way.” But what impressed me most was that Gibson trained in Horton technique at The Ailey School. Read more in “How I Teach Hip Hop,” about how she’s a stickler for proper training, and check out the phrase she demonstrates from “Born This Way” to share with your students. (To view it on video, click here.)

Though every issue of Dance Teacher includes advice and information for studio owners and directors (as well as educators in other settings), June is the month when we bring studio business concerns to the forefront:

“Retail Report”: A frequent question I hear is: Should I open a retail store in my studio? If you’re not sure you have what it takes to run two labor-intensive ventures, perhaps you could  instead leverage your relationship with a local dancewear store. We suggest you open a conversation with your local retailer. We’d love to hear about any creative collaborations that develop. No store near your area? We know storeowners who would happily travel to you.

“Location, Location, Location”: Since location can make or break a business, you can appreciate the leap of faith Ballet Austin took when it decided to consolidate school and company operations and renovate a risky downtown site. Read about how it’s turned out in “Location, Location, Location.”

“Summer Studio Checklist”: When was the last time you looked into studio management software? The features of new generations of these products may surprise you. Turn to “Goods” for a handy checklist of this and other essential business to-do’s for the summer.

We hope to see you in person at the Dance Teacher Summit, where the pages of the magazine come to life, July 29–31. (There’s still time to register: www.danceteachersummit.com.) And look for the July issue, where we reveal the 2011 Dance Teacher Award honorees.