Successful studio owners know that bringing in guest artists is a good idea, whether for a two-hour master class or a weekend spent choreographing recital or competition routines. Your students learn new styles, get exposed to different teaching approaches and have the chance to network with professionals. But it can be a challenge to bring in the guest you want—paying for airfare, lodging, meals, hourly teaching rates, choreography fees—while keeping your bottom line in the black. But there are ways to economize, if you’re willing to think outside the box.
1. Go local. Can’t afford to bring in Justin Bieber’s biggest backup dancer? Ask a college professor or graduate student from your local university dance program. Or if you live within driving distance of a bigger city, take advantage of resources there to save on airfare and accommodations. “We’re in Connecticut, so there are many cities close to us—New York City, Boston,” says Gabby Sparks of Sparkle & Shine Dance. “I can find people you wouldn’t imagine within a 30-minute drive.”
2. Take advantage of downtime. Scheduling master classes during off-peak times—when an artist might be home for the holidays, for example, or during the summer, when the convention circuit cools down—could cut you a break in their fee.
3. Take it outside. Hold your master classes off-site to encourage students from other studios to drop in. By opening the class up to the general public and taking away the possible stigma of having to visit your studio’s stomping grounds, you’ll up your master-class enrollment. “Other kids just don’t want to walk through your doors,” says Christy Curtis of CC & Co Dance Complex in Raleigh, North Carolina.
