Kathy Blake is the owner of Kathy Blake Dance Studios in Amherst, New Hampshire. She and Suzanne Blake Gerety are the co-founders of DanceStudioOwner.com.
Q: I'm looking to create some summer rituals and traditions at my studio. What are some of the things you do?
A: Creating fun and engaging moments for your students, staff and families can have a positive impact on your studio culture. Whether it's a big event or a small gesture, we've found that traditions build connection, boost morale and create strong bonds. I reached out to a variety of studio owners to gather some ideas for you to try this summer. Here's what they had to say.
Q: Our dancers' parents want to observe class, but students won't focus if I let them in the room. I've tried having them observe the last 10 minutes of class, but even that can be disruptive and bring the dancers' progress to a halt. Do you have any advice on how to handle this?
Q: I'd like to transition to a class structure where dancers are assigned to classes based on the level of their dancing rather than age. Do you have advice?
Q: I just had a teacher quit midyear, and it wasn't on good terms. I need to e-mail the parents about it, but don't want to cause a panic. Any suggestions on how to mitigate damage and make a smooth transition with the new teacher?
Q: I want to do a holiday performance and need some advice. How do you get parents on board? How do you keep it economical? What other money makers do you do at your holiday show other than ticket sales?
I have teachers who are there for their pieces/students only and work hard for them but don't go above and beyond. Then I have a non-competition teacher (a ballet teacher at the studio with no competitive pieces), who came to all of our competitions this year and worked nonstop.
