Nurturing your Studio Community

Happy November! Now is the time of the year when the number of new enrollments start to dwindle as we transition into the busy holiday season.

Not to worry, we know inquiries from new students will pick back up in January. We have exciting promotions to capture new friends to enroll in our Twinkle Babies and Twinkle Stars classes at the start of the year.

I like to remind myself the months of November and December are a great time to focus our attention on marketing internally to the dancers currently enrolled and help nurture our studio community. 

Over the next few weeks, I’ll share various programming ideas you can incorporate at your dance studio to keep your dancers and families engaged.

This one might seem obvious, but I like to use themed props to add fun to dance class!

For example, we have a class set of autumnal-colored scarves that our Twinkle Star Dance classes use along with “Colors of the Wind” a choreographed ballet center stretch and movement. 

This November we are doing a line dance to “The Git Up” in all of our classes. Then during Parent Observation week this month, we are inviting the parents to join in the fun with a Family Hoedown.  

December is a fun time to use jingle bells. Our Twinkle Babies love dancing to “Jingle Bells Opposites” and hearing the jingle of the bells and the tapping of their toes. 

Another great prop is a star wand. Our Twinkle Stars enjoy using star wands and dancing to “Twinkle, Twinkle Christmas Star.”

Learn more about Twinkle Star Dance and our live teacher certifications: https://www.twinklestardance.com/how-it-works. 

Meet Tiffany Henderson 

Tiffany Henderson is an industry leader and dance business expert. Tiffany owns and operates multiple Tiffany's Dance Academy locations in Northern California. Her video-based teacher training system and curriculum, Twinkle Star Dance, is currently implemented in 300+ dance studios worldwide.

Nurturing Super Teachers

As a studio owner and director of your school, it is your job to bring out the best of your Super Teacher. 

Without dance teachers our business simply does not exist. 

You need to be available for your teachers emotional needs - this is attainable by having systems in place as you will have more time dedicated toward your teaching staff rather than playing catch up with the revolving door of teacher turnover. 

When it comes to your teachers, it is important to have healthy boundaries while still being accessible to them. Daily check-ins, weekly meetings, and quarterly training increase touch points with your staff. 

Offer knowledge based on your teaching experience and resources. Try to catch them doing something right, not doing something wrong. 

When conflicts do arise, listen to understand, not to respond. Similar to dancers, every teacher is different, we all carry different sizes of baggage. 

Ask about their lives, family, etc.  Knowing their background will give you key insight to what motivates them, how they feel valued, and how they make decisions. 

You have to customize conversations based on the individual. 

Learn more about Twinkle Star Dance and get your “Super Teachers” certified at Spark New Jersey. 

Meet Tiffany Henderson 

Tiffany Henderson is an industry leader and dance business expert. Tiffany owns and operates multiple Tiffany's Dance Academy locations in Northern California. Her video-based teacher training system and curriculum, Twinkle Star Dance, is currently implemented in 300+ dance studios worldwide.

Part 2: Training the Super Teacher

Another important part of training new preschool and school-aged dance teachers is offering on the job training. Sometimes, we do not have the luxury of having new teachers complete on the job training before they start teaching at our studio. It is still beneficial for them to have some co-teaching hours with yourself or other staff even if they are already teaching on their own.  

There are many benefits to offering on the job training. First, it introduces dance teachers to different forms of dance. I recommend having them complete their training with the class level and age curriculum they are/will be teaching. Second, by offering on the job training hours to new hires it helps you stack your bench at an admin/co-teaching rate. This is a great practice for training new teachers and subs! 

In addition to on the job training, you will have to continue to foster the relationship with your teacher by managing them. I find when it comes to the management of teachers, set clear expectations from day one. You will also want to set a weekly meeting as well as check-ins throughout the year.  

You are the owner of the business, you have all of the risk and responsibility. Set yourself up as the Creative and Executive Director of your studio. All decisions begin and end with you. This starts in the hiring process and helps the dance teachers understand who is in charge and who they report to. If you are onboarding several teachers, hold a new hire meeting prior to training.  

You will also want to schedule ongoing training opportunities for your teachers. Hold weekly teacher meetings at a set day and time each week. Every Tuesday I meet with my teachers to discuss updates to class curriculum, teaching methods, and what’s happening in the studio. Set time aside a few weeks after their initial start date and again mid-season for you to have class observations with your teachers. I suggest completing teacher evaluations and meeting with them for a one-on-one review.  

Dance teachers, much like your dancers, require consistent observation and feedback. When it comes to new season planning, have a set Yearly Check In period. For me this is in January, I have them send me a “Teacher wish list” via email and then set up one-on-ones. This is also a good time for me to find out who needs to adjust their teaching schedule or who may not be returning next season so I know who I need to hire. 

As the owner, I encourage you to have an Open Door Policy for your teachers - make yourself available for private meetings during the year when needed. Schedule weekly meetings which allows you time to assess the physical and emotional state of your teachers. 

Finally, make sure your staff know they are appreciated and valued. You may consider offering Performance opportunities during the holiday shows, recitals, and or professional shows. We host an annual Holiday party and end of season party. You can also add extras like Birthday club and treat your staff to lunch. 

Remember you are their leader - they take all cues from you. If you are too busy, they may not reach out until it is too late.

Check back next week for my tips about nurturing the Super Teacher. 

Learn more about Twinkle Star Dance and get your “Super Teachers” certified at Spark Chicago. 

Meet Tiffany Henderson 

Tiffany Henderson is an industry leader and dance business expert. Tiffany owns and operates multiple Tiffany's Dance Academy locations in Northern California. Her video-based teacher training system and curriculum, Twinkle Star Dance, is currently implemented in 300+ dance studios worldwide.

Part 1: Training the Super Teacher

Now that you hired your dance teacher, it is time to plan teacher training session(s). Pick a date a few weeks out and/or plan a training at the beginning of the year and again mid-season for all teachers. I recommend allowing at least 1-1.5 hours for each age division and style. 

Once you have the training date and schedule set, communicate the mandatory training to your teaching staff. If your employees are required to be there you should pay a training rate for their training hours. If you can, provide lunch or dinner as well. 

To prepare for the teacher training, download and print out all materials ahead of time. If you are using Twinkle Star Dance, show the teachers how to access the curriculum lesson plans and  video gallery for review. Be sure to also show how to access music playlists. 

Sample Training Session Schedule Day 1

9am - 10am - Twinkle Babies ages 2-3

10am - 11am - Twinkle Stars ages 3-4

11am - 12pm - Twinkle Stars ages 4-5 and 5-6

12pm - 12:30pm - Lunch

12:30pm - 1:30pm - Showstars Jazz ages 5-7/6-8 and 7-9/8-10

1:30pm - 2:30pm - Showstars Ballet ages 5-7/6-8 and 7-9/8-10

2:30pm - 3:30pm - Showstars Hip-Hop ages 5-7/6-8 and 7-9/8-10

3:30pm - 4:30pm - Showstars Tap ages 5-7/6-8 and 7-9/8-10

Sample Training Session Schedule Day 2

10am - 10:30am - Mock Twinkle Babies ages 2-3

10:30 - 11:15am - Mock Twinkle Stars ages 3-4 

11:15 - 12:00pm - Mock Twinkle Stars ages 4-5

12pm - 12:30pm - Lunch

12:30pm - 1:30pm - Twinkle Babies/Stars Teaching Methods

1:30pm - 2:30pm - Showstars Teaching Methods

In addition to the class curriculum you need to prepare the following for each teacher:

• Monthly Lesson Plans

• Passport Books/Dance Journals

• Teaching Methods 

• Music Playlists

Email the link and password to Twinkle Star Dance instructor user to each teacher ahead of training session for reference before and after sessions.

Some additional teacher training tips to keep in mind: 

• All teachers attend all training sessions!

• Everyone dances - using actual energy and movement

• No sitting and talking through notes!

• Model voice and energy levels that you want dance teachers to use in class

• Let dance teachers trade off leading class content and give feedback

Check back next week for Part 2: Training the Super Teacher. Learn more about Twinkle Star Dance and get your “Super Teachers” certified at Spark Chicago. 

Meet Tiffany Henderson 

Tiffany Henderson is an industry leader and dance business expert. Tiffany owns and operates multiple Tiffany's Dance Academy locations in Northern California. Her video-based teacher training system and curriculum, Twinkle Star Dance, is currently implemented in 300+ dance studios worldwide.

Hiring the Super Teacher

After 20+ years of hiring, training, and managing dance teachers I have a few tips and tricks. The first is to always be hiring, not all teachers will make the journey with you and having a “bench” of trained teachers can give you peace of mind and a new teacher in a pinch. 

Lately, the majority of my dance teacher candidates come from paid dance teacher ads on Indeed. Sometimes an ad might not get much attention and it helps to remove the ad for a few days and then repost to “shuffle the deck” if you will. Reserve a set interview day and time so you are not going back and forth with each person about their availability. 

I have a 3-step interview process. After I receive a dance teacher resume, the first step is scheduling the candidate for a phone call or zoom interview. I like to ask them about their availability, dance/teaching experience, and include a scenario based question.

1. Styles of dance they are comfortable teaching/what they have taught

2. Ages of dance they are comfortable teaching/what they have taught

3. Availability - most important

4. What do they think are the most important quality a dance teacher should possess

5. How do they handle a dancer that is acting out in class? (scenario based question)

6. What do they love about dance/teaching dance

7. Dance training they have received

The second step is having them meet me in person at the studio. I invite them to attend our weekly teacher meeting held every Tuesday. The third step is to invite them to a class observation. I have them co-teach with one of my instructors and then ask them to teach a 10-minute portion of the ballet section of a Twinkle Stars class. I tell them that I’m “not looking for content.” 

When hiring dance teachers there are plenty of additional things to consider including compensation and motivation. I try to make my job offer a career dance teaching opportunity by offering full-time teaching hours (20+ hours per week), competitive hourly rates, Medical and Dental insurance, and a matching 401K program. 

Check back next week for my tips about training the Super Teacher. 

Learn more about Twinkle Star Dance and get your “Super Teachers” certified at Spark Chicago. 

Meet Tiffany Henderson 

Tiffany Henderson is an industry leader and dance business expert. Tiffany owns and operates multiple Tiffany's Dance Academy locations in Northern California. Her video-based teacher training system and curriculum, Twinkle Star Dance, is currently implemented in 300+ dance studios worldwide.