Whether it's square dancing, ballet, ballroom or contemporary rock dancing, there are great numbers of people who want to learn. Of course, your own preference and the most popular dances in your community will pretty much dictate the kind of dancing you choose to emphasize in your school. Regardless of the type of dance, the methods for getting it together are the same.
If you can, hold classes in your own home. If you don't have enough room but one of your students does, offer free lessons for that student in exchange for the use of a basement (or any large room). For most types of dance instruction you won't need any props. The exceptions are ballet or jazz dancing, in which case a large mirror and a dance bar are a necessity. If free space is not available, the next best situation would be some place like a local YMCA or church. In exchange for the hall (and that group's sponsorship) you usually give a percentage of your tuition receipts. The amount of the percentage is negotiable, but should never exceed 50 percent.
To set up a class, begin by writing a clear, concise brochure that outlines the complete schedule and pricing. This brochure will be your major selling piece, the piece you send to every interested person. Then put together a small classified ad soliciting inquiries: "CHILDREN'S BALLET SCHOOL. New Classes Start February 1. Call 555-5555 For Complete Information."
Don't stop at a classified ad. If it's a children's ballet school you're starting, call your friends who have children and sell them on the school. Put notices up on nursery school bulletin boards, at day care centers, at youth centers. Leave your business cards at children's clothing stores and toy shops.
Your basic teaching tools will be a music player (a portable is sufficient) and a generous supply of music. You should figure your rates so that you end up with approximately $30 to $35 an hour gross profit. This means a class of ten would be charged about $3.50 per person per lesson. Try to get your dance instruction customers to agree to a series of lessons, say one lesson a week for six to ten weeks. Any series longer than ten weeks is stretching it. Of course, if you are teaching smaller classes, customers will pay more and will be getting more individualized attention for their money.
Once you have gotten a series of classes under way, it's not difficult to see how quickly your school can grow. You can hire other instructors for an hourly salary, or even a percentage of the tuition the instructor generates. Within a relatively short time you could find yourself with a thriving, growing business that could produce a net income of $25,000 a year on up.
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