Dancewise Studios is now over twenty years old. The studios are thriving, offering a range of dance styles and opportunities from our own studios in Hythe as well as online classes where we’ve worked with students all over the world, all while sticking to our mission of “Transforming lives through passion and positivity.
I’ve dedicated my career to creating a safe, fun, and welcoming space where students of all ages and abilities can dance, learn, and, most importantly, have their port in the storm where they feel completely at home and safe to be themselves.
People often ask me how I do it all. How do I run dance studios offering a range of styles and programs (Irish, street, tap, ballet, contemporary, acro, Burlesque and so many more), as well as multiple shows a year, summer programs, and everything in between?
It’s all made easier since I implemented Class Manager dance studio software to help me run the studios more efficiently, keep on top of the figures, and streamline admin, saving up to 25 hours a week on administrative tasks. That’s freed up time for my second passion: helping other dance studio owners make the most of their businesses through dance business coaching.
But what pushed me to make the switch to dance studio software?
About ten years ago, I hit a breaking point. If you were part of the studio then, you may
remember. I was working crazy hours, wearing ALLLLL the hats: HR manager, marketing manager, teacher, choreographer, therapist, legal team, and everyone in between, all while working an exhausting schedule.
One day, while driving home after another long day, I blacked out at the wheel and crashed my car into a lamp post, narrowly avoiding a nearby river.
That life-changing moment made me realise I needed to change. I couldn’t go on the way I was going; it wasn’t fair on my dancers, my teammates my studio or me.
So I started looking for a better way. I invested heavily in my own business education which transformed my business and changed my life. One of the areas I realised I needed to simplify and automate were payments. And a dance studio software designed for the dance industry of the digital age seemed like the obvious solution. I knew I needed software that would:
Provide quality reporting
Offer an easy-to-use interface
Store all essential data in one place (classes, scheduling, student info, and more)
Handle payments seamlessly
Save me hours of administrative work
Enter Class Manager dance studio software!
Class Manager was just what I was looking for: a class management system built for dance studio owners, by a team of dance teachers and studio owners. I signed up and never looked back.
Class Manager has helped with every aspect of my business:
Generating accurate reports
Managing classes and scheduling
Selling items via the integrated shop
Taking automated payments at industry-low pricing
Scaling smoothly as my studio has grown, without increasing costs
Since introducing Class Manager to the day-to-day running of Dancewise, my team and I have been able to invest more in the studios, adding new classes and opportunities. Those opportunities include our pioneering Boys Dance Programme, where we’ve made it our mission to create an engaging and safe space for boys who love to dance, and our adult dance sessions designed for busy parents and adults who’ve had “try ballet lessons” on their to-do list for weeks.
We also offer plenty of fun summer holiday workshops and intensives, plus dancing opportunities at carnivals, Pride festivals, fetes, and other community events.
If it wasn’t for software like Class Manager, I wouldn’t have the capacity to keep pushing the envelope with what our dance studios offer, giving children, teens, and adults the opportunity to learn new skills, meet new friends, and bring smiles and passion to dance.
And as we keep moving forward, we’re excited to transition to ClassManager version 2 – with a better app for families and even it’s own chat function. We can’t wait!
If you’re a Dance studio owner who wants to learn more about ClassManager, click here!
