How to Start Your Own Dance Classes

You love to dance and want to share your love and knowledge with others. You may also live in an area that has a dearth of dance class options and you want to provide a few more, both for your own edification and for others around you. Starting your own classes is not too hard, especially if you have access to a dance studio or community center.

Contact dance studios and teachers in your area and let them know of your plans to start teaching a few classes, especially if you are going to teach in a small town. Networking with others in the field is a great way to build your client base and to get support when you need it. You want to make it clear that you will not be competing with them but will potentially be offering different class options for students than are currently available. Consider establishing a referral system with them. For instance, if you teach hip-hop and other teachers offer ballet or jazz, offer to refer students seeking those dance styles to them, provided they refer to you their students who want to learn hip-hop.

Find a location for the classes. You may be able to convince an already existing dance studio to let you teach there, especially if your class fills a need, such as ballet at a studio that currently offers only jazz and modern. Some studios also rent out space for independent classes. Other places to consider include a local gym, community college that offers enrichment classes or a recreation center.

Advertise your classes. You need students before you can teach. If you are teaching at a studio, make sure your class is listed in its brochure. If you teach at a community center or gym, hang flyers around the lobby and make sure your class is on the calendar. You may also want to place an ad in the local newspaper or on an online classified website. Word of mouth is also an effective way to advertise, so if you have taught classes previously, let former students know of your new one.

Offer an incentive for people to try the dance class. For instance, let students take a trial class for free. The free class may be especially beneficial for parents who are nervous about signing their child up for a dance class she may not enjoy. You can also offer class cards, where if a student attends 10 classes, she gets the 11th one for free.