For The Greater Good

By Misty Lown

When dance is about more than good training, everybody wins.

Does your studio train great dancers? Of course it does—and so does the studio down the street. In fact, according to the local Yellow Pages, every studio in town prides itself on offering quality programs. However, the truth is that quality dance instruction is not a selling point for parents; it’s an expectation. Once you start to see quality as the baseline rather than the finish line, it’s easy to see that the question school owners should be asking is “How do I drive traffic to my studio in a saturated marketplace in which everybody claims to be offering a quality product?” It’s easy to do when you can offer more than just great dancing.

When I started my studio almost a decade ago, my primary drive was the same as that of many new school owners—simply to prove I could be successful. And like many dancers who choose a teaching career over a performing career, I felt the need to prove that I could train professional-quality dancers. After a couple of years of knocking myself out to be the best dancer and teacher I could be, I began to suspect that running a dance school might not be about the quality of the dancing after all. I never got a thank-you card for pretty pliés or perfect pirouettes. I received cards with heartfelt goodbyes from seniors or notes of appreciation from parents, but the majority them were crayon drawings of smiling stick people in dance class surrounded by pink hearts. After hanging those drawings on my office door, I had to ask myself, “If we’re only training dancers, are we missing the point with most of our students?” And indeed we were.

I began to wish that my time with students and contact with the community would have a lasting, positive impact that went beyond solid technical dance training. That goal has become the heartbeat of my school’s program. Quality dance instruction is our foundation; what we do with it is our purpose. “More than just great dancing” has become our tagline, or brand, and it drives our programming decisions. These programs feed our souls as teachers, motivate our students, bless the community, and fill our lobby on registration day.

I have to admit I was nervous the first time I used our new motto in public. It felt a little like advertising a two-for-one sale and not being sure I’d have enough back stock to meet the demand. I first introduced the idea when I was emceeing an event for high school dance teams known for great dancing. Broaching the subject at this event seemed bold, and perhaps overly philosophical, but I had to start somewhere. Between events I described examples of how students benefit from involvement with their dance teams, such as the dedication, grace, poise, perseverance, teamwork, and work ethic they develop. I wrapped up the awards by sharing that we (teachers, parents, coaches, and students) invest an enormous amount of time, energy, and commitment into these programs because they really do add up to more than just great dancing. Applause built in the stands. Relief flooded my heart. The ideal was in the open, and now it was time to “walk the talk.”

Over the years we have put credence to this philosophy in ways both big and small. The most visible is our competition team, which we renamed “Performance Company”—a competition team with a community focus. This group performs in the community 15 times per season and only twice at competitions. No nationals here. Our big season finale is an all-day dance tour of local public and private schools during National Dance Week. Our “regionals” include local festivals, benefits, dancing for the Salvation Army Shelter, and the Community Thanksgiving Dinner. The company raises about $5,000 at its Christmas Show, all of which is given to charity.

The performance company may be the most visible example of this idea in action, but our teachers have found other ways to bring dance into the community. For example, Miss Kimberly teaches dance and etiquette to special-education students who will attend a prom for the first time. Miss Kristina organizes a “Connecting Generations” program to share dances and friendship with nursing home residents during the holiday season. Miss Shayna coordinates an “Artist in Residence” program for elementary schools, tying dance classes to state academic standards. Miss Brie runs “Steps of Praise” for kids and teens on Friday nights. Miss Megan teaches “Upward Bound” for high-achieving, at-risk high school students. Miss Anna produces an annual summer children’s theater production. Miss Alana presents hip-hop classes to 8th graders at their school’s career day. Miss Jessica sews costumes for kids and clothes for the elderly. Miss Carissa offers Bible studies and Miss Amanda does career counseling. Other teachers volunteer, choreograph, write grants, teach, and judge events for schools, pageants, dance teams, churches, and charity events.

The students are stepping up, too. In the past year almost all of our high school-age students taught dance for local community-education programs or schools. Those who aren’t old enough to teach volunteer as classroom assistants and choreographers for talent shows. Even elementary school students can be seen tying shoes for preschoolers and lining up little ones for performances. And who will ever know how many preschool-age students dressed their younger siblings up for “class” at home, conducted neighborhood shows, and dreamed of being the teacher? At every level of the program, kids are being built up from the inside out through the magic of dance.

In the years since we made our commitment to the community our enrollment has doubled and staff turnover has become a non-issue. Parents are more supportive and student involvement is at an all-time high. We find countless opportunities to be involved in the community and our programs have waiting lists. My plate is full and so is my heart because students of every age, interest, and ability can find their niche when dance class is about “more than just great dancing.”   

Photos by Theresa M. Smerud, Artist & Photographer.