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Dance Teachers
Share Summer Success Ideas
School owners from across North America share summer program
ideas
On-Location Preschool Camps
Because my
school has a large enrollment of preschool-age students, this
summer I plan to tap that market even further by building
relationships with local child-care facilities. I will
distribute a marketing package to local centers that offers
several options for in-house dance camps for their students.
By taking camps that feature a variety of themes into these
facilities I’ll be able to reach as many little ones as
possible. The weeklong sessions will consist of several hours
of activities per day, including dance, games, exercises, and
crafts. In addition to building partnerships with other
child-related businesses, it also seems like it will help get
my name known in the community.
—Andrea Snead, Andrea’s Dance Center, Hamilton, OH
Pre-Marketing And Princesses
I have
found that the most important ingredient in a successful
summer program is pre-marketing within the studio, starting in
the spring, to give parents early information about their
summer options. I start my marketing in April. My most
successful program is a four-day Princess Camp for children
ages 4 to 7 that runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. At the parents’
request, I plan to extend the hours to 4 p.m. and offer more
sessions of this camp. To keep my expenses for the full-day
programs down I will enlist some of my senior dance company
girls to assist and I will oversee the program.
—Cathy Makison, Daystar Dance Academy, Marietta, GA
One-Day Camps Give Mom A Day Off
I run
one-day themed camps for two age groups: 4- to 6-year-olds and
7- to 10-year-olds. These camps allow children who can’t
participate in our regular summer classes (similar to our
school-year schedule but in two five-week sessions) to dance
during the summer. Favorite themes include Wild Wild West
Camp, Charlie’s Angels Camp (with a karate master teaching
self-defense techniques), V.I.P. (Very Important Princess)
Camp (of course nails and makeup were done), Angelina
Ballerina Camp (with a guest speaker reading Angelina
Ballerina), Sponge Bob Square Pants Camp, and Red, White &
Blue Camp, which includes learning choreography to perform in
the local Fourth of July parade.
The camps
are held on Mondays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the younger
children ($20 per camp) and from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for
the older group ($26.50 per camp). We include crafts, games,
dances, and a 30-minute video during lunch (pizza and juice,
except for the Red, White & Blue Camp, when we serve an all-
American lunch of hotdogs and apple pie). We promoted the
camps with a “Mom’s Day Out” approach, and every one of them
was booked with waiting lists.
—Colleen Beumel, Gold Star Academy of Dance, Yorkville, IL
Guest Teachers Add Interest
Our
seven-week program of our regular ballet curriculum offers the
advanced students something different: special workshops
taught by guest teachers who are new to them. We always
include a performance-oriented curriculum, a theater program
focusing on monologues and expression, theatrical makeup
classes, and so on. I also stir the pot a little by letting
students take classes with different groups, which inspires
them to take more classes. The program is open to our
recreational and/or noncompetitive dancers who are ready for a
challenge. It seems to motivate them to dance throughout the
summer and, for many, to work toward placement in the advanced
level.
—Jodi Fera, Moves in Motion, NY
Catering To The Working Parent
Our
four-week Summer Starz program is held two evenings a week
from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. for kids ages 6 to 8 and 9 to 12. The
program consists of two classes each night, or a total of four
45-minute classes each week in ballet, hip-hop, acting, and
jazz. It has been successful because it caters to working
parents, who love the fact that they can bring their kids to a
program after work.
—Maureen Gelchion, Astoria Dance Centre, Astoria, NY
Solos And Student Achievement
My summer
is spent on choreography for those who wish to compete. We
produce a Summer Solo Show for students who would like to
experience solo performance (which eliminates the need to
include solos in the annual recital). By having the
opportunity to see my work in performance during the summer, I
have time to critique it and make adjustments prior to the
competition season.
We also
offer a separate, income-generating program of classes for the
National Medal Test Program, which is sponsored by the
National Dance Council of America. It’s a testing program for
students, similar to Cecchetti or RAD, but it’s offered in
ballet, tap, and jazz. After the summer session the students
are tested. We present the awards during other studio events
so that the students realize the importance of what they’ve
accomplished. The six levels of achievement include bars,
medals, and certificates. I like this program because the
students achieve in the program individually, so it’s great
for the students who do not compete.
—Paula Terenzi, Paula Terenzi Dance Complex, Malden, MA
Turning Out Triple Threats
My summer
class, an eight-week program for students ages 8 to 12, is
called Triple Threat. Using a karaoke machine for
accompaniment, the students learn songs and choreography. In
the acting sessions, which include vocal warm-ups and
improvisation, we write our own short plays to perform.
Students design the costumes, and at the end of the program
they perform a song-and-dance concert. We even made a music
video by taking fun clips from the entire program and putting
them to the music that they used in performance. I already
have parents and kids asking about it for next summer.
—Tara Meinert, Studio 320 Dance & Acrobats, Kearney, MO
Party On, Then Enroll
Besides
offering summer courses that are different from our regular
curriculum, such as Polynesian dance and gymnastics, we also
offer birthday parties. We supply the drinks and the facility
and the parents supply the cake and food. We teach the
children some easy dance moves to music they enjoy. (Songs
from Disney movies are very popular with the younger ones.)
Parents choose the theme: for example, a luau with hula
dancing, Disney themes with accompanying music, or jazz. Many
of the children who attend these parties during the summer
enroll for the fall season. Although the parties don’t produce
much income, the introduction of the studio to potential
customers has been invaluable.
—Janette
Brown, Janette Brown Studio of Dance, Joppa, MD
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