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 Summer
Programs For Dancers
Of All Ages
By Charlotte
Klein
A
detailed look at one school's summer offerings
At a
business seminar for dance school owners I learned that the
commodity we are selling is time and space. With that concept
in mind, I could not justify the loss of time and space during
the summer months. I had to discover ways to generate income
during that time. What evolved over time is a program that
offers something for each age group, along with a good
marketing tool to attract new students. These include a
ballet intensive program, a summer camp, a preschool program,
a Fundance program, master classes, and a summer showcase.
The Ballet
Intensive Program runs for two weeks, Monday through Thursday
from 4 to 6 p.m., and includes two levels, advanced and
intermediate/advanced. Classes include ballet, pointe, and
modern. The four teachers each work for two days, one day at
each level. The tuition is $110 for one week and $200 for two
weeks.
The Summer
Camp Program, which generates the most income during the
summer, is for children ages 8 to 16. It is divided into four
levels according to age and ability and runs for three weeks,
Monday through Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Classes
include ballet, jazz, tap, hip-hop, acro, musical theater,
improvisation, and voice. Tuition is $575 for three weeks,
$425 for two weeks, and $250 for the first week only, if space
is available.
The
students who take at least the last two weeks of the summer
camp perform in a showcase on the last day. During those weeks
the students continue with technique classes and learn short
routines (about 25 numbers) to perform. We bus the students
to an air-conditioned college auditorium where they rehearse
on the stage and eat a brown-bag supper (brought from home; we
provide juice and cookies). Then their parents and guests
meet them for a 7 p.m. performance, which lasts about 1 hour
and 15 minutes. There are no costumes, just black leotards,
pink tights, ballet skirts, and screened T-shirts that they
purchase in advance for $12. Students may invite as many
guests as they wish; we don’t charge for admission. Although
the theater rent is expensive, the feedback is so positive
that it is our best advertising prior to the fall
registration.
The
preschool program, for children ages 2 to 4, runs for three
weeks, on Mondays and Wednesdays. This program, which is
designed to make use of idle studios, offers its classes
during the summer camp’s lunchtime, when two studios are
empty. Each class is 45 minutes long, and the tuition is $75.
The
Fundance Program classes, for ages 5 to 7, are held on
Tuesdays and Thursdays. This program’s classes, like the
preschool ones, are held during the summer camp’s lunch break
in order to maximize use of studio space. They attract new
students, many of whom register for the fall. The program runs
for three weeks and tuition is $75. No drop-ins are allowed.
Master classes are offered on Tuesday and Thursday evenings
from 6 to 8 p.m., with guest teachers for advanced-level high
school and college students and adults. Each two-hour class
costs $25. I try to schedule a different dance form for each
class. Sometimes a guest teacher from out of town will stay
overnight and teach the next morning in the Summer Camp
Program.
These
programs generate a profit but don’t cover the full amount of
rent and payroll for June, July, and August. However, if we
didn’t run programs in the summer our end-of-year profit would
be far less.
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