Tribe.net. Local Connections wildflowr http://BDInstruction.tribe.net/thread/d48ef0fe-7502-4fe1-b983-9de22f44339e#fb1dcbf1-2776-4df8-b5f6-2ba7376477d4 2009-05-01T18:36:54Z 2009-05-01T18:36:54Z

I don't know whether you are a full time or part time instructor but creating convenience may help. If you have dance classes available for the morning "before work" types and for the "after work" types. There are also mommies who aren't working- many women who just have kids get stuck in the house and are starving for adult-girl time. Check your area for playgroups or women's societies like MOPS (Mothers of preschoolers) that will let you advertise for free but also may even allow you to give a demonstration at one of their meetings & hand out cards. And again, as the women have kids either having a "babies welcome" class, mommy/daughter class, or some kind of easy babysitting option available will only be all too sweet to resist for the moms. (When a local Curves partnered with a Playcorner across the street, each offering a discount to members of the other- their business increased triple). Cross promotion is great- get creative. If there are any boutiques around that would attract the belly dancing "type" leave some coupons for the shopkeeper to give customers for a comp first class or better yet "Bring a friend and you both get half off" That way you still get paid something and you double your exposure (plus if someone they know is there they are more likely to have fun and not feel nervous) Staying visible is naturally intelligent. Different ideas for this: -take some of your girls and actually go out dancing (dance to impress & bring biz cards- I have gotten students just from people seeing me out dancing with friends and asking where I learned to do "that") -work out some performance opts at resturants or clubs... even galleries and store openings sometimes have dancers now -hold a class in a public area like a park or beach where passers by can see -if you can, teach a class at a gym-ymca-country club-hotel-spa... give them a workout version & let them know that to learn how to dance, they should check out your studio classes -I leave booklets with my creative services at local bed-n-breakfasts, which offer performances, classes, or BD parties to their guests. BnBs like to offer things to their guests that are unique so they are nice to partner with but you ought to give them a slice of the income for any gigs they arrange for you. -HIghschoolers or College Students: afterschool class for teenagers at the highschool, or simply advertise on college campus bulletin boards- this is free and you may even attract the professors and teachers as well. The bummer about a lot of these ideas is that they pull you away from the studio- which is where you would prefer to be dancing but if students aren't coming to you, sometimes you have to go to them Another thing that can appeal to students looking for community is the costuming side of Belly Dancing I once structured a class with crafters in mind... it was a one hour dancing class but then for the second hour (which was optional) there would be a crafting session learning to make a bra, veil, belt, bead jewelry... it was almost like girlscouts BD style because each craft was an addition to a complete costume and so by the end of 6 months by the time they had learned a set of routines they also had a cute costume to wear while dancing... most women seem to have some crafty inclination & I think it adds a certain sense of pride to learn to dance with a veil you actually made yourself, etc. You can even partner with a local art store on this note and do some cross marketing (or retail some wholesale supplies to make extra money by being your students source for materials) Actually as an Art teacher, I have to say that most of the income in that field comes not from the instruction but by creating artists who then come to you for supplies- so you can be "the source" for your girls of costumes, materials for such, coin belts, veils... that may help supplement some of the income you are losing and keep the studio afloat? I hope one or two those ideas is helpful to you Good Luck!

wildflowr 2009-05-01T18:36:54Z Lara http://BDInstruction.tribe.net/thread/d48ef0fe-7502-4fe1-b983-9de22f44339e#0d2a402e-68cb-4a8e-a0b3-e17ce706f6ef 2009-04-24T15:08:51Z 2009-04-24T15:08:51Z

"The tribal teacher, teaches many classes throughout the week at her studio, all different levels. If something comes up with weather or illness, no problems to makeup class another day. " I have found that just having this option helps. I can't tell you haw many times people have been reassured about being able to make up at another time during the week. It's great for a sense of confidence in the students. *HOWEVER* I haven't gained or retained students because of having another night available. no change in class size whatsoever & only one or 2 students take advantage of this during any given year. I think this issue is about a sense of security. What I DO do is this- I schedule a week between sessions, & students know that if we have a snow day or if I get sick, we will pick up that extra day at the end. If not, I get a week off! It is important for your sanity to have a buffer zone, and works, again, to give students confidence as well that they will get what they are paying for. If you are a student looking at the big studio vs. small instructor, please realize that not everyone who teaches has the resources or desire to rent an entire studio- we find the best we can, but we are balancing families, jobs, dance gigs etc- no one can do everything! I understand where you are coming from & it is a valid point, but I guess I am asking you specifically to consider some of the other logistics teachers have to balance. Teachers who don't have their own studios do have to work that much harder to give a perceived sense of value to their students, but please know it my not be a 'skimping on the rent' deal- there is no air conditioned studio available for rent by the hour in my town & I don't have time to teach the number of classes that would be required to support full studio rental... your other points I totally agree with- having haflas & student shows & separating class levels are both important factors. On another note- Right now I have a couple reluctants in my Thursday night class- a consistent 'I'm not coordinated enough for this, I'll just sit this activity out, I'm just going to pretend to do zills" kind of thing. Now, if someone is really having trouble, I don't push them, I tell them to go their own pace, but keep trying, yes this is hard, that's why you get (X) weeks to work on this move... but I really did push these gals last night- we went through I don't know how many different ways to think about a zill pattern and DANCING with it- they finally got it last night, & EVERYONE in the class went away saying (literally) "I really got something out of class tonight" *THAT* is what is going to keep students coming back. If they believe they 'got something' out of your classes, they will come back & send their friends as well. The absolute most important part of retaining students is giving them value, so don't overlook that between strategies & Advertising. Everything else is helpful. Quality content is essential. & I agree with Indigo, part of that is being genuine- be yourself. You also have to WANT to help people and let that show.

Lara 2009-04-24T15:08:51Z Indigo http://BDInstruction.tribe.net/thread/d48ef0fe-7502-4fe1-b983-9de22f44339e#fed7ae69-7744-4318-805c-e30d60858b25 2009-04-24T08:05:36Z 2009-04-24T08:05:36Z

To add some insight..... I highly recommend being yourself! We can't please everyone so we might as well please ourselves and this way you end up with a class of students that you can always be yourself in! I have personally noticed with beginners I break down the move and work to keep them going, just getting beginners to dance and begin to think about breaking out of their shell is a biggie..... I agree w/ performing in public near where you teach and if possible bring advanced students along to perform, if beginners see they may one day get to perform *that being their wish of course* they may be that much more likely to stay! And to be honest I highly agree w/letting everyone know they are part of a Group this is Huge to students staying And as the other post mentioned if you get sick or have to cancel due to weather try to make it up, I had a teacher who did not and she lost her job in part because of this..... Finding performance opps for advanced students interested is a Great way to go.... and again Be Yourself and teach what you know and believe in

Indigo 2009-04-24T08:05:36Z Leilani http://BDInstruction.tribe.net/thread/d48ef0fe-7502-4fe1-b983-9de22f44339e#33d1475c-4a0e-4e5f-ae81-ccb5c67edb18 2009-04-07T10:59:40Z 2009-04-07T10:59:40Z

Hi, Perhaps I can give a little insight. I am a student. I had 2 teachers, tribal and cabaret. Was going to both for sometime. Me and some other ladies left the 1. But the other teacher has quite a following despite the economy. Why? Both teachers have good form and teaching skills. They both had great knowledge to share. The problem with the one (cabaret) is she became skimpy on her studio that she rented. The studio she rented from was very hot in summer, very cold in winter. The sound equipment would not work sometimes. She was much more expensive than the other 1 and yet her studio was not that great. The other one's studio (tribal) was very nice, and was decorated with a middle eastern flair to set the mood. There were other few issues with the cabaret teacher. Probably too many to go into. Besides studio another ex. 8 week session that she charged $138, had 3 classes cancelled due to weather or her being sick. There was no where/time to make this up conveniently. The tribal teacher, teaches many classes throughout the week at her studio, all different levels. If something comes up with weather or illness, no problems to makeup class another day. Thing I look for with instructors is does that teacher teach various level classes. Not just 1 class with a bunch of students of all different levels. My one teacher tried that, it was very frustrating because most of class was wasted with her going around spending most of time with beginners and no one was getting a full class. Having a yearly recital/hafla/bellyjam is important. It's a great opportunity for the students to dress up and perform. That's a whole other thread on putting that together if you have not yet. There are no words that appreciation we as students feel toward a teacher to give us the chance to have that moment to shine. Hope this helps.

Leilani 2009-04-07T10:59:40Z Lara http://BDInstruction.tribe.net/thread/d48ef0fe-7502-4fe1-b983-9de22f44339e#923f3c15-523c-4e59-96d4-c2424eaa88f9 2009-04-05T23:36:37Z 2009-04-05T23:36:37Z

you've already had some great responses- being in the public eye as much as possible and finding out what your target clientelle is and what they want are essential- but I just wanted to encourage you a bit. Most beginners are there to try something new. chances are, they've already dabbled in yoga, latin dance, kickboxing, tai chi or any number of other exercise venues. You also get the folks who have wanted to do this for ages, and once they can say "I was a bellydancer" no matter how briefly, they're done. You also get the earnest dancers who find they have too many other life commitments. Now, add to that if you are in a transient community- like a military or university town & sometimes I think it is a wonder we retain anyone! Thank goodness we do, or I'd be totally in the dumps, but I've learned about a 30% recidivism rate is about the most any fitness/entertainment class can expect in our area from one session to the next, and those dedicated enough to advance to the higher levels can be even lower (compared to those who walk in the door as beginners) Last year I was in shock to have 75% of the same students for a whole year, but the 30% rate held true for those who re-enrolled this year. Sometimes just knowing it's normal can help... you might talk to folks running similar programs in your community to see (& see if they have suggestions too)

Lara 2009-04-05T23:36:37Z Cahira http://BDInstruction.tribe.net/thread/d48ef0fe-7502-4fe1-b983-9de22f44339e#6dccb440-7fb1-4520-892f-16324bf75871 2009-04-01T15:18:47Z 2009-04-01T15:18:47Z

Yes, she does. She's been a great help to me and the studio where I teach. She just sent out a newsletter today and included info about the 3-volume Essential Marketing Toolkit for Belly Dance Businesses. I'll be pre-ordering Vol. 1 today. :-)

Cahira 2009-04-01T15:18:47Z Paradigm East http://BDInstruction.tribe.net/thread/d48ef0fe-7502-4fe1-b983-9de22f44339e#1596fea1-54ed-4df7-88c5-ac262e74c072 2009-04-01T14:51:11Z 2009-04-01T14:51:11Z

Julie has very good and in informative information!

Paradigm East 2009-04-01T14:51:11Z Halleyah http://BDInstruction.tribe.net/thread/d48ef0fe-7502-4fe1-b983-9de22f44339e#5a434265-35aa-4383-ad48-0f0d2362b1a7 2009-04-01T10:54:09Z 2009-04-01T10:54:09Z

I teach at two separate studios and at one my retention rates were really good - getting new students was difficult, it's not an artsy town most dance teachers (of any adult genre) have that same difficulty, but retention was good. I then began teaching at a second studio and the dynamics were totally different. Tons of new students at each session - really poor retention! It drove me crazy. I finally started coming to class about 20 minutes early and hanging out with the students. Chatting and just being available. Now my retention is similar between the two studios. Just a thought, Halleyah :)

Halleyah 2009-04-01T10:54:09Z Kira http://BDInstruction.tribe.net/thread/d48ef0fe-7502-4fe1-b983-9de22f44339e#d3711cbe-a24d-4462-8e37-120c36050466 2009-04-01T05:49:43Z 2009-04-01T05:49:43Z

I think a big part of creating staying power for potential students is to make sure that you are able to create a feeling within them that they are a part of something as soon as they walk in the door. Or course, you have to be able to gauge people well to do that. Some people will be put off by that, and some people need that attention. Just think back to how it felt to put yourself into your first dance class, or any other situation where you were new and knew nothing. It would be more likely that you would come back if you felt as though you were genuinely wanted and noticed. We work very hard to make new dancers feel at ease when they come to class. We go around the room and introduce ourselves while we are warming up. We try to give time after class for new students to engage in chit chat with the other ladies. I also immediately send out a 'Welcome to Class' email that night when I get home. This letter thanks them for coming to class and gives them a lot of information about the three directors, the background of our group, the types of performances we do throughout the year and the potential events that they will be able to become involved in when they get to that level. It also leads them to information on the web so that they can read more about bellydance, it's history and some of the ways to familiarize themselves with the many styles of it. And last, but certainly not least....links for shopping. I know that last thing might seem silly, but this is a big deal. (Note...I am getting ready to make a generalization based only on the situations I have seen in our classes.) Many of the ladies that come to class are regulars that care nothing about getting involved in the student level events....they are coming to class for ME time, to blow off the steam from a week of jobs, parenting or overly assertive spouses. Because of this, we do encourage the ladies that come to class to use class as it's own special event. We dress up, to a degree, for class. By dressing up for class, it makes them feel special, more of a part of the group and damnit, it makes it fun to show off to your fellow dancers! I never come to class in ratty clothes. I take the time to accesorize, to wear clothes I can still demonstrate in, but also look good doing it. Wearing a little lipstick never hurt either :) It all creates an atmosphere of a community of dancers that see each other once a week instead of a weekly basics class. Of course, all of the this really caters to absolute first time dancers...but the key is, to make them feel involved, welcomed and a part of a 'family' the moment the cross the threshold into class. It can be a hard first step for many people to take, so the first few classes can mean all the difference in the world. It really all boils down to customer service! Now, on a completely different note...it just will not be for everyone. Do not beat yourself up over the ones that never show their faces again. The first class I ever attending, I went with four other friends. The next week, I was the only one that came back to class. It just happens...it will strike a deep desire in some...and leave others wondering what the big deal is. Don't sweat it too much....and deeply appreciate the ladies that do share that time with you each week :) Just the ramblings of lil' ole me....they don't amount to much!

Kira 2009-04-01T05:49:43Z connie http://BDInstruction.tribe.net/thread/d48ef0fe-7502-4fe1-b983-9de22f44339e#9bcde251-f59e-434f-bafc-0593526ee7f7 2009-04-01T03:37:15Z 2009-04-01T03:37:15Z

Thanks for the web info site! One of the valuable things about Tribe is the feeling that we are not out here all alone, I appreciate the dialog and support!

connie 2009-04-01T03:37:15Z Kisaya Rayne http://BDInstruction.tribe.net/thread/d48ef0fe-7502-4fe1-b983-9de22f44339e#a1cd1822-d1c8-46e4-bee3-1ab98da6e00a 2009-04-01T03:11:53Z 2009-04-01T03:11:53Z

Thanks for that info. I'll have to check that one out too. I don't know what it is, but right after I started teaching classes at the store I teach out of, I had a ton of students. Most of them left for various reasons, lack of time, conflicts with other classes, etc. Then the class attendance picked up again this December when I danced at a local street fair in front of the store I teach out of. It seemed to get a lot of attention for the classes. Then over the past few weeks the class has dwindled again down to near nothing. However, now that I've started teaching at a new place, there seems to be more interest in classes. The only thing I've noticed that helps is to be as much in the public eye as possible. I've had several inquiries about classes and whether or not I teach after my local performances at the local hookah bar. While it hasn't made a huge difference in class attendance, there have at least been a few new students to trickle in. If you perform a good deal, bring fliers, cards, or brochures with your class times and locations on them. You'd be surprised how something as simple as that can make such a huge impact. It's so much easier for me to sell my class when I'm physically there in front of them, giving them some idea of what kind of service they're buying.

Kisaya Rayne 2009-04-01T03:11:53Z Cahira http://BDInstruction.tribe.net/thread/d48ef0fe-7502-4fe1-b983-9de22f44339e#b1dcf268-fe65-4371-8479-be3c0d07976d 2009-03-31T17:40:37Z 2009-03-31T17:40:37Z

Yeah...we actually lost our studio back in November due to similar issues. It didn't help that we had no income for a month due to the hurricane that hit Houston...and we're about halfway between Houston and Galveston, so closer to the water. We're still teaching out of our houses, and still getting new students, but it's definitely slow going. My only suggestion would be to be in the public eye as much as possible. Also, Julie over at the Bellydance Business Academy (http://www.bellydancebusinessacademy.com/) has quite a bit of info for making money at dancing and/or teaching. At one point, she had a podcast interview with Karen Barbee out of San Antonio about getting a studio going. I didn't see it up just now...but you could email her and see if she's going to re-post it any time soon.

Cahira 2009-03-31T17:40:37Z connie http://BDInstruction.tribe.net/thread/d48ef0fe-7502-4fe1-b983-9de22f44339e#d0889c39-f53d-4be3-ae43-9abf4588d3d5 2009-03-31T17:01:37Z 2009-03-31T17:01:37Z

I teach at a very nice studio in a smal ltown between two medium sized cities. I have tried newspaper ads, fliers, an all day workshop for beginners which all attracted students for one or two sessions of 6 weeks and then many dropped out. My pricesare minimum compared to other venues, I used to think it was my technique but have ben assured that it was due to lack of their time that was holding them from coming in the summer but they would be back in the fall.....I still have studio rent to pay in the summer and am frustrated. Any one else with similar problems, any ideas??

connie 2009-03-31T17:01:37Z