How to Choose the Best Location for a Kids Dance Studio

Are you wondering the best place to site a dance studio for kids? If YES, here are factors to consider when choosing a dance studio location. Teaching children how to dance is one of the most exciting jobs anyone can do especially in this modern age of overly inquisitive generation.

Although it can be quite challenging but you will be making a difference in these little lives. And while these little kids won’t be performing “Giselle” anytime soon, you can teach them the basic building blocks of choreography that will set them up for success in and outside the studio.

The key is to understand the developmental stage young children are in and adapt your teaching style to work with this level of learning, not against it. Kids always want to be led, and they will graciously imbibe whatever new knowledge is arranged for them.

The best thing about this endeavour is the joy of actually teaching children. With their fearless personalities and eagerness to try new things, you’ll find yourself striving to keep up with the kids, rather than the other way round.

Also, note that teaching children offers you the platform to pass on something that is very special to you – your love of dance – and relish the freedom of seeing how it is interpreted through a little body just learning to move like a dancer.

Choosing a suitable location for your dance studio can be an emotional process! The jitters in your stomach each time you step into a potential premise; the ideas that more or less flow through your brains as you’re mentally-measuring floor space and comprehending reception areas; that feeling when something just doesn’t align with your vision and you cancel off yet another property off your list.

However, right before you spend weeks, or even months, searching for the best venue that can house that perfect studio blueprint you designed years ago, make sure you understand all the essentials. You may prefer your studio to be charmingly beautiful, with mirror-lined walls, a marbled reception, cashmere sofas in the waiting area and a four-tiered cascading water fountain. However, the earlier you realize that none of that matters if your studio is located in the middle of nowhere, the better for you.

Things to Consider When Choosing the Best Location for a Kids Dance Studio

Right before you settle for a space and sign that paperwork, there are crucial factors you have to consider. These factors include;

1. Demographics

Note that the easier it is for your clients to find you, the less work you have to do to find clients yourself. Since your dance studio will be focusing on children’s classes, then consider looking for suburban towns close to schools, daycares and family centres. Always remember that a dance school is a very local-based business.

Unless you are a specialist school, or have been in the business for years and have established a reliable reputation, a good number of people will not deliberately travel for hours to register their kids in your classes. Have it in mind that people will always pick convenience and proximity to their homes. Therefore, ensure to do your research, and consider whether the locality has a sufficient percentage of the children that can support your studio.

2. The Neighbourhood

Also, note that your potential neighbours are an important factor when choosing your location. If you’re unsure if this is true or not, consider this: let’s imagine a case where your neighbour is a bakery. All day long, you get the aroma of flour and enticing delicacies seeping through your walls. You might see it as nothing, but it is definitely enough to distract the kids you teach.

Therefore, when considering the neighbours you’ll have near your dance studio; ensure they won’t interfere with the harmony and concentration in your classes, and that they will have little to no impact on your students. It is also imperative to examine whether or not your neighbours are family-friendly. The last thing you want is to have a dance studio equipped for children seated a few feet or even several yards away from a bar or some other business that wouldn’t be appropriate for children to be around.

3. Foot Traffic

Foot traffic is also very vital for a dance studio, especially one that is just starting up. Although you don’t have to be on the side of a busy highway, still you don’t want your studio to be situated in the back alleyway of a brewery. Note that a location close to shopping centres, gyms or schools, where a massive amount of potential clients pass daily will be ideal in growing your numbers and getting much needed exposure if you are a new studio.

4. Dance Studio Size and Square Footage

First and foremost, the Center for Educator Development in Fine Arts (CEDFA) notes that your dance studio size must be able to accommodate: “100 square feet per student. If the studio also serves as a performance space, it should be at least 4,800-5,000 square feet. A ceiling height of 20-24 feet is ideal, but 16 feet is the minimum height.”

In addition, they recommend that there “be no posts or columns in the interior space” and that every dancer has “a minimum of 5 feet of barre.” Barres are expected to be 36-48 inches from the floor and placed 6-8 inches from the wall. In addition, there should be mirrors on the walls, and the CEDFA notes that these mirrored sections should be at least “6 feet by 8 feet and should be affixed to the wall approximately 6 inches from the floor.”

Coupled with the needed space for instruction, you will also require a good amount of dance studio square footage for other equipment like restrooms, costume and prop storage, office supplies, dance equipment, an office for maybe the dance studio manager, and more. Note that the less room you have to go along with, the tougher running your dance studio will be.

5. Zoning Restrictions

Zoning is a critical element to consider when choosing your studio location. Irrespective of where you choose to run your dance studio, ensure to check with local laws, rules, and restrictions for the commercial space for your dance studio.

Have it in mind there are so many things you have to ask your zoning office, and/or city or government officials before signing a lease or mortgage. These questions may include:

• Is the area located and zoned for a dance studio business?
• Are there restrictions in terms of the amount of space you need to accommodate your students?
• If you retail snacks, water, or any other consumable products to your kids, what are the restrictions for selling those products?
• Are there any safety regulations concerning wiring, plumbing, cooling/heating, or roofing?
• What are the fire codes you need to be conversant with in your location?
• Are there health codes requirements, such as how many restrooms you are expected to have?
• Are there licenses you are expected to acquire or maintain to operate your dance studio?

Note that it is imperative you gather all of this information right before buying or renting a dance studio space.

6. Proximity to Competitors

Just like it was stated above, doing your research before settling on a property is imperative for so many reasons. Are there other dance studios situated nearby? If so, do they provide the same services or can you co-exist in the same neighbourhood?

Note that in some situations, having competitors within the locality can be a good thing, as you can gain from their overflow of clients. Howbeit, if there is not enough demographic to serve all of you, it is pertinent to consider elsewhere.

Conclusion

Teaching children how to dance is easy, as long as you are well coordinated. Have it in mind that kids can sense nerves and unpreparedness, so take your time each week to ensure a well organized, well-coordinated environment while they are in your care.