Can my dance school be my permanent job?

[RhodaKuc]

Hello,

 

In your other posts you say you are studying to take your IDTA Intermediate and IDTA Associate (I assume in Ballet also) exam. 

As you will have studied the IDTA syllabus in depth by the time you are ready to take your Associate exam, why would you not then teach the syllabus?

Surely, if you want to teach (and enter children for exams?) under the RAD syllabus you will also need to be qualified through their system, especially as the syllabus has also changed in recent years.

 

If you are receiving coaching for the IDTA Ballet Associate, would the same teacher be able to help with Tap, Jazz, Theatre Craft Associates and Musical Theatre Diploma also? That way in time you can add the different components to your teaching portfolio and be able to offer the subjects with confidence to your potential students. Even if you don't want to go down the exam route in all subjects for your student at the moment.

 

Just a few, hopefully helpful thoughts,

 

RK

[2dancersmum]

I'm not meaning to be awkward or anything - especially since I know you are only 18 and clearly very keen but would it not make more sense for these variations of the same question to be on the same thread so that the information and advice is all in one place, rather than starting a new thread every few weeks?

[Anna C]

Oh gosh yes, sorry chloeballet but it looks as if you've started 4 threads all on the same subject. I have merged them all together to make it easier for you to find answers, and to save people having to repeat themselves.

 

If you are seeking further advice on this subject, please ask it here instead of starting a new thread.

 

Thank you.

[taxi4ballet]

Something to bear in mind is that quite a few teachers end up running a school because they were teaching there when the previous owner retired and so took over a ready-made school with lots of pupils of different ages and levels.

 

There is a new-ish dance school local to us which started from scratch. It has been going about 4 years now, and to start with she only had baby ballet and primary, and a junior modern class. As the children have progressed and as they are moving up the grades she is adding more classes as they go and is now offering up to grade 3 in ballet I think. It will take her a good few more years before her students build up in number enough for her to offer classes at all levels and disciplines.

 

Wishing you the very best of luck, it's so lovely to hear of someone with so much ambition and enthusiasm.

[chloeballet96]

Hi there I am 19 years old and currently working at a pre-school in Northamptonshire, and I am currently doing my level 3.

I love working with children but also have always wanted to open up my own dance school since I was younger.

I used to do intermediate ballet idta but my dance teacher kept letting my down by cancelling lessons which really annoyed me so i stopped.

 

Now I'm stuck I can't find anywhere where I can do dance teacher training, preferably distance learning as I don't drive and I am in full time work.

 

I need some help and advice please!!!

 

Thanks!

[Anna C]

Hello chloe and welcome back. I'm sorry to hear that you stopped taking ballet. If you remember, you previously posted several threads on the subject of training to teach dance, so I have merged your new thread with one of your pre-existing threads. It's easier for everyone to find information if there aren't multiple threads on the same subject. :-)

[taxi4ballet]

The RAD offers numerous courses for dance teachers, some of which are distance learning, I believe.

[Anna C]

The RAD offers numerous courses for dance teachers, some of which are distance learning, I believe.

It does indeed. Am I right in thinking the minimum standard chloe would need to have passed is RAD Intermediate?

[Picturesinthefirelight]

That's correct Anna.

 

All teaching, & a physical activity such as dance teaching especially requires training & supervision of that training.

 

Hence you can study pedagogy by distance essays & stuff but teaching practice & your own level of competence is a practical subject and can not in my opinion be done by distance learning.

 

Hence the minimum requirement of Intermediate. When you send your child to an RaD, ISTD etc teacher it's a guarantee of a certain standard. They are putting their reputation on the line.

[taxi4ballet]

Their 15/16 teacher training prospectus is on their website now (sorry, don't know how to do a link!).

[invisiblecircus]

If you're in the south Northants area there are a number of schools doing IDTA.

 

It was a number of years ago now but I was also looking into IDTA teaching qualifications. I had no luck with schools in the area wanting to take me on but you might have more luck, especially as this happened a while ago.

 

Anyway, at the time, I called the IDTA for advice and was told it was possible to study independently for the qualifications, purchasing the syllabi, music and videos from the IDTA website. It was suggested that I book a few private lessons before doing the exam to make sure I'd got details right.

 

As I wrote, this was some years ago now and it might not be possible to do this any more but if you call the IDTA they will be able to advise. 

[chloeballet96]

Hi everyone I'm currently studying my IDTA associate teaching qualifications and when I've finished I would love to open up my own dance school. I just wondered like can I make my dance school my full time job? Can I afford all my bills running my business? Will I make enough money? Just need some advice please!!

 

Thanks!!

[alison]

Hi chloeballet96.  I think I'll move this to the Doing Dance forum, where I hope it will come to the attention of more dance teachers.

[Bluebird22]

It depends on where you are located and what competition there is around you. As with most things it takes time to build a good reputation and with a good reputation comes success. Certainly for the first few years I'd recommend working at a dance school to fine tune your teaching and gain a better insight into the running and management of a school. Then look at branching out and freelancing in schools, a great way of introducing yourself to your target audience. Build your base working out of lots of different village halls before looking at permanent premises, that way you can set aside money for your own studio whilst you earn. It also increases your sphere of influence for when you eventually set up a school. I've done loads of free work in primary schools and community centres to promote both myself and the dance school I work for.

 

I've been a self employed dance teacher working primarily for a large dance school for many years. It is one of the biggest schools in our area, but we are in a very dance school over populated area if that makes sense, so I think we are a large school because we have been established for nearly 30years and as such have built up a reputation.

 

The lady who owns the studio is a very shrewd business woman so her marketing and business strategy provides her with a very comfortable income. Classes are priced so that it takes just under 2 children per hour to cover the teachers wages and approximately 5 children per hour to cover all overheads (rent, electric, teachers wage, reception staff). Most classes operate with minimum 8 children maximum 24ish (2teachers to the larger classes mainly hip hop) with the majority being around 10-15 children, with between 2-4 classes running at any one time.

 

I looked at setting up my own studio but I'd have needed to set up so far away from my home to stand a chance, I can think of at least 28 dance schools within a 20minute radius of my house.

 

Hopefully that's useful! If you have any questions I can try and help as best I can.

[invisiblecircus]

A couple of my friends started their own schools from scratch and they both had other jobs for at least 2 years before their schools were established enough to bring in enough income on their own. They both worked in shops for those first years.

 

As others have said though, it does depend on what other dance classes are available in the area as to how long your school will take to become established.

[alison]

I've no experience in this particular area, of course, but agree that location is primary.  When setting up any business, it would seem a good idea to dip your toe in the water and find out what the local market is like by using e.g. church halls as a base before you go ahead with any greater financial commitment.  And as with any other financial commitment, banks and other lenders will want to see that you are a good risk (which probably means getting a good name for yourself first, I'd guess) and have a realistic business plan, so you'd probably be well advised to start reading up on those, too!  It's all very well having a dream, but a lot of people have those and they fail because they've been unrealistic, so you *will* need to know how to run a business properly as well.

 

Best of luck.

[Anna C]

If I remember rightly, chloe, you are very young to be starting up your own dance school! Unless you have a great deal of money behind you, as alison says, a business loan is probably not going to be forthcoming straight after qualifying. Without business qualifications and solid work experience as a teacher, someone so young would be a big risk for a bank.

 

If I were you I would apply for teaching jobs at good dance schools first and possibly take some sort of recognised business qualification alongside getting teaching experience. When you have built a good reputation as a teacher, and can go along to the bank with a really good well laid out business plan, you'll have a much better chance of starting up and maintaining your own school.

 

Alternatively, apply for The Apprentice - but even then you need a great business plan. ;-)

[Jan McNulty]

Hello Chloe, as your questions are similar to those you asked on an earlier thread, I have merged them.  Our members gave some great advice that is still valid.

 

I think your ambition is fine but you need to build up slowly.  Perhaps you should try getting teaching work at an established school to build up your practical experience and be able to build up your CV.

 

Don't forget you will need to get a CRB certificate before you can begin your teaching work.  

[annaliesey]

Hi Chloe

 

I've done a bit of business mentoring in the past and help small businesses set up and grow. Because I have a dd who dances ive ended up doing bits of work dance teacher clients.

 

There's no reason why after doing your qualification if that's important, you shouldn't set up on your own and village halls etc are ideal as it allies you to build up a customer base with flexible and low commitment costs.

 

Before giving up your job though I would recommend a) getting your drivers license while you have a steady income as its difficult to do that with unpredictable income through self employment later and possibly you could find it will be useful later and test the water to see if you would enjoy doing the job either through freelance work or running a small trial.

 

word of mouth will spread the word, with a bit of marketing but be careful that it really is what you want to do full time. If it is then maybe your business case could work with you doing in addition to your current job and possibly reduce your hours gradually or find another part time job.

 

Happy to help where I can

 

P.S. There's lots of dance schools out there run by people who are good at dance but rubbish at running a business do don't be intimidated there maybe go along to some business networking events and listen to some talks if you can

 

Good luck

[chloeballet96]

I have been working with children for 3 years and I have a level 2 in childcare which is helpful towards parents?

[annaliesey]

If it's a question then yes, as far as parents go, it's reassuring.

 

But I think most parents take this for granted along with DBS. I'm not sure it's a reason to choose your dance school over another one though.

 

Parents of young children will usually wait for them at class rather than leave and come back if it's 30mins - 45 mins and the biggest factor of influence for younger ones is convenience.. So what day is the class on, what time, is there car parking etc

 

Later on, as they get a bit older, parents will consider syllabus and other training

[annaliesey]

I think the biggest challenge you will have is not setting it up as that's the easy bit, it's where you will end up and what you want to be doing in say 5 years time.

 

You've said about shows and competitions. Two different things comoletely from a parents perspective. With shows, everyone treats this as light hearted fun. Nobody judges the standard or quality really. With competitions its a different ethos altogether and the judging aspect can be very stressful .. Much more so than exams

 

Judges always look for technique so that poses a question on how you will teach that in a performance/competition centred school.

 

My DD is age 11 and has set up a dance club for fun, skill sharing and competition dances. She doesn't take a wage or any money as it's purely for fun and what she charges goes to pay for hall hire. She's just entered for first competition.

 

I think that what will happen is that they will get loads of adjudicators comments on technique! My point for raising this is that I don't believe there is any lower age limit for dance clubs for fun, competitions and performance teams but ... There will be a requirement somewhere along the line to actually teach technique.

 

Competitions can be addictive for children and parents and I think you'll give yourself a headache and a lot of stress if you do comps without having a structure to teach technique in a safe, organised and recognised way ie; with syllabus and exams In my experience, everyone on a competition team wants to dance up a level, everyone is super talented, everyone is mature for their age, parents can be incredibly pushy. If they don't win or place or get negative remarks then the pressure will be on you to teach technique and improve the dancers. I'm just saying to have a think about how you will do this

[Anna C]

I agree, annaliesy. All the more reason to get work experience in several different schools first, chloe.

 

There are so many other things to think about too, such as having admin skills so that you can respond to parents' queries promptly, being able to afford an accountant, public liability insurance, setting up and maintaining a good website and Facebook page, publicity, advertising, having the time to do CPD, sending out and keeping track of invoices, etc. Would you plan on doing all that yourself, or would you have to hire an admin assistant?

 

I really think you need to complete your teaching qualifications, secure yourself a job for a minimum of a year, and work in different types of schools to suss it all out and make a name for yourself as a really great teacher before even considering setting up your own school.

[Bluebird22]

The examining body we use provides credits with examinations which several girls have used on UCAS applications and CVs. That seems to be a real plus for parents I speak to, because no matter what path they choose to go down they can use their dance exams and experience and make themselves a more desirable candidate. Like annaliesey said, using a syllabus helps to teach technique which can then be applied to festivals, competitions, performances, auditions as well as exams!

[aileen]

I agree with the comments by Annaliesey and Anna. I really wouldn't rush into starting your own school. It could prove a costly experiment and cause reputational damage to you and reputation is very important in businesses which grow by word of mouth. I would get a solid couple of years of teaching experience behind you, get accredited with the relevant boards (most parents are looking for accredited teachers) and learn something about running a business. In the context of running a ballet school you must particularly focus on safeguarding responsibilities and child welfare and safety. It is a big responsibility looking after children, particularly young children doing an activity which carries a risk of injury. You will almost certainly have to employ or engage someone to assist you with the younger classes. Unless s/he is legally freelance (an independent contractor) you will have responsibilies towards him/her as an employer, which will include sick, maternity and redundancy pay, pension contributions and a myriad of other things. Personally, I would never want to trade other than through a company vehicle as this gives you much more protections. I could go on, but I think that you get the idea. There's a lot to take on board and it's better to set things up properly and start as you mean to go on. Most people who set up businesses (unless they are cushioned by a partner with a decent income) continue to work part time or even full time for a period until the business gets off the ground. Of course, at some point you really have to ditch the safety net and put all your time and energy into the business but in your case I feel that a couple of years' research and probably some training in some aspects of running a business, plus experience of teaching in an established school, would be very beneficial to you.

[Katymac]

& a level 2 in childcare isn't counted as a supervisory qualification - in a Nursery you'd need to have a level 3 to be in sole charge of children

 

There are also isues with First Aid and Health and Safety at Work that you would have to address.

 

I started my business at 35 and the pitfalls have been vast and totally unexpected

[chloeballet96]

I'm currently training to become a dance teacher, and I want to offer classes for all ages in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Street, Contemporary and Cheerleading. I know running your own dance school is self employed but how can I earn a living with it? Will I need another job??

 

Thanks

[Jan McNulty]

Hello Chloe,

 

I've merged your latest topic with your recent topics on a similar theme.

 

If you look back over the thread you will see that people have given you very sound advice on many aspects of running your own school from the need for CRB clearances to the need to build up a portfolio.

[annaliesey]

I think it's impossible for people to answer your question of "would you need another job" without knowing how much monthly income you need to have.

 

In terms of forecasting income from dance teaching you could do a business plan. Work out your expenditure and work out your likely income.. How many students, price they pay per class/term and convert to monthly equivalent. Take your expenditure away from your income to see what your profit / personal income will be

 

Hth

[Anna C]

I'm currently training to become a dance teacher, and I want to offer classes for all ages in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Street, Contemporary and Cheerleading. I know running your own dance school is self employed but how can I earn a living with it? Will I need another job??

Thanks

Hello Chloe,

 

If you read posts 46 - 59 in this thread, you will see that people have replied to you and given you excellent advice - mostly that you should start by teaching in a school which is already established.

 

Without wishing to be too blunt, you seem to post the same questions several times but don't appear to come back and actually read the advice that people are so kindly giving you. A large part of running your own school or business is listening to and responding to communication from customers and/parents in a timely manner. This is a valuable and sometimes underrated skill. May I kindly suggest that you read through the advice given to you in this thread, and take it on board, instead of asking the same question every few months? Doing so, and responding to people's advice, will be excellent practice for you if and when you start your own school.

 

Kind regards,

 

Anna C