Dance School Owners and Managers
Outlook
Employment Prospects
Employers
There are more than 6,000 private dance schools in the United States, according to the National Directory of Dance Schools. These range in size from small mom-and-pop operations to large international franchises such as Fred Astaire Dance Studios and Arthur Murray Dance Studios.
Starting Out
Most dance school owners and managers break into the field by first obtaining experience as dancers and dance instructors. Visit the following Web sites for job listings:
- http://danceteacherfinder.com
- http://www.danceusa.org/jobsandauditions
- https://www.shapeamerica.org/career/Career-Center.aspx
- https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/dance-instructor-jobs
- http://www.indeed.com/q-Dance-Instructor-jobs.html
Additionally, job listings can be found at the Web sites of dance schools.
Starting your own business can be extremely challenging, and many businesses, despite the best efforts of their owners, fail after a few years. To avoid this fate, you should utilize the free business planning and mentoring resources that are provided by such organizations as the U.S. government's Small Business Administration (SBA, https://www.sba.gov) and SCORE (https://www.score.org), a nonprofit organization and a resource partner of the SBA.
Advancement Prospects
A manager of a dance studio can eventually launch his or her own dance school. A dance studio owner can advance by increasing the size of his or her school or by opening more locations. Some dance school owners and managers continue to perform as dancers, and, as they gain skills and name recognition, they have the opportunity to work on more prestigious productions. Other advancement options include working as choreographers, dance professors, or the artistic directors of theater companies.
Tips for Entry
Take business management and entrepreneurism classes to hone your skills.
Work in lower-level positions at a dance school to obtain experience and learn about the challenges of running a business.
Develop strong marketing, public relations, social media, and communication skills so that you can effectively promote your business.