My Top 10 Tips for Teaching and Organising an Event

On my recent venture of organising an Easter Event (a small show for my students to perform and parents to watch) and from the research I have done recently on the subject, I decided to come up with some top tips of my own on teaching dance, organising performing events and running a dance school. These are just 10 of my opinions and ideas from my experience in running a dance school that I feel are important and necessary to gaining success.


1) Planning a date. It is all well and good picking a date for the event that is convenient for you (the teacher) but if that date happens to not fit in with the majority of your students/parents plans, even if it is just 25% who can't make that date, then you have to make a decision: Do you still go ahead with the initial date planned, thus disappointing 25% of your students/parents? Or do you try and rearrange for another date?
When I first set out in organising the event I thought it would be good to put it at the end of Easter, a nice finale to our end of term. So I sent an email out to all the parents of my students announcing the date and my plans for the event. Everyone was really enthusiastic and thought it was a great idea, a chance for all the kids to show what they had been learning along with it being a fun, confidence boosting activity that parents could capture on video. A lot of the parents confirmed that they were available for the date I had planned...I thought, so far so good!...but then I received a few disappointed emails/phone calls from parents saying that they would be unable to attend due to other arrangements. At first, I apologised that they would be missing out, promising there would be another oportunity and still planned to go ahead with my original date. But then I realised...do I really want to disappoint these students/parents? Didn't I want to show that I was trying my best to make everyone happy? Didn't I also want my event to look at it's best? I wanted it to be a successful and popular event buzzing with life and showing what the school was all about...this wasn't going to be fully achieved with 25% of my students missing.
So I decided to put two posters up on the wall with two seperate dates. I asked the parents to put their child's name down under the date which best suited them.Not everyone has put their name down yet, but I have had a lot more YES's than I did before and I am confident that the event is going to be a success that the majority of parents can be involved in.
I have learnt that you can't always SAY, you sometimes have to ASK.

2) Rehearsing for a performance. This will be the first time that my students have performed in front of an audience. Parents have watched them before in class but they have never had to stand on stage before, under the spotlight and gaze of at least 50 people, wearing a costume, having to remember where they should be stood, where they need to go and what they need to be dancing without the help of a teacher there in front of them. This can be very daunting for a young child! I can pull my hair out and worry at what could go wrong on the day but instead I think the best way to approach it is with praise. Plenty of positive words and acknowledgement, encouraging the class and thus boosting their confidence. As long as they are confident that they can do it, then they will do it. Giving praise also brings smiles. If the class is positive and happy then they will go on stage beaming and excited to perform. CONFIDENCE brings SUCCESS.

3) Getting people through the door. Before you plan a performing event you obviously need a dance school. I was teaching for various different schools last summer and was finding it a little frustrating getting trains here, there and every where and then not getting back home until late in the evening. I found myself wishing that there was a local dance school in my village that I could teach at. That's when I decided to set up Rossett Dance.
In the beginning I just started off with the one class, a Ballet & Tap class for small children. I printed off a few posters and put them up in our Village Shop and the Newsagents. I had one girl turn up the first week for the class and on the second week it went up to four. So I only got one from the posters and the other three came through word of mouth.
I then read in our monthly magazine about a village festival that was to take place in the summer. The ad stated that they would welcome anyone who would like to get involved and help out. I suddenly had a thought! I rung the lady who was organising the festival and said that I had only just moved to the village and thought it would be nice to get to know the locals by getting involved with the festival and asked if she needed a hand with anything on the day. I also asked if it would be possible for me to hand out fliers advertising my dance class in the village. The lady was really nice, saying that it would be no problem at all handing them out and she appreciated the help as they were looking for a few extra hands.
The day was a massive success. Not only did I get to hand out all the fliers I'd printed but also I got to speak about it, face to face with parents. The next week at my class I had about 12 kids turn up. Since then, all my new students have come mainly through word of mouth.
I have found the best form of advertising is getting out there. Getting your face known, attending festivals and similar sort of events. Then maybe an even better form of advertising...word of mouth. The kids enjoy attending the class and the parents enjoy bringing them, so they spread the word, telling friends that their child is going to dance in a little show or is preparing for an exam. All positive things that would make a parent interested in bringing their own child to a class where all their other friends go.
Advertising to achieve the best results: SHOW YOUR FACE and leave the rest to WORD OF MOUTH.

4) Keeping your customers. Once you have managed to get people through the door then that is a hard part done. But now you move onto the next step...keeping your customers.
I need to ensure each week that I teach a class that is exciting for the kids but also progressive.
I don't aim to only make the kids happy though. A lot of my effort is spent making the parents happy. I need them to know that the class is always progressing. That there is an aim. Here are a few things that I do to keep the kids and parents happy.
A) At the end of term I invite all parents to watch the class in action so they can see how their child has improved since seeing them last.
B) Holding events where the class can perform a dance in costume. A nice oportunity for parents to take pictures and to see their child is growing in confidence.
C) Working towards exams.
D) Sending personal emails regarding the childrens progress along with the schools news and dates for the diary.
All these things I do to keep the excitement and enthusiasm growing within the school.
To keep your customers happy add VARIETY of PROGRESSION to inspire ENTHUSIASM.

5) Make your business more personal and genuine. As I have mentioned a few times in the past, it is not just your teaching that will bring and keep customers but it is also the way you interact with people.
Here are a few things I do to make my parents know that I am genuinely aware of each individual.
A) Send emails out often. I do send a lot of group emails out which start with Hi All....but I always try to send out personal emails too, Hi Sarah...making it obvious that this is a personal email for one reader only. That I am aware of every students situation and progression and that I do care about each one individually. I usually find that these sort of emails are guaranteed to get a response with a reply email.
B) Use their name. I read a book not too long ago that talked about how people appreciate their own name. I make it my business to try and remember each of my students parents name so that when they drop their kids off for class I can have a first name basis conversation. Starting it off with Hi Sarah, sounds so much better than just Hi. I still need to perfect this craft myself but I'm getting there!
B) Having time to speak to my customers. It is so difficult to keep on top of everything in between each class as so many people come up to me with a question or just for a chat about the class. This can be hard as I know I have got so many other things to sort out for the next class, but I do try and leave time for the parents as it is important that they get time to have a chat with me about something if they need to.
Let your customers know you CARE.

6) Bringing Web 1.0 & 2.0 to advertising. Not only do I hand out fliers and put up posters in the local shops but I also do a lot of my advertising online.
A) Rossett Dance website.
B) Facebook page.
C) Twitter.
D) Local Village Diary website.
Bring your advertising ONLINE.

7) Never turn a customer away. I have my set style of classes for set age groups but if someone comes to me who doesn't fit into any of the age groups or requests a style that I currently don't have a class for then what do I do? Do I say, no I can't help? I don't think that would be the right attitude. I am a growing school. I want the school to be as versatile and as big in number as possible.
So I add another class to the timetable. I give the new student a private class and hope that through advertising and word of mouth it will build into a group class.
Always show that you are willing to PROVIDE.

8) Friendly but firm. Yes, I want to make all my students and the parents happy, but I can't change everything to make everyone happy. Each person would want something different from the next person and I would have to keep changing my timetable weekly! I have to know when to draw the line and stick to my guns when it comes to planning the timetable or decisions I have made. For instance, I decided to split my Ballet/Tap class according to age and ability. Most parents were happy to go along with this but obviously it upset a couple of the Mums who wanted their daughter to be in the higher class when I had put her in the younger group. I have to trust my own opinions and decisions of what I think is the best thing to do in these sort of situations.
You make the RULES.

9) Here to learn but also to have fun. My aim when I teach, especially for my younger groups, is to make it fun. I do have my targets and I am incredibly anal when it comes to getting something right and expecting a lot....but at the end of the day I have to remind myself that they are not just attending the class to learn. They want to have fun and be with their friends. It is a fine line...because I'm sure if it was up to the kids they would be cart wheeling, playing tig and trying to walk up the wall backwards with their hands (I have found this to happen when I turn my back!) but obviously then we would never get anything done!
I try to combine the learning and fun together. This I do with props, such as wands, ribbons, soft toys and baskets. I also reward the class...if they do something really well then we can play a fun game at the end.
Students will be more willing to learn if the class is FUN.

10) Think ahead. Expect a situation and plan for it. Even if it doesn't happen at least you know that you will be ready if it ever should. Always deal with any problems with honesty.
Build your business on SOLID FOUNDATIONS.

A week at Rossett Dance

I have been very busy the past few days. I started running my dance academy, Rossett Dance, in August 2012 and it has been growing and expanding successfully ever since. Due to this success, from starting out just being open for classes once a week I am now running classes every Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.

One of the classes had got to the stage where it was bursting at the seams. This class was for ages 2-8 and I felt that the ones who were nearer the age of 6 and who had been with me for a while were ready to start being pushed a little more and could go onto learning exam work, but as there were really young ones in the class who hadn't been dancing very long then this prevented me from being able to teach the kids at their personal standard and capability. This was why I decided to split the class into two seperate groups according to age and ability.
I let the parents know of my plans and which class their child was to be in. All the parents seemed happy at my decision to split the class...it was picking a day and time to suit everyone that proved to be quite difficult!
So over the last few days I have been sending out emails to parents and making personal phone calls to just try and arrange a day and a time. I wanted to make everyone happy and not lose any of my students in the process of this changeover...I was beginning to wonder if I was asking too much!
But after messages going back and forth I think we have finally done it! I can breathe a sigh of relief!

In running my own business it is not only the enjoyment I get from teaching dance that I love, but also the challenges I come across in the social aspect of it all.
I have to run a class that my students love attending, which makes them want to come back week after week, but I also need to make the parents happy. At the end of the day it is the parents who decide what they would like their children to be involved in.
If the parents arn't happy then they wont bring their kids to the class.
It is all about people management, understanding each individual and being able to say the right things.
Never argue....a parent/customer is always right!

Now I am trying to arrange an Easter Event for the end of March where each class will be performing a short dance for which all parents, family and friends are invited to watch. I hope to pick a date that everyone can attend. Wish me luck!

Pictures of my life from the past year.

Please click 'show info' in the top right corner as I have wrote a bit about each picture.
I hope you enjoy my slideshow. It's gives a quick insight to what I've been doing in the past 12 months..and I stuck one picture in there from college :)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/93558144@N08/show/

3,2,1...Action!

I have finally created my video. After much thought and hesitation on what I was going to say I came up with something that I was happy with. I really wanted my video to be interesting and something that people would want to sit and watch. Not only that, I wanted to put across my personality and a bit of an insight into my job. I started the filming at the hall (like I say in the video, my second home!) where Rossett Dance is based and then continued the filming in my "little quiet area of study" at home.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hl8nxXWLAZM&feature=youtu.be

Writer & Reader - My comments on Professional Communication Technology: Reader 1

The book covered the definition of Web 2.0 and how it is extremely beneficial for businesses today.
I have been using Web 2.0 for years without even realising it until reading this book. I originally started using Web 2.0 via social networks such as Facebook for my own personal use, to keep in touch with friends. Today I use it to help in advertising my dance academy, Rossett Dance. Facebook has allowed me to post news, pictures and information of classes as well as helping me to network with all the parents who bring their children to classes. Another benefit is that it has also enabled me to reach out to prospective new customers who may be interested in joining the school.
I also use Twitter in a similar way to Facebook, making Rossett Dance known to online users.

Another Web 2.0 site I use is Starnow, a dance jobs board. I originally I used the site looking for work for myself but most recently I also use it to advertise my own positions, when I am looking for a dance assistant, I can just post up a listing. It would be a lot more challenging looking for somebody to fill the position without the use of Web 2.0

My understanding of Web 2.0 is that it allows the reader to express their opinions, thoughts and ideas to the creator and other readers. It has evolved from Web 1.0, being just a 1 way communication system which has only room for two parts...the creator and the reader, to a point where those two parts have merged together so that we have creating, reading, interacting, thought sharing and information posting available for everyone.

The internet today is a living, growing and ever changing network thanks to Web 2.0.

Redesigning

A few days ago I set out to make my blog say a little bit more about me. I wanted the reader to come onto my blog and be able see straight away what my passion was in life and my career.I felt the best way to do this was with my background picture.
First I had a play about with the default pictures to see if there were any that I liked. There were a few different ones that I did really like but I still felt it didn't really say anything about me. So I decided to have a look at uploading my own picture to add a little personality. I think the painting of the ballet dancer is beautiful. It portrays exactly what I wanted it to....my passion and career. It reminded me of myself rehearsing in the lounge when I have teachers exams coming up....obviously I look just as good as the girl in the painting! :)

Building, Researching...Creating!!!

Continuing to learn technical skills... Setting up my Gmail account was fairly easy, setting up my blog was another story!

When I first created the blog it didn't look creative. I was unsure how to add style, personality and content to my blog. I sat there for a while trying different things and then decided to have a look through other peoples blogs. I came across a few familiar faces who I had met at Induction and began a tour of their blogs.

I found Iona's blog first and what caught my eye straight away was a nice big head shot picture and her About Me section below. This made her blog very approachable and friendly, inviting me to read more about her. I decided that I would like to have a similar sort of approach to my blog.

I managed to incorporate something similar in my own blog by trial and error! That was the next step done!

I then came across Jo's Blog. I found Jo's blog very interesting. Her first post read like a novel which again, invited me to want to read more. So as I write my posts I try to tell a story - to add facts, intrigue and humour! Along with that, I found that Jo and I have similar lifestyles with us both running a dance school - it's nice to know that there's someone else on the course who has got a similar career to me.

Bernadette's blog was the next one I clicked. Straight away I knew who she was - her background picture said it all. I loved the fact that the background picture gave away what sort of career she's in, what interests she has and what sort of person she is. 

I hope to express myself in the same way, so that whoever happens across my blog, with just one look they will know I am a professional dancer and teacher.

Now to start learning how to change my background picture!

The first door opened...

I've undertaken a variety of projects and courses over the years, giving me the experience and qualifications I have today but I don't think I have ever been as apprehensive at starting something new until I set out to embark on this course.

The induction day was a big step for me - It allowed me to take a peek at what was behind the door and ahead of me for the next 15 months.

I admit...I had to stop myself from being overwhelmed at the prospect of blogging! I have only just got the hang of using facebook! But now I've started...I think I am excited about it all...and what other doors will be opened to me along the way?!