Dance Studio Owners Association
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A tribe of Dance Studio Owners from across the globe who want to take their studio to the next level and beyond.
The Dance Studio Owners Association (DSOA) is currently the largest community of Dance Studio Owners in the world. The DSOA has helped over 34,000 dance studio owners grow their business, impact their local communities and improve the lives of over 800,000 children through their programs and services.
Studio owner… this is what you give people. 🤍
Not just dance training.
Not just recital routines.
Not just technique.
You give some children the first place they ever feel truly accepted.
The place they learn they are allowed to be loud.
Creative.
Emotional.
Different.
Fully themselves.
You create rooms where friendships form that last for years.
Where insecure kids slowly become confident.
Where teenagers survive hard seasons because they had somewhere safe to land after school.
You teach them how to keep going when something is hard.
How to trust their body.
How to work with others.
How to believe they are worthy of being seen.
That is never “just dance.”
And even when they forget the choreography…
they remember the feeling your studio gave them.
That’s the legacy you’re building every single day.
27/05/2026
One of the hardest parts about running a dance studio is how often it can feel like you’re making decisions in the dark.
You wonder:
Am I charging enough?
Am I teaching too much?
Are other studios struggling with this too?
What’s actually working right now?
And because this industry can feel so isolated at times, studio owners often end up relying on comparison, assumptions or small glimpses into what other studios are doing online.
That’s exactly why the State of the Studio Survey exists.
Not for gossip.
Not for competition.
But to create a clearer understanding of what’s really happening across the dance studio industry right now.
Every year, studio owners anonymously share insights into:
• pricing
• profit
• staffing
• retention
• marketing
• revenue streams
…and more.
Last year, over 1,000 studio owners participated and the data revealed some incredibly interesting patterns and trends across the industry.
The 2026 survey is now open and we’d love for you to be part of it.
Click here to take the survey:
https://vist.ly/55mpr
Your families are not just staying because of dance training.
They’re staying because of how your studio makes them FEEL.
In this episode of the Transform My Dance Studio Podcast, relationship marketing expert Barb Betts shares the truth about retention, loyalty and the emotional connection that keeps families coming back year after year.
This conversation is a powerful reminder that studio growth is built through:
✨ belonging
✨ authentic relationships
✨ intentional communication
✨ strong teacher culture
✨ and creating a community families never want to leave
“If you show up authentically, you're in competition with no one.”
If you’ve ever wondered why some studios create lifelong loyalty while others quietly lose families…
this episode is for you.
🎧 Episode out now.
Available on Spotify + Apple Podcasts.
22/05/2026
Most studio owners are still treating summer like a “bonus season.”
And honestly?
That mindset is costing them momentum.
Because the studios growing fastest are not just throwing together a random camp and hoping families enrol.
They are using summer intentionally.
☀️ To stay visible
☀️ To attract NEW families
☀️ To test offers
☀️ To strengthen retention
☀️ To keep their community connected
☀️ To build momentum before fall even starts
One of the biggest mistakes I see studio owners make is marketing summer ONLY to their current students.
But summer is actually one of the BEST low-pressure entry points for new families.
Parents are actively searching for:
✔ activities
✔ structure
✔ confidence-building environments
✔ social connection for their kids
And the studios that position themselves well during summer?
Usually feel the difference when fall enrolment opens.
Summer is no longer filler season.
It is momentum season. ☀️
A lot of studio owners still treat summer like a pause button.
But families don’t stop needing connection, structure, movement, and community during summer break.
And the studios that continue showing up over summer are often the ones that walk into fall with stronger momentum.
Summer programs do far more than generate extra income.
They:
• keep dancers connected
• help retention
• create low-pressure entry points for new families
• build confidence and community
• keep your studio visible and top-of-mind
Summer is no longer filler season.
It’s momentum season.
What if your studio isn’t struggling…
it’s just misaligned?
In this episode of the Transform My Dance Studio Podcast, Jodi Shilling shares the branding shift that completely changed the trajectory of her studio.
From losing 70% of her clients…
to building a values-led brand that grew to 800+ students.
This conversation is about so much more than logos and colours.
It’s about:
• building trust
• creating alignment
• attracting the right families
• and finally showing up as the real version of your studio
If your branding feels inconsistent, disconnected or like it no longer reflects who you are…
this episode is going to hit hard.
🎧 Listen now on Spotify + Apple Podcasts.
13/05/2026
Most studio owners are making major business decisions based on what they *think* is normal.
What they should charge.
How many hours they should teach.
What marketing strategies are actually working.
What revenue streams are worth investing in.
But every year, the State of the Studio Survey gives us a real snapshot of what’s actually happening inside dance studios across the industry 👀
Last year, over 1,000 studio owners participated and the data revealed some fascinating patterns:
• 84% of students across the industry take 2 or more classes
• 5–7 year olds were the most profitable age group
• Organic social ranked as the top marketing channel
• Studios with multiple revenue streams often reported stronger long-term growth
The studios growing sustainably weren’t always the ones doing MORE.
They were the ones understanding their business better.
That’s why the 2026 State of the Studio Survey is now open.
By participating, you’re helping create a clearer picture of the dance studio industry in 2026 and we’ll be sharing insights from the data later this year.
Click here to take the survey:
https://vist.ly/532sc
If your studio’s marketing sounds like everyone else’s… this episode might explain why 👀
On the latest episode of the Transform My Dance Studio podcast, branding expert Bruce Turkel shares why the studios that truly stand out are not the ones shouting the loudest… they’re the ones creating an experience people remember.
Because parents are not just choosing:
❌ Ballet
❌ Hip Hop
❌ Acro
They’re choosing:
✔️ Confidence
✔️ Connection
✔️ Community
✔️ The feeling your studio gives them
This conversation dives into:
✨ Why most studio marketing blends together
✨ The difference between features and brand value
✨ Why emotional connection drives buying decisions
✨ How to create a studio families genuinely feel connected to
If you want your studio to stop blending in and start building loyalty, this is a must-listen 🎧
Listen to the Transform My Dance Studio podcast now on Spotify and Apple Music.
What if your studio isn’t struggling… it’s just misaligned?
This is a conversation that challenges one of the biggest misconceptions in the industry — that branding is about visuals.
It’s not.
In this episode of Transform My Dance Studio, Jodi Shilling shares what really happens when studio owners move beyond surface-level branding and step into true alignment.
Because authentic branding isn’t about looking polished.
It’s about:
being clear in who you are
attracting the right families
repelling the wrong ones
and creating a studio that feels consistent from the inside out
This conversation also highlights something many studio owners fear — that clarity might cost you in the short term.
But as Jodi shares, it’s often the very thing that leads to deeper trust, stronger loyalty, and long-term growth.
🎧 Watch the full episode on YouTube
🎙️ Or listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts
If something has felt off in your studio… this conversation will explain why.
08/05/2026
Most studio owners believe re-enrolment happens after recital…
After they send emails.
After they remind families.
After things settle down.
But in reality, the decision is made much earlier.
It happens in the moment a parent is watching their child on stage.
When they feel proud.
When they see growth.
When they feel certain they chose the right studio.
That’s when everything is aligned:
• Emotion
• Attention
• Trust
You’re not trying to convince them at that point —
you’re reinforcing a decision that’s already forming.
The challenge is, when there’s a delay between that moment and taking action, the feeling fades.
Life gets busy.
Other priorities take over.
And re-enrolment becomes something they “get to later.”
Understanding this shift changes everything.
Recital isn’t just a performance.
It’s the moment that determines your next season.
Save this to revisit before your recital, or share it with your team so you approach it with intention.
If you want more re-enrolments this season…
It starts with what you do at recital.
Most studios put all their energy into creating an amazing show (which they should)…
but then leave the most important part to chance.
No clear next step.
No structured way to re-enrol.
No real moment that guides families into the next season.
And that’s where the drop-off happens.
At recital, your families are already:
• emotionally invested
• fully engaged
• seeing the value of your studio in real time
That’s the moment decisions are made.
A simple plan makes all the difference:
→ A clear offer (what they’re saying yes to)
→ One easy action point (how they sign up)
→ A message that’s repeated so it actually lands
This isn’t about doing more.
It’s about being intentional with a moment you already have.
Recital isn’t where you remind people.
It’s where you secure your next season.
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2 Ravinia Drive Northeast, #500
The Rocks, NSW
30346