Thread: Teaching Location Dilemma

Right now I teach in a small yoga studio, I can have anytime I want and charge my students less because I am charged less. My students consist of beginners, mostly older who just want to have fun.

I had a meeting today with the large dance studio in town. I can get in there and split the class by a percentage. The studio has a registration fee and charges more for classes. I would get publicity through them so more students, PLUS I could get together a more advanced group and we would get to perform in their showcase - which to me is awesome!

What would you do? I don't want to price out my current students but I do want students who want to advance and get to a performance level. The price would go up $3 per class and a $50 registration fee. I am going to talk to her about waiving that - or only charging students who want to perform in the showcase.

Our studio charges a registration fee for signing up for the semester of ballet classes, but it's $25 and that fee does not apply to any classes other than the main ballet syllabus, so it doesn't affect my students.

$50 is a pretty high fee. This is JUST to dance in the showcase?

No, it is for everyone. I was hoping to get them to waive it for those who aren't. I was at a studio with a similar fee and they waived it for adults but this studio charges it for their other adult classes. Their big show is in 3 weeks and once the owner has more time we are going to meet about it.

I want to have weighed my pros and cons and thought about any issues/questions by that time.

Wow, my daughter's dance school only charges a $10 registration fee for their classes!

I know. It is a huge dance school with 300 plus kids so I guess she has the overhead. If I can talk her into not charging my students that, should I make the move?

My daughters charges $30 in NY

why not work with both studios. keep your beginners where they are, in the space they are used to and keep the fees the same.
then open a more advanced class at the new studio. there's no reason why you can't work at both places.

Can you ask them what the registration fee includes for classes? At a lot of dance schools, it helps cover necessary recital costumes and such. If your students aren't using any of that, they may allow you to have a reduced registration price.

Originally Posted by sabrinabellydancer

why not work with both studios. keep your beginners where they are, in the space they are used to and keep the fees the same.
then open a more advanced class at the new studio. there's no reason why you can't work at both places.

I thought about that. I may see if I can do that without competing against myself. Keep my beginner hobbyists at the yoga studio and have a more advanced class at the dance studio.

Originally Posted by mahsati

Can you ask them what the registration fee includes for classes? At a lot of dance schools, it helps cover necessary recital costumes and such. If your students aren't using any of that, they may allow you to have a reduced registration price.

That's why I was thinking she may cut it for us. I am liking the idea of having both, there are just so many logistics.

Originally Posted by sabrinabellydancer

why not work with both studios. keep your beginners where they are, in the space they are used to and keep the fees the same.
then open a more advanced class at the new studio. there's no reason why you can't work at both places.

What she said. Our prices go up as the classes get more advanced, since they require more knowledge and the class size often drops.

We've never experimented with a registration fee. Maybe we've been missing something. Does this studio have a lot of adult students or mostly kids?

In my market it is normal for teachers to teach in multiple locations, at different price levels. I don't see why you can't do that where you are. You will get different students just from teaching at a different location (or on a different day). You can have beginner classes at both locations, and eventually "feed" from both into your upper-level course.

Hmm, I personally don't like the idea of charging different fees for different locations. It may encourage your beginners to stay just that. If you don't run both beginners and advanced at your new location, how will you feed your advanced class?

My inclination would be to move to the studio (or add that to your current schedule) if you can get the registration fee waived. That fee is too big a deterrant, in my opinion. I would put all classes at the same price, because you're presumably offering the same great teaching across the board. Otherwise you're undercutting yourself (if the locations are close by) and could be seen as favoring certain groups of students.

My view is that people don't value things that come too cheaply. In my experience, students are more likely to drop out of free or cheap classes, because they don't perceive them as being valuable enough to commit to. Charge a decent (yet reasonable) price and I believe you'll get a decent student.

I would go for both locations to expand, and explain it to students that way, so they know they have a choice now or in the future.
I agree that charging less at one location is not always good. I've taught classes at several locations and had to do fees that differ at each. (the thought that you are charged less and charge less for class though? Classes should cost the same because you are putting as much into each reguardless of rent. You should not under value classes because you eel they are for "people who just want to have fun" don't all students? Even those who want a more advanced class are choosing to take classes for enjoyment.) I have had to take less of a cut in order to make the class the same rate. (as in community eds when they put their fee on top of my per student fee. Still they are not at all out of the bell curve for fees.
A $50 reg fee? Pretty crazy! She should be charging a "performance fee" as many ballet studios do (if you don't perform you don't pay it, pretty fair). That is pretty pricey! I have danced my whole life (at ballet studios as well as belly dance as have my daughters) and never run into a fee that high. I do myself charge a reg fee of $10 but $50? Wow.
I'd say on the whole go for it, expand! Students will go to the place they feel is right for them as long as you give good descriptions of what each offers.
Congrats on expanding, that is a GOOD thing!

Originally Posted by faaria

I agree that charging less at one location is not always good. I've taught classes at several locations and had to do fees that differ at each. (the thought that you are charged less and charge less for class though? Classes should cost the same because you are putting as much into each reguardless of rent. You should not under value classes because you eel they are for "people who just want to have fun" don't all students? Even those who want a more advanced class are choosing to take classes for enjoyment.) I have had to take less of a cut in order to make the class the same rate.

I think I said this wrong. I charge $10 a class at the yoga studio because it is what I want to charge. I pay flat rate rent. At the other studio it is a percentage to the studio but they want all their classes priced per month at essentially $13 per class.

that's a lot for a yearly registration fee.

i would keep both classes running, and slowly increase the price of the beginners class (like in the new year), to eventually have the same class price at both locations.

Nothing says you can't have 2 classes a week, teaching the same things, on different nights. I've done that. Some people just can't make it on one night, so the other is better.

Try it at the big studio, but don't get locked into a contract. And be suspicious of the idea of getting more students because of the venue. When I moved to EDT, (when it was still a big deal) I had a ton of mommies who showed INTEREST, but none of them ever actually showed up in class.

The $50 fee would turn me off. There is much to be said about the environment of a class, also. Older students may feel less comfortable in a ballet studio. I heard those complaints when I moved, and I think I lost at least one lady because of it.

Basically though, what are the "pros" of having the big studio, compared to the Yoga place?