Thread: Teaching a workshop for free?

I want to start teaching workshops in belly dance I have only taught Hula workshops before so I don't have any experience teaching belly dance workshops. I have taught belly dance classes before under the direction of my teacher, but I have moved to a new area a few years ago and know one knows me here. Would it be ok to offer to teach free workshops to event promoters, just to get my foot in the door?

Did you miss all the undercutting threads?

Not unless you want to continue teaching for free. Or your mom asked you to donate a class....

Try some cross promotion with your hula clientiele.
Come up with a workshop topic that nobody else in your area does. Then send your info to area sponsors.

Come up with some 2-hour workshop ideas, rent a studio for a couple of Saturday afternoons and have your own mini-workshop series

I have not missed the undercutting post. But I have see other dancers offering to do a mini free workshop that is hooked on to a workshop convention with big named dancers

Free workshops might be ok for a charity event, but not anything for profit.

One way to get your name out there would be to join Tiraz and see about doing the warm up for a workshop. We have offered that to up and coming teachers and also to some top notch teachers in the area.

Also go ahead and start teaching in a local studio and dance in as many showcases as you can.

Originally Posted by SandraDances

Free workshops might be ok for a charity event, but not anything for profit.

One way to get your name out there would be to join Tiraz and see about doing the warm up for a workshop. We have offered that to up and coming teachers and also to some top notch teachers in the area.

Also go ahead and start teaching in a local studio and dance in as many showcases as you can.

Thank you! The charity event is a great idea, I'll look into Tiraz also

You should definately start meeting the dancers in your area. If you go out and start offering free classes or workshops, that's a good way to start off on the wrong foot. Check out your local YMCA and other fitness places. Yoga studios and established dance studios are good as well because they do a lot of advertising for you.

Originally Posted by Rya_of_Indiana

You should definately start meeting the dancers in your area. If you go out and start offering free classes or workshops, that's a good way to start off on the wrong foot. Check out your local YMCA and other fitness places. Yoga studios and established dance studios are good as well because they do a lot of advertising for you.

I was thinking along the lines of a one free class promotion, or a mini free introduce workshop. Just a one time thing. I just recently seen a will know dancer in my area do a free workshop, that's how I got the idea, I also just last month was going to go to a free tribal class in my area

One of my dance teachers got her foot in the door by being social. She went to classes, performed in haflas, etc. You could also be ballsy and ask around if someone would sponsor you. My dance teacher was traveling to Vegas, asked if anyone was interested in sponsoring her, and she was sponsored.

Every dance community has different hot buttons - you really should get to know the dancers and the pro culture where you are before you make a move that may put you on the "outs" with them.

Clients and students come and go... you'll be amongst the same pros for the next 10 years or more!

Mahin

Originally Posted by toria_dances

I want to start teaching workshops in belly dance I have only taught Hula workshops before so I don't have any experience teaching belly dance workshops. I have taught belly dance classes before under the direction of my teacher, but I have moved to a new area a few years ago and know one knows me here. Would it be ok to offer to teach free workshops to event promoters, just to get my foot in the door?

Network by getting out, get to people's events, carry your cards with you at all times and be liberal with them, chat folks up, plan your own events or ask flat out what the process is to start participating in other people's events if only as a helper or door girl to start with! That's how to get to know the scene and get to be known.

By teaching a workshop for free you are showing the whole scene that you are willing to work for free. It says "I don't think I am worth more" and doesn't encourage people to think of what you offer as worthy. MOre people will hear about the fact that you gave a free workshop than will probably attend. It'll be harder to ask a reasonable price after that and may actually close doors.

hey, if you mean a free taster session as first cass of an ongoing class series, so you start running your own classes and you offer students the first class for free, that's ok... i start every year at my school with an open door day with some performances by the advanced class and a half hour free mini lesson, and then afterwards people can sign up...

so, yes, as a marketing tool it can work. but here in town, this is exactly wha ALL the dance and sport schools do, free try out classes in september, the city even has a brochure out that lists all of them. so i'm not rubbing anyone the wrong way, on the contrary, it's the considered the done thing here.

but it all depends on your community.

look around where other people teach, what they teach, what their set up is, go to their events, talk to them, find out where the "niche" is, then start up your own beginners classes...

Originally Posted by toria_dances

I was thinking along the lines of a one free class promotion, or a mini free introduce workshop. Just a one time thing. I just recently seen a will know dancer in my area do a free workshop, that's how I got the idea, I also just last month was going to go to a free tribal class in my area

Ahh...I misunderstood. It's still a good idea to network with the other dancers in the area. That way it's less of a shock when this new teacher pops up.

When you say "event promoters", do you mean "promoters of belly dance events" or do you mean "people who book entertainers for conventions and such"? My answer would be very different depending on which type of event promoter you're looking at.

If belly dance event promoters, instead of offering a free workshop I'd offer a deal where you and the promoter split the fees paid by attendees with whatever % split seems mutually fair.

If convention-type event promoters, I wouldn't see a problem with a one-time free workshop, but I wonder if a performance might be more effective.

Maybe you could start networking and seeing if any other instructors are having a free open house, classes that all the instructors do as a promotional thing.

But I wouldn't offer a free workshop unless it was charity until you know the community. And I doubt it would be a good way to start off in your new location.

As far as teaching for free - the only time I would consider something like that is if:
1) its for charity
2) its for a professional event producer and dancer and personal friend that is a friend in need. If my assistance and "donation" of my work can help my friend to a successful event, I'm glad to give it if I am in a position to do so. The 1 time I have done this we all ended up getting paid anyway because the event was such a success.

I can understand a 1 free try-it-out class - IF a person buys a class card. Otherwise it's a regular drop-in rate for that class. Why give people something for free when they have enjoyed the service already? How often do you get a free meal at a restaurant the first time you go in? I am more prone to cutting my loyal, regular and committed students a deal than someone that's just coming in to "test-run the waters".

However, a workshop is more exclusive - it is of more value - due to the intensive method and way of transfer of information. I would be careful with giving workshops for free as it will lower your worth as a resource for dance education.

It is also a bit different when well known dancers do free workshops. That can be considered a re-imbursement to the dance scene for all the work, loyalty and dedication the local dance scene has shown them through their career. Starting out with free workshops may give the impression that you think that you are all that OR that you are just wanting market shares - and are not really looking to produce dancers/teach dance, but rather looking for the monetary gains from it (which, for those that teach - we all know that we work more than the money equals!).

One way of getting "in" is through getting connected with a gym, a dance studio chain or such. You may end up getting paid by class and the revenue otherwise goes to the business/institution - but, it is a foot in the door and looks nice on a resume when you "continue on" to teach on your own elsewhere.

:) Hope that helps.

I think any dancer that tries to offer a free workshop so that students will get to know her because she is knot known...I think this is not such a nice way to start the relationship with other dancers that teach and charge for their classes. it would be a undercut.

If you show your talent/skills in local haflas/shows and your name travels, students will come to you. Your name will spread around. They will come and try out your classes for sure.

Also yes, putting ads/fliers around, give out business cards in events will help tremendously.

Great points from everyone.
As far as taking a "free tribal class"- I know Marta teaches a class that is at a Center for the Arts in a lower income area. They OFFER the classes for free, BUT through grants the teachers get compensated for their time. That is something very different. Often times the teacher is compensated through other forms that the student doesn't know about.
If you want to find a local sponsor- perform at local events and network. If there is someone interested in what you have to offer you can strike up a conversation. It's also the best way to get in to perform at the venues, which like teaching, is really good to have on your resume. It's not just a two or three time thing - dancers perform in haflas for years sometimes, under the tutelage of a knowledgeable instructor ANd networking with fellow students on the same "professional track" before they are ready for work in this area.
DC/VA is RICH in dancers and teachers with DECADES of experience, lots of diverse experience and "over there" experience. It is a challenge when there are already "master instructors" in the area - one has to bring something unique to the table to make it worth people's while, ESPECIALLY when we are also a regular stop on a lot of national and international tours for the master instructors.

If you offer a free class - you want to have a plan.

Some instructors in the area offer a one time free class to students to introduce them to bellydance. Then - they use this as a hook to have these ladies sign-up for a session.

If you just offer a free class with no follow-up, you are basically setting up these potential students to find another teacher.

Find a studio - setup a class schedule - then think about offering a "sample class".

One of the studios I teach at - they do an open house 2 times a year. I teach a small 20 minute "sample" class. I am - though - compensated by my employer for this. After the 15/20 minute sampler - I ask that ladies interested please register at the staff table.

Works every time!!

Originally Posted by ravenadesigns

If you offer a free class - you want to have a plan.

Some instructors in the area offer a one time free class to students to introduce them to bellydance. Then - they use this as a hook to have these ladies sign-up for a session.

If you just offer a free class with no follow-up, you are basically setting up these potential students to find another teacher.

Find a studio - setup a class schedule - then think about offering a "sample class".

One of the studios I teach at - they do an open house 2 times a year. I teach a small 20 minute "sample" class. I am - though - compensated by my employer for this. After the 15/20 minute sampler - I ask that ladies interested please register at the staff table.

Works every time!!

What if you set this all up and give a free class but little people show up, and no one signs up for the class? Could you easily cancel the studio time? How do you find out if your area has a need for your class?

If there is a studio, gym, or other locations that does not have a Middle Eastern Dance instructor, then I say it is fair game to approach them. But if there are many other places that offer ME Dance, then I would be concerned about flooding the market.
It doesn't hurt to try.

Originally Posted by toria_dances

What if you set this all up and give a free class but little people show up, and no one signs up for the class? Could you easily cancel the studio time? How do you find out if your area has a need for your class?

My suggestion is to connect up with a gym or center or studio and advertise through them. For me - teaching at a community center - all the instructors in the center do this "free class" on the same day so you may have someone who wanted to sign up for Zumba come and try your class out and love it. It is a large group effort. We only do it 2 times a year and each teacher only teaches about 15-20 minutes and is paid.

If you are working in a gym or community center or studio and no one signs up - I suggest trying this again in a month or two. Timing has a lot to do with it. For example, people around here tend to sign up for classes in the fall (once school starts) and January (everyone with their New Year's resolutions of losing weight). It is all about timing and advertising. I now only teach mini workshops in the summer because summer enrollment is way down.

As Sandra suggested, you may want to make sure there are not a lot of teachers in the area you are suggesting. That can make or break your business.

My suggestion when starting out is to talk to gyms and studios. Some places make you employees and some let you just rent the space. You need to find out what works best for you.

If you can - come to the Tiraz Bellydance Convention this Saturday!!

TirazDanceNetwork

You will get a chance to meet a lot of teachers and ladies in the community. I will be there as a vendor - stop by and say "hi" :-)