Thread: Change is HARD!!!

Finally letting go and admitting there is just no market for belly dance classes here right now. I am canceling my open classes and moving my dedicated core to semi-private lessons. I am willing to float my introductory classes another 6 months for the 3 who have been coming, but I don't hold high hopes for that class either. I've gone from 5 classes a week to almost none, and oh, how it grieves my heart to have to give this up when I not only love teaching so much, but KNOW I have developed a good curriculum over the years and feel I have so much to offer.

I'm trying to find a new approach to my love for dance, work on some new project, but I am just so overwhelmed by my own emotional response to this necessary decision right now, as well as being concerned with how my husband is going to take the idea of me continuing my dance education via workshops & such when dance is no longer paying for that continuing ed. Glad the trip to IBCC in Toronto next spring is already paid for- gives me something to look forward to.

Oh, it IS hard, isn't it? You're wise, though, to face it & deal with it.

I've gone from having 20-40 beginners at a time to having about 5. It's tough to keep my level 2 & 3 classes going. My level 4 class -- people who started dancing with me 6-10 years ago -- is keeping my studio afloat, along with classes in other genres (yoga, Latin dance, etc).

For the first time in years, I think I'm making more from performance than teaching. If things don't turn around soon, I will be forced to start looking for another way to make a living.

Although I don't wish this on anyone else, it is nice to know I'm not the only one....

I used to have HUGE beginner classes, and rather large intermediate classes. Now there aren't enough students for the studios to justify having two seperate classes at all, so i have only "open" level classes now - all levels lumped into one. It's been so hard for ME as a teacher to have to keep it level-appropriate for each student when I have baby beginners and women who have been with me for 6 years, all in one room at one time.

Meanwhile, the zumba classes are overflowing......

Interestingly enough, the only class of mine that is actually doing well is the class I teach at a gym. I attribute this to the cost factor - these students can take Zumba AND bellydance because it's all included in their gym membership. It's the weekly dance students that I'm loosing, mostly to zumba classes because they really just want a workout and they get more bang for their limited buck in a zumba class.

As I was reading your post Lara my first thought was 'I hope Lauren chimes in, she always has such great wisdom to share'. Ta-dah, she was the first to respond.

Sadly in this economy it seems to be the norm for classes to decrease. I know of a number of studios that have folded, restaurants closing, events canceling, etc. In order to increase traffic and income I know one Instructor decided to add children's tumbling classes and other youth-focused classes. Another added after-school activities. They decided they had to take drastic measures in order to maintain their studios. Not ideal but it was a last-ditch effort. So far they seem to be doing OK.

I admire every Studio owner. I hope everyone will find a way to stay open. Dance Instructors and Studio owners are such dynamic and hard-working people.

Sorry to hear this is happening to you. I think it's pretty universal, though... demand is falling, and people have no money to spend. Hopefully things will pick up again in the future.

I feel lucky to teach through a park that treats me well and compensates me well. I teach two classes per week, so obviously it's not a main source of income for me. Enrollments are down but I still have enough students to make it worth while. The park also offers the best deal in town for the students and they do most of the advertising for me. Maybe you could find something like that to keep your hand in the teaching game until things pick up again.

I have 3x more intermediate and upper level than beginners, and my bootcamp class is the most popular. Just getting by this semester. Sigh. Let's hope after the holidays it picks back up!

Thanks all for just letting me vent! I agree, daniela, it is nice to know I'm not the only one and that folks understand where I'm coming from, but I wouldn't wish this on anyone!

Lauren, I so feel for you! At least I am not supporting a studio on my own- I feel really bad canceling classes right now and I really hope the studio owner can get some different classes in soon!

Dunyah, thanks for the suggestion, but I gave up a parks & rec spot to a friend a few years ago because I couldn't handle the extra Saturday class- I'd feel kind of funny trying to go back, and don't think I'd fill a class there anyway. She's had to cut back on her classes too. All the local teachers have. On one hand, it's nice to have so many talented dancers to work with in town, on the other hand, no one is able to realistically support classes right now.

I am so trying to look at this as an opportunity to do something different performance wise, but I sure didn't expect a grieving period!

It is really tough right now.

Grieving is actually pretty appropriate when you think about it, our classes are so important to us, not just the money, and it especially smarts when you feel, well I've finally learned something and learned a bit about how to teach it, and now nobody has any money to take classes, people are really cutting back - we just cut off the land line and most of the good stuff on cable.

Well, this too shall pass! Hang in there guys, it will get better!

When, that I don't know. But it will!

I feel for you! And am very interested in hearing about your experience, because I, too, am starting to wonder about my teaching future. I feel like the arse has fallen out of the market for classes. I'm on the other side of the world to you, and our economy is not as challenging as the US's seems to be just now, but I do feel that the trend for taking bellydance classes has waned. It was a great wave to ride, and lasted far longer than I expected, but I feel like the number of people trying bellydance classes as a fun thing to give a go, is in decline.

I've made my living from teaching/performing for the last 8 years, but I'll be having my first bub in two months, so naturally things have to change for me. But right now, I'm wondering whether I should put in the effort to keep my classes going with fill-in teachers while I'm on maternity leave, as I'm not sure whether I can ever make a living from it again.

The hardest part of the decision is, what to do with my dedicated intermediate/advanced students? I can live with beginner numbers dropping off, but can I really say goodbye to those students who've been with me for years, who still attend class, and who I so enjoy dancing with? I'm not sure that just keeping advanced classes going works in the long term, because you still need a feed-through of new students to make up for attrition.

I think it helps some to realise that everything in life has a season, and big changes are a natural part of things. Plus, stopping doesn't mean that one can't start again, or work with dance in another way. But change is so darned hard to live through initially, and I can totally understand that there'd be a grieving process involved.

On the other side of the pond, the same is true. In the UK, many classes are either closing or operating wth fewer numbers. I have about the same number as last year in my college course and have a number of returners form last year. MY problem is that I have two 12 week courses which finish at the end of May and don't restart until the Sept. I kept the returners going with summer workshops but as a rule college courses attract people who try one skill/craft/interest then move on. So like everyone else I am left with a small core who are more committed. Being an older dancer, I do not earn money commercially as a performer just the occassional demo but then I am a pensioner. I know that many classes in my area has been hit by declining numbers and I think this is due partly to the economic situation,folks have less money to go around and are nervous about their future, the zumba factor and the fact that we have been riding the crest of a wave that kept a goodly few intrigued coming along.
However I see that some local events are well attended , I am talking cheap,cheerful and for participants, and here you meet up with dancers who have been around for a good few years now. But shows where the community is asked to support as non-participants are not always so people are choosing how to spend their money.
Tribal and fusion has resulted in many dancers putting their efforts in working in small troupes and not being involved in classes.
There seems to be a demand for belly dancers as entertainers and that is maybe stronger than ever with more professionally-"imaged" dancers around, better organised and glamorous into the bargain.
I am pretty sure that my weekly classes may be just 1 next term if that! The college will not support low numbers and I will have to carry on with small numbers of committed dancers.
It is a wave and I do believe with the right promotion attracting serious students , belly dancing can re-emerge. The problem being that local weekly classes are the breeding ground and if they are not available we will not have the lovely dancers who have emerged in the lst few years.
Just as a pointer, my new day-time exercise class which was very well promoted consisted of just 4 of us!

Yes, same here... This downturn is also probably really noticeable right now because of the amazing bellydance boom we went through thanks to the Superstars - and also, Zumba is so hot at the moment.
And my take on zumba is, ugh. Personally, I'd much rather move my body in an activity that was created primarly by women - like bellydance - rather than one created by a man, like zumba. Who's with me?

Originally Posted by showtime

As I was reading your post Lara my first thought was 'I hope Lauren chimes in, she always has such great wisdom to share'. Ta-dah, she was the first to respond.

Oh dear, I'd better try harder to say something wise, then!

One thing I'm figuring out: My suburban area (my town & the surrounding ones) has 70,000 people in it. Even if 90% can no longer afford to spend money on a recreational class, that leaves 7,000 people who can, and I only need about 20 of them.

So, theoretically, if I can cast a wide enough advertising net, I can still fill my classes.

I'm struggling with this, though, because newspaper readership is down to nearly nil. I used to be able to put a free calendar listing in the paper and reach tens of thousands of people, 20 of whom would come try a class.

Now, it seems no one under 55 gets the paper any more. I'll never reach tens of thousands of people at once with flyers or even internet ads!

So I'm working much harder (and spending more) on advertising. I've done Groupon and Living Social deals with mixed success (brought lots of people in the door, but not in a sustainable way). I'm printing full-color postcards & posters to put up all over town. (I've found that nail salons will usually let me put some by the drying station. Bingo!). Facebook and Google advertising are more important than ever.

As I said above, my classes are still WAY down, so I haven't found the right mix yet, but I'm not giving up!

Originally Posted by Lauren_

Oh dear, I'd better try harder to say something wise, then!

Lauren, I do not think you realize how comforting and enlightening your words are. You have a calming and unique way of expressing your thoughts and feelings. After reading your posts I find myself rethinking things and that leads to personal growth. That is a special gift. No need for you to try harder, I think that is your norm.

Same here. I attribute a lot of my class size decline to the fact that I have taught in a small town for 7 years. I think I have already taught everyone with any interest in the dance! It is discouraging to have just enough students to form the class.
I have some ideas in the works to try to get some more students, but I am not going to get my hopes up.

Recently I had a young dancer tell me that she wanted to start teaching. I don't think that she believed me when i told her that I thought it was a bad idea because my classes barely formed. Where she was planning on doing it would have been super expensive and I told her that if she offered classes, she would kill mine and also fail in hers. It has nothing to do with her, just the market can't handle two sets of classes here.

Originally Posted by Lauren_

Now, it seems no one under 55 gets the paper any more. I'll never reach tens of thousands of people at once with flyers or even internet ads!

Although I'm not teaching -- and, thanks to work, barely dancing -- at this point, I am still reading and studying on Internet advertising, and I wanted to second Lauren's comments, and add a few of my own.

She's right about print ads in major papers, from what I've seen in other contexts. I still think spending money in smaller, mostly-free, papers (my old city had a free weekly specifically for Women!) is potentially useful, and about the best use of print for the money out there.

More and more, though, my generation and the one before mine are developing what I call "Computer-assisted Word of Mouth". People are looking to hear from other people, or sources they perceive to be other "real people", about situations. Zumba is feeding off not just media interest; the media is following the savvy advertizing and honest student interest in the form, forming a feedback loop that can last for some time.

Money is tight, so people look to spend it even more wisely than before. So they read reviews much more than in the past; I know I never buy anything without looking at the Amazon reviews on it, and usually more via Google. I'm not a Yelp user, but I know many people who are, and who have chosen not just restaurants, but health clubs and similar long-term memberships based upon those reviews. Heck, even having a defined presence on FourSquare can help, esp. as that inherently rewards coming to class regularly! Getting you on them can be a challenge if you're renting or being hired by a facility, but can pay dividends long-term.

I'd also encourage "taking the Apple route". Although I'm not a Mac user in any way, and my opinion of Jobs is positive-but-mixed, I do think we forget that our students are oftentimes the best way to get people in the door. And I do not, I repeat not, mean "make them into your salespeople" or "offer discounts for bringing in new students". Rather, the concept respects them and their judgement, yet presents situations where they are eager to talk up your classes and workshops and other items online. Back to "word of mouth", again.

And yes, GroupOn et. al. are far better used as consumers than as businesses - and indeed, I use it often as a consumer! About the best use is if you know you're being looked at around class numbers, and a short-term boost might get you over a perception hump long enough to buy you some time, overall.

Again, not a businessperson, nor doing much dance these days. Just wanting to throw some ideas out there for consideration.

Reporting from the South here:

It is the same. I have stopped teaching in my city 2 years ago because of declining students. This summer, I recently tried to do a summer session but of the students that had expressed interest in a class, only one came. So I had a total of 2-3 students a week. Not worth my time as I made no money after studio rent. And, one of the other teachers in town made it a point to advertise her classes at the same community rec center that I taught at. I have been doing this too long to play those games. She can have all the students for all I care.
BTW, her student base has declined severely. I think she is down to 10 on a good day. THe other teachers in town focus only on tribal and they have 3-5 students on a good day.

I think that belly dance is still very popular despite the Zumba craze. But I think the only place that it stays consistently popular is on college campuses. Young women are always into learning the dance but you have to go to them. Community interest classes don't fly. If you can get into an institution where the belly dance classes are part of the physical activity program and the class fee is rolled into their tuition, that is the golden ticket.

I teach at 2 universities in my state, I am on hiatus from one since I needed a break from driving 2 hours one way for work but I am planning on returning. At the one that I currently teach at, I have 5 official classes and 1 unofficial Dance Ensemble class ( I only get paid for the other 5 right now until I can prove some numbers for the Ensemble). I average about 100 students a semester and have so for about 3 years. I started with 2 classes a week and have been able to build up.

It is a totally different way of teaching the dance because you need a lecture component as well as dance, but this is right with my style of teaching anyhow.

Relying on good customer service and word of mouth is not some new Steve Jobs thing- it's an ethic I learned from my grandfather, right up there with permission marketing, which seems to be the new business buzz word. My students, friends, dedicated audience have been trying to help promote my classes without being asked for ages!

My best advertising used to be post card advertising at local boutiques, but we've had roll over in the local boutiques lately. The ones who used to willingly support not only me but the arts in general have closed, and the new boutiques which have opened don't want flyers, posters, etc. cluttering up their front counter. I've suggested a coupon exchange with my other business (as in I would stuff bags with their coupons/flyers if they stuff their bags with mine) but that was a no go too.

Our small time papers dried up long ago, bulletin boards across town are being taken down. Which I think is weird, we have customers at my retail space who really value those boards as a community resource.

Part of my decision to stop teaching for now is that I am simply worn out promoting my classes. Is is really worth it to me to spend that much time on marketing for 5 students? For a while, I was willing to just cover costs, but I'm not covering costs any more, and I feel drained.

Honestly, for the size of our town (30k in town, 80k if you include outlying areas) we have a HUGE dance community- but not enough to support 5 local teachers anymore, and I don't have the flexibility to try different hours/days like I used to, I don't have a home studio and both parks & rec and the university classes are spoken for (and well taught!)

Originally Posted by showtime

Lauren, I do not think you realize how comforting and enlightening your words are. You have a calming and unique way of expressing your thoughts and feelings. After reading your posts I find myself rethinking things and that leads to personal growth. That is a special gift. No need for you to try harder, I think that is your norm.

Wow. Thank you for this. You totally choked me up & made not just my day but probably my whole month.

I feel you!
Just decided to stop one of my beginners classes, as I had only 4 enrollments... My intermediate class there has lesser students as well... If things don't pick up, I'll probably have to quit that location all together :-(

My other classes are doing rather well, at the moment that is... I have about 10-12 students in each class. It's confusing though, because my marketing efforts are the same for all locations.

I can totally relate to the feeling drained from all the marketing efforts... It feels like a constant battle!
The thing that's really frustrating is that lots of people DO have interest for the classes. I get emails and calls all the time.... But they just don't show up! This really puzzles me

And this zumba craze is lasting WAY longer then I ever expected...

Originally Posted by LunaBelgium

The thing that's really frustrating is that lots of people DO have interest for the classes. I get emails and calls all the time.... But they just don't show up! This really puzzles me

This! This drives me nuts! I have folks nagging at me about when I will start another beginning class, answer countless emails about exactly how to find the studio (which is easy to find, BTW) and folks checking in to see if there is still room in the class, and then no one shows up. All the advertising in the world can not get people physically off the couch and into classes, but I used to have folks just randomly showing up at class without prior warning or any need for email/phone coddling before hand!

On an up note, had a fantastic rehearsal with my remaining faithful few last night who were very positive about the changes we are making as a whole (even tho the dedicated semi-private sessions will be a bit more expensive for them) so I am much encouraged that I can at least keep up with that!

Without meaning to sond over-serious or superior in some way, I have to say the difference between those dancers with more committment and those who are "along for the ride" seems to be more apparant. The latter are of course likely to take off and begin another activity. I watch dancers who have invested time and money in improving
their skill and presentation even if they have little opportunity to become "professional" dancers..they still strive for high standards. Then I see others who attend a weekly class, run cheaply who get up and giggle their way through a routine with little thought to the hafla audience. No I m not anti-fun..my own class are embarking on a "comedy routine" but we are practising and drilling the technique involved. Haflas and student prerformances should be lighthearted and enjoyable but we have to have a challenge. There seems to be those who take fright at a challenge and I can't believe these people will ever be determined to pursue belly dance education in any depth whatever we present them with. I don't think the belly dance as exercise premise worked as lo, along came Zumba ..previously we had Salsasize and now there is Juxta. Our only chance is that wo/men want to learn to dance the dance for its' own sake and at the moment we are sliding down the wave. Like all waves it will climb again but sadly I don't think it's at the bottom yet. organisations will close classes with small numbers,unwlling to pay instructors and those who go it alone will find it tough to pay their expenses:rent,equipment,PLI training etc etc. Pessimistic?short term yes I am..long term something will come along to light the spark again..what,when,how.who knows? But there will still be a core of dancers if not in classes but small groups maybe who there when it does.

Originally Posted by Lara L

Finally letting go and admitting there is just no market for belly dance classes here right now. I am canceling my open classes and moving my dedicated core to semi-private lessons. I am willing to float my introductory classes another 6 months for the 3 who have been coming, but I don't hold high hopes for that class either. I've gone from 5 classes a week to almost none, and oh, how it grieves my heart to have to give this up when I not only love teaching so much, but KNOW I have developed a good curriculum over the years and feel I have so much to offer.

I'm trying to find a new approach to my love for dance, work on some new project, but I am just so overwhelmed by my own emotional response to this necessary decision right now, as well as being concerned with how my husband is going to take the idea of me continuing my dance education via workshops & such when dance is no longer paying for that continuing ed. Glad the trip to IBCC in Toronto next spring is already paid for- gives me something to look forward to.

I started using Groupon & Living Social & it saved me from going under :)
This is my only source of income for 25 years .
Sadiia in Memphis

Yup.

My living social offer has been a lot more manageable than my Groupon offer -- I sold 58 sessions of classes via LS (their Amazon arm). Groupon I sold over 250 and the customers have been difficult, to say the least.

I'm hoping my retention rate through LS will be better -- so far it's looking very promising!

Facebook advertising also serves me pretty well.

My classes are down, but what is killing me even more is the workshops being down at my festivals. Oregon has been depressed for... wha... at least 15 years and it has forced our event pricing down but it has never been anything like as bad as it has been the last few years.

I have not read every post in this thread but I wanted to share that I have the same problem with class size. I have gone from teaching 10 classes a week to 6 classes a week.
The size of the classes has changed to a sad 2-6 students. My advanced/intermediate dancers
that have been with me for several years are the ones keeping me going.

Not only the downturn in the Global economy has hurt class numbers, but with studio based teaching, Technology has been a blessing and a curse. A lot of potential beginner students are getting "classes" off the internet and YouTube, as well as DVDs. Why "go out to a class, when you can do a class in the privacy in your own home and in your own time". Perhaps producers of belly dance teaching DVDs should have a label on the cover suggesting that although practice at home with DVDs is recommend, it doesn't replace having a dance class in a studio.

Also, some dance schools have merged with each other, although it halves the takings, it also halves the on-costs. The teachers then teach on alternate weeks, or scheduling to suit. Some offer Bellyzumba, a fitness style class to supplement the dance technique classes.

Rather than go back to teaching and setting up a dance school all over again, I've opted to offer a relief teaching service to a number of belly dance schools here, and one dance school gets me in on a "workshop" basis - teaching a 2 hour workshop during their school schedule, (utilising 2 of their 1 hour class slots one evening, instead of their regular 1 hour class).

Hope these suggestions help

Frankly, having moved to an area that's been economically depressed for the last 50 years or so, I have to say I'm amazed that not only is there a bellydance class here, there appear to actually be MORE of them offered every time I turn around... it's somewhat encouraging, and by contrast to where I came from (central Jersey) the growth here is that much brighter, simply because it's a bright spot where there were none before(at least in my eyes). The general decline is seeing pockets of growth, ladies and gentlemen... and let us not forget that where economic growth is stunted, artistic growth can spring up like never before. I'm not saying it's easy(one of the local teachers is actually also the landscaper for my place of employment!) but keep your heads up... You will see the tide turn again if you can be patient.

...Tales from The Bright Side... (Who'd've thought it'd be in Central New York!)

Originally Posted by Lauren_

Yup.

My living social offer has been a lot more manageable than my Groupon offer -- I sold 58 sessions of classes via LS (their Amazon arm). Groupon I sold over 250 and the customers have been difficult, to say the least.

Lauren, can you tell us more about your experience with the Groupon customers? In what way were they difficult? What was your retention like?

Originally Posted by Lauren_

Yup.

My living social offer has been a lot more manageable than my Groupon offer -- I sold 58 sessions of classes via LS (their Amazon arm). Groupon I sold over 250 and the customers have been difficult, to say the least.

I've read that Groupon customers tend to be very picky and demanding.. and not loyal, gone with the next deal.