Thread: renting dance space

ok i'm a dolt. how /where do you rent dance space??

Dance studios usually have set rates, mirrors and audio systems. I teach in one that I pay for monthly, I can set my own prices, the studio advertises, as do I. I set my own schedule week to week, so if I need a week off, I plan for it.

I also teach at a yoga studio, but it's in 4 week sessions, and it's a 50 - 50 split with the owner.

I was teaching in a pilates studio and we went back and forth on pricing structure.

Gyms are often open to renting out their space as well.

i know gyms do around here.

would i need insurance?? & what type?? instructors or facility liability??

if i may ask what would you consider a reasonable rental fee??

I am in the really nice aerobics room of a gym that went out of business years ago...I have outlasted 2 business that went in around me and left me in place. I am only month to month and could be given notice anytime..but so far...so good! The only thing..I am a backdoor operation (literally) and have no frontage to allow me to stand out.

A couple of us just worked on this for our troupe. I assume you're talking about a place to hold classes and rehearsals, rather than a performance, correct?

Make a list of possible sites--local dance schools, yoga studios, health clubs, community centers. Get creative--sometimes churches have space for aerobics classes and such.

Figure out what you need.
--Do you want a formal dance/exercise studio or will you be happy with a big open room?
--How many people do you expect to have per class/rehearsal. What is the square footage of the spaces available?
--What sort of floor surface do you prefer?
--What other features should the room have for your needs? Mirrors? Are the ceilings high enough for work with veils, canes, etc. Are there things that could get in the way, such as ceiling fans and light fixtures?
--If this is in a facility with multiple rooms/spaces, what other activities are happening at the same time as yours? Is your space properly sound-proofed (we looked at an affordable space at a ballroom dance school, however, the walls to our room only went up three-quarters to the ceiling and the main studio would almost always be in use)
--Will you need your own sound system?

Financial and other considerations:
--How much can you afford to spend? (a lot of people in our group were shocked at how much space rental cost)
--What are the insurance/liability issues?
--What times will you need the space? What times are available?
--Do other groups share the use the space directly before or after you do?
--Will you be paying based on number of students/participants, or will you pay a flat monthly, weekly, daily or hourly basis? If you pay by the month, what happens when there are months with an "extra" week?
--If you vacate the space, how much notice will you need to give the owner?
--Are there restrictions on what you can do in the space? What are your responsibilities for cleaning the space after you use it?
--Is there water available or will students have to bring their own?

I also recommend visiting each space. Square footage might sound like a lot over the phone, but it might look much smaller when you actually walk around in it, or the dimensions of the room might be strange.

Make an overall comparison of each space's features and relative positives and negatives. In our case, we found a lovely and affordable location, but had to compromise on our ideal class times.

Cheap insurance thru IDEA...250 a year.

yes i know how/where to rent stuff for shows.

Originally Posted by tattood1

i know gyms do around here.

would i need insurance?? & what type?? instructors or facility liability??

if i may ask what would you consider a reasonable rental fee??

Yes, there is an organization that provides it, will have to look it up, I have it, but I'm not very organized

Facilities carry their own insurance, you carry insurance to cover your own liability if you get sued.

ok so do i just call up studio X and say "hey do you rent dance space?" and go from there? tina

Originally Posted by tattood1

ok so do i just call up studio X and say "hey do you rent dance space?" and go from there? tina

yes, but it might be helpful to also have a script (at least it is for me) and an idea of what days and times you are interested in.

How much do you charge per hour? IS there a discount for a leased room -v- month to month?

How much insurance, if any do you require?

Would there be a key provided to me or am I dependent upon somebody else to let me in?

Do you advertise? If so, what would you need from for promotion?

Do you get a lot of walk ins? Is there foot traffic?

Things that are important to you.

Yeah. Agree with Kina. Have a brief statement ready to explain what you need.

Our local dance schools all have pretty tight schedules, so the first thing they asked was how much time we were wanting and how often.

now if i can get somebody to answer the ph. at local studios. it always amazes me that a. they don't answer phones till evening and b. often have some kid do it!!

Try Venbrook Insurance Services - myfitnessinsurance.com - About Us for liability insurance. Easy to get--just fill out the app.

Last time I rented was about six years ago, but I paid I think $30 or $35 for an hour and a half rental in a dance studio- this is in Kansas City. I looked up a couple different potential studios, then went online to check out their schedules to see where I might fit in. You'll probably find that prime times (right after work) will be taken by the studio. I narrowed it down to a couple locations, had preliminary telephone conversations with the owners, then face-to-face chats and then chose one.

The studio owner where I rented lived above the studio, and for a couple months would lock up after me - then she just gave me my own key. I paid weekly, and just let her know if I was going to take a couple weeks off.

As someone who runs a dance studio, I can tell you -- you'll have to leave a message. I'm NOT going to sit in my studio all day in case the phone rings and then teach all evening. (people often are surprised when they stop by my studio during the day and I'm not in there... like I live there, or I'm supposed to sit in there from 8am to 5pm in case someone wants me, then teach until 10).

Leave messages, just say you're interested in renting space. If they don't call you back, take it to mean that they don't have any open time slots.

Around here you can rent a small dance studio for $20-25 per hour.

The problem is time slots. A dance studio owner is trying to make a living holding classes from 6-9pm Mon- Thurs, which is TOUGH to do. There are, really, only 12 hours of 'prime time' to try to pay the rent, utilities, ads, etc before the owner can even make a dime. If you want to teach during one of those times, you're probably SOL unless you get lucky enough to find a studio that is new, just expanded, or isn't doing well.

If you're willing to teach on, say, a Sunday evening, you might even be able to negotitate a cheap rate since the studio is probably sitting unused.

In Iowa City, Iowa (metro area has about 80,000 people) I rent from a non-profit studio that offers space for dance, yoga, tai chi, etc. I used to pay $20 for 1 hour per week of rental. Now that I rent 2 hours per week, I pay $30 for the 2 hours (ie, $15/hour). I feel this is reasonable.

My studio provides liability insurance for the physical location. It's up to me to insure myself as an instructor.

Some studios hire the dance instructor, while others rent space, and still others do a little of each. If the studio hires you, they'll expect to do all advertising. If you rent space, you'll probably need to do all advertising, though you may be able to place fliers for your class in the lobby.

Features to look for:

• Required: Bathroom, kept in clean condition.
• Nice-to-have: Room to change clothes that is separate from the bathroom.
• Required: Studio has whatever heating & air conditioning is needed to be comfortable in your local weather conditions.
• Required: Floor won't cause injury/stress to feet, ankles, knees, and lower back. Carpet is not acceptable - it will torque people's knees if they do any kind of spins, turns, or half-turns. Tile laid directly on concrete is not acceptable - it can injure feet, ankles, shins, knees, and lower back. Rubber flooring laid over concrete might be okay for belly dancing as long as you don't teach hopping folkloric material such as Saidi and debke, but it's not ideal. Sprung floor is ideal - can be finished off using either click-down flooring, rubber floor, or hardwood. It's not necessary to have marley for belly dance, but it's okay if they do. (Marley is important to ballet dancers, because it helps them land from their high leaps without skidding.)
• Nice-to-have: Entrance lobby with seating where students can hang up their coats, take off their shoes, chat with each other, etc.
• Nice-to-have: Sufficient free parking for students.
• Nice-to-have: If you sign a lease, they'll give you your own key so you can get in and out without someone having to be there.
• Nice-to-have: They have an annual recital in which your students have an opportunity to participate.
• Nice-to-have: They'll help you market your classes.
• Nice-to-have: They'll refer performance opportunities to you that may be suitable for you and/or your students.

When I lived in California, I used to teach through an adult education program. Now that I live in Iowa, I rent studio space. I like renting studio space better than teaching under someone else's rules, but each has its pros and cons.

Just call the local studio's and see if they rent studio space, I've never been asked about insurance, because the studio has insurance, I pay $20-25 an hour, so you can figure that into the cost of classes.

soo i'm looking at maaybe $100ish a month. i don't get promoted that much were i'm at. having a place i could possibly put on haflas without pulling teeth with mecda would be appealing.

last year about mid year my main bd teaching job changed the rules & that was a wake up call. i want to be a true independant contractor not one in name only subject to whims. tina

Way good deal if you can do it. My nut runs 450 per month. Did I mention I'm non profit?...and dont ask how much I charge...you will tell Rosey to terminate my account!

Originally Posted by tattood1

now if i can get somebody to answer the ph. at local studios. it always amazes me that a. they don't answer phones till evening and b. often have some kid do it!!

The dance studios around here have business hours from 4:00-10:00pm-ish. Yeah, the person answering the phone is usually a teen trading office time for classes. Dance studios and aerobic studios are a tough get--their "prime time" teaching hours are the same as ours! Around here (suburban Chicago) you're looking at $50/hr just for studio time (no promotion or anything else) and that will be on the fringe ends of the existing schedule.

~~Kimahri

I have a studio and i rent it to others on weekend's so I can give you the rates:
Dance Workshops:
25 euro per hour if its a workshop (usual its something like 3 hours workshop + 1 hour (half before, half after). So its 100 euro = 80 dollars that someone that want to teach a workshop (and we are not advertizing it, just renting the space), usual workshops in Greece are about 50 euro per person, this means that with 2 students the teacher have already payed the space.

Alternative Workshops/classes (Reiki etc)
20 euro per hour

Group rehearshals:
20 euro per hour

Students of my studio rehearshals
10 euro per hour
(even if they are 20, they split the price)

We provide the space (and its great !!), mirrors, audio system, video wall, coffee/drinks, and one person have to be there, even sitting in the desk writing on bhuz !! (like i'm doing now lol, as infront of me they are practising tap dance and i have to close my ears lol

Maria Aya..g.:

The studio I used to have rented at $25/hour. We required the instructor to carry their own insurance. And generally asked that they rent during non-prime hours.

Just for your info...

If I rent space for myself..I don't see the insurance issue a problem....but if I teach other people class during that time....then I would feel responsible ..NOT the studio. They usually aren't responsible for what is being taught in your class if someone gets hurt.
So if you use it as if it is your studio with your own students...I would carry insurance to be on the safe side. If the studio HIRES you to teach, that is a whole other issue.

Originally Posted by TanyaLV

If I rent space for myself..I don't see the insurance issue a problem....but if I teach other people class during that time....then I would feel responsible ..NOT the studio. They usually aren't responsible for what is being taught in your class if someone gets hurt.
So if you use it as if it is your studio with your own students...I would carry insurance to be on the safe side. If the studio HIRES you to teach, that is a whole other issue.

As an employee of a studio, you fall under their insurance.

As an independent contractor/renter, you provide your own insurance and name the studio as an additional insured.

Deborah

I've been investigating renting studio space on Saturdays for rehearsals. I have been quoted $35/hour by the one studio that responded; that $35/hour is a reduced rate, since I will renting at least two hours at a time.

The studio is fabulous and convenient, but I need to keep looking . . . that amount, though reasonable in my area, is quite high for someone who is not collecting teaching fees!

Hmmmmm . . . off to start a new thread! :Abiggrin:

Deborah

Originally Posted by casbahdance

As an employee of a studio, you fall under their insurance.

As an independent contractor/renter, you provide your own insurance and name the studio as an additional insured.

Deborah

Yeah..I think that is what I meant...thanks!..g.:

Originally Posted by TanyaLV

Yeah..I think that is what I meant...thanks!..g.:

I know that's what you meant . . .

Deborah

..g.: