The Entrepreneurship of Starting a Dance Studio
Advisor: Ms. Abodouma
Internship Location: Lisa performing arts at 42307 Osgood Rd G, Fremont, CA 94539
Onsite Mentor: Christina Wang
Dance is a universal medium for cultural exchange, self-expression, and building a lifelong community, yet many aspiring dancers despondently miss the opportunities to learn dance and share their own stories due to financial hardships or environmental factors. My research investigates how a diverse-genre dance studio can be sustainably launched and operated to balance affordability for customers, community enrichment, and financial viability for owners. Using industry analysis, interviews with studio professionals, and observations within established studios, I aim to develop a comprehensive business plan addressing startup costs, market differentiation, and strategies for community engagement. By analyzing the demand for dance classes with a variety of styles and exploring innovative marketing and operational approaches, I will create a framework that makes dance education accessible to all while empowering studio owners to sustain their passion for the performing arts. This research not only merges entrepreneurship and passion for the arts but inspires others to pursue successful ventures that foster creative expression and community contribution.
Project Blog
Week 0: An Introduction to the Relationship between Dance and Entrepreneurship
How can a culturally-focused dance studio be sustainably launched and operated to meet community demand, be affordable, and remain financially viable? This question builds the foundation of my project, with ways to merge my passion for dance and practical business strategies.
My journey in dance began with a simple choice: dance over swimming. Since then, it has shaped who I am, teaching me discipline, creativity, and the power of diversity. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege to share Chinese culture through performances at events like the NBA Halftime Show and the San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade. These experiences have shown me the transformative power of accessible platforms for cultural expression and the need for affordable opportunities in the arts.
Through this project, I’ll dive into the logistics of running such a studio, researching topics like branding, financing, community engagement, and marketing. I’ll research the local interest in diverse-genre dance classes, and using online resources, I’ll determine potential audiences and competitors. Through interviews with the studio director of Lisa Performing Arts (LPA) and teachers, I will estimate expenses, including rent, renovations, equipment, and instructor salaries. I’ll prepare detailed financial charts that forecast revenue and expenses for the studio’s first year. I also plan on designing a marketing plan incorporating social media outreach, community partnerships, and promotional events. My final goal is to create a comprehensive business plan and a video pitch for potential investors, providing a roadmap for anyone looking to merge art and entrepreneurship.
Ultimately, I hope this initiative inspires others to think critically about how we can use business for philanthropic needs—whether by making art accessible, going on your own entrepreneurial venture, or building meaningful communities. Dance has taught me the value of movement, and now, I aim to explore the value of moving ideas into action.
(approved by IA)
Week 1: Getting Started
Hi everyone! It’s Week 1, and I’m officially getting started with my Senior Project. This week, I started my research on the fundamentals of starting a dance studio by focusing on the format of a business plan and analysis of demand for diverse-genre dance studios.
Necessary components of a business plan include the mission statement, target customer identification, financial plans, and marketing strategies. I learned that a strong value proposition (a statement explaining the benefits a company offers its customers) and operational goals are crucial. The business model canvas is also a framework that highlights the parts of starting a business, including key resources, customer relationships, revenue streams, and cost structures.
Next, I focused on understanding the market demand for diverse-genre dance studios. The U.S. dance studio industry is growing steadily, but traditional studios tend to focus on the more mainstream styles such as ballet, jazz, hip-hop etc. Studies show the need for inclusivity in regards to dance styles with the recent increase in interest in dance style fusion and broadcasting.
Furthermore, after examining the Analysis of Success Factors of ABC Dance Studio, I gained insight into present-day dance studio markets with adaptable business models and a priority on inclusivity of background and dance style.
Next week, I will continue to delve deeper into the analysis of competitor studios and market gaps.
Thanks for reading and see you next week!
Sources:
https://www.thestudiodirector.com/blog/dance-studio-business-plan/
https://www.ibisworld.com/united-states/industry/dance-studios/5350/
https://archive.cm.mahidol.ac.th/bitstream/123456789/4608/1/TP%20GM.001%202022.pdf
https://sci-hub.se/https://doi.org/10.1080/10632913.2015.1124307
Week 2: Business Decisions and Brand Identity
Hi everyone! This is Week 2 of my project! Throughout this week, I continued my research into dance studio management and a little bit of marketing, while also incorporating digital resources into it all. I looked into strategic business decisions, branding, and financial viability from various case studies and business articles. I also helped organize Lisa Performing Arts (the dance studio I’m interning at) annual program cover’s digital archive and learned Webflow operations to update the studio website’s CSS.
First, I analyzed how different business models affect studio enrollment and retention. The study showed the importance of owners making data-driven decisions about class pricing, instructor hiring, and program offerings to remain sustainable. Setting up structured financial projections and figuring out customer demand is crucial to success. For long-term studio success, community engagement is key; it is shown that dance studios that actively participate in local events and form partnerships with schools and organizations build stronger customer loyalty. This goes to show that both diverse-genre and community-focused are important to the long-term sustainability of a dance studio.
Furthermore, a study emphasized the significance of brand identity as a cohesive statement that reflects a studio’s values and sets it apart from competitors. A reason many studios struggle is that they lack brand consistency throughout their websites, social media, and advertisement materials. This directly influenced my work this week as I began refining Lisa Performing Arts’ website using Webflow, where I understood how digital presence affects customer perception. Reinforcing my concept of the connection between dance and entrepreneurship, The Business of Dance demonstrates how the arts and business strategy are mutually inclusive, in that dance studio entrepreneurs must think beyond merely teaching dance.
Moving forward, I plan to analyze and calculate average expenses and revenue for a dance studio. Thanks for reading, and see you next week!
Sources:
https://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1003&context=bus_econ_hon
https://www.ietm.org/sites/default/files/attachments/page/the_business_of_dance_9_march.pdf
https://digscholarship.unco.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1314&context=theses
Week 3: Diving Deeper into Business
Hi everyone! Welcome to Week 3! This week, I focused on the financial aspects of starting and running a dance studio, analyzing revenue models, startup costs, and long-term sustainability strategies. Specific monetary values are key to the financial analysis part of the business plan.
Starting with startup costs, the initial investment to open a dance studio can range from $10,000 to $100,000, depending on location, studio size, and equipment needs. This includes specific aspects such as lease/rent deposits, renovations, licensing and insurance, software, etc. Monthly operating expenses can range from $5,000 to $15,000, with main costs stemming from rent, utilities, and instructor salaries.
The main source of revenue comes from class pricing, with revenue being around $15,000 a month in tuition alone for a relatively smaller dance studio with around 100 students. However, additional revenue streams can be generated from studio rentals, merch sales, and workshops, pushing revenue per month to potentially reach $20,000+. Income for dance studio owners depends on the size and profitability, with a small size earning around $25,000-$50,000 annually, a medium size earning around $50,000-$100,000 annually, and a large size earning around $100,000+ annually. It is generally recommended for profits to be reinvested into studio growth before owners take their share of salary.
Next week, I will interview the studio director and select teachers of Lisa Performing Arts to strengthen my findings on both financial and business strategies of operating a dance studio. Thanks for reading, and see you next week!
Sources:
https://businessplan-templates.com/blogs/running-costs/dance-studio
https://wod.guru/blog/how-much-does-it-cost-to-open-a-dance-studio/
https://dancerents.com/how-much-do-dance-studio-owners-make/
https://www.salary.com/research/salary/hiring/dance-studio-owner-salary/ca
https://swyvel.io/blog/how-much-do-dance-studio-owners-make-an-insiders-financial-overview/
https://www.thestudiodirector.com/blog/how-much-does-it-cost-to-run-a-dance-studio/
Week 4: Interviews Galore
Hi everyone! This is Week 4 of my project! This week, I had the opportunity to interview a dance instructor and gain insights into what makes a studio successful.
Student retention is closely tied to a positive and structured learning environment. For younger students, validating student emotions and a predictable class structure helps students feel comfortable and engaged. For older and more advanced dancers, constructive feedback helps track progress over time.
When I asked the instructor about the most rewarding aspect of teaching, she said, “Watching students overcome their own doubts and achieve things they never thought they could is definitely the best part of my job. Dance and a good studio culture teaches patience, resilience, and self-confidence far beyond the studio too.”
Studio culture fostering a sense of community is also essential in keeping both dancers and teachers engaged and willing to teach and learn. Healthy competition should be encouraged, but the emphasis should remain on collaboration and teamwork rather than rivalry. Leadership opportunities for students also help students grow both personally and artistically.
On the financial side, the interview emphasized an ongoing problem in the dance industry—unfair compensation for instructors. Many dance instructors are expected to work long hours, choreograph pieces and formations, and contribute to the studio outside of class time without additional pay. However, it is hard to weigh the value of time and effort outside of class time with salary. Incentive-based compensation models, such as bonuses for complete managerial projects or additional pay for larger class sizes, help materialize a more sustainable work environment.
Moving forward, I will incorporate these insights into my suggestive business plan, including fair pay structures, opportunities for leadership, a studio culture that prioritizes growth, patience, and teamwork, etc. Next week, I will dive into the community engagement aspect of running a dance studio. Thanks for reading; see you next week!
Sources:
Answers courtesy of Ms. Sabrina
Week 5: Finance and Community Outreach
Hi everyone, welcome to Week 5! Time is really flying by; we’re already halfway through this project! This week, I started looking into the community engagement and financial projection portion of my suggestive business plan.
Focusing on how to create financial projections, I provided an example with monetary values that lie within industry estimates for financial projections and break-even analysis. Projected monthly revenue of a small to mid-sized studio would be around $30,000, monthly expenses would be around $25,000, and monthly profit around $5,000.
For break-even analysis, in which the break-even point is when revenue equals costs, projections would be fixed costs being around $15,000 a month, variable costs per student $100 a month, average revenue per student $150 a month, and break-even enrollment being 100 students or more.
Cash flow should be maintained to cover fluctuations in seasonal expenses and profits, with projected annual revenue being around $350,000, annual expenses being around $300,000, and year-end profit being around $50,000. A minimum cash reserve of at least around $20,000 is suggested for unexpected fluctuations or business expansion.
In terms of community outreach, dance studios should offer inclusive programming (diverse dance genres), student-centered learning (personalized constructive feedback for students), and social events and community partnerships (community performances) to strengthen studio visibility and long-term retention.
Next week, I will refine financial and analytical charts while beginning to look into suggestive business plan writing and framing. See you next week!
Sources:
https://forecastia.ai/financial-projections-templates/dance-studio
https://sci-hub.se/https://doi.org/10.1080/14647893.2014.910187
https://sci-hub.se/https://doi.org/10.1080/15290824.2017.1360495
Week 6: Projections and the Outline!
Hi everyone! We’re on Week 6 of my project already! This week, things have started to come together as I began working on an outline of my suggestive business plan and running financial projections.
Drafting the plan came with hours of work pulling from previous research and notes and compiling all pertaining information into a loose business framework, which should serve as the foundation for additional details and recommendations, as well as specific values. I chose to break it down into key sections, such as the executive summary, industry analysis, studio offerings, financial planning, community engagement and marketing strategy, operations, risk management and sustainability, and conclusion and call to action (sections are subject to change). I also included more specific aspects, such as flexible pricing models, local partnerships, diversified revenue streams, etc.
Regarding financial models, I started running charts and graphs mapping potential startup costs, projected revenue, and break-even points. I also attempted to generate suggestive income statement, cash flow analysis, and balance sheet information, leaving me with a crucial takeaway—cutting costs is less efficient than leveraging investments in sustainability.
As more physical work I did this week was restructuring, redesigning, and adding pages to Lisa Performing Arts’ website on Webflow. This week’s progress made things feel a little more tangible as I began working on part of my final product. Hopefully, next week my suggestive business plan (outline) will look relatively more furnished! Thanks for reading, see you next week!
Week 7: Finessing the Suggestive Business Plan
Hi everyone, welcome to Week 7 of my project! This week, I started connecting the financial, operational, and community pieces I’ve been researching and working on into a more cohesive plan. After last week’s investigation into the structure of business planning, financial projections, and website development, my focus turned to adding more content and resources into my final plan.
Building on the framework of the business plan outline and financial models, I added essential resources and more guidance for aspiring entrepreneurs. I organized various online platforms, such as SBA, The Studio Director, Forecastia, Dance/USA, Webflow, Hello Alice, etc., to provide mentorship in a variety of aspects including funding, templates, branding, marketing, and managing risk.
The Webflow studio website continued its evolution as I finessed the font and style, layout, and added and altered additional content on both bilingual sets of pages. I’m currently working on the animation for the search bar feature—my attempt at a clean and user-friendly design.
This stage of the project puts emphasis on connecting the dots of research, interviews, and analyses into a practical plan. Next week, I’ll hopefully wrap up the suggestive business plan materials and begin working on a working template for aspiring entrepreneurs. Thanks for making it this far along my journey, and see you next week!
Sources:
Week 8: Working Template Not Working?
Hi everyone! This is Week 8 of my project! This week was all about wrapping up my suggestive business plan and starting to write the working template portion of my final product. Though I’m behind the planning, outlining, and prototyping stages, bringing the pieces together wasn’t as easy as I had thought.
One of the more challenging parts this week was struggling with the balance between accessibility and guidance. I want my suggestive business plan and working template to entail realistic financial recommendations and business strategies while also maintaining customizability and less rigidity in terms of prompts and responses. This forced me to rethink the entire framework of my working template and consider fillable options, and having options that align with the original proposition of my project.
Creating both a flexible and reflective business plan template sounded simple at first, but the deeper I got, the more I realized the challenges of designing for both practicality and resource. I didn’t want it to seem like a rigid form of question and answer, but I also didn’t want to leave aspiring entrepreneurs lost without structure. After a few versions and edits, I decided on having a workbook-style guide with open-ended and leading prompts, reflection space, and planning support.
Even with some problems along the way, this week reminded me that progress doesn’t always come naturally. There’s something invaluable about the editing, revising, and altering. Next week, I’ll be shifting my focus to preparing final presentation materials and refining the template. Thank y’all for reading, and see you next week!
Week 9: It's Almost the Final Stretch!
Hi everyone! Welcome to Week 9 of my project! As I near the final stretch, this week is all about finessing the details of my suggested business plan and working template. While the core of my business plan is relatively solid, I’ve been focusing on refining everything this past week, including turning short phrases into more polished writing and making sure each section of the plan is clear.
One of my goals this week was to shift from bullet points to a more cohesive and professional writing style for my plan. I changed areas which I thought were less readable and rewrote them into full sentences and improved transitions between sections. I also took the time to incorporate insights from earlier interview answers I obtained, including suggestions on student retention, staff compensation, and overall studio operations. I hope that these perspectives will show the real experiences portion of my project as solid advice from experts in the field.
For the financial section, I continued experimenting with Matplotlib in improving readability for the percentages and labels of the pie charts. I also finalized the working, customizable template in Google Docs to ensure full usability, user-friendliness, and shareability.
With most of my final product complete, I started outlining my final presentation. My vision is to clearly display all sections and the reality of starting a business from scratch. Next week will officially be the final stretch of rehearsing and finalizing; hope to see you there! Thanks for reading!
Week 10: Wrapping Up
Hi everyone! We’re officially at the last week of my project! This week, I focused on refining all the final details that tie everything together into a more polished final product. I made final adjustments to both my suggested business plan and working template. More specifically, I made additions to the “Additional Resources” section of the plan that compiles all the articles, interviews, professional studies, financial planning and operational tools, and dance studio literature I referenced throughout my research. I hope that this can help aspiring entrepreneurs easily find and benefit from the same tools I used.
Continuing from last week, although I finally fixed the problem of overlapping percentages and labels on the pie charts by changing them to bar graphs, I realized my break-even analysis didn’t match the graph generated by the code. I initially saw the line graph show up as Month 6, even though it was supposed to be Month 7. After playing around with the code, I realized it was a classic zero-based index issue (index 6 = month 7 to the human eye). I also tweaked the initial formula to include a slight buffer.
Then, finally, I spent some time reformatting both the suggestive business plan and working template for a cleaner layout, improved readability, and a more user-friendly flow. I’m also a little closer to wrapping up my presentation, as I have my script down but not yet the information on the slides.
It’s really surreal to see how much this project—and I—have grown from the start. Thanks for following along through this journey. I’m proud of the work and excited to share it. See you at the finish line!
- Helena