As one of the most popular art forms worldwide, dance is a highly engaging mode of self-expression that anyone should be able to engage in. This includes people of all different backgrounds and abilities, and as a dance studio owner or professional, it’s your responsibility to make your classes a welcoming space. 

Inclusive dance classes allow all students to participate in dance, feel connected to your community, and build a strong emotional connection to your studio. In the long run, this will lead to greater retention and help you foster a positive dance community that uplifts its members and contributes to their personal and professional growth. 

Use these essential tips to help everyone feel accepted at your dance studio: 

• Create accessible choreography
• Celebrate diversity
• Offer alternative financing options

By putting inclusivity at the forefront of your dance education, your studio and your students will benefit. Let’s begin. 

Create accessible choreography

When coming up with dance routines to teach your students, consider students with different abilities that may not be able to readily use a body part that’s incorporated into your dance. For example, individuals who use wheelchairs and don’t have full leg mobility would need a routine that allows them to use their head, neck, arms, and chest as an alternative. 

Rather than creating choreography solely for able-bodied individuals, create a routine that can apply to wheelchair users as well. Provide practical modifications that allow wheelchair users to immerse themselves and still feel included. 

Accessible choreography can also apply beyond wheelchair users to people with other disabilities, such as visual or hearing impairments. Here are a few tips to support students with these types of disabilities:

• Ensure that your dance studio has a lot of space and doesn’t have any clutter. Have your students leave any belongings outside or in a designated area and make sure everyone is aware of where these objects are. 
• Use repetition and avoid moving forward too fast through a dance routine. 
• Offer verbal descriptions of each dance movement so students with visual impairments can still learn the routine. Dance professionals can also provide physical guidance to their students.
• Use a visual counting system for individuals with hearing impairments and incorporate sign language into teaching your routine. 

Your dance studio teachers will need to be up to date on accessibility best practices so they can actively incorporate them into their routines. According to DanceStudio-Pro’s guide to owning a dance studio, you can help train your staff to better meet your students’ needs by equipping them with the right tools. Dance studio software with comprehensive teacher management tools can help teachers organize their accessible lesson plans and share them easily with students. 

Celebrate diversity

Diversity brings strength to any community. By creating a diverse space that celebrates differences and helps people feel represented and seen, you’ll be able to develop a community that values mutual respect, understanding, and acceptance. 

Consider these essential tips to make your dance studio more diverse:

• Hire dance teachers from varying backgrounds. This helps you build a community of people with varying perspectives and ideas that can help your community be even stronger. 

Offer different types of dance. Choreograph traditional dances from various cultures to help students learn more about dance from different parts of the world. This form of dance education enriches your students’ intellectual development and allows them to engage in different styles of dance. 

• Promote body positivity and uplift all of your students. Remind your students that people of any size can engage in and enjoy dancing. If your dance studio has a dress code and requires students to buy clothing from your business, ensure that you offer a wide variety of sizes, including petite and plus sizes. Your dress code should also be gender-neutral so students can choose the clothing they feel most comfortable in. 

You can also allow students and teachers at your studio to voice feedback and offer suggestions on different ways to improve and celebrate diversity. This will help the different members of your community feel heard and respected, and their ideas can be very insightful in making your studio more inclusive. 

Offer alternative financing options

An important component of accessibility is financial inclusivity, which ensures that people of different financial backgrounds can still participate in the art of dance and join your community. Costs for costumes, pointe shoes, and membership can quickly add up and prevent someone who loves dance from engaging with your services. 

Offer accessible financing options such as:

Scholarships. Contact local businesses that would be willing to sponsor a student’s membership at your dance studio. According to Re:Charity’s guide to corporate philanthropy, you may be able to secure a corporate sponsorship from a business in exchange for a valuable service like helping to market their company to your dancers and their families. 

Reduced or discounted class costs. Allow first-time dancers at your dance studio to take their first class for free or at a reduced cost. After that, you can offer special discounts if students refer another person to your studio or fulfill another type of service that would be beneficial to your business. Dance software can help you manage these different forms of payment offerings and transactions. 

Develop a work-study program. Give older dancers, like high school students, college students, or adult students, the opportunity to work off any expenses, such as by cleaning your dance studio, helping to choreograph dances for other age groups, or assisting with hair and makeup at the next competition show. 

Your business could also host a fundraiser to support students with financial needs. Consider hosting a dance-a-thon or auctioning off beautiful dance costumes and other intriguing items that will motivate dancers’ families and people of the community to support your studio. Get creative with your fundraising events and consider tapping into the power of a peer-to-peer fundraiser to maximize your success and expand your reach. 

By making your dance studio a more inclusive learning environment, you’ll be able to build a strong community of individuals from all different backgrounds, and allow them to fully immerse themselves in the power of dance. After all, your role as a dance studio owner or professional is to disperse invaluable dance education, and prioritizing diversity makes this possible. Use these helpful tips and look for robust dance studio software to support your team in developing more accessible classes. Good luck!