Is Valentine’s Day only for sweethearts?
No. Some might consider it just a “Hallmark Holiday” but Valentine’s Day remains an opportunity to show appreciation for and celebrate our friends, family, and loved ones. With the exception of ballroom or social dance schools, it’s not typically a holiday that gets much attention at dance studios… a candy heart here, a Valentine for the teacher there…
Why not make Valentine’s Day an event in your studio?
Here are a few lovely ideas!
Have students bring a parent (or two) to class. It is a great way to wrap parent observation (often held around this time of year anyway) and dance parent appreciation together with a sweet theme. After all, we love our dance parents!
A parent could even participate in class. A “My heart belongs to Daddy” theme may get the fathers to join in! If you’ve got a class of girls, you might want to check out my list of father/daughter songs.
Bring a friend to class. This is a fun marketing idea that many studios have adopted. Students get to bring a friend to their class to share their favorite activity, their friends get a taste of your class or school, and studios may enjoy a few extra customers when all is said and done. On Valentine’s Day the focus doesn’t have to be on “sweethearts” though high school students may get a kick out of bringing significant others. Try some fun partnering or mirroring activities. After all, two hearts are better than one!
Speaking of partnering… If you don’t have time to create your own event around the holiday. Why not make your class extra special with some fun mirroring activities for young children or a partnering class for the older ones. I love this idea for a Dynamic Friendship Dance from Stacey at Leaping Legs!
Hold an open class. Take a cue from your social-dancing cousins. An open class could be held during an evening of the week that you wouldn’t normally have class. Make it something accessible and appealing to males and females of all ages, like an introductory Hip Hop class. Open it to the community. If it’s an adult class, bill it as a great date night. If it’s for kids, just make it fun. If you think you may fill up, hold more than one class. Consider it an open house for people to ask questions or get more information about your school. Get volunteers from your studio to decorate for the holiday and serve refreshments!
These are just a few ideas – do you have one to share?
Does your studio do something special for Valentine’s Day?
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Nichelle Suzanne is a writer specializing in dance and online content. She is also a dance instructor with over 20 years experience teaching in dance studios, community programs, and colleges. She began Dance Advantage in 2008, equipped with a passion for movement education and an intuitive sense that a blog could bring dancers together. As a Houston-based dance writer, Nichelle covers dance performance for Dance Source Houston, Arts+Culture Texas, and other publications. She is a leader in social media within the dance community and has presented on blogging for dance organizations, including Dance/USA. Nichelle provides web consulting and writing services for dancers, dance schools and studios, and those beyond the dance world. Read Nichelle’s posts.
