Assistant Teacher Training Tips: What Most Dance Studio Owners Get Wrong

Hello, friends.

I'm Amanda Barr.

And I'm Rebecca Lou Brennan. And welcome to Dance Principles United, the podcast.

Together, we are passionate about helping studio owners with the business of running their studio.

Join us as we talk everything from marketing systems, studio culture, motherhood, life, and everything in between.

This is the Dance Principles United podcast.

Well, hello, friends. It's Bec here from Dance Princip. I hope you are all super amazing. I have the incredible Robin Paris joining me in the studio today. She has an amazing dance studio called Prodigy, and she also owns the Dance Apprentice, which is assistant teacher training, which we're going to chat all about. But how are you, Robyn?

I am so well, right in the thick of concert season. Probably my favorite time of the year. But the adrenaline keeps you going.

When we caught up first of all today, we were just like, how are you feeling? And we're like, totally tired, but three weeks to go.

Tired but sprinting.

Yeah, it's crazy. I have. Guys, I have six concerts this weekend. Two tonight and four tomorrow.

It's wild.

It's wild. You had four preschool concerts last weekend, and then you've got how many to go?

Three to go.

Insanity.

Insanity.

But I thought we would start today by talking about your journey, because we met just before COVID did.

We just. Honestly, I feel like it was. As Covid was just about to lock us down. We met.

Yep.

It was probably the best timing, though.

Yes, I agree. And it was. You had a very different studio then. We were just having a little giggle about it before. Do you want to tell everyone what your studio was before?

Back in the day, my studio was Rock the Block, so I felt like that was kind of reasonable, you know, Rock the Block. And then in 2018, I bought into another studio that was. Had Circus attached to it. So we moved into their building. And then I thought, hey, we're not just Rock the Block Dance, we're Rock the Block Dance and Circus. So it was mouthful. And I swear, I just remember looking at my back wall with the branding one day, and I was like, what am I doing? Why do I have every letter of the Alphabet in my branding? And then I went home that night, and I just remember, like, coming up with studio names, and I literally came up with Prodigy. Yeah. Prodigy Performing Arts. And I went home and I registered it with Asics straight away. Yeah. And it wasn't until a year later that I met you. And then I was like, I already know what I want to rebrand. Like, what better time?

Yes. I remember doing that rebranding with you. And like, so fun. You've been so smart with that rebranding as well, because everything you do now has the branding. The kids are wearing such cool items with all the branding on it. Like, it's. But it's not just a, oh, let's change the name of the dance studio and a couple of colors. It was like, it's a whole feel and what you wanted the studio to actually be like.

Yeah. I think Prodigy for me represents what our values are. It represents what we deliver personally. Like, the meaning behind Prodigy is a young person with exceptional abilities. And for me, that could be any avenue direction. You know, every child has exceptional abilities and capabilities. It just depends on what area that they shine in. And that's what we do. Like, whether that's in their confidence or their singing or their dancing or who they are as a person. And that is really important to me, that we're building good humans. I love that and I know that every child has that in them, but it's our job to bring out the best in them.

That's amazing.

That's what Prodigy for me is.

Yeah. That's so cool. You should tell that story on your social media.

I totally should. Tell us all the time because that's.

A really cool story. And I feel like all of us out there have a reason behind why we do what we do, but we don't actually ever put it out into the world enough. Like, you know what I mean?

It's not just like, hey, I love dance teaching or I love teaching, let's open a studio. It's like, hang on. Like, anytime I've, you know, you know, when you're mentally at breaking point in your studio in a life, and let's be honest, it happens multiple times.

Multiple times.

And I think I've mentally, like, sold my studio 30 times, but that's fine. But you always go, hang on, why am I here? Like, I always come back to that why?

And.

And then at concert time or, you know, when you just actually sit and reflect. And that's something I've really tried to do a lot of this year because we have a lot of growth and I need to just stop and just look back. And I've never. I kind of just look at where I. Where I am because I've just been sprinting. I've never actually stopped and gone, wow. Like, look at where we are. And then you kind of sit back and you go, look at those kids faces. Like, look at what we're building. Like, that's why I'm here. This is why I'm doing it. Okay. I'm not selling my student now.

Let's.

Okay. I love it now.

Yes. Oh my gosh. The role roller coaster. I'm exact same. Exact same. So when I first met you, how many kids did you have in your studio?

I would have been around, sitting around that. 2, 250.

Okay. And how many kids do you have.

Now in your studio sitting at 720.

That is insane.

But our biggest number this year was 778.

Wow.

Yeah.

That is crazy.

It's, it's. It's so crazy because that's five years. That's a five year growth. And it was hard work. Like countless nights. We do seven days, we work three months straight. But that's what it takes, right?

Like, absolutely.

You know, that's what it takes. But the growth process, I think it's a, it's a journey within the studio's history books. But also as a CEO essentially, and a, and a business owner, like, you have to grow as not just a CEO, but a person with that growth as well. And I've learned so many things along that way to shape me to who I am today and as a business owner. And I've shifted my mindset so many times in that and I think I'm still growing. Like, there's so much more to learn, you know, sitting at that point now where I'm like, wow, I love that. What's going on?

I love that. Yeah. Yeah. Like, I remember when I first met. The one thing I can say about you though is you are such an action taker. Like, as soon as we started working together, if I said do this, you're like, yep. And you would do it times 10. That's the thing. Like, it's never just a small thing for you. It's always giving everything 110%. And I think that's insane in itself. But what do you think has been the biggest thing that's driven the growth? Like, is it consistent marketing? Is it.

What do you. I think for me, my biggest thing is like having a great mentor. So you've been mentoring me for five years, but it's also helped me change my mindset. That's been pivotal in my, in my growth, like my marketing. Now that's my favorite, my most favorite thing to do in my business. I was never a marketer. I was like, I'm a, I'm a school teacher. Like, that's my background. Right. So my whole thing was like teaching and making sure that my kids are building confidence and I still do that. Like I'm a studio owner. I still teach four nights a week. As busy as I am, that's an element of my job. I love. Like that is where it connects me to what, my why. But on the other end of that, like I am obsessed with marketing. I'm obsessed with it.

I can tell.

It's just, I don't know. Yeah, it's just sparked something in me. So I market 24 7, 365 now. And you love it and I love it. But I would never have done that before. Like, you know, I'm very strategic in what we post. I'm very strategic to make sure that all of our kids are being seen in some way, shape or form on our social media. But also that our socials are showing all elements of our studio. You know, from preschool to minis to opens, but also our elite. But also like the little things that we do in our school, like you know, we hand out our lucky ducks at mid year concert to give our kids that little bit of extra boost or you know what I mean? Just little things like that and it shows what we're about and I just want to make sure that we're trying to get that out there as much as possible.

I love it. I love it. And so you were in a building, you had circus in there and then you started to realize that you were getting way too big. Tell me the journey of that because this is a big story.

This is a big story. I'm getting like stressed and sweaty thinking about at the time. So we were thinking about moving because we, we literally were busting at the seams and we were like, oh, do we, do I move? Do I move? Okay, Yep, it needs to happen. But coincidentally at the same time, we got something like five weeks notice to move out because our building was for sale. So it kind of just all worked out and then we got noticed and so the pressure was on. I was contacting every single real estate agent and you know me, like I don't do things in halves. Like I'm saying, like I would contact them at 9 in the morning and if I didn't hear from them by lunch, I was back on the phone. I'm like, what do you have? They're like, you literally just. But it's just, I feel like the universe just worked for me that time. So basically there was a bit of a situation with. Cause we have ready, set, dance as well. So on our side of where we're located, we were kind of approved for that area. Of our area in Smeaton Grange. So I kind of needed to stay on that side. And the craziest thing was, across the road from our building, something came up double the size of what we had, right? But they still had four weeks left on their lease and I had to be out in five. So. So I was like, one week to build. Absolutely not happening. I can't shut down. Like, this was a whole thing. So I said to the real estate agent, like, show me through it. I signed the paperwork that day. Cause I just knew. I was like, this is the one. It's across the road, it's street facing. Like it had all the perks I wanted. And I said, when is he out? She goes, oh, four weeks. I said, no, it's not gonna work for me. They go, well, they do have somewhere else that they can go. Like they're already starting to move across. I go, right, what's it gonna take me to get this guy out? And basically he had all this, like, scaffolding up. And she's like, if you can get by that scaffolding and get him out, like, he'll move. I was like, done, sold. So I've got all this scaffolding.

Do you really. What have you done with this scaffolding?

Luckily, I gave it to my brother in law. I was like, e, do you want some scaffolding? Come pick it up. So like, I made him come and get that. Don't know what he's doing with it. Don't care. It's out of my studio now.

Anyway.

So the scaffolding went. I had four weeks, literally four weeks to build this studio. I had two builders come in. I opted with one. And I was like, right, you're starting on Tuesday. He's like, robyn, it's Thursday. I said, do you want the job? You're starting Tuesday. So here we go. I literally put up four concrete walls into five studios in four weeks. Did the opening on the 19th of August. That is crazy. Yeah, it was just crazy. But it was one of the best times of my life building that studio. Really? Oh, my God. I don't. I just feel like there was just. I was there every day at 7 o'. Clock. I think I left it like, you know, 12, 1 o' clock every night. Just getting everything done for. For a month straight. But it was actually my most favorite time in my. In one of my studio owner journeys. I just loved it because the building.

Is so cool now.

It's so cool.

Yeah. Tell me some of the things that you've Got in there. I know you've got like incredible, like back lighting, signage.

I think for me, like, my, my studio for me and my kids is like, that's their safe space and that's their second home. So when they come to that house, I call it, like, when you come to your house, like, I want it to feel like a home and I want every room to feel like a different experience. That was it for me. Like, every room that you step into has to give you a different vibe. Like, we've got a cage room that gives you the urban vibe. We've got the wooden acoustic room which gives you like, I don't know what vibe. Music room vibe, but it's a different vibe. And then you got your preschool room vibe and then you're like, everything is different. I love it. So I needed to make sure that that, like, I just did not, I guess, stinge on any thought process. Like, I just went all in and it kind of worked, I guess.

And like, I think that makes such a difference. I think if any of you are out there and it's coming up to summer break here in Australia and you're thinking, my studio is looking a bit tired, like, just try and do it up a little bit. Because honestly, first impressions are everything. Like, you know, I just put 100 grand into doing our studio. What we've got a new premises and did up the current one and the old premises just starting to look a bit tired, you know, And I'd only done it up in. I did it up in Covid, did.

The waiting room, which is. Yeah, I feel like when you walk into your studio though, you're. You're welcome. It's very welcoming, it's very open. You feel like you could like, stay there. But I think that's a huge, massive element of the growth process.

Especially when you're dealing with parents. Like, they don't want to walk in and see it looking feral and run down and there's boxes of costumes everywhere and there's crap. Like, no one wants that for their child. They want it to be a beautiful environment. And I feel like that's probably a game changer for you, like having that beautiful waiting area and having the studios look so schmick. Like people will join.

Yeah.

Over something looking tired and horrible.

Yeah, definitely. And I think also it's what they receive from our customer service team the minute they walk in the door as well. But I will say, before we moved into the new place, our waiting room in the old place, I was like, oh, my gosh like, we can't have. This is embarrassing. Like, and I redid that up. Like, I had, I remember I had redone that waiting room up already. And then I think the second time Covid hit I was like, it's already. Like, we already need to re do it. But then the opportunity to move came up. So I was like, we're leaving it, but insane.

Insane. So I wanted to talk about. Because you've got two businesses, not just your dance studio, but you also have the Dance Apprentice, which is training for assistant teachers. And you and I always bitch about how studio owners do not. They just don't train their teachers in general. You know, you know that's my passion. I know it's your passion, but training up those assistant teachers is such a game changer.

Right? Yeah. I think, like you and I both have our assistant teachers now as our personal assistants. Like, they're just so well trained and a well oiled machine. Like, literally, I'm here. I don't. My studio has four preschool studios running all of teachers that I've trained. And I have not even needed to check in. I haven't even thought about it.

Yep.

Don't need to, because I know it's under control.

Yes.

But yeah, obviously I'm a school teacher and I'm very big on professional development. And like, these are kids. Like, this is not something to be mucking around with. Like, they're. I'm not gonna say their lives are at stake because it's not. But like, they are in our hands. So when those kids get dropped off at our studio, they need to go home in the same way. And we've got a duty of care. And like, there are so many elements now that we need to be across, like allergies, child protection. How are we speaking to our kids? What words are we using? How are we providing feedback? What strategies are your teachers using to help them learn? Like, all those things need to be trained in a teacher. We can't just pull a teacher off and go, hey, do you mind just going and taking that class? You just gotta press play on Spotify and go for it. It doesn't work like that because a teacher can make or break a child's confidence and, and personality. And. Absolutely. We can't muck around with that.

Absolutely, absolutely. And as well, like, one of the biggest things is finding teachers. Like, that is what everyone finds the hardest is trying to find good teachers. And if you bring them up through your studio as an assistant teacher, they are the ones that they're my best teachers, yeah, 100%. They are my gun teachers, especially for the younger kids. You know, they are just, they're trained through me and through Dance Apprentice. Obviously they know what they're doing. They know pause. Because they've lived there their whole life.

So your culture's getting pulled through. But do you know what I love as well? They're teaching the right content to the, to that age group. So they know how to modify the choreography or the music. Everything is to that age group. So if you've got it on like under fives troop, they're not teaching them something that a year, three kids gonna learn. Like, they know how to adapt the classes to suit the needs of that child or that class. And that's all through the training that obviously we do in Dance Apprentice. But like, my teachers are guns at that. I'm like, damn, who trained you?

Like, yeah, you know, and I think what I love most about dance apprentices, it's easy because the thing with studio owners is we have no time, you know that. Like, and so things like staff training, which shouldn't get pushed to the back, does get pushed to the back because you've, you've got to answer parent emails and you've got to order costumes and do all of those sorts of things. So when you push it to the front though, and you were saying this before, you then don't have to do so much of that stuff and you can actually start being a business owner because you're training other people to do it. It. Yeah, like, that's a no brainer.

No brainer. And I think like, if you're a studio owner, your priority is your team. Like, that's, that's. Yes, there's marketing, don't get me wrong. But how are you going to market if your team's not on point? So like your priority. This is in my opinion anyway, like my team, that's where I put my focus. My focus is on my team. I want to make sure that they're being valued, but they also know like, where the line crosses of like, oh, I'm getting too comfortable. No, it doesn't work like that. I'll pull them, you know, we have the meeting, we pull them into the office. But like understanding, like where, where we need to be putting our time and that's into our team because they're the ones that are in the classrooms. They're converting your trials and they're retaining your current kids. And if you don't have good teachers in there doing that, then. And you're wondering why you're losing kids. Then there's your answer.

Literally, I was literally saying this on the tribe call today because Phoenix has loved swimming and now he's changed a swimming teacher and she just can't be bothered. And he yesterday said to me, I don't want to swim anymore. And I'm like, see, the teacher is so important. Like, it is actually the make or break of whether that child stays in that activity or not. It's crazy.

And I love it, like when I, when I'm just walking around and doing my walk in. And if it's 4 o' clock and all the kids are going into their class and they're running up to their teachers hugging them, great. But if they're not, I've got to wonder why, like, what are you doing in the classroom? Why are your numbers smaller than all of our other classes? Like, what are you not doing in the classroom that everyone else is doing to retain those numbers and make sure the kids are having a great time.

Absolutely. And I know that with Dance Apprentice it's easy because everything's online and the kids answer the questions as they go. And you even have options where as a studio owner, you don't even have to train them. You'll train them. Yeah.

So I can come in and do the training as well. And that's a good thing, I think. Kind of like how the Dance Apprentice has evolved. And I feel like since COVID like studio owners are busier, there's so much more because we're in a very high, you know, high service industry, so to speak. So we are on all the time. So our time is very limited. So we've come up with different options. So obviously I can train, but I've got time to train because I've got a gun team back at Prodigy. So I can train your team. But now this year we're just releasing like a certification where you can do our original model, where you sit with your training team, train them, they do the assignments you market. Or you can do the non certified version, which is you can just basically put it up on a projector or a TV and use the content as professional development and teacher training. And they just take their own notes. But in that, in the training there's, you know, Q&As and just class discussions and things like that. That's really going to get the ball rolling with thought process, what with your, with your team during the training anyway. So that will save some time. But then we're also doing a road show next year on 2026 to come and do intensives, like full day intensives to help train your team as well.

I love it. I love it. And I think, like, we just all need to think about next year because it's coming up. Yeah. And how powerful it's going to be if we do have that teacher training in there and have all of those things ready to go. And you still. If you've never done assistant teacher training, you definitely should try it. I actually give out a couple of scholarships for Dance Apprentice at my concert for little ones coming up. But I think for parents, there's two types of parents here. One, the parents of the assistants who then see that they're actually doing education on teacher training and really appreciate it. And two, the parents of the young kids that these assistant teachers are teaching who are then saying that they're doing proper training as well. I think both of those things is very powerful in your studio when you have younger teachers.

And that's this question that we get asked, like, so, what's your teachers? Where are they learning? Have you trained them? Yes, absolutely. This is our fully structured training course. This is the modules that they do, and this is. These are the things that they learn, and this is a professional development that we're putting them through. So we have. We have the backup to those questions because our team are constantly getting trained.

I love it. If people out there are thinking about doing assistant training, how can they find you? How can they find Dance Apprentice?

Find me on Instagram.

Yep.

Atthe Dance Apprentice dot com. Oh, no, not dot com.

The Dance Apprentice, the Dance Apprentice. And inbox you. And they can have a look. I know. Once you look through the program, guys, like, once you see a video of it, I was, like, blown away. It's just so, so simple for the kids to use, but there's so much content in it, you know, from their muscles to their. To knowing that side of the anatomy side of things, to knowing child protection laws, to knowing, like, there is so much content in it. Choreography.

Yes. Like lesson planning.

Yeah. Everything that you want a teacher to be, essentially, they're going to learn in that program. And it is truly incredible. So make sure you chat it out. But I have love chatting to you today, Robyn. It's been so much fun.

Thank you so much for having me. You could have been here all day.

I know. You're amazing. All right, guys, we hope you enjoyed that episode, and we will see you next week. Thanks. Bye.

We hope you enjoyed this episode of the Dance Principles United podcast. If you'd love to learn more from us. We have a special offer just for our podcast listeners. Go to the link in the show Notes right now to get two weeks free in Dance Principles United Tribe. We would love to see you there.