There are very few industries as visual as the dance industry. No matter an individual student’s goals for dancing, at its fundamental core, the entire art form is about creating movement in time to music. Even beyond that, it’s about how dancing makes the dancer and audience feel. 

The written word is not adequate to communicate to prospective clients what dance can do for them, what the particular styles you might teach look like, and what the type of music they’ll be dancing to sounds like. What’s the difference between Waltz and Foxtrot? How is Chacha different from Rumba? What’s the difference between hiphop, jazz, and modern dance? What does a ballet class at your studio actually look like?

When I stepped into a ballroom for the first time, I thought “ballroom” was one style of dance. I had no idea there were nineteen different styles within four different generas within the umbrella title of ballroom. As a prospective student who’d never danced a step in his life, I was intimidated by the idea of dancing, and even the stigmas of a broader culture that doesn’t always appreciate it. What should I wear? What would my teacher be like?

I didn’t show up to my first lesson because I was nervous and didn’t know what to expect. (Thankfully I did show up to the second and quickly fell in love with dancing). If a prospective client can’t visualize what they might look like or feel like when dancing, how can they get excited about potentially learning from you? Worse – they might let fear stop them entirely. 

Short videos showcasing how lessons work, what the atmosphere was, who the teachers were, and what to expect could’ve alleviated a lot of these fears for me, and many others who consider dancing but are a bit nervous of getting started.

The fact is, the dance market is relatively small, and the competition is fierce. Many ballrooms and dance studios don’t even have a list of teachers, classes, or events on their websites – much less videos covering these topics. Imagine the power of being the first studio in your community to really leverage videos showcasing the personalities and teaching styles of your instructors – or showing off the style of dance your students can learn – or how your studio is a true family environment that people can call home. 

At Focused Story Films, I marry my love of dance with my love of creating powerful content that helps brands to tell their stories. 

 

Videos that most studios lack are:

Branding Videos – These videos showcase the general culture, dance style, mood, and feel of the studios. They show off the culture that new or experienced dancers can expect to find when walking through a studio’s doors.

Teacher Videos – These videos quickly showcase who your instructors are, how they teach, and give prospective students the opportunity to find a teacher whose a good match. 

Performance Videos – I first got interested in ballroom because I saw a performance and had the gut reaction of “I want to do that”. Having high quality performance videos on your website and social media is a great way to inspire potential dancers to decide that they want to learn how to dance. 

Class Videos – If your studio teachers different styles of dance, or different types of classes within a particular styles – short class videos can be an effective way to give potential students an idea of what they’ll be learning so they feel more comfortable showing up and will have a good experience.

Party Videos – Many dance studios host weekly or monthly dance parties or events to let students practice their technique and just make friends and socialize within their communities. Having videos to show how off the atmosphere is a great way to entice new dancers, or experienced dancers from other dance communities, to check out what you’re up to.

Testimonial Videos – Every business needs testimonials, and the dance community is no different. With such fierce competition, your studio or independent instructor business can greatly benefit from videos of your students and patrons talking about why they love learning and dancing at your studio. 

 

As both a dancer and videographer, I have a huge passion for creating content for dance studios and teachers that help them be more successful and connect them with more students. If you’re interested to learn more about how your dance business would benefit from video content, I’d love to hear from you!