Previously I mentioned that holding a dance performance is not easy for start-up studios, and it has no immediate effect for boosting up your dance business; but after a while you set up your regular classes, performance is needed, that's why I have an annual performance each year. I still vividly remember the very first time I prepared for this non-professional performance, and I would like to share it with you all.
I had a very loyal group of students (truly grateful and proud of them) after the first two years of teaching. They did fine enough to go public, not excellent, but reasonable amateur considering that they had professional job the consuming their time for practicing (and sometimes even their classes). At that time, I was hoping that we could get involved in the small local events so that they could be appreciated for their hard work, and I could get attention from potential students.
However, once I mentioned the word 'performance', most of them said 'NO!'.
Their response defied our logic that people went for Latin Dancing wanted to be pretty on stage and that flaunting had to be the ultimate goal. The reality, however, was quite the opposite. As I mentioned before, they all got their decent work to do, lawyers, managers, teachers... They had their code of behaviour, even though not at work.
After I ensured and re-ensured them that nothing would be really sexy, hot, revealing, extravagant... I lost two students and half of the remaining agreed to perform but would not wear real dance costumes like mine (you know, those you see in competitions), because, let's use their words, 'they are improper for their occupation'. Those dresses were not too sexy for them themselves but for their work.
We reached a compromise that make-up would be light, dressing would be very 'low-light' and practicing time would not encroach our normal classes, nor would it eat up their free time- you see, it's weird that we were not working more to make it spectacular. Then in the end we performed two dances which last approximately 10 minutes with very easy steps.
Well, after the performance, did I really get attention and get new students? I'll tell you next time.
(part 2)- what you expect
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