USA Dance - how to avoid making studios nervous?

s2k

s2k

Well-Known Member
My partner and I would like to be more active in our local chapter. Unfortunately, our local chapter has a Telenovela-type history. Here is merely one anecdote:

One of the major issues the local chapter is facing is recruiting new members - but without angering studios. Once upon a time, the president of the chapter was also an instructor at one such studio. When it came time for the money talk at the studio, if the couple wasn't able to afford the lessons, the instructor offered to teach them privately IF they became members of USAD, where could could teach them off the books.

It didn't take long for the studio owner to discover this and fire the instructor, who no longer serves on the local USA Dance board, coincidentally.

That was several years ago, but the story, and the sting, is still fresh in our dance community. I've had two other studio owners, when they hear I am a member of USA Dance, tell me they are not supportive of the organization for a multitude of reasons: stealing students, poor instruction, a potential loss of their own income in other ways, etc. I took these as a subtle warning not to try and encourage anyone at these studios to join up. At the time, I wasn't prepared with a list of "reasons USA Dance members will only enhance your studio!" so that's what I'm looking to discuss in this thread.

I'd very much like to participate more in the organization on the local level - but it's important to me, too, to maintain my friendships and business relationships "on both sides of the aisle," if you will. I can think of five couples right now I'd like to reach out to to join, but I am not about to make the studio owner (who is generous with his wifi password and his floor for our practices) regret his patronage of me.

Suggestions?
 
Our local chapter has a rotation of local instructors teach the beginning lessons before its social dances - could be something your chapter would want to steal as an offer of partnering with local studios (no idea if the instructor is paid or not, my guess is probably not).

Based on what you wrote, it seems that your local studios interpret USADance to be positioning itself as a substitute to attending one or more dance studios for lessons, rather than a supplement to what one is already doing at a studio. Is there a perception (justified or not) that USAD crowds out the market for group classes and / or social dances in your local dance scene?
 
In my region that sort of adversarile does not occur. Every month the chapter rents a different studio for its dance. Most months they pay a studio to teach a beginner progressive class every Sunday. The chapter works in cooperation with studios, and really does nothing to compete. The biggest complaint from studios is that not everyone gets a slot, fewer opportunities to go around than studios.
 
I don't follow the USAD stealing students argument - that was one rogue instructor. Here, USAD instruction is one hour a month by rotating invited teachers and is probably the last thing that would threaten a respectable studio.
 
S2K, it is very unfortunate that one bad and dishonest teacher who used USAdance for his own advantage gave this organization a bad reputation in your area. There are many ways a chapter can work with the local community of studios and competitions. And the benefit to the local dance community can be tremendous. You can reach out to me privately any time and we can discuss ways to make it work in your dance community. I can put you together with great chapter leaders that can also give you great advise.
 
Yeah, it's a shame that happened. The local chapter here has good relationships with the studios and it rotates Sunday socials between them. The studios in turn advertise the USAD events.
 
As former chapter president i made sure we took occasional lessons away from our main stuff ( i.e. hustle AT country etc ) from other studios my main pro knew about this. we also booked any coaches we brought in for privates in all the studios as well.. we spread the love and money around thats the key
 
I think a lot has to do with the openness and economic success level of the studios in your area, and the perceived benefit of USA Dance. If a studio is already busy every night of the week, they may not have a use for USA Dance. On the other hand, maybe they aren't in the "party" business, and their evenings are rather slow. In that case, some extra business that is already well run and self contained could be great for them.

If many of the studios in the area are closed in nature it may be that they really don't want their students going other places, so you would expect them to be less supportive. In my area, there are many successful and open studios, plus a few closed ones (ex. Arthur Murray). One studio has a party every night of the week with at least 100 every night (sometimes 400!) and they really have no use for USA Dance. Another is more of a "rent floorspace" type studio, and the parties they do have are smaller. They are a good fit for USA Dance.

I don't think you can expect a studio to be welcoming of USA Dance if their business model doesn't support it. In a neighboring city to mine USA Dance usually rents a space at a community center, so it is a neutral place. In this way, it can be good for studios because the students who do venture outside of their studio have the opportunity to mingle with others and learn about other teachers or studios.
 
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UPDATE: Still no word from the local board - so despite my reaching out to three board members - only 1 has contacted me back but with nothing to say. I just want to go to a board meeting and toss out some ideas, but that info isn't published and no one will get back to me. They hold their social dances Sunday night, which is not convenient, I'd think, for anyone with a M-F, 9 to 5, such as my partner and I. Not to mention, neither of us live in the same city where the dances are held.

With National elections coming up and some big potential changes I'm annoyed that my local chapter isn't following the National mission: social issues and competitive issues and attracting new members. National Dance Week is coming up and for the past two years my chapter's done nothing.

They've got a board with 8 positions on it - including a "youth" director, but I haven't seen us do anything with that. We don't have a Dancesport VP, but we do have a Social VP, a Youth VP, a Membership VP, etc... etc... Their bylaws aren't published anywhere, so I have no idea what it would take to create a position.

Everything you all have posted is exactly what my partner and I would like to see happen in our chapter - and our community COULD support it. I know it could.

But we can't act without support from our local chapter. And they clearly don't want it.

And that's not right.
 
Not sure if this belongs in another thread but are there any local USA dance success stories? Almost all my experiences with USA dance aren't exactly positive. I have not heard of any USA Dance chapters actively engaging in the dance communities in which they reside. A lot of it feels like they have a "Build it and they will come" mentality with both competitors and social dancers.
 
Rhythmdancer said:
Not sure if this belongs in another thread but are there any local USA dance success stories? Almost all my experiences with USA dance aren't exactly positive. I have not heard of any USA Dance chapters actively engaging in the dance communities in which they reside. A lot of it feels like they have a "Build it and they will come" mentality with both competitors and social dancers.
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My local chapter appears quite successful and well integrated with the local dance community.
  • Teach an introductory progressive basic beginner class weekly all year. They do this by renting a different studio and paying a teaching pro. 20 is considered low attendance. Depending on the Dance and the teacher these get pretty big sometimes.
  • Hold a monthly variety dance at a different dance studio every month. Hire a teaching pro to teach a group class before each one. 60-70 seems a typical monthly attendance number.
  • Provides scholarship money to college competitive dancers.
  • Sponsors college kids to the big annual social.
  • Does several Demo's around town every year to "expose" the public to the hobby and the chapter.
  • Contributes to the local charity that runs the local "Dancing Classrooms" program (aka Mad Hot Ballroom).
  • Puts out a monthly newsletter. Including minutes for what the board is up to. Full color pictures. A Ann Lander's type advice column. Sells advertising, Reports on events, scholarly advice, etc
  • Chapter is celebrating it's 25th year.
I am not a competitive dancer, so I don't pay much attention to what they do on the Sport side of this hobby, but there's probably more to add on that front.
 
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