Consider sending letters or emails out to your former students, in particular the ones who grew up at your studio and moved on after high school graduation. Your goal? To find out what they’re doing these days, and if they still make dance a part of their life.
Send the letters, with an attached questionnaire, to the last address you have for them. Ask that they be forwarded on or filled out by parents, if your former student no longer lives there.
Have a checkbox at the bottom of the questionnaire asking for permission to use their comments, so that you may feature their stories in a newsletter and/or on your website. It’s also quite likely that former students will speak fondly of their time at your studio, which can then be used as testimonials on your dance studio’s website.
Perhaps a former student now teaches at a dance studio in a different community, or choreographs for a local theatre company, or is getting a dance degree at a nearby university. Perhaps another has started a website design company specifically for dance studios (ok, that’s my personal story, but you get the idea).
This is a great way to make contact with former students and remind them of your presence, and by showcasing former dancers and their successes on your newsletter or website, you will inspire current and prospective students. Plus, you never know — since time marches ever onward, several of your former students may have small children of their own — children who could be the next generation to dance at your studio!
Best wishes!
Stacey
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