25/05/2026
I want to reflect on something a client has recently struggled with that I feel so many others do too.
𝘿𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙨𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙡𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙗𝙞𝙜 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙮.
How many times have we all heard that phrase?
But it’s true.
For many children, their dance school becomes a second home.
A place where they grow up, build confidence, find friendships, learn resilience, and create memories that stay with them forever.
And for teachers and studio owners, the connection we build with those children is incredibly special too.
We often watch them grow from tiny little humans into young adults.
We celebrate their wins, support them through struggles, wipe tears, build confidence, and pour huge pieces of ourselves into helping them thrive.
But I think sometimes, because of that emotional connection and family feel, people forget something really important.
Behind every warm, welcoming dance school… 𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙖 𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨.
A business paying rent.
Paying wages.
Paying insurance.
Paying music licences, VAT, taxes, costumes, venue fees, show licences, safeguarding, chaperone licences and everything else needed to create the safe, magical experience families see each week.
And I think dance schools can sometimes lose the respect other businesses naturally receive, simply because what we do is rooted in passion and care.
If your local café raised its prices because costs increased, people would understand.
If a boutique shop had policies or payment terms, people would respect them.
If a business owner protected their time and boundaries, it would be seen as professional.
But in dance schools, because relationships are so personal, “business-like” can sometimes be said as though it’s a negative thing.
When actually, being business like is what keeps the doors open.
And I say this with complete honesty because I made this mistake myself for years.
For around eight years, I barely paid myself a wage.
Not because I didn’t work hard enough, jeez I so did!
But because every penny went back into making the school survive, grow, and create even more opportunities for the children.
Like so many studio owners, I wanted to keep things affordable for families.
I wanted the experience to feel magical and the children to have everything they needed.
So often, principals quietly sacrifice themselves behind the scenes to make that happen.
This post isn’t about complaining.
It’s simply about understanding.
Because dance schools are built on love and passion, but they are also built on sacrifice, responsibility, and an enormous amount of unseen work.
So next time your dance school sets a boundary, enforces a policy, protects their time, or makes a business decision, I hope perhaps this gives a little insight into why.
Because behind the “dance family” is still a human being carrying the weight of running a business, while trying to keep the magic alive for every child who walks through the door.
