At our dance studio, we give 140-150 lessons every week to close to 200 students. Beyond that, we offer 6 group lessons that pack in anywhere from 10 to 40 people at a time. And there are the dance parties, too.
Once a person comes to our studio for their first lesson, I consider them a student. They may come regularly after that, once, twice, three times a week.
Or they may come sporadically.
Regardless, our students are people who keep coming back to take dance lessons. Sometimes a gap in time ensues and we don’t see a particular student for a while. That’s ok. When they do return, we welcome them with open arms.
Once a student, always a student.
Like any business, ours ebbs and flows. Sometimes it’s seasonal – people have their warm-weather pursuits that put their dance lessons on hiatus. Sometimes people come for a reason – to dance at their son’s wedding or when a couple is about to get married.
And then there are the perennial students, the ones who come and fall in love with dance, and with the community they find in our studio. Those students come back frequently and build a community of peers who love dance.
Those are the students you see several times a week and performing in all the showcases and competitions. They’re the ones who are invigorated by the adrenaline rush of dancing and the camaraderie they find in our studio.
You see, when you dance, you ignite euphoric neurons within you that generate pure joy. People smile a lot when they dance. It makes you happy. It builds confidence. It makes you feel connected.
It’s almost addictive – you want more! So you keep dancing and the people who feel the same way you do become your friends. You bond over a common pursuit and positive feelings. Which is a great way to make friends.
We have a lot of students at Fred Astaire. Every week, new students tentatively step foot into our studio to see what we’re all about. Some remain; some decide it’s not for them. And the cycle keeps spinning.
When I try to define who is a student, I realize that anyone who is curious about dance and willing to give it a try is potentially a student of ours. And that makes the answer open-ended, infinite.