Making Enrolment "Stupid-Easy" For Your Dance Studio In 2026

"The kids are back at school. The studio is back in motion. And if you’re anything like us… you’re feeling that weird mix of excitement and “oh my gosh, there’s so much to do.” 😅

January can feel like this massive pressure cooker for studio owners. You know it’s a key enrolment month - but you’re also juggling school holiday chaos, family life, planning, staff, schedules, and about 700 tiny admin tasks that somehow all feel urgent.

So when week one or two rolls around and you look at your enrolment numbers and think, “Welp, that’s it… guess we’ll just take what we’ve got,” we want to lovingly stop you right there.

Because enrolments aren’t “done.”
They’re just… delayed.

And the parents you’re trying to reach? They’re not ignoring you to be rude - they’re overwhelmed.

Let’s talk about how to do a last-minute enrolment push that meets parents where they’re at, doesn’t require you to overhaul your whole marketing strategy, and can genuinely bring in new students in the next few weeks.

1) Your database is a pot of gold (seriously)

You’ve probably collected hundreds (or thousands) of emails and details over the years:

• people who inquired and never enrolled
• students who danced once upon a time
• families who asked questions and then vanished
• warm leads from the last few weeks

And so many studio owners feel awkward contacting them again.
“They’re probably not interested.”
“They’ll be annoyed.”
“The kid is older now.”

Here’s the truth: your database is your community network.

That “older” student might have a younger sibling now. Or a cousin. Or they’ll mention you to a friend at school pickup. Even being seen in someone’s inbox keeps you front of mind - and that has flow-on effects for your ads, socials, and word-of-mouth.

If someone genuinely doesn’t want to hear from you, they’ll unsubscribe. That’s okay.

2) Write emails for busy parents (short + clear wins)

Gone are the days of beautifully designed, super long newsletters with six images and 14 paragraphs.

Parents are skimming. Their inbox is chaos. You’re competing with school updates, sport regos, work emails, and about 19 other “urgent” things.

So keep it simple:

• A subject line that removes a barrier: “Not too late to enrol for 2026.”
• A few sentences that get to the point: Classes are running, we still have spots in X and Y, trials are welcome.
• A frictionless call-to-action: “Reply YES and we’ll book you in.”

That’s it.

3) Follow up until they say no (and don’t take it personally)

This is the part that studio owners avoid because it feels uncomfortable.

But if someone inquired in early January and then ghosted… it might not mean they’re not interested. It might mean:

• they went away
• they came home to washing mountains
• they had to organise uniforms and lunches
• they’ve enrolled three kids in sports
• dance slipped down the list

Following up isn’t being annoying. It’s being helpful.

A good rule of thumb: follow up 5–6 times (over a few weeks) and use different channels:

email

text message

phone call

even a personal message if they came through socials

And if you want a graceful ending, you can send a final note like:
“Hey! This will be my last message for a while - just wanted to check if you’d like a trial spot before we close off enrolments.”

4) Do a quick “link check” sprint (because tiny tech kills enrolments)

This one is painfully common - and it costs studios real money.

Before you spend another dollar on ads or promotions, check:

• Is your timetable current? (No “2024 timetable” hanging around… please 😭)
• Is your contact form working?
• Does your Instagram bio link still go to the right place?
• Are there old concert ticket links or outdated pages confusing parents?

Parents won’t dig around to find the right info. If it feels hard, they’ll drop off.

5) Make enrolling ridiculously easy

At this time of year, parents don’t want portals and long forms and “create an account first.”

If you already have most of their details - don’t make them jump through hoops just to try a class.

Try this instead:

“Want a trial? Reply YES and we’ll do the rest.”

“She can just turn up Wednesday at 4:30 - pop in at reception and we’ll help you.”

Once a child is in the studio for a trial, their chance of enrolling goes way up. Your job is simply to get them in the door.

6) Use your community (and ask for referrals like a human)

If you’ve got a small class you’d love to build, the fastest path is often the simplest:

Have a personal 1:1 conversation in the waiting room:
“Honestly, I’m loving having Susie in this class. It would be even more fun with a few more kids. Does she have any friends who’d like to come for a trial?”

Most parents want to help - they just need the prompt.

You can also:

• post on personal socials
• share in school/mum community groups
• connect with local preschools
• get involved in community clubs
• gather Google reviews (even small incentives can help)

Pick ONE thing and do it today

You don’t need to do everything. Choose one:

1. send one short email to your database
2. make 10 follow-up calls/texts
3. do a 15-minute link check
4. ask 3 parents for referrals this week

Small consistent actions bring enrolments - and they stack quickly.

And the best part? You’re not relying on luck. You’re building momentum on purpose.

If you want more practical ideas like this, have a listen to this week’s episode and then let us know which tip you’re trying - we love cheering you on."