The Winning Open Week Strategy for Dance Studios

There’s nothing more disheartening than planning a big enrollment push - posters, emails, teacher reminders, the whole shebang - only to end up with crickets.

Maybe a handful of new faces wandered in. Maybe a few stayed. But overall? Not worth the effort… or so it felt.

If that’s you, you’re not alone. We’ve been there. And we’ve coached plenty of studio owners through the same sticky spot.

But today, we want to show you what happens when you go all in, and why “doing all the things” can completely change your open week results.

The Trap of “Just Enough Effort”

We get it. Dance Studio life is hectic. Between running classes, admin dramas, and getting dinner on the table before 9pm, it’s tempting to do the bare minimum for enrollment events:

One email to your mailing list ✅

A post in your Facebook group ✅

Maybe a teacher mention in class ✅

Then you wait. And when the enrollments don’t pour in, you chalk it up as a fail.

But here’s the truth: a good open week doesn’t happen by accident. It’s carefully crafted. Not hard: just intentional.

Enter: Candace & Brad

This term, one of our studio growth club couples - Candace and Brad - ran an open week that completely blew us away.

But it wasn’t their first attempt.

Last year? They ran the same kind of event and came away discouraged. "People in our area just want free classes,” they told us. “They don’t sign up.”

This year, though, they committed. Like really committed.

They sent multiple emails, hyped it in every class, used text messages, plastered posters in the studio and local Woolies, got their team involved, tracked every lead, and followed up like pros.

The result?
135 extra class placements in one week.
No fluff. No luck. Just strategy and follow-through.

So What Actually Works?

Here’s what we’ve seen over and over: big results come from doing all the things, not just the easy bits.

Here’s your basic open week checklist (the minimum effort that gets maximum results):

• Two-week lead-up marketing:
• 5–7 emails to your parent list
• 3–5 text messages spaced out
• Daily-ish organic social posts (varied styles!)
• Teacher hype in class (not just admin reminders)
• In-studio posters, flyers, balloons: the works
• Band/Facebook group posts every few days
• Invitations for parents to share with friends

During the event:

• Every trial captured on a clear sign-in system
• Front desk staff trained to explain next steps
• Teachers excited and welcoming
• Class assistants briefed to help new families
• A small gift or welcome note for visitors
• After the event (the bit most forget!):
• Follow-up text or call within 24 hours
• Personalised emails with class details + how to enrol
• Phone call follow-up within 3 days for warm leads
• Reminder email 1 week later for no-shows

The Part Most Studio Owners Skip…

You can do all the prep in the world… but if you don’t follow up?

You’re leaving money (and magic) on the table.

And yet, this is the exact point where most studio owners freeze.

Why?

Because it feels salesy. Because they don’t want to “bother” people. Because rejection feels personal.

But here’s what we always say: You’re not being pushy: you’re being helpful.

You’re offering something that brings joy, movement, belonging, and confidence into a child’s life. That’s not annoying. That’s powerful.

The Numbers That Might Change Your Mind

When you follow up, you’re not just chasing a maybe.

You’re nurturing someone who could turn into a…

Long-term student (hello, $15k+ lifetime value)

Future troupe kid

Full-uniform-wearing, 5-class-a-week kind of family

And even if it’s just one class, that’s an extra $15–$20 a week. Multiply that by 5 new enrollments, and that’s $100/week in profit.

Real talk: how many part-time jobs give you a $100/week raise from a single campaign?

Got “Meh” Results Before? Great. Start There.

If you’ve done an open week or bring-a-friend event before and it flopped, don’t toss it completely. Look back and reflect:

Did you give yourself enough time to promote it?

How many marketing “touches” did you actually do?

Was your team briefed and enthusiastic?

Did you follow up every lead? Like really follow up?

Identify your weakest link—and next time, plug that hole.

Repeat, Refine, Repeat Again

This is key: you don’t need a brand-new strategy every term.

Your best results will come from doing the same event better each time.

Each year, our own open weeks grew: not because we changed everything, but because we refined what we already had.

Your staff gets used to it. Your community expects it. And your systems improve.

Keep the bones. Build on the wins.

What Could You Try Next Time?

Here’s a quick challenge:

Think back to your last enrollment event.
Now answer this honestly…

• What one thing did you skip?
• What could you add in next time?
• What would “doing all the things” look like for your studio?

Start there.

You don’t need to leap from 0 to 135 class placements in one go.

But like Candace and Brad, you can build momentum with every attempt—and eventually, you’ll shock yourself with what’s possible.

Final Thought

No matter the size of your studio, adding just 5–10 new students from an open week can mean thousands in extra revenue, and years of future loyalty.

Don’t write it off just because it didn’t work once.
Try again. Go bigger. Follow up. Track your results. And celebrate every single win: big or small.

And if you’d like help mapping it all out?

We’d love to see you inside the Dance Principals United Tribe.
You’ll get the tools, the templates, and the cheer squad you didn’t know you needed.

👉 Click here to grab 1 week free