The studio event parents talk about each year

Recently, I mentioned ballerina storytimes. Today, I want to talk about another kind of event that serves a different purpose:

Character Teatimes

These are simple themed gatherings where preschool and children’s dance students (and oftentimes their family and friends) meet a character, dance a little, enjoy a snack, and experience your studio in a special way.

You can go all out on these, but you can also keep them really simple and still see success. They don’t have to be elaborate.

The key is, an annual or semi-annual character teatime can create something powerful: A shared memory. Events like these build emotional connection to your studio, which is one of the biggest drivers of retention in preschool and early childhood dance programs.

The number one goal of hosting a character teatime is retention. When you host it year after year, your youngest dancers make memories attending. Your older dancers make memories and connections by appearing as characters at your teatime. Your students and parents feel a sense of community and belonging. These things go a long way when it comes to retention.

The secondary goal is enrollment. A character teatime is an easy event for parents to talk about and invite their friends who also have little ones to.

I’ve personally seen much success with a Nutcracker themed tea around Nutcracker season, and then a rotating teatime in the spring that matches the recital theme. In fact, inside the Little Dancer Program, we offer ideas and step-by-step guidance so you can get started with a character teatime without having to start from scratch.

Next time, I’ll share something many studio owners struggle with—when (and if) preschool ads actually make sense.

Have a lovely week,

Ashley and the Little Dancer Team