How to choose the best dance software: 11 features to look for

Olivier Rousseau
10 December 2023 Dance 2 min read

Looking for an alternative to DanceStudioPro or JackRabbit Dance?

You’ve come to the right place. Read more about how Activity Messenger compares to other platforms in this article.

JackRabbit vs IclassPro vs Uplifter vs ActivityMessenger

Are you a smaller Dance School or just getting started?

A powerful yet simple Dance registration form might be the best (and cost-efficient) for a starting dance studio owner.
Learn more about how to create a dance registration form, how to improve your online registration process & how to use AI to market your Dance Studio

Common frustrations among dance studio owners

Before jumping into the 11 features to look for, here are the 3 most common frustrations we hear from dance studio owners when it comes to their class management software and that more modern studio management tools can help with.

1. Overcoming Outdated Registration Systems:

Many dance studios grapple with archaic registration systems, particularly on mobile devices, leading to frustration for customers trying to easily find a class or interact with your studio online.

2. Needing Multiple Tools:

Dance studios often find themselves managing a variety of external tools like TutuTix, Mailchimp, SurveyMonkey and Jotform for diverse operational needs, which is both cumbersome and costly.

3. Too many workarounds

Current online registration software solutions require manual workarounds for things such as dance recital ticketing, session reminders, staff management and more.

Customer-Centric registration process

Sifting through class offerings on an outdated parent portal can be overwhelming and time-consuming, especially on mobile devices.

This challenge is what inspired us to create Activity Messenger and offer simpler dance registration forms.

Online registration software for dance studios

Activity Messenger allows parents to quickly and effortlessly register their children for dance classes or workshops (yes, even the tech-averse parents).

Modern dance studio software

This means more time for you to teach and choreograph in the studio.

Try our Free Dance registration form template

Want to see how it works? Book a demo with us to explore our dance studio registration process.

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📌 Pro Tip: Here’s how I configure programs and registration forms for my kids’ activity programs to create the most intuitive process. My team and I write down all of the questions that parents typically ask when registering over the phone. We then use these questions as a guide to create a customized registration path that meets our unique needs.

Personalized SMS/Email outreach

Ever opened an email that greets you personally and reflects your latest interaction with a local business?

This level of tailored communication is what we aim to bring to your dance studio.

Our mail merge feature enables you to include key details that truly matter:

  • Student’s name
  • Specific dance class they’re enrolled in
  • Start date and time
  • Date of their last class
  • Insights into what they can expect in their upcoming dance lesson.

With a selection of over 80 mail merge fields and the option to craft custom fields, you can send out messages to numerous dance students that feel individually tailored.

Plus, our Canva integration ensures that all your communications are not only personalized but also visually aligned with your dance studio’s branding.

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📌 Pro Tip: Automated session start reminders have been a game changer for everyone involved in our business. We even set up all of the automated email reminders before the first registration rolls in. With reminders scheduled to go out a few days before each class starts, we make sure all of our clients get the information at the right time. And with Activity Messenger, we can set it and forget it, knowing that the system is doing the heavy lifting for us.

Liability waivers for Dance Studios

If you’re still juggling tools like SmartWaiver and can’t get waivers signed outside your registration system, it might be time for a change.

Although general online form builders like Cognito Forms, Smartwaivers, and Jotform provide a degree of ease, they often fall short in meeting the unique requirements of Dance Studios.

Activity Messenger simplifies the process for your dance studio by enabling the collection of digital waivers without the need for an account.
This makes it the ideal tool for:

Dance Studio digital waiver

Attendees and participants do not need to create an account to submit a waiver. Most dance studios have a QR code at the front desk and a link on their website to streamline waiver collection on the day of an event or birthday party.

 

Dance recital ticketing

Many dance studio owners mention using Tututix or Eventbrite.

Activity Messenger removes the need for an extra tool and the cost per ticket is much lower.

Dance recital ticket form

Easily manage Dance Recitals

Activity Messenger offers online ticketing for dance recitals designed to easily collect payment and all the necessary information from attendees. Parents receive a branded ticket with a QR code that can be scanned with a smartphone at the front door.

Effortless dance recital communications

Need to make last-minute changes to your dance recital or send out reminders? With just a few clicks, you can send bulk SMS to update everyone attending.

Surveys for Dance Studios

End-of-session surveys are a vital tool for Dance Studios, offering insights that can help you improve customer satisfaction.

Measuring Dancer’s Satisfaction and Performance

A thoughtfully designed survey can uncover what students and parents love about your studio, while also pinpointing areas for enhancement.

Are your instructors striking the right chord? Do the classes align with everyone’s expectations? This feedback is crucial for continuously refining your offerings.

Designing Your Dance Studio Survey in Canva

Easily create and distribute surveys to your dance students

Building a survey for Dance Studios is made simple with our Canva integration that allows you to infuse your studio’s unique branding. Share your survey and start gathering invaluable feedback quickly. Activity Messenger can even automate survey distribution at the end of the session.

Actionable Insights form your students

We simplify the process of interpreting survey data, enabling you to make knowledgeable, proactive improvements. These insights offer a roadmap to surpassing your customers’ expectations.

Task automation

Imagine freeing up 15-20 hours a month.

How?

By automating some of your daily, manual, time-consuming tasks.

Start of session reminders

Automate the process of sending a reminder email 5-7 days before the class starts.

Include all the important details

  • Location
  • Start time
  • Start date
  • Essential “what to bring” list.

The system will automatically send it at the appropriate time with the correct information for each family in your studio.

Start of dance session email reminder template

End-of-session reminders:

When a session ends, your inbox can get flooded with requests. An automated end-of-session email with a built-in satisfaction survey serves the dual purpose of saving time and gathering valuable feedback.

You can also include a link to promote registrations for the next session and increase your revenue.

Purchase confirmation:

Go above and beyond with your confirmation and welcome emails. Personalize your communication by including an invoice, FAQs, and engaging articles about what to expect in the upcoming session.

Learn more about creating effective confirmation emails.

Waitlist Automation for Dance Classes

Dance Studio waitlist management is the key to filling every spot for your dance lessons.

Activity Messenger makes waitlist management smoother by automating personalized Email/SMS notifications. When a spot opens, it immediately notifies parents with customized messages that include the dance student’s name and class details as well as a link to register for the class.

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📌 Pro Tip: Remember, automation doesn’t mean you lose the personal touch. In fact, it gives you more time to connect with your dance community in meaningful ways. When we implemented these automated tasks, our efficiency soared and our staff is now better suited to create an amazing experience for everyone.

Marketing tools

Email Marketing (Beyond MailChimp):

Say goodbye to one-size-fits-all email marketing tools. Your dance studio deserves a platform that brings a personal touch to each newsletter creating an engaging experience.

And unlike MailChimp we don’t charge as you grow your subscriber list.

Email Marketing for Dance Studios

Read more: Unconventional Marketing ideas for your Dance Studio

Party Marketing Automation:

Does your dance studio host special events like kids birthday parties? Then you can’t ignore the power of automated event marketing.

Set up emails to automatically go out a few weeks before the birthdays of your younger dancers. It’s a timely, thoughtful, and effective strategy for increasing engagement and revenue.

Free Trial Workflow:

Creating a memorable experience for prospective new students and their families is critical. Activity Messenger’s free trial workflow makes this process seamless. Create a welcoming onboarding journey that demonstrates the benefits of your studio and increases the likelihood they join your studio.

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📌 Pro Tip: Getting rid of MailChimp was such a relief for us. Using a tool once a month, where the cost continues to rise as we grow our business, is far from ideal. With Activity Messenger, my team now has a comprehensive marketing solution built for the sports and recreation industry. It makes tasks like email marketing, event promotion and lead nurturing effortless.

Attendance tracking

Tracking class attendance in your dance studio doesn’t have to be a complex routine.

Dance Studio Attendance Tracking

Activity Messenger can help:

  • Simplify Attendance Tracking from a smartphone: Activity Messenger provides real-time updates so you always know who’s in class, who’s out, and who’s late.
  • Give Staff Access to Attendance Lists: This feature allows instructors to manage class attendance more effectively based on access levels.
  • Check Dance Students In and Out of Classes: A quick scan or a tap can mark students present, making it easier to monitor attendance and ensure student safety.
  • Adding Notes to Attendance List from Smartphone: This feature is perfect for noting individual student progress, special considerations, or adjustments needed for the next class.
  • Send SMS from Attendance List: Communicate with students or parents by sending SMS directly from the attendance list for last-minute updates & reminders.
  • Fill in Progress Report from Attendance List: With Activity Messenger, you can fill in progress reports from the attendance list, making it easy to track and share student achievements and areas for improvement.

Dance Progress reports

Whether you’re looking to provide constructive feedback, recognize milestones, or simply keep the lines of communication open, an online dance progress report helps structure feedback to students.

Dance progress report tool

Activity Messenger is here to help you take your dance studio’s progress reporting to the next level:

  • Creating an online progress report:Activity Messenger breaks the process down into manageable steps, integrates with your class list, and makes it easy for you and your staff to fill out detailed and meaningful progress reports.
  • How to Use a Dance Progress Report to Evaluate Dancers: Use progress reports to provide valuable feedback and dancers understand their strengths and areas for improvement.
  • How to Share Dance Progress Reports with Parents and Students: Ensure parents and students receive timely progress updates and foster a supportive community by simplifying the sharing process with Activity Messenger.
  • Enhance you progress reports with personalized certificates: Go beyond standard reports by adding personalized certificates of achievement to make each milestone memorable.

Staff Management

Keeping your dance teachers focused, happy, and ready to inspire the next generation of dancers requires precision and care in every aspect of employee management.

Create a Customizable Staff Portal

Activity Messenger helps with:

  • Creating a Dance Teacher Portal: Offer your staff a centralized hub for all their work-related needs.
  • Collecting Payroll Information: Streamline the payroll process with a system for collecting and managing employee financial details.
  • Management of Leave Requests: Effortlessly handle leave requests with a simple time-off request form.
  • Timesheet Management: Keep track of hours worked with an intuitive timesheet system.
  • Digital Document Signing: Simplify the signing of important documents with digital signatures, saving time and reducing paper waste.
  • Expense Claim Form: Simplify the process for employees to submit expense claims to accelerate reimbursement.

AI for your Dance Studio

AI tools can simplify your dance studio management by transforming mundane and time-consuming tasks into opportunities for growth and engagement.

Rewrite class descriptions, newsletters and social media posts

Activity Messenger can assist with AI-driven solutions:

  • Improve Class Description: Use Activity Messenger’s AI integration to craft compelling class descriptions that capture the essence of each session, enticing new students and retaining current ones.
  • Engaging Newsletters: Generate captivating newsletters that keep your community informed and connected, with minimal effort on your part.
  • Create Welcome Emails with AI: Make a great first impression with personalized welcome emails.
  • Build a Survey Using AI: Gather valuable feedback effortlessly with AI-generated surveys tailored to your studio’s needs.
  • Create FAQ’s: Address common inquiries with a comprehensive FAQ section, compiled with the help of AI.

Learn more on how to use AI to market and grow your dance studio.

How Activity Messenger Stands Out for Dance Studios

Activity Messenger isn’t just another software for Dance studio owners and dance teachers. We’ve created an all-in-one solution tailored for dance studio owners.

A registration process easier than ordering UberEats

Activity Messenger transforms the registration experience, offering a seamless, intuitive process that is user-friendly and efficient (especially on mobile). A similar process to ordering UberEats for busy parents.

Tool Integration for Dance Studios:

Activity Messenger integrates key features of tools like Mailchimp, Survey Monkey, Jotform, and TutuTix into one platform. By doing so, it not only offers you a complete view of customers and their interactions with your Dance studio but also cuts down on costs.

Workflows instead of workarounds (Automate tasks no one has time for)

Activity Messenger enables dance studios to create customized, automated workflows for various needs, including staff training, annual recitals, studio events, and party bookings.

Explore how Activity Messenger stands out by checking out our in-depth comparison of the top 7 dance studio management software options available.

Schedule a demo with us today!

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Our onboarding team, will guide you through the migration process.

FAQ

  1. What is a dance studio software and how does it benefit dance studios? A dance studio software streamlines the enrollment process for dance classes, handling sign-ups, payments, and scheduling efficiently in a user-friendly online platform.
  2. What are the key features to look for in dance studio software? Key features include class scheduling, student registration, attendance tracking, billing and payment processing, and student and parent communication tools.
  3. How does dance studio software improve customer experience? It simplifies registration, provides easy access to class schedules, enhances communication, and offers convenient online payment options for students and parents.
  4. Can dance studio software help with marketing and attracting new students? Yes, many softwares like Activity Messenger include marketing tools like email campaigns, social media integration, and promotional features to attract and retain students.
  5. Is dance studio software suitable for studios of all sizes? Most software is scalable to meet the needs of small studios as well as larger institutions, with features that can be customized for different sizes. Smaller studios can start with an online form builder like Activity Messenger or JotForms.
  6. What should studios consider when choosing dance studio software? Consider your specific needs, budget, ease of use, available features, and quality of customer support to find the best fit. You may also want to read testimonials on online software review such as Capterra.
  7. What are the best optons for dance studio software in Canada? The best options for dance studios in Canada are Activity Messenger, Uplifter and Amilia. These are all Canadian-based software that stores your data in Canada and complies with Canadian privacy laws,

Written by Olivier Rousseau Olivier is a kids sports programs owner who has been operating for over a decade with locations in Montreal, Quebec city & Ottawa. He also helps Gymnastics Club, Swim Schools and Dance Studios streamline their operations. He is the co-founder of Activity Messenger an online registration platform for the sports & leisure industry.

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