Several years ago, we had newly leased and renovated an old ballroom in Saint Paul.
We were working 10am - 10pm Monday - Saturday, teaching many private lessons, practicing 10+ hours a week for national competitions, hosting 1-2 group classes a day, and holding ballroom dance group classes for private events and corporations in the “off hours”.
A lady called and wanted to rent our space on Easter Sunday, so she could host the meal for 40+ members of her family. I told her we’re weren’t available for rentals, and we weren’t open on Sundays.
“Well, the previous tenant let us rent the space.”
I told her that, being a ballroom dance studio, we didn’t have chairs besides the permanent ones that were bolted around the edge of the floor.
“Can’t you just buy a few tables and chairs?”
Clearly, she was not to be deterred by lack of availability or equipment.
“Since we don’t do event rentals, we wouldn’t have use for them besides your brunch. Also, we don’t have a kitchen, “ I replied.
She proceeded to tell me that she could supply chairs and tables for her party and they would carry their Easter brunch for 40+ people up the rather steep stairs to the second floor ballroom.
“Ma’am, we don’t do event rentals beyond dance events. We actually just got the historic wood floor refinished and don’t even allow street shoes on it. Also, we don’t have a cleaning person available and we’re booked with lessons starting at 10am the next day.”
“WELL, we’re just EATING.”
Refraining from sharing any anecdotal evidence that eating was by far the messiest thing that could happen in our ballroom next to jello wrestling, I reiterated my refusal and many previous points of being unavailable, not among which was that is was Easter Sunday and we would be having our own family gathering and would not available to oversee the rental.
THEN she asked how much we charged for rental, which I believe was $150/hour.
“WHAT?! The previous tenant let us pay-what-we-will! It was really a community space.”
[HEAVES SIGH]
I own a ballroom dance school that is open 60+ hours a week. We have employees that ballroom dance professionally, train to teach ballroom dance, have over 40 years of experience, practice 10+ hours a week outside of teaching times, have danced in 100s of competitions, have been hired for dozens of shows, and have made medal podiums as professionals and with their students.
Ballroom dancing is different than country dancing, swing dancing, salsa dancing, pole dancing, break dancing or hip-hop, tap/jazz/ballet/lyrical/contemporary, line dancing, and belly dancing. There are different companies, businesses, and individuals that are trained in those areas. No, I do not know all of their names and contact information, but I've heard Google is a thing.
We are not just an open space. We are not an unoccupied studio. We have a few chairs, mirrors, and props for teaching and we occupy our space nearly 12 hours a day.
We are not equipped for sit-down events and we do not have a kitchen. We do not have the inclination to invest in the equipment to make either of those things a reality. We do not have the energy outside our very successful business model to make a very different business viable and successful, or enjoyable for the customers looking for those services.
There's something to be said for branching out, and diversifying, and something about seven streams of income, but also DO WHAT YOU'RE GOOD AT. I make no excuses for the fact that I don't teach Lindy dancing (I could, and love Lindy, but there are delightful people who are great at it), Argentine tango (samesies), zydeco, pole dancing, belly dancing, line dancing, kizomba, etc., etc., etc. If I knew I could provide an awesome, exemplary service to people in any of those disciplines, I would provide them. I am well-trained in teaching the narrow and vast art of ballroom dancing and I don't provide space rental, event planning services, or tap dance lessons.
You wouldn’t ask a piano teacher to teach you to play the trombone. You wouldn’t ask your kickboxing gym to do ballet classes. You wouldn't ask a doctor to check out your teeth.
OMG. WOULD YOU?
I love teaching ballroom dance and would love to teach you ballroom dance.
The end.
