With the holidays upon us, this is a great time for studio owners to tap into the joyous spirit that is radiating inside your doors and bond with students and faculty; building on the feeling of camaraderie, team work and the unified studio family you all are lucky to have. During the year, everyone gets so wrapped up on deadlines and choreography that we sometimes forget to stop and be grateful for each other, the gift of dance we receive every day and the second home we are all able to come to on a daily basis!
So, what have you organized for your students and faculty? Remember the true meaning of the season; a studio party does not have to mean expensive nor elaborate. It is most important to think about gathering the students, families, teachers and staff that keep your studio dream alive and spend some time together celebrating all of your accomplishments. With a little bit of creativity and thought, there are numerous ways to celebrate the season together without breaking the budget! Here are some great ideas for doing just that!
- Have a holiday themed weekend open house at the studio with cupcakes and cookies, apple cider and eggnog, etc. Have students and families bring their favorite treats and dance and mingle all day long!
- Have your annual “Ugliest Holiday Sweater” Contest at your studio! Give prizes, scholarships, studio apparel, etc. for the winners in each age category!
- Have a movie night at your studio complete with popcorn or holiday goodies and watch holiday favorites like The Nutcracker, White Christmas, etc.
- Have a studio holiday decorating party! Let students design and create their own ornaments and/or holiday cards at designated crafting tables. Then hang them around the studio, in the windows, etc.! This is always a fun one where students get to go full out and have a day of decorating and celebrating!
- For your company members and their families have a special, private holiday dinner complete with “Secret Santa” gift exchanges to celebrate the team and get them excited for the year ahead. This is a great time to wrap up and give out new company uniforms as well! Also, this is a wonderful token of appreciation for parents as well for their commitment and dedicated support throughout the year.
So many fun things you, your faculty, students and their families can do during this time of year. The most important thing is that you do them together and celebrate the joy you all get to experience through dancing day after day and year after year! That’s the greatest gift of all!
Season’s Greetings!
See you in the studio!
Jessie
