St Paul’s Church is a versatile space that can easily be adapted for dance classes, rehearsals, or workshops. Whether you’re planning Ballet, Salsa, Zumba, Street dance sessions, creating the right environment is essential for comfort, safety, and performance. Here’s a how-to guide to take your dream of running dance classes into a reality.
Step 1: Getting going and thinking logistics
• Who’s coming? Your target market may not be the obvious dancers. Yes, evenings are great for most, but anyone who is retired or has young children may be able to dance during the daytime when our dance studios are quieter and cheaper.
• Pricing & Registration; decide on how to price and how to take payment. It might be on the night or block bookings. Cash is still used by many, and card readers such as Sumup are very easy to use. However, if you want to go cashless and not deal with money directly, look to use a ticket platform such as Eventbrite who can do all of the admin and registration for you.
• Health & safety; each dance teacher and business must have an in-depth risk assessment for their class. This covers everything from major injuries to little accidents and what you will do in each scenario. Be sure to use it as a working document and not store it away. Keep a first-aid kit handy and ensure you have the relevant qualifications.
• Insurance: as a business you must have your own public liability insurance for your activities. St Paul’s has insurance for the building and it’s own activities, though if someone twists an ankle in your dance class it’ll be down to you.
• DBS checked: if you are planning to invite (or already have) customers who are either vulnerable adults or children you and your team who are teaching must be DBS checked.
Step 2: Secure Your Space
• Book early: We have a number of regular customers who book years (yes years!) in advance, so if you are looking for regular time slots for a block booking of 12 or more dates it’s best to book well in advance. As you can imagine evenings and Saturdays fill up quickly, so don’t hang around.
• Confirm hall size: St Paul’s have three main dance spaces. The Church Hall (by far the largest), the Upper Hall, and the Lower Hall. Make sure it suits your class size and dance style as you don’t want your dancers to be cramped. The office team are very happy to show around prospective customers so please do get in contact to be shown around.
• Ask about facilities: Check if tables a chairs are available and ask the office team where your dancers can top up water bottles.
• Check policies: We ask that all music is off at 10:30pm and the Church must be vacated by 11pm.
(Tip: Contact St Paul’s team for availability and any venue-specific guidelines such as restrictions on types of footwear.)
Step 3: Promote Your Class
• Social media: Start social pages for free, share and engage with posts on Facebook, Instagram, and local community groups. You can advertise quickly and cheaply with them too, setting your own budgets.
• Flyers & Posters: Going old school still works, especially if your dancers may not be on social media and ultra high-tech. Distribute in cafés, gyms, and local noticeboards.
• Word of mouth: Encourage participants to invite friends. Try a ‘bring a friend for free night’! The shy amongst us sometimes need a helping hand, and a close friend is a safe choice.
• First night discount: This is a great way to get more dancers into your class. Let them try before they buy. Make sure you take down their details so you can follow up with them too.
Step 4: Launch night!
• Flooring: Ensure the surface is safe for movement and make sure chairs and tables are put not one side. All our flooring is wood, which is great for traditional dances such as tango or ballroom. However, if you are looking to perform street dance and might be based on the floor, please bring portable dance mats to ensure your dancers safety.
• Mirrors: If you are dancing in the Upper Hall we have freestanding mirrors on wheels to help participants monitor technique.
• Lighting: Each of our rooms have ceiling lighting, though many of our dancers bring their own lights to add to and change the mood. You could make it bright or colourful, or keep the it low and dramatic.
• Sound system: Bring a reliable speaker or PA system for clear music. There are plenty of plugs in each room so you can have multiple speakers if you wish. Our Church Hall has a full AV system with speakers attached and is available for hire if you do not have your own or want to test it out prior to your event.
Final thoughts
Hosting a dance class at St Paul’s is a fantastic way to build community and share your passion for movement. With the right planning, space, equipment, and promotion you’ll create an experience that keeps people coming back. Focus on making the space your own with mirrors, lights and sound to create a safe and inspiring environment. And don’t forget to book early to secure your ideal time slot!