Welcome to Episode 83 of the Make Dance Fun Podcast! It’s the middle of summer, and while we’re all squeezing in a little time off between camps and competitions, it’s also a great window to knock out a few things around the studio—and actually make them fun!

We’re continuing our Five Fun Things series with this week’s topic: 5 Fun Things to Freshen Up Your Studio before the new season begins. These updates don’t have to be major or expensive, even small changes can bring fresh energy and boost excitement for both your staff and your dancers.

Here are the 5 Fun Things we talk about in this episode:

1. Refresh Your Branding
Summer is the perfect time to update your branding. Think logos, retractable banners, step and repeats, A-frame signs, neon signs, and business cards. Whether it's a full refresh or just a few new pieces, make sure your look is current and consistent across your studio, website, and social media. It’s a great way to reintroduce your brand with a fresh perspective.

2. Upgrade a Space (and Make It Fun)
Pick one area to give a little glow-up—your lobby, front desk, staff room, or even a customer space. A new coat of paint, some wallpaper, fresh desk accessories, or a fun vase with flowers can completely change the vibe. It doesn’t have to be expensive—just intentional and inviting.

3. Create a Kickoff Theme
Planning a theme for your season kickoff can set the tone in the best way. Carry it through your open house, team kickoff, first week of classes, and even into your decor and playlists. Some theme ideas we love:

• Go for Goals (Olympic theme)
• Team Rhythm
• Retro Rhythm Beach Bash
• Electric Garden Party
• Planet Rhythm Launch Party
• Rhythm Berry Bananza

Themes make everything easier to brand—from dress-up days to welcome gifts and social content.

4. Build a Selfie or TikTok Wall
Encourage engagement by creating a fun, on-brand photo or video wall. It could be a painted mural, a paper roll backdrop, felt cutouts, or anything creative. Add a sign or sticker incentive to get dancers posting and tagging your studio.

5. Drop Some Fresh Merch
Nothing says "new season" like new swag. Update your logo wear with things dancers and parents actually want...t-shirts, patch hats or bags, water bottles, ribbon elastics, scrunchies, pencils, car magnets, even jibbitz. These items help build excitement and create walking advertisements for your brand.

BONUS TIP
Now’s a great time to restock any resources you use throughout the season—like WOW Cards, 567cre8 Cards, Twirl, and Twist materials. A little prep now saves a lot of time later.

So… what are we working on right now?
We’re updating our website and refreshing our logo, and while we’re still nailing down the exact theme for our open house, we’re definitely in full-on planning mode—especially with our new studio on the horizon. Some of these projects will roll out this season, and others will debut with the big move, but it’s exciting to be laying the groundwork now.

Even one small update can boo

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Welcome to episode 82 of the Make Dance Fun Podcast! Today, we’re kicking off a brand-new series called Five Fun Things—a collection of episodes where we’ll share creative ways to bring more FUN into different parts of your dance season. Because, after all, our mission is to help you Make Dance Fun!

In this episode, we’re focusing on five fun things you can do during company intensives, summer camps, choreography weeks, or anytime your company dancers are spending extra time together. These ideas are geared specifically toward team bonding, motivation, and building studio culture—and they’ve all been tested and loved at our own studio.

Here are the 5 Fun Things we’re diving into:

1. Outside-the-Studio Adventures
From pool parties and popsicles to mini golf and roller skating, getting dancers out of the studio helps them connect in a totally different way. These casual hangouts create space for conversations and camaraderie. Add in a fun challenge like a scavenger hunt or team craft to encourage interaction with someone new.

2. Motivational Prizes
A little surprise can go a long way. Stock up on fun finds from the Target dollar aisle or similar spots, and hand them out as rewards for hard work, leadership, or positive attitudes. We’ve done custom prizes like the Happy Rhythm Hippo or Sharp Rhythm Shark, often paired with a snack and a fun graphic. These are great for staff to hand out—or even let dancers nominate each other!

3. Headshots & Posters
We love taking individual headshots of our company dancers and creating colorful, branded posters for display at events. It adds a level of professionalism and pride. Group shots are great too if time allows. We include this in our company fees and use the photos throughout the season.

4. Get-to-Know-You Games
A great icebreaker activity to build connections. You can DIY fun superlatives or prompts like “Most likely to win a tap battle” or “Always has snacks.” These spark laughter and help dancers get off their phones and into real conversations. We’re actually working on releasing this activity as a digital download soon!

5. Team Goal Setting & Vision Boards
Whether you're guiding individual dancers or small groups, vision boards are a meaningful way to set goals together. Give them a worksheet, or let them cut and paste from magazines, printouts, or Pinterest. We’ve done this at the studio and even off-site at art studios. The goal is for them to collaborate on something visual that can hang in the studio and remind them of their shared purpose. Group photos add a nice personal touch.

Our Favorite Team Bonding Memory?
A Barbie-themed night at Avalon—complete with dinner, a scavenger hunt, games, crafts, friendship bracelets, and a photo shoot. It was pink, fun, and unforgettable!

We hope today’s episode inspires you to incorporate a few of these ideas into your own intensives, rehearsals, or company gatherings. Not only do they build stronger teams—they also make for great content. Capture the moments and share them through a reel, TikTok, vlog, or photo carousel. These are the things that highlight your studio’s personality and set you apart.

Thanks so much for listening. We’ll be back next week with another fun and creative episode of the Make Dance Fun Podcast!

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Welcome back to Make Dance Fun! In episode 81, we’re diving into something BIG: our brand-new dance studio space!

Now that nationals are behind us, we’re shifting focus to prepping for the upcoming season—and at the top of our list is building out our brand-new studio!

This week, we’re sharing more about the journey that’s been 32 years in the making. We’re reflecting on where we started (hello, one-studio-one-bathroom days!) and how we’ve intentionally grown—saving, scaling, and setting goals every step of the way.

Here’s a peek at what we cover in this episode:

The New Studio Journey

• Initial plans began in 2020—just as we were navigating COVID
• Explored staying in our current space vs. finding something new
• 2023–24: started working with a broker and project manager to explore every option: renovating, buying, building, even shopping centers!
• May 2024: shifted to looking at lease options
• June 2024: toured what would become the space
• Hired an architect (after interviewing several!) and finalized the design vision
• Signed the lease in February 2025 and started the permitting and demo process
• Spoiler: lots of fun planning… and lots of not-so-fun budgeting

Our Must-Haves (aka solutions to our current pain points!)

• Parking! (finally)
• Storage, including a loading dock and lift
• Better layout for functionality—hello outlets and delivery zones!
• 9 total dance studios (including 4 big ones!)
• Better bathrooms, family-friendly options, and dedicated changing rooms (that won’t double as closets!)
• Dedicated costume/craft space + staff lounge + conference room
• Senior Edge hangout space upstairs

The FUN Stuff We’re Dreaming Up

• Eye-catching entrance and front desk (still designing this!)
• Merch area + podcast room + RHYTHM wall
• Gorgeous staircase that leads to an upstairs overlook
• A colorful, sparkly, personality-packed space that feels like us

This is truly going to be the most RHYTHM-y space we’ve ever created, and we cannot wait to bring it to life! There’s still a long road ahead, but we’ll keep you posted along the way—with lots more behind-the-scenes updates to come in future episodes.

Thanks for tuning in—and if you're dreaming of a new space for your studio someday, we hope our journey inspires you!

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