The Dance Teacher Web Conference is back for its 18th year, and I have to be honest, I'm already feeling that pre-summer spark. There is something about a fresh season that makes you want to clean out the studio, rework the playlist, and remind yourself why you fell in love with teaching in the first place. DTW gets that. They are rolling out free digital tools for educators and studio owners ahead of the conference, plus a new premium resource called Studio 360. And yes, I am that friend who will tell you to stop sleeping on free resources that can actually make your life easier.
Let's talk about what this means for you, queen. You are running a studio, wrangling schedules, chasing down tuition payments, and still trying to find time to choreograph something that makes your heart sing. That is a lot. Studio 360 promises to be a total game-changer in how you manage the business side, so you can spend more time doing the part you actually love. The free tools are a nice little gift leading up to the conference, a way to dip your toes in without committing to anything. DTW has always been about high value, and this feels like they are handing you a key to your own operational command center. If a friend asked me whether to sign up, I would say: take the free stuff, test it out, and if it frees up even one hour of your week, that is an hour you get back for yourself.
Now, I know what you are thinking. Another platform, another login, another thing to learn. But here is the thing, you deserve systems that work for you, not the other way around. The conference itself is the 18th annual, which means these people have been showing up for dance educators for almost two decades. They are not new to this. They know that a studio owner's brain is a beautiful, chaotic mess of lesson plans and payroll spreadsheets. Studio 360 is built to be the place where that chaos gets a little more organized, a little more manageable. And if you ask me, that is a form of self-care. You cannot pour into your students if your own cup is sitting on a cluttered desk.
So here is my honest take: grab the free tools, go to the conference if you can, and give Studio 360 a real look. Not because you have to be perfect, but because you deserve to feel like the boss you actually are. And if you need a little extra motivation, just remember, Maya Angelou once said something about rising, and I am pretty sure she meant rising above your inbox. Now go get your shine on.
