START A DANCING SCHOOL!

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXVI, Issue 18442, 28 March 1922, Page 6

START A DANCING SCHOOL!

(By the Principal, Purcell School of Dancing). In London alone there are many thousands of dancing teachers, all busily engaged , demonstrating “steps” and imparting “style” and finish to people who are anxious to become good dancers. The smallest of towns provides the opportunity for a person who likes teaching and w r ho is a fairly accomplished dancer to establish a quicklygrowing business.

I suppose few would follow, from choice, the plan I adopted of starting, entirely without capital, but a very moderate sum (say, £2O, as a minimum will suffice for “establishment charges.” Quite the majority of lessons (excepting, of course, the most elementary, for which no music is required) are conducted to the accompaniment of the gramophone. Whether this or the piano is selected depends, of course, upon circumstances, but I certainly advise a “talking machine" being installed for use in emergencies.

LINO IS GOOD FOR DANCING. A parquet-floor is a luxury, and there are several firms (whose announcements will be seen in the danciug papers) whe make a speciality of them, but this is not an expense that need be incurred at tile outset. It is however, of importance to get a level floor without protruding floor-boards, which latter are a constant source of danger. An ordinary boarded floor in fair condition can, after any necessary smoothing, be waxed, or stout plain linoleum may be laid.

It has been said that if you have not a business, advertising will make it—if you have a small business, advertising will increase it. In this matter I have only one piece of advice to give—go to a specialist. His advice may prevent your spending hard-earned money in wasteful, unproductive ways. Remember that you will be judged by the tone and appearance of your letterhead, circulars, advertisements, prospectus, and any other printed matter you send out, and, as in so many other things, it is not entirely “what you say as the way you say It.”

SEVEN TEACHERS BUSY ALL DAY.

So many pupils need Instruction during the evening that one may quite well establish a school as an enterprise for spare time. , Don’t expect to get the highest fees at the start, but make your charges for instruction balance with its quality. Better by far take your first pupil out of friendship than make the offer which I noticed recently in a local paper of “twelve lessons for 7/6.” Lessons so gained, I imagine, would be lightly esteemed. So much depends du the locality that it is impossible to lay down a golden rule, but three half-hour lessons for a guinea seems to be the usually-quoted terms. There is one great advantage which commends the dancing school to persons of limited capital—there is no stock to buy or depreciate.