FROM REC CENTER DANCE TO FRANCHISE STUDIO OWNER
Discovering Your Character Strengths as a Studio Owner—and Using Them to Show Up Authentically
As a dance studio owner, you wear countless hats: teacher, leader, mentor, marketer, business strategist, and so much more. With so many responsibilities, it’s easy to lose sight of who you are at your core. But here's the truth, your greatest asset isn’t your curriculum, your branding, or your class schedule. It’s you.
More specifically, it’s your character strengths—the unique, positive traits that come most naturally to you. When you know and embrace them, they become powerful tools that help you lead with confidence, connect with your community, and show up authentically in everything you do.
What Are Character Strengths?
Character strengths are the positive parts of your personality that influence how you think, feel, and behave. Based on research in positive psychology, the VIA Institute on Character identifies 24 universal strengths—like creativity, leadership, perseverance, kindness, and humor—that each of us express in varying degrees.
As a studio owner, you likely use these strengths every day—whether you’re calming a nervous toddler before class, guiding your team through recital season, or launching a new program with bold creativity.
Discovering Your Top Strengths
The first step is self-discovery. The VIA Character Strengths Survey is a free, science-backed assessment that ranks your 24 strengths in order. Your top five—your “signature strengths”—are the ones that come most naturally to you and energize you when used.
Take the assessment with curiosity, not judgment. There’s no “ideal” set of strengths for a studio owner. A leader with high humor and zest might create a studio culture that’s joyful and lighthearted. Another with strengths in prudence and perseverance may run a tight, efficient ship that thrives on consistency and long-term vision.
Using Your Strengths to Your Advantage
Once you’ve identified your top strengths, the magic lies in intentionally applying them in your daily work. Here’s how:
1. Lead with Authenticity
When you operate from your strengths, your leadership feels more natural and confident. If kindness is a top strength, use it to create a nurturing environment for your staff and students. If creativity ranks high, lean into innovative programming or imaginative recital themes. You’ll feel more aligned—and others will feel more connected to the real you.
2. Make Better Decisions
Your strengths can guide you through tough choices. For example, if you’re high in fairness, you may naturally seek equity when resolving staff conflicts. If bravery is a strength, you may be more willing to take bold business leaps others might shy away from.
3. Strengthen Relationships
Your character strengths aren’t just about how you lead—they shape how you relate. Recognizing your own strengths helps you appreciate and identify strengths in others. This builds mutual respect, deepens team trust, and creates a culture where everyone feels seen and valued.
4. Prevent Burnout
You’re most energized when using your signature strengths. If you feel drained, it might be a sign you’re spending too much time outside of them. For example, if social intelligence is a top strength but you’re isolated behind your desk all day, consider shifting tasks or schedules to allow more time for connection.
Showing Up Authentically
Authenticity isn’t about being perfect—it’s about being real. When you know your strengths and lead from them, you naturally exude confidence, consistency, and trust. Parents notice. Dancers feel it. Your team rallies behind it.
You don’t have to copy the studio owner down the road. You just need to lean into what already makes you you.
Your character strengths are a compass, not a script. They won’t solve every challenge, but they’ll help you approach them with clarity and confidence. They remind you that your uniqueness is your power—and that by embracing your strengths, you can build a studio that’s not just successful, but soulfully aligned.
So go ahead—take the assessment, reflect on your results, and start showing up as the most authentic version of yourself. Your dancers—and your business—will thank you for it.
Connect at Pinnacle Dance Conference and Retreat
Learn more about living your signature strengths at Tiffany Henderson’s Pinnacle Dance Conference and Retreat July 18-20, 2025 at the Omni Royal Orleans in New Orleans, LA. Immerse yourself in three days of dance movement classes, business seminars from leaders in the industry, plus preview the all new Dance Positive courses within a like-minded community of dance educators.
The Joy of Movement: Why Dance Is Essential for Children Ages 2–12
Dance offers age-appropriate benefits for children that build on each other year after year:
1. Physical Development
Dance improves coordination, strength, balance, and flexibility. Multiple classes per week reinforce muscle memory and support healthy posture and motor skills which is crucial for developing bodies.
2. Emotional Growth
Dance is a form of expression. It helps children process emotions, build confidence, and feel successful through positive reinforcement and goal-setting.
3. Cognitive Benefits
Children engaged in dance show improved focus, memory, and pattern recognition. Structured routines help develop discipline and the ability to follow complex instructions.
4. Social Skills
In group classes, children learn teamwork, listening skills, and how to support their peers helping foster empathy and collaboration from a young age.
Why More Dance Is Better
While one class per week is a great start, multiple classes offer exponential benefits:
Faster Skill Progression
Repetition builds mastery. With more time each week, students grow stronger technically and creatively.Cross-Training Opportunities
Taking different styles (ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, etc.) helps develop versatility, agility, and a deeper love for movement.Consistency Builds Confidence
More classes mean more opportunities to feel proud, prepared, and performance-ready. Kids feel the difference when they’re truly invested.Safe & Active Screen-Free Time
Regular dance classes provide a healthy alternative to screens and sedentary activities, especially during critical growth periods.
With a new dance season upon us, now’s the perfect time to encourage your dancers to take multiple classes per week. Consider offering a discount on the second class and/or scheduling complimentary classes back to back.
Dance and Child Well-Being: Why Your Role as an Educator Matters More Than Ever
As dance educators, we understand the transformative power of movement. Beyond technique, choreography, and performance, dance offers something deeper—an opportunity to support the holistic development of children. In a world where mental health challenges, physical inactivity, and social disconnection are increasingly common among young people, your role as a dance teacher is more vital than ever.
This post explores how dance positively impacts a child’s physical, emotional, social, and cognitive well-being—and how you, as an educator, can intentionally foster those benefits in the studio.
1. Physical Health: Building Strong, Resilient Bodies
Dance is one of the most effective ways to engage children in sustained physical activity. As an educator, you're helping students:
Develop strength, flexibility, and coordination promoting motor skills and muscle development through warm-ups, exercises, and choreography.
Improve posture and balance by strengthening core muscles and enhancing body awareness.
Establish lifelong habits of movement
2. Emotional and Mental Health: Creating a Safe Space for Expression
Your studio can be a sanctuary for students to express what they can't always verbalize. Dance helps children:
Regulate emotions through movement and rhythm
Build self-confidence as they master new skills
Experience joy and release through music and expression
3. Social Development: Fostering Connection and Empathy
Dance is inherently social. In your classes, you're shaping the way children interact with one another. Dance encourages:
Teamwork and collaboration in group choreography
Respect for personal space and others' ideas
Cultural appreciation through exposure to diverse movement forms
4. Cognitive Growth: Boosting Brain Power Through Movement
Dance is deeply cognitive. Memorizing sequences, responding to cues, and navigating space all activate the brain. Dance supports:
Memory, focus, and spatial awareness
Creative problem-solving and adaptability
Academic performance through increased discipline and executive functioning
Why This Matters Now More Than Ever
Children today face pressures and distractions previous generations never imagined. Your dance class might be the one place where they feel seen, empowered, and free. You’re not just teaching dance movements—you’re helping shape confident, compassionate, and resilient individuals.
Your Influence as a Dance Educator Is Transformative
As a dance educator, you're uniquely positioned to nurture the whole child. Every class you teach is an opportunity to support not only their growth as dancers but their development as thriving human beings. In fostering movement, you foster well-being. In guiding expression, you guide healing. And in building technique, you build confidence that reaches far beyond the studio.
Action Step for Educators:
Reflect on your teaching practice this week—where can you incorporate more opportunities for emotional expression, social connection, or cognitive challenge? Even small changes can make a lasting impact.
Learn more about the benefits of dance for children at Tiffany Henderson’s Pinnacle Dance Conference and Retreat July 18-20, 2025 at the Omni Royal Orleans in New Orleans, LA. Immerse yourself in three days of dance movement classes, business seminars from leaders in the industry, plus preview the all new Dance Positive courses within a like-minded community of dance educators.