Dance Management Software
Manage multiple studios, coordinate costume orders, schedule rehearsals and performances, and give parents real-time visibility into their child's progression through exam grades.
AMES understands the unique rhythm of dance school operations, from weekly recreational classes and private lessons through intensive exam preparation seasons to the organised chaos of show week. Every workflow is built around how dance schools actually run, so nothing falls through the cracks.
UK Governing Body
Royal Academy of Dance
Typical Pricing
£6-£12 per class
Class Size
10-20 students
Challenges dance businesses face
Costume and performance logistics
Coordinating costume orders, sizes, payments, and fittings across multiple classes for a single show is a logistical maze that consumes weeks of admin time. A typical end-of-year show involves over 100 costumes spread across 15 or more routines, each with different suppliers, fabrics, and pricing. Size exchanges trickle in for weeks after the initial order, late payments hold up bulk orders, and missing items are only discovered at dress rehearsal when it is too late to reorder. Supplier lead times of 8 to 12 weeks mean a single overlooked order can derail an entire routine. Add in accessories, headpieces, and shoes, and the spreadsheet quickly spirals beyond what any single person can reliably track without dedicated tooling.
Rehearsal and show scheduling
Blocking rehearsal slots across studios while avoiding clashes with regular classes, exams, and competitions requires constant calendar gymnastics. Students performing in multiple routines need different rehearsal calls, and younger dancers depend on parent availability for drop-off and collection at non-standard times. Venue hire windows for theatres are limited and expensive, so tech and dress rehearsals must be scheduled months in advance around the venue's own programme. Coordinating lighting, sound, and staging cues across back-to-back run-throughs, while ensuring every cast member gets adequate stage time, turns scheduling into a full-time job in the weeks before the show.
Multi-style timetabling
Students taking ballet, tap, modern, and street dance need schedules that work together. One change ripples through the entire timetable. Families want back-to-back classes so they are not making four separate trips each week, but studio rooms vary in suitability for each discipline: sprung floors for ballet and contemporary, mirrors and barres for technique classes, open space for street and commercial. Teacher specialisms further limit flexibility, as a RAD-qualified ballet teacher cannot simply swap into an ISTD modern slot. Balancing student demand, room availability, and teacher expertise across an entire week means every timetable change triggers a cascade of knock-on adjustments.
Exam and grade tracking
RAD, ISTD, and IDTA exams happen at different times with different requirements. Tracking which students are exam-ready and chasing entry fees is relentless. Each exam board follows its own syllabus, fee structure, and registration deadline. Solo and group entries have separate administrative processes, and accompanist booking must align with the examination timetable. Venue logistics add another layer when exams are held off-site, requiring transport coordination and supervision rotas. After results arrive, certificates need recording against each student's profile, merit and distinction data feeds into progression planning, and parents expect prompt updates. Without a centralised system, critical deadlines slip and entry fees go uncollected.
Guides and articles for dance businesses
Rehearsal and Show Scheduling for Dance Schools
Show season is the highlight of the dance school year, but it demands exceptional scheduling. This guide covers rehearsal calendar management, venue hire, tech and dress rehearsal planning, multi-cast coordination, backstage scheduling, and keeping parents informed throughout.
Performance and Event Management for Dance Schools
A dance school show is the culmination of months of work and the most visible representation of your school to the wider community. This guide covers every aspect of performance management, from building the running order to printing the programme.
Building an Effective Parent Portal for Dance Schools
A parent portal is not a luxury feature for dance schools. It is the communication backbone that replaces the dozens of WhatsApp messages, printed letters, and repeated phone calls that consume your admin hours. This guide covers what your portal should include and how to get parents using it.
Multi-Style Timetabling for Dance Schools
Building a timetable for a multi-discipline dance school is one of the most complex scheduling challenges in children's activities. This guide covers balancing styles, matching rooms to requirements, aligning teacher specialisms, and creating family-friendly scheduling.
Multi-Studio Scheduling for Dance Schools
Running classes across multiple studios demands more than a paper timetable pinned to the office wall. This guide covers visual drag-and-drop scheduling, room tagging, discipline colour-coding, clash detection, and building views that work for both teachers and principals.
Instructor Management for Dance Schools
Your teachers are your most valuable asset and your biggest operational variable. This guide covers tracking qualifications, managing discipline specialisms, arranging holiday cover, handling pay rates across different class types, and generating accurate timesheets.
Tracking Dance Exam Grades Across RAD, ISTD, and IDTA
Dance examinations are central to most UK dance schools, but managing entries across RAD, ISTD, and IDTA involves navigating different syllabi, fee structures, and administrative processes. This guide explains the key differences and shows how to track everything efficiently.
Managing Exam and Grade Progression in Dance Schools
Effective progression management is what separates a dance school that retains pupils for a decade from one that loses them after Grade 3. This guide covers syllabus tracking, readiness assessment, mock exams, batch grade updates, and clear communication with parents about their child's journey.
Managing Costume and Performance Logistics for Dance Schools
Costume logistics can make or break a dance school's show season. This guide covers everything from supplier management and size collection to fitting schedules, accessory tracking, and the show-week timeline that keeps backstage running smoothly.
Automating Payment Collection for Dance Schools
Chasing payments is one of the least enjoyable parts of running a dance school, but it does not have to consume your evenings and weekends. This guide covers automating every payment type a dance school handles, from term fees and exam charges to costume deposits and show tickets.
Starting a Dance School: Everything You Need to Know
Dance is the second most popular children's activity in the UK after swimming. Starting a dance school requires specific qualifications, the right studio space, and an understanding of the examination and performance culture that makes dance unique.
How AMES helps dance providers
Dance Studio Scheduling & Timetabling Software
A visual drag-and-drop timetable that spans every studio room in your school. Set room suitability tags so ballet classes are automatically placed in rooms with barres, mirrors, and sprung floors, while street dance sessions fill open-plan spaces. Colour-coded by discipline, the timetable highlights clashes instantly and suggests alternative slots when a change is needed. Teachers see only their own schedule, while principals get the full cross-studio view.
RAD, ISTD & IDTA Exam & Progress Tracking
Track every student's journey through RAD, ISTD, or IDTA syllabi with built-in checklist tracking against each grade's requirements. Exam readiness indicators show at a glance who is prepared and who needs more time. Schedule mock exams, record results, and manage entry submissions from a single screen. When results arrive, update grades in bulk and automatically notify parents with certificate details and next-step recommendations.
Dance School Payments & Direct Debit (UK)
Collect term fees, costume payments, and exam entry fees without chasing. Set up instalment plans for expensive costume orders so families can spread the cost over several weeks. Integrate show ticket sales directly into the platform, with seat selection and family group booking. Sibling discounts are applied automatically at checkout based on your configured rules, eliminating manual adjustments and ensuring every family pays the correct amount.
Parent App for Dance Schools
Give parents a single place to find everything they need. Push rehearsal schedules directly to their dashboard and send reminders as dates approach. Share costume checklists so families can tick off each item as it arrives. On performance day, publish logistics including arrival times, backstage access, and parking information. Parents can message teachers, view progress reports, and download photos and certificates without switching between apps.
Dance Show & Recital Management Software
Plan your show from first concept to final bow. Build running orders with drag-and-drop, generate cast lists per routine, and schedule backstage calls so every dancer knows exactly when and where to be. Manage tech rehearsal timings, coordinate with venue staff through shared schedules, and publish photo and video galleries for families after the event. Ticket sales, seating plans, and programme printing all feed from the same data.
Software for Dance Teachers & Instructors
Track each teacher's qualifications, discipline specialisms, and teaching style preferences so you always assign the right person to the right class. When a teacher is unavailable, holiday cover matching suggests qualified replacements based on discipline, availability, and student familiarity. Pay rate tracking per discipline handles the complexity of teachers who cover multiple styles at different rates, and timesheets are generated automatically from the timetable.
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