12/30/22

Dopamine & Dance

Many scientific studies on the psychological effects of dopamine show us that When one feels good, the pleasure centers of the brain are flooded with dopamine. Understanding the cause and effects of dopamine can have a high impact on the entire success of your studio. 

I caution you because the knowledge of it can be used for good or evil. Once you see how it is used positively, you’ll be less likely to abuse this power you now possess. 

In the past, studios preyed on lonely widows, getting them to cash in investments or overspend to the point of risking their lifetime of retirement planning. Though it is not the studio’s job to decide how much one should spend, too often a studio will pressure a student to cross the line of their own best judgment. Understand that this does not mean you will sell less, but you will be less likely to ‘burn in hell’ or appear on an expose show like hard Copy for fleecing widows. You are also less likely to bring disrepute to our industry.

Dr Miguel Ruiz (the famed writer of The Four Agreements) explains that love is like a drug. A drug dealer, through friends, will give you a free sample, maybe at a party. You probably enjoy it. So you do it again at some point. Eventually, after a couple of free samples, you actually buy some. At this point you are a casual user. But just as you are capable of binge-watching some mega-popular TV series such as Game of Thrones, you start doing this drug randomly, then more often. The dealer who might have been giving you free samples is now selling you better quality, more expensive product. Soon, you are hooked. 

A student who has never been popular, or was popular when young- but not now, an unfit or physically not pleasing appearance, etc. suddenly has a beautiful, fit, accomplished, dancer telling them ‘how they can be all that too’, is giving the student that first free sample of the love drug. For many students, this can be a life-changing moment. Some might use dance to become fit, develop a positive body image, find a life partner, etc. through dancing.

Used incorrectly by the teacher, the student is sold on the idea that only by spending on competing, trips, etc, will they be happy. You can see where the potential for abuse comes in. When the teacher uses pressure tactics or the threat of ‘divorce’, the students are being manipulated. 

Providing a fantastic experience in all facets- great lessons, parties with lots of people to dance with, memorable group excursions, formation teams, even the path to a lifetime of competing, your studio will studio will grow exponentially! Soon, you can stop spending money on advertising because your friends are bringing all their friends because they hare having so much fun. I remember pleading with students to bring their friends to the detested guest parties, and the student warning all their friends that there was going to be a sales pitch during the event.

Done correctly, your student doesn’t need to be junior, dragged into a sales close, or offered incentives. Instead, it should be as simple as them choosing packages from a restaurant menu. A restaurant waiter doesn’t pressure you to get something you don’t want. A great waiter entices them to a higher ticket item simply by the way a special item is described. Then during the meal reassures them that they made the best choice. 

How do we give them that great rush of dopamine? It’s not the actual act of dancing, but the feeling of accomplishment or achievement. It’s creating an environment where the students become part of a new extended family. Often the teacher thinks it is him when it’s actually connecting to lots of other students. Many studios’ mentality of Get ‘em in, Get ‘em out, prevents the students from establishing those critical connections and friendships. Some studios actually don’t allow spectators to observe -God forbid- the spectator might steal a step. How stupid! At many studios, the typical run (skewed by the intro special and first sales pitch) is 6 months. Our system created an environment where our students stayed on average 5 or more years, with many 10 years and some, even for the 22-year run of my studio. Want to know more? Give me a call.   https://youtu.be/gFlXVLjrzWU