Paperwork, form filling, admin, there are 100s of things to consider when running your dance studio. Staff certifications and compliance are yet another thing that may be keeping you from doing what you love.
Don’t fret. We’re here to help. We’ve put together this helpful article to help you stay on top of all of the certifications, checks, and legal requirements you may need for your dance studio. (Please note, if you’re unsure about any of the certifications you may need, please seek professional advice.)
What Certifications Do Dance Studio Owners Need to Stay Compliant?
The levels of certification needed to own and run a studio may differ depending on where your studio is located and the services offered. We do recommend getting expert advice if you’re unsure of what certifications are needed, as we are by no means business advisors. However, to give you a brief overview of what you may need, we’ve compiled a list:
Certifications For UK-Based Studios:
Business Registration – Register your Dance Studio with HMRC, as a Sole Trader, Partnership, or Limited Company, with UK licensing requirements and permits depending on the studio activities and services you offer (Learn more about this and what it means in our blog post: ‘How To Create A Profitable Business Plan').
Insurance Certifications & Documentation – Unsure what insurance you may need? Check your insurance coverage and whether you need public liability insurance, employers liability insurance, property insurance, and professional indemnity insurance in our blog post: ‘Does My Dance Studio Need Insurance?'. These policies support public liability, protect the business owner, staff, and visitors, and help cover potential risks linked to teaching activity.
Music Licences – If you play music in class, you will typically need a music licence with PPL and PRS coverage for recorded copyrighted music to avoid copyright issues.
DBS Checks – If you're working with minors, all adults will need a DBS check, and child protection clearances are necessary when teaching children.
GDPR Compliance – Compliance with GDPR is necessary when storing personal student data.
Safeguarding Training – Whilst not a necessity, it's recommended.
Food Hygiene – If you sell refreshments, you may also need a food hygiene certificate.
Fire Safety – A comprehensive fire risk assessment is legally required, and health and safety duties include identifying potential hazards, maintaining emergency exits, meeting local fire safety regulations, and complying with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 as part of your overall licensing requirements.
Certifications For US-Based Studios:
Business License – Register your dance studio with your city. Follow your local rules for this.
Zoning Compliance – Ensure your zone allows your space to be used for dance and fitness-related activities. Zoning laws can limit the use of land for certain industries, and if the premises is not zoned for assembly or instruction, you may need to apply for a change of use.
Sales Tax Permit – This allows you to sell your services. Please note this does vary by state.
Insurance Certifications & Documentation – Unsure what insurance coverage you may need? See our blog post: ‘Does My Dance Studio Need Insurance?' You’ll typically need public liability insurance for your studio, and professional indemnity insurance is also recommended for staff teaching classes.
These policies help protect against potential risks tied to instruction and visitors.
Music Licences – playing any copyrighted music will require a license.
Background Checks – If you're working with minors, all adults will need to go through a background check.
Mandated Reporter Training – Some states require this if you have youth instructors.
First Aid Training – Often, your insurers will require there to be at least one first-aid-trained adult on site at all times.
Health & Safety – This also includes a risk assessment, fire safety measures, and clearly maintained emergency exits.
Certifications For Australian-Based Studios:
ABN (Australian Business Number) – Legal requirement to operate any business.
Business Name Registration – If not trading under your name. I.e., Queensland Home of Dance should be registered. But, Mary Lou King doesn't need to be if it's your legally registered name.
Council Approvals – Local councils may need to check that your area allows your space to be used for dance and fitness-related activities. Zoning laws can limit the use of land for certain industries.
Insurance Certifications & Documentation – Review your insurance coverage, including public liability insurance for your dance studio, and consider Professional Indemnity Insurance for teaching staff. Unsure what insurance you may need? See our blog post: ‘Does My Dance Studio Need Insurance?'
Music Licences – Playing copyrighted music, like everything in the charts and what you're probably using for your lessons, needs a license to be played publicly.
Working With Children Check (WWCC) – If you're teaching children or working with minors, child protection clearances are necessary and all adults will need to go through a background check. Mandatory in all states, but the name does differ: NSW – WWCC, VIC – WWC Check, QLD – Blue Card, and SA – Working with Children Check.
Dance Teacher Certifications and Dance Curriculum
It is worth noting that, whilst dance teacher certifications are a great thing to have, there are no formal or legal requirements indicating that these are needed to run your dance studio. Even so, formal qualifications can strengthen credibility, support safer teaching standards, and build trust with families.
However, by employing dance teachers with recognised qualifications, you can improve your studio's overall standing and stand out against your competitors. They can also complement real dance experience when parents and students compare studios. (Which is always a win.)
Some of the dance teacher qualifications are as follows:
Ballet Teacher Certifications
Ballet is an incredibly technical dance genre to learn and carries an increased risk of injury compared to other dance types. Most studios do require their teachers to be certified. There are several certifications and bodies that teachers can get their certifications from, including:
Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) – UK-based, globally recognized.
Cecchetti Method – Offered by ISTD and the Cecchetti Council of America.
American Ballet Theatre (ABT)® National Training Curriculum – USA.
Jazz Teacher Certifications
Jazz dance combines both African and European styles of dance, with a high level of energy and liveliness. Jazz always incorporates form, style, rhythm, and energy. Whilst not as complex as ballet, to be a teacher, you may want some certifications:
IDTA (UK)
ISTD (UK)
ATOD (AUS)
Dance Educators of America (DEA) (USA)
Tap Teacher Certifications
Technique and precision are crucial in tap dance. By having certified training, tap dance teachers will be able to ensure consistent rhythm, style, and progression without affecting the overall performance of the students.
ISTD Tap (UK)
RAD Tap (limited, but available)
ATOD Tap (AUS)
ADAPT Syllabus (Canada/US)
How Do You Get These Certifications?
Depending on which certifying body you opt to go with, you will have to complete varying exercises, exams, and training. However, roughly, the journey to becoming a certified dance teacher could look like this:
You will need a dance background in your chosen genre, ideally at an intermediate level or higher.
Then, you would either get a Certificate in Teaching Studies or a Professional Dancer's Teaching Diploma.
Apply online for your teacher certification from your chosen representative body.
Complete their course, which will include various modules and in-person training. This may also include a supervised teacher training block.
Assessments: written assignments, class observations, and a practical demonstration.
When To Renew Your Certifications?
It’s important to know that, unfortunately, with staff certifications and compliance, it’s not a one-and-done type of thing. These certifications will need to be reviewed, renewed, and re-required. But don’t worry, we’ve broken these down for you and highlighted how often you will need to redo these (per area):
UK Business Certification Renewals:
Certification | Need Renewal | When? |
|---|---|---|
Business Registration | No | Only if your business structure changes. |
Insurance | Yes | Most policies offer 12-month cover and may include Public Liability Insurance, employers' liability insurance, property insurance, and Professional Indemnity Insurance depending on your setup. |
Music License | Yes | Annually |
DBS Checks | Yes | Every 3 years or if requested. |
Safeguarding | Recommended | The NSPCC recommends updating every 2-3 years. |
First Aid Training | Yes | Full certificate every 3 years, but refresher training yearly. |
US Business Certification Renewals:
Certification | Need Renewal | When? |
|---|---|---|
Business License | Yes | Annually, in most states/cities. |
Zoning Compliance | No | Only if you move locations or your use changes. |
Sales Tax Permit | No | Some states may differ. |
Insurance | Yes | Normally, annually, based on your insurance policy. |
Music License | Yes | Annually |
Fire Marshal / Inspections | Yes | Annually |
Background Checks | Yes | Varies by state; generally every 2–5 years or as mandated. |
Mandated Reporter Training | Yes | Usually every 2 years, but check your state's requirements. |
First Aid Training | Yes | Full certificate every 2-3 years, varies by state. |
Australian Business Certification Renewals:
Certification | Need Renewal? | When? |
|---|---|---|
ABN | No | Unless you change the entity |
Business Name Registration | Yes | Every 1 or 3 years, depending on how you set it up |
Council Approvals | No | Only if you change location or usage |
Insurance | Yes | Normally, annually, based on your insurance policy |
Music License | Yes | Varies by state; generally every 2–5 years |
WWCC / Blue Card / WWC Check | Yes | Full certificate every 3 years. Refresher annually |
First Aid Training | Yes | Usually every 2 years, but check your state's requirements. |
Certifications When Running Your Dance Studio
Running a dance studio is about so much more than just teaching routines, attending competitions, and nurturing the next generation of dancers. Countless behind-the-scenes responsibilities need to be taken into consideration. Getting the legal and operational basics right when opening a dance studio helps create a solid foundation for a successful dance studio business. A strong dance studio business plan should include market analysis, identify your competition, define your target market and customer base, and set a financial plan with a realistic budget for business expenses. It should also outline marketing strategies for attracting prospective students and new students.
With Class Manager's class management software, while we can't apply for your certifications for you, we can handle a wide range of your day-to-day administrative tasks, helping save you up to 25 hours a week. That means you can worry less about class scheduling,billing and payments, communication, and student management, while managing class registration, keeping class schedules organised, and using software to streamline operations when you run multiple classes.
Practical ways to reach potential students include setting up business accounts on social media, using email marketing for existing contacts, trying Google Ads, and combining event marketing with community events and local dance community outreach; many studios budget 1%–3% of annual turnover for this, and 83% of parents use social media for recommendations.
For more information Book a demo with our team, or create your free account here.
