Top Studio Management Systems for High-Volume Dance Academies & Competition Teams
With 300+ students, multiple rooms, and tiered competitive teams, manual billing is a nightmare. Find the right system to handle complex fees, costumes, and mass communication.
The "Complex Billing" Problem
Large schools face a unique billing nightmare: calculating multi-class discounts, sibling discounts, and separate "competition fees" versus standard tuition.
- Billing Headaches: Manual calculations lead to revenue leakage.
- Communication at Scale: You can't text 500 parents individually. You need "smart segments."
- Example: Send a message only to "Senior Jazz Team" parents about a costume change.
Key Feature Requirements
Recital Fees & Admissions
Stop chasing cash for tickets. Use Custom Invoices to bill parents for recital admission directly on their monthly statement.
- Direct Billing
- Ad-hoc Fees
- Paid Records
Costume Management
Track sizes and orders for hundreds of students. Use the Inventory Manager to assign costume fees and track who has paid.
- Stock Tracking
- Size Capture
- Payment Status
Auto-Pay Enforcement
Essential for cash flow given your studio rent. Automate tuition with Recurring Billing so you collect on the 1st, every time.
The "Best of" List
NNERB
Focus on the consolidated "Family Account". The Message Centre handles email & SMS blasts, while the billing engine ensures you get paid for tuition + costumes in one transaction.
- Strengths: Modern interface, strong family comms, automated billing cycles.
- Why it wins: Easier for parents to use, which means they actually pay and read updates.
Jackrabbit Dance
Good for granular detail but often has a clunky interface that frustrates modern parents.
- Strengths: Deep feature set for very specific dance needs.
- Watch for: Steep learning curve and an interface that feels dated.
