Studio for Rent
Renting studio space to others is an interesting consideration for many studio owners across the country. Should I or shouldn’t I? The answer often lies in the inescapable necessity for dance schools’ proprietors to seek optimal means to make ends meet. Most often these business owners run for-profit enterprises, seeking not only to make ends meet, but also to increase revenue to the point of profit. Anyone in the business can confirm that the art of running a studio for profit requires the studio(s) to be in use 24/7. This is daunting for the savviest, busiest and most seasoned studio owner. Although most dance studio owners are superhuman, no amount of vitamin B12 can sustain the energy needed to make that happen consistently. Sometimes bringing in outside business can.
Studio primetime is after school. Just as school doors close, dance studio doors open and close late. June Martino, owner of the successful Relevé Dance Centre in Suffolk County, Long Island maintains that her school “runs Monday to Friday from 4:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. and all day Saturday with all three studios running nonstop.” She would like to rent her studio out and has tried to do so during its off hours as a way of elevating the bottom line. But she said, “There isn’t much of a market for it out here. My renters tried to appeal to the adult population with exercise and Tai Chi classes. It just didn’t take off.” She has mommy-and-me classes a couple of times a week in the morning, but her studio is mostly dead during school hours.
At the Alvin Ailey building, the Joan Weill Center for Dance, in New York City, things are quite different. It runs at all hours of the day and night. A stunning space with lots of glass, 12 studios and a theatre space is breathtaking, but it comes at a high price. Even though Ailey is a not-for-profit organization, renting their space is still a priority to keep them out of the red. Their Web site lists full-time staff devoted to this practice. Application forms are available for download; rules for using the space are there too.
Two different rates allow non-profit renters to receive a discount. As the person responsible for rentals at another beautiful New York City facility, the Baryshnikov Arts Center, Huong Hoang affirms, “You have to pay for the building and the maintenance of its infrastructure. Although we are a not-for-profit organization and would like to rent all four studios at non-profit rates all the time, it is not the reality. After using our 1,000 hours at the $10.00 NYSCA rate, which is granted on a first-come, first-serve basis, we move to the $20, $30, and $40 dollar non-profit rates based on studio size. Even so, we need to rent the space at higher rates to commercial, for-profit businesses to make it all work.”
Beyond business basics, however, there exists the opportunity to examine and shape the pedagogical question of exposure. If I rent, to whom do I rent, how does this rental benefit my students, and what does the studio gain in reputation by doing so? These questions can lead to curricular enhancement, even if students merely get to watch what is happening in that rented space. Gaining exposure to the work of a dance company in need of rehearsal space while on tour can be an exhilarating and awe-inspiring experience. The atmosphere is readily charged. The opportunity to watch professional dancers rehearse affords a radically different experience from the polish of the performance within a proscenium space. It humanizes our subjects, teaches professionalism and artistry and showcases collaboration.
The Tolbert Yilmaz School of Dance is approximately 30 minutes north of Atlanta. It has five 30 x 60 studios with a retractable wall in one to create a super-sized studio. As founder and artistic director, Nancy Tolbert Yilmaz actively pursues rentals. Casts of “Stomp,” “Cats” and “Riverdance” have rehearsed in her space. “Cirque de Soleil” has conducted auditions. Eurotard does photo shoots, the Miss Atlanta pageant rehearses in her space before moving to a more expensive theatre space, and the Southeastern Tap Explosion rents all five studios in August, absorbing all the expense of rolling up the Marley floors.
Particularly aware of what this does for her students, Tolbert said cameras are strategically placed in each studio and monitors are placed in the lobby where students and parents can watch. There is no question that this positively affects the students. “Because they are exposed to so many different possibilities of what dance is and can be, they observe the next level up and the professionalism is clearly infectious.”
Of course, not everyone has access to professional companies traveling through town. There may, however, be a local photographer in need of a large studio space, a certified Pilates instructor not on the studio’s faculty, a fund-raising event for the local arts community or a workshop conducted by an outside vendor. Students can benefit from either observing or participating in any one of these options.
“We don’t actively seek rentals, but we welcome them when we can,” said Steve Sirico, who co-owns the Fairfield, Connecticut D'Valda & Sirico Dance and Music Centre with his wife Angela D’Valda Sirico. The size of their studio is similar to that of June Martino’s in Long Island with three studios in 5,500 square feet of space. “We recognize the value of our property and its rental potential. Our schedule is pretty tight, even in the morning, so it is not always easy to accommodate. But if we can, we do. The use of our larger studio is $60 an hour, which can be profitable when a group takes the space for 6-7 hours at an off time.”
If renting is agreeable to the studio owner and is a viable option, success is met for both parties when several important considerations are taken into account. An information packet is useful, can be used for actively seeking solicitations and should include:
•Studio dimensions with optional photos
•Studio rules and guidelines for use
•Sound equipment guidelines
•Instruments/pianos usage (if available)
•Amenities
•Rental fees
•Directions.
Assuredly, liability is an issue. Not owning the studio or building creates another layer, requiring compliance with the guidelines of the lease. In any case, it is important to work with insurance agents and lawyers to draw up contracts. Tolbert Yilmaz does everything ahead of time and even goes so far as to get all signed documents notarized. Whether renting the space out a little or a lot, requisite contracts and liability issues must be ironed out.
Consider the following when establishing agreements:
•Duration of the contract or license
•Indemnification and Hold Harmless Agreement – the studio should be held harmless and indemnified against any and all damage or personal injury, including but not limited to, all attorney’s fees and costs incurred in the defense of any action or proceeding arising out of the use of the premises by “x” company.
•Certificate of “x” company’s Worker’s Compensation insurance. Add the studio name’s premises as insured for duration of the contract
•Payment schedules
•Definition of authorized area
•Statement of times to be used
•Purpose and use of the authorized area
•Fines and Penalties for incurred damages to premises by “x” company and breach of contract issues
Choosing renters selectively is a must. Bad tenants exist, and avoiding them is a priority. It is wise to have a studio manager on-site at all times, which should be factored into the cost. If the paperwork is handled properly and the renters are properly vetted, renting studio space can be a win-win situation for all involved. The students, the owner and the bottom line all benefit.
A studio for rent. Should I or shouldn’t I? Only you have the answer.