For swing and social dance schools
Swing, Lindy Hop, Balboa, Rock 'n' Roll and other social-dance schools run on drop-in classes and a social: people pay on the night, couples share passes, a troupe has its own rate, and the band night costs more. ClassMetrix was built at a Sydney swing-dance school for exactly that door, and it shows which classes make money after the hall and the teachers, and which of your regulars have quietly stopped coming.
What a swing door needs
- Two classes a night, one hall. Beginner at 7, Intermediate at 8:15. Two rolls, one tap apart, and a "came to Beginner tonight → Intermediate half price" rule the door can see and say.
- Two teachers, a lead and a follow. Each paid their own rate, both recorded on the night, both in the class's cost. (This is why a swing class's break-even is higher than a yoga class's; see teacher pay per class.)
- Passes shared by couples. One 10-class pass, two people. Comp passes for the volunteers on the door, not shareable.
- The troupe. A performance group that trains weekly and pays once a week, whatever they attend. A group rate, not a conversation at the door.
- The social. A Friday with a DJ at $15, or a band at $25, no passes. The band fee against the night. Socials counted separately from classes, so a regular who skips the party isn't listed as drifting.
- Levels that feed each other. Beginner can run at a small loss if it fills Level 2. Judge the pair.
Built at a swing school
ClassMetrix was built with a Sydney swing-dance school that ran its door on paper, a cash tin and memory: hired halls, volunteers on the door, a troupe, socials with bands, and years of paper waivers. Every rule above was a rule at that school first. The school's history moved across and was checked against its old records.
What you see
| Screen | For a swing school |
|---|---|
| Tonight | Both classes at the hall, in start-time order, with who is teaching and how many are here. Tap a name, tap how they paid. |
| Passes | A punch card on screen. The partner's pass is in the list of tonight's passes. A forgotten card is an IOU. |
| Money | Each class's takings, hall, teacher pay, profit per night and break-even. Socials separate, with the band as a cost. |
| Drifting away | Regulars not seen for two to four weeks, with the class they were last at, so the right teacher sends the message. |
| Cash | One tin per hall, what it should hold, and whether the last count matched. |
The demo is a swing school
Beginner Swing, Intermediate, Lindy Hop Level 2, Sunday Balboa and a Friday Social with a band night. Six months of numbers.
Read next
Questions
What software do swing dance schools use for check-in?
Many still use a paper sheet and a cash tin, or booking software built for gyms. ClassMetrix was built at a Sydney swing-dance school for the way a swing door actually runs: people pay on the night, couples share passes, a troupe pays once a week, the social has a band and a different price, and the beginner class feeds the intermediate one.
Can a couple share a class pass?
Yes. One pass, two people: the partner's check-in is taken off the same pass, and both punches are recorded against it.
How do I price a social with a live band?
Set the night's own price ($25 instead of $15, say) and decide whether passes are accepted. ClassMetrix lets an event night carry its own price and a "no passes tonight" rule, and re-prices anyone already checked in if you set it late. The band fee goes on the night as a one-off cost, so the social's profit is real.