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 started as the replacement for a Sydney swing-dance school's own home-made door system: four hired halls across the city, a cash tin at each, 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 full history moved across and every month's revenue, pass balances and unpaid teacher pay were checked against the old system to the cent.
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.
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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.