In the midst of a global pandemic the companies that are going to come out of this thriving are the companies that are innovating. Obviously with the 60+ online classes we are running every week AND the addition of multiple new class types online this week, Aerial Dance is innovating up a storm! But even cooler, we are innovating in ways that will help our students out long after this is quarantine time is a memory with the new CLASS VIDEO section in Pole Studio Manager (our scheduling software) that debuted over the weekend.
For those that don’t know, I’m one of the owners and developers of Pole Studio Manager. No, I don’t actually write the code, we hire smart people for that. But I do make a lot of choices about what to build out and how it is going to work. As a studio owner I found that previous software didn’t have what we needed so two years ago I partnered with David and Dance Studio Manager to bring my studio and others Pole Studio Manager. What is so cool about being part of the development is that it is being customized for the needs of Aerial Dance. Our program with 8-week sessions AND drop in classes with multiple membership types is much more complicated than most studios so this customization gives me the ability to run our program the way I envisioned with software that supports us. <3
This new video feature is truly revolutionary because it will allow us a new way to interact and support our students both when they are at the studio and when they are now. Currently available in the online client (we are working on an app update with it) the “Class Videos” tab gives our students access to video contact at any time. On the studio end I can set which videos a students sees based on their membership types, classes they have been enrolled in, and classes they have attended. For example, we already send videos to our Beginner Pole students after each class on what to practice that week, these will now be IN the studio software.
The plan is to create content for our students that will help them workout at home AND at the studio. We will be able to send a video with a good warm-up to do that week at practice. Or a video on conditioning to do on hoop to improve your skills on that apparatus and if you’ve taken a Hoop class it will automatically show up in your videos as an option. We’ll be able to upload the video of a workshop routine you learned so you can refer back to it and keep practicing it long after the workshop. So for all our students this will give their membership a boost in value.
This feature will also be used like the FB LIVE is currently being used long after the COVID time is done. The plan is to give our All Inclusive Members at home workouts weekly that they can do for the times that they can’t make it to the studio. In time there will be a large video library of home workouts that they can do both with and without a pole adding a lot of value to that membership level! The opportunities with this feature are endless and I’m so excited that my partner David pushed up the launch so we can start implementing it during this time of social distancing.
I’ve already asked our developers to create a “Playlist” or “Category” option for the library to make it easier for students to find videos once there are a TON available to them, so look out for that update to this cool feature soon. That’s one of the reasons I’m so grateful for my role in PSM, I influence strongly what happens and when it happens so I get what I need for the students of Aerial Dance!
The first video I posted was my favorite shoulder exercises to do at home! This video is available to any student with a current membership so they can spend time at home doing useful exercises. In the 14 minute video I cover three mobility exercises and four strength exercises with tips, things to watch for and how to maintain optimal form. I hope later this week to make an “inspirations” video list with a few of my favorite performers doing incredible things for those times you just need to see something awesome. This feature gives Aerial Dance an amazing tool for interacting with our members.