Your first 30 minutes

Set up a small, working path through Dance Studio Manager before configuring every option. The goal is to create one staff record, one season, one class, and one fictional family so you can see how the pieces connect.

#Before you begin

You need an administrator login. Decide whether you are preparing a real studio or a training/demo studio. For training, use visibly fictional names and do not enter real payment credentials.

#1. Review the studio mode

Go to Settings > Global Settings and review the common studio settings, including DSM Mode.

A child-focused studio normally organizes clients as families with related students.
An adult-focused studio can present accounts differently and may hide the Families menu.
A combined studio supports a mixture.

Important: Studio mode affects labels and navigation. Choose it before writing staff procedures or inviting Online Client users.

#2. Create the categories you will use

Go to Settings > Categories. Review the lists used by classes, such as genre, level, program, location, billing schedule, and charge category.

Start with a small real-world set. Too many overlapping categories make filtering and reporting harder later.

Example training values:

Genres: Ballet, Jazz, Ballroom
Levels: Beginner, Intermediate
Programs: General, Team
Locations: Main Studio, Studio B
Billing schedules: Monthly, Full Season

#3. Add rooms and locations

Go to Settings > Rooms and add the spaces that appear on schedules. If your studio does not need separate rooms, use one clear default rather than several “N/A” variations.

#4. Create a season

Go to Settings > Seasons and create or review the season that will contain your classes. Confirm its dates and Online Client visibility before opening enrollment.

Season settings can affect:

which classes appear together;
when enrollment opens or closes;
whether a waitlist is allowed;
registration fees;
what Online Client users can see.

Keep the season closed or hidden until the sample class has been reviewed.

#5. Add staff

Go to Staff and add the people who need a login or can be assigned to classes.

At minimum, enter the required identity and login fields, keep the new record inactive while configuring it, and assign the correct role or permission group. Add an instructor before building a class so the teaching assignment is available on the class form.

Warning: Do not give administrator access merely to solve a missing-menu problem. Review Settings > Group Permissions and assign the narrowest role that supports the person’s work.

#6. Add one group class

Go to Group Classes and select Add New. Create one class using the season, categories, room, instructor, meeting schedule, registration rule, and pricing method you just reviewed.

After saving, return to Group Classes and confirm that the class row shows the expected:

class name/code;
genre, level, program, and location;
current and maximum enrollment;
day or days of week;
instructor;
pricing;
Online Client registration state;
start and end dates.

#7. Add a fictional family and student

Go to Families, select Add New, and create a training family. Open the saved record and use its Action menu to add a student.

Use a clearly synthetic identity and a non-deliverable email address. Do not use a real family merely to test screenshots or training.

#8. Review Online Client settings

Go to Settings > Online Client. Review whether login, registration, payments, account features, messages, videos, waivers, and other optional items should be available.

Then use Online Client Login to view the studio’s client-facing entry point. To see a particular family’s experience, open that family/student account and use Action > Login As Client if your role provides it. An impersonation banner should make the temporary client view clear.

#9. Review payments before opening registration

Go to Settings > Payment Processors and review the configured method. Do not assume that seeing checkout means online payment initiation is available.

Confirm:

whether registration can complete without immediate payment;
which cards, bank methods, or external options are enabled;
whether agreements or waivers are required;
which registration fees and discounts apply;
what users should do when online payment is unavailable.

Do not enter live credentials into a demo or screenshot tenant.

#Confirm the setup works

You should now be able to:

see the class in Group Classes;
see the family and student in the appropriate lists;
open the Online Client class registration calendar;
find the class during its visible enrollment period; and
reach the cart or checkout without an unexpected settings error.

Stop before completing a charge or payment until pricing, fees, discounts, agreements, and the payment processor have been reviewed.