What Temperature Should A Dance Studio Be?

If you own, work, or practice in a dance studio, you would have wondered, “What temperature should a dance studio be?”. When you’re maintaining the temperature in your dance studio, a few degrees of adjustment to the HVAC system could make a world of difference to the way the dance studio feels for your students. 

So, what temperature should a dance studio be? According to One Dance UK, 65-75° Fahrenheit (18-24° Celsius) is the optimal temperature range for dance studios. Dance Studio owners should install HVAC systems as temperature control is essential for dance studios because it’s a safety procedure, and it can be a mood booster.

In this article, I will cover some essential information regarding the temperature of your dance studio, such as:

• Temperature laws for dance studios
• Benefits of keeping the dance studio hot
• How to keep your dance students heated
• The dangers of too much heat in the dance studio
• Educating students about temperature
• Heat management in dance studios
• Proper dance studio attire

What Temperature Should A Dance Studio Be? – Temperature Laws For Dance Studios

No laws mandate that a studio should be at a particular temperature. 

Technically, a studio owner could make the studio ice-cold if that was part of their marketing campaign. There are also no government bodies regulating and forcing dance studios to comply with temperature regulations. The only option your students have if they’re unsatisfied is to voice a formal complaint.

If you’re a dance studio owner, your concern should be to create the optimal dance environment for your dance students. Remember that a moderate temperature could make a massive difference in terms of safety for your students. 

When cold, they are prone to injury. And under extreme heat, your students could be doing damage to their cardiovascular system and joints, which could also lead to severe injuries. Excess heat can even cause dehydration, which can lead to a hospital visit. 

To stay on the safe side, avoid extreme temperatures on both ends of the spectrum.

NOTE: Regarding the safety of your dance students, you should also pay close attention to the flooring of your dance studio. I have written an article on the best flooring for dance studios. Give it a read after you finish reading this article. 

Benefits Of Keeping The Dance Studio Hot

Dance studio owners make the mistake of cranking the AC unit to the max while they’re holding class in the high heat of the summer. There are benefits to keeping the body warm. Thus it’s smarter to leave the temperature as it is than alter it with AC. 

The following are the main benefits of dancing in a hot room:

• Boosts core temperature (good for the body)
• Prevents damage to the joints
• Prevents muscle strains

Heat is essential on the dance floor because it boosts the blood flow in the body, which makes students much less prone to injury. If the joints are cold, the blood circulation will decrease, and this makes dancers a lot more sensitive to quick movements, which leads to severe sprains and muscle injuries.

Moreover, many dance experts recommend warming up students for 10-20 minutes before you start dance classes to raise their body heat levels.

During the winter months, teachers should hold warm-up sessions for students, even if the heat in the room is optimal. Warm-ups are necessary because many students are entering the studio from the cold outdoors, and it takes a certain amount of time for their body to acclimate to the indoor temperature.

Pro Tip: Hold a 15-minute warm-up when you’re starting classes at the studio during winter. When you’re between dances, tell your students to keep moving to preserve their body temperature.

Keeping Your Dance Students Heated

Aside from managing the temperature using HVAC systems, there are two ways to regulate your student’s body temperature:

1. Introduce them to warm-up exercises.
2. Instruct them to wear warm attire.

Many dance teachers mistakenly advise their students to remove their clothes for more natural movement. Still, it’s better to let your students keep an extra layer of clothing during the winter months. 

If your students are wearing t-shirts, allow them to wear hoodies until they warm up and start sweating. This process will ensure they raise their body temperature to an optimal level and preserve it for the duration of the class.

Certain fabrics are better for preserving heat. Pick clothes made from polyester because they absorb moisture from the body readily. Polyester material helps students maintain their body temperature while their clothes remain dry.

Be wary of students asking you to open the window or decrease the heating in the winter. Consult your students to ensure they’re okay with the temperature you’ve chosen. 

However, always make a judgment call based on your intuition. If you feel that your students could catch a cold or become more prone to injury once you cool the temperature, refuse to lower it, and open the studio up to the air.

Maintaining Safe Temperature In The Dance Studio

Experienced dance teachers are aware of the benefits of heat. Dancers love to exercise in warm rooms because the temperature makes them comfortable, and they naturally become flexible. 

However, because heat is good for the body doesn’t mean we should go overboard with it. Cap the heating at 75° F (24° C) to remain on the safe side. You should avoid anything above the 75° F (24° C) limit.

Don’t use sweat as a measurement for how strenuous your class is or how much effort they’re putting in. Many teachers mistakenly assume that because their students are sweating, they’re trying harder in the class, and they’re eager to dance. 

However, sweating is usually a reflection of the individual’s body chemistry. If a person sweats a lot, it could also lead to dehydration.

There are also a few benefits in terms of calorie-burning in hot rooms. Calories are burned faster in a cold environment because the person has to exert more energy to maintain body temperature and burn the calories. 

Your students won’t experience fat-loss benefits in a warm room. However, they will feel more confident and flexible when they’re dancing. 

Educating Dance Students About Temperature

Pro Tip: Your students will complain about the temperature of the studio often. Use that as an opportunity to educate them about the benefits of temperatures.

• If the student is complaining that the room is too hot, tell them it prevents them from injuring themselves. It will also make them more flexible.
• Explain to them that dancing is a serious business and that the studio must be hotter than the average room in winter to keep their body temperature high.
• Let them know that you’re managing the temperature based on proven statistics and that it never surpasses the 75° F (24° F) threshold.
• Educating them will make them feel at ease, and they will expect warm temperatures next time they’re in your studio.

Heat Management For Dance Studios

Studio owners who want to install HVAC systems to regulate the temperature have the option to choose from two options: forced-air or mini-split. 

The forced-air option is more premium, and this type of air conditioning functions through panels located at the top of the ceiling. It’s more subtle, which makes it harder to install.

Pro Tip: You want the heat dispersion system to disperse equally throughout the entire studio, so one part of the studio is not warmer than another.

Mini-split systems are the regular air conditioning panels you see in every home. You can also install them at the dance studio, and they tend to be more affordable. 

Which one is the best? It depends on your budget. 

They both have the same coverage and ventilation features. Large studios might have problems with both if the studio is too big to heat or cool. Many HVAC tradespeople only install in small to mid-sized studios.

1) Forced-Air HVAC System

Installation Cost: $3000-7000

Maintenance Cost: $500/year

Forced-air works using diffusers that lower the airspeed, and it releases air through ventilation panels that professionals attach to the ceilings. This type of air conditioning doesn’t make any noise, and it requires a concrete slab mounted on the ground outside the building.

This system is subtle but hard to install, which increases installation costs significantly compared to mini-split systems. Forced-air systems can be maintained inexpensively with maintenance fees totaling less than $500 a year

2) Mini-Split

Installation Cost: $2500-5000

Maintenance Cost: $500/year

Mini-split systems are the most practical solution overall as these systems are popular all over the world.

The compressor is located somewhere outside the building, such as the balcony or the roof. Mini-split systems are 2x less expensive than forced-air systems, they’re easier to install, and they’re also relatively quiet.

Installation is more straight-forward as the primary cooling head is on a wall, and professionals cut a hole in the wall to connect the outdoors compressor with the cooling head.

Pro Tip: Make sure to purchase a mini-split system with a heat pump. This way, you can use it to heat the dance studio in the winter instead of buying heaters separately.

What Temperature Should A Dance Studio Be? – The Importance Of Dance Studio Attire

The temperature can affect the member’s performance, and wearing adequate dancing clothes can increase the efficiency of their workouts. Make sure to advise novice trainees on the best clothes to wear in your dance studio for optimal performance.

Studio attire can present an opportunity to market your gym. A branded T-shirt will give you free advertising when your students tag themselves in your studio on social media.

Some dance studio students may be influencers who can promote your studio on social media. The following are the best ways to combine gym wear and branding:

• T-Shirts And Sweatshirts. The best shirts for dance studios are of cotton or polyester materials. You can print your dance studio logo on the cheap and give these away to new dancers. Printing companies will give you bulk t-shirt deals at a discount.
• Dance, Shorts & Sweatpants. Almost all the dancers wear shorts or sweatpants, and occasionally they switch to yoga pants. You can print your logo on the shorts and give them away to students for free.
• Adequate Footwear. Advise your students on footwear as certain brands such as Nike Running Shoes are more suitable for dancing in the studio than regular walking shoes.

To conclude, your dance studio should be between 65°F and 75° (18°C and 24°C). If you own a dance studio, you need to install an HVAC system to regulate the temperature. 

NOTE: If you own or run a dance studio, do check out StudioGrowth. We have built the perfect member and class management software for dance studios. 

We took away all the bloat and created a simple and easy to use software. I have used my years of experience running studios to design the perfect software for boutique dance studios. Give it a try. I PROMISE you will love it!