Does SkillBarre replace my studio management software?+
No, and it's not meant to. SkillBarre is a skill progression and family engagement platform, not a billing or scheduling tool. It works alongside your existing studio management software. Think of it as the layer that helps families see the progress happening inside your studio and the value of the training behind it.
How much additional work does SkillBarre create for instructors?+
SkillBarre is designed to make progress tracking efficient. Instructors can quickly and easily assess multiple dancers and skills in one class grid, then publish updates when ready.
In our initial pilot, weekly updates have taken approximately 2–3 minutes per class, although times will vary based on class size and the number of skills being assessed.
Once published, those assessments support studio oversight, family progress tracking, and dancer celebrations, without requiring instructors to create separate reports for every family.
Do instructors need to assess every skill each week?+
No. SkillBarre doesn't require instructors to assess an entire curriculum every week. Studios choose which skills to evaluate and how often to update progress, whether weekly, monthly, or at specific milestones.
The goal is meaningful, consistent assessment that fits your studio's teaching approach.
What kind of studios is SkillBarre built for?+
Recreational and competitive dance studios of any size, from single-instructor boutique studios to multi-location academies. If you teach structured levels and want parents to see real progress, SkillBarre is for you. We're launching with Ballet and Jazz, with more genres and specialties on the way.
What do parents actually see?+
Parents see the skills their dancer has been assessed on during the current season, the star ratings earned, and how their progress develops over time. Studio owners can also generate and share progress reports with families on their preferred schedule.
How do the stars, companions, and badges work?+
They're the reward layer in the parent app, and they're meaningful. Every star comes from a real instructor rating. Not participation, not self-reporting. As stars accumulate, companion characters and moves unlock. As skills are mastered, achievements and milestones are awarded. Everything is earned, never given.
How do instructors update student progress?+
Instructors use the SkillBarre app to rate skills on a one to three star scale, then publish. One star means Introduced, two means Developing, and three means Mastered.
Do I need to build my own curriculum?+
No. SkillBarre includes curriculum templates with skills organized by level and category. Use them as they are, or customize them to match your studio's teaching philosophy. Your curriculum stays private to your studio.
How does SkillBarre handle children's privacy?+
SkillBarre is designed with children's privacy in mind. Students exist only as sub-profiles under a parent account: there are no child logins, no child email collection, and no independent child accounts. Parents control the account and everything in it.
How do I get started with SkillBarre?+
Getting started doesn't mean starting from scratch.
Begin with SkillBarre's ready-to-use curricula or customize skills and progression to reflect your studio's teaching philosophy. Then, set up your classes, instructors, and dancers in the Studio Dashboard.
Once you're up and running, instructors can track progress through a streamlined class assessment grid, updating as often as your studio chooses.
Ready to explore? Book a walkthrough to see how SkillBarre can work for your studio.
Shannon Watters, MFA
Founder, SkillBarre
Built by a dancer. For dance studios.
