An interview with a freelance dance instructor

The context

Picture this: a chat over coffee between a curious DJ and SeYin - a passionate ballet instructor who freelances across studios. The DJ is interviewing with all the questions you probably have… and SeYin’s answering as both a dance instructor and someone who genuinely uses, likes and sells the BitzButler app. No hard sell here—just real talk from someone who has lived the dance-teacher chaos.

DJ: Out of curiosity, when did you start learning ballet?

SeYin: Lemme think…I started when I was 7 years old, not knowing what ballet was about, nor did my family know anything about it but I just went ahead to sign up for the class and never looked back. Still keeping the first ballet slippers, thinking of mummifying it. Haha.

DJ: How did you start or end up teaching ballet?

SeYin: Blame my teacher! Haha. The studio where I trained needed an assistant teacher, and one day he just turned to me and said, ‘Hey, you wanna teach?’ I was like, ‘Huh? Never thought about it!’ After a few chats, he talked me into giving it a try. And honestly, I wasn’t too excited at first. You know how it is—dancing yourself is one thing, but teaching? That’s a whole different world. Figuring out how to share what you’ve learned and actually guide students properly felt like a totally new challenge. Luckily, with my teacher’s guidance, things started to click. I got more confident, deepened my own understanding of ballet, and honed my teaching skills along the way. And thank goodness—so far, no complaints from students or parents! (Touch wood! Haha).

DJ: Tell me a bit about your coaching experience?

SeYin: Oh, where do I start? I always say a little prayer for nice, responsive students before every class—haha!

One of the biggest things I’ve learned is that there’s truly no “one-size-fits-all” when it comes to teaching ballet. The same explanation or correction that works for one student might not work for another—even in the same group. If you stubbornly stick to the exact same method for everyone, you’re just digging a hole for yourself (and probably frustrating the kids too!

But honestly, that’s also the most fun part. It forces you to get creative—to think on your feet, tweak your approach, and find new ways to reach each dancer. That constant adaptation has helped me grow as a teacher. Freelancing has been amazing for this. I’ve taught different age groups, from tiny kids, to teens and adults, with all kinds of backgrounds and skill levels. That variety has really enriched my experience.

DJ: And what kind of class are you conducting these days?

Se Yin: Oh, a bit of everything! I run syllabus classes (the structured ones with set exercises), open/free-work classes, and private or small-group adult ballet sessions.

My favorite has to be the open/free-work classes. Unlike the syllabus stuff, I get to choreograph fresh routines and pick whatever music I’m vibing with. The set syllabus work is important, of course, but it can get repetitive—for me and the students. They start going on autopilot, and the challenge kind of fades. In open class, though, they have to pick up new combinations and musicality on the spot. It keeps everyone sharp, awake, and honestly way more excited.

The best part? Watching their faces during a tricky combination—those classic ‘you’ve got to be kidding me’ or ‘is this music ever going to end?’ moments. Haha. Plus, I get to sneak in my favorite tracks and choreograph to whatever I’m loving that week. It’s total joy—for me and (eventually) for them too!

DJ: So, before you started using the system, how on earth did you keep track of your teaching hours and classes?

SeYin: (shakes head and laughs) You really don’t wanna know—it was a mess!

If a studio called with a new slot, I’d quickly scribble it on whatever scrap of paper was nearby. On my more “organized” days, I’d actually pop it into my phone calendar… if I remembered to do it right away. But honestly, half the time I’d find myself scrolling through old WhatsApp chats, trying to piece together who sent me which timetable and when I was supposed to show up where. It ate up so much of my time just trying to reconstruct my own schedule—let alone figure out what to bill each studio

DJ: When did you think that you needed a system to keep track of your training hours?

SeYin: The worst was almost mixing up schedules between different studios.

Then there was the payment side. I’d have to scroll forever through old WhatsApp threads just to find the original timetable as “proof” of the classes I taught. Only then could I send a polite “Hey, just following up on payment…” message. It felt kinda lame and unprofessional, honestly.

And because I was always chasing info like that, payments usually came in slower—my follow-up texts probably got buried under a million other messages. Plus, it took me ages to figure out who had actually paid and who hadn’t. I’d sit there trying to match bank transfers to studios and months. Total time suck.

After all that chaos and those late payments, I was like, “Nope, there has to be a better way.” That’s when I started looking for something that could keep everything in one organized place.

DJ: Is it worth the hassle to key in all the training hours into a system?

SeYin: Haha, I totally get that—I thought the exact same thing at first! I was like, “I’m already busy enough… now I have to tabulate everything in? No thanks.”

But here’s the reality: it’s only a tiny bit of upfront effort, and then it saves you so much time and headache later. Adding a class is super quick—literally 20-30 seconds: pick the date, time, studio, class type, and you’re done. That’s it. Once it’s in the system, it stays there forever—no more losing notes or digging through chats.

The payoff comes at the end of the month: it automatically pulls together all your completed hours, generates a clean invoice with every class listed, payment status colour-coded, and receipts ready to go. What used to take me hours of piecing things together now happens in a couple of clicks.

DJ: Is freelancing as a dance instructor actually a decent way to make a living? What kind of income are we looking at, and… no EPF or benefits, right? Haha.

SeYin: Tough question—haha! Honestly, it’s not going to make you filthy rich overnight, but if you hustle a bit, build a steady network of studios, and keep your reputation solid, it could be a livable income. Some months are quieter, others are packed—especially if you’re willing to work your butt off and say yes to cover extra classes.

If we are disciplined enough to regularly save a portion of our income, we can achieve the same results as those who have EPF. The main difference is that freelancers have to rely on their own discipline to save, while EPF savings are enforced by law through the employer. So, yes, self-discipline plays the key role for freelancers, just as legal rules do for salaried employees.

On the other hand, I'm also selling BitzButler CRM as another source of income. I really enjoy working as a freelance dance instructor—dancing is my hobby—and selling software at the same time. Both freelance jobs go well together and don't conflict with each other. Each one gives me the opportunity to meet and talk to more people.

DJ: Any plan to start your own ballet studio?

SeYin: Nope. Next! Haha.

DJ: Haha, very well then. Looking ahead, how do you see this CRM growing or evolving alongside your career as a freelance dance instructor?

SeYin: Hopefully this CRM will reach even more instructors and small business owners who want to move away from manual processes to something simpler. For me, it’s become my go-to for scheduling and billing—perfect for freelance, part-time, and project-based work. And those pro-looking invoices? Total magic. Studio owners and clients pay up much quicker—haha, no more endless WhatsApp chasing payments! I ditched the manual invoice hassle ages ago. It's like having a super-efficient butler who never sleeps in.

DJ: Okay, dream big with me here - if money, time, gravity, visas, jet lag, none of it existed, what's your wildest dream dance adventure?

SeYin: Oh man, I'd go full digital nomad mode: backpacking the world as a travelling dance instructor, teaching locals and travelers alike. Culture-mixing, no permanent address—just endless inspiration and dance every single day. Total freedom!

DJ: Wow! What a blast chatting with you! It’s been such a pleasure having you with us today. Thank you for sharing with us your journey. Here's to more teaching joy and chasing those backpack dreams! Wishing you all the best!

SeYin: Thanks for having me! I had such a blast—feels like after class gossiping about a dance instructor's life, haha. Loved every second, thank you!

Summary

Just a small notes here - yes, BitzButler CRM can help you to stay organized with the classes that you have conducted. Check this blog post for more details: Case study: a dance instructor who is using our system

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