The 5-Step Canva Choreography for Dance Teachers

Let’s be honest—we’ve all seen dance school graphics that look rather dated. You know the ones—garish gradients, questionable fonts, and text awkwardly squashed to fit.

The good news? Canva is here to transform your digital presence.

If you’re a dance teacher looking to enhance your design skills without needing formal training, Canva is your ideal companion. It’s free to use (with a premium option available), intuitive, and can help make your dance school’s marketing look polished and professional with minimal effort.

Here’s a straightforward guide to getting started, plus some practical tips to ensure your graphics look contemporary and appealing.

Step 1: Create a Consistent Brand Identity

The secret to professional-looking visuals is consistency. Canva’s Brand Kit feature allows you to maintain uniformity across all your designs.

Here’s what to include in your Brand Kit (available on Canva Pro, but you can manually save these elements if you’re using the free version):

• Your brand colours – Select two to four colours that represent your dance school and use them consistently. This eliminates the “this shade looks nice today” approach.
• Your logo – Upload a high-quality version and include it on relevant designs.
• Fonts – Choose one or two fonts that are legible (avoid overly decorative scripts that become difficult to read).
• Photos – Include high-quality images from your actual classes—authentic photos create a stronger connection than stock images.

If you’re using the free version, simply create a blank design with your brand colours and fonts as a reference template for future content.

Step 2: Embrace Templates (They’re Time-Savers)

Canva offers numerous ready-made templates that look professional and polished. Whether you’re creating content for Instagram, designing a Facebook cover, or producing a flyer for your next event, there’s no need to start from scratch.

• Find suitable templates – Search for “dance,” “dance school,” or “fitness” for inspiration.
• Maintain consistency – Use templates from the same family to ensure your posts have a cohesive look.
• Adapt rather than overhaul – Make minor adjustments to images and text while preserving the overall layout.

Step 3: Format Correctly for Different Platforms

Ever uploaded content to social media only to find important elements cut off? Different platforms have specific image size requirements, and Canva makes these adjustments straightforward:

• Instagram posts: 1080 x 1350 px (portrait) or 1080 x 1080 px (square)
• Instagram Stories & Reels: 1080 x 1920 px (vertical)
• Facebook Cover: 820 x 312 px (wide)
• Flyers/Print: A4 size (Canva allows you to set precise dimensions)

With Canva Pro, the Resize tool becomes invaluable—allowing you to quickly adapt your design for different platforms without starting over.

Step 4: Showcase Authentic Photography

Stock photos serve a purpose, but nothing resonates with your audience like genuine images from your own classes and events.

• Capture dynamic shots of students dancing (with appropriate permissions).
• Document behind-the-scenes moments—warm-ups, celebrations, interactions between students.
• Utilise Canva’s background remover (Pro feature) to highlight your dancers in professional-looking graphics.

If your photo collection is limited, arrange a brief photography session during your next class. Having a selection of quality images will significantly enhance your design process.

Step 5: Schedule Regular Design Time

Finding yourself rushing to create last-minute posts? Consider this approach:

Allocate one hour weekly for batch-creating several designs.

Once you’ve established a workflow, it becomes much easier to produce multiple posts in a single session. Planning ahead ensures your social media remains active, your branding stays consistent, and you avoid late-night design emergencies.

For Canva Pro users, the Content Planner feature allows you to schedule posts directly, which will then publish automatically—one less task to manage.

Final Thoughts: Consistency Trumps Complexity

The beauty of Canva lies in its accessibility and the opportunity to develop your skills over time.

Begin with simple designs, adhere to your brand colours, and prioritise clarity and readability. There’s no need for flashy effects, multiple fonts, or an excessive colour palette.

A modest investment of effort will substantially improve your dance school’s visual identity, making it appear professional, engaging, and distinctively yours.

So explore the platform, experiment with designs, and embrace a more refined aesthetic for your social media presence.

Your students—and potential clients—will appreciate the difference.