First year lessons: Rebecca Massey learned from her mistakes--fast.

Like the Grateful Dead used to sing, the first days are the hardest days. When former American Ballet Theatre dancer Rebecca Massey moved to Kannapolis, NC, nearly four years ago to open a dance studio, she had big dreams and little experience. To save money, she slept on a futon in the studio. Today she has 70 students and recently moved to spacious new quarters. Here are some of Massey's startup tips:

Pick the studio name carefully. I started off calling mine Rebecca's Tutu, which was terrible, especially for my boy pupils. Then I changed it to Piedmont Dance Conservatory It says to parents that it's a very structured environment where a child can prepare for a serious preprofessional school.

Tailor your ads to your market. Mine used to list the summer programs where my students had been accepted, like the Harid Conservatory, but that didn't mean a lot to people. I had to market to parents who don't know about dance. Now our ads say, "We have closed-circuit television, sprung floors, and ample parking." That resonates more than "We offer Cecchetti training."

Dance is a performing art--perform. My focus is ballet. I have students getting into Harid and Juilliard and I have got to give them performing opportunities. We have a recital and every child gets to dance in it. I'm not a great choreographer, but if I'm creative enough, I can get every child in.