About Nikki Stewart & Bovingdon Dance Academy
Founded in 2013 by Nikki Stewart, Bovingdon Dance Academy has been providing high-quality dance education to dancers aged 3-18 for over 13 years. The school offers a safe, inclusive, and positive environment, and has built a strong reputation within Hertfordshire for both technical excellence and inspirational teaching.
Nikki trained in dance from a young age and originally dreamed of becoming a professional dancer. However, with a natural head for numbers, she pursued a career in accountancy — a skillset that would prove invaluable when she took the leap and opened her own dance studio.
Today, Bovingdon Dance Academy is thriving. The school delivers 54 weekly classes to almost 400 students across Ballet, Acro, Tap, Modern, Street, and Musical Theatre. Alongside the scheduled classes, Nikki and her team offer a range of enriching experiences for their dancers, including shows, trips, and competitions. In previous years, students have travelled to Disneyland Paris, and in 2025, a group of ballet dancers aged 14–15 reached the final of the Dance World Cup, which will be held in July 2026, in Dublin — a huge achievement for both the dancers and the academy.
The Challenges Nikki Needed Help With
As the school grew, so did the workload. Before Class Manager, Nikki was running the business herself and managing registrations, class schedules, attendance, discounts, and invoicing manually.
Everything was handled through spreadsheets, which Nikki described as “death by spreadsheets.” With just 5–7 classes, the admin already takes hours each week. Scaling to the 54 weekly classes the academy runs today would have felt unimaginable under those systems.
The manual processes were not only time-consuming but also made the school feel less professional than Nikki wanted. She knew that to grow sustainably — and to present the polished, trustworthy image she envisioned — something had to change.
Why Nikki Chose Class Manager
When Nikki decided enough was enough, she began researching dance studio management software. Many of the platforms she explored have a tiered pricing structure, charging based on the number of students you have, which would increase if your school grows.
Nikki didn’t want to be penalised for growing her business. When she discovered that Class Manager offered a clear, set price — with no tiered increases — she was sold. Knowing exactly what she would be paying, regardless of growth, gave her confidence in her choice.
Class Manager offered everything she needed in one place: admin management, class scheduling, student management, and automated billing — all within a clean, simple dashboard that wasn’t overcomplicated like other systems she had tested.
How Class Manager Has Helped
Class Manager has transformed how Bovingdon Dance Academy operates day to day. The software now handles the admin that once consumed hours of Nikki’s time each week.
Today, the only thing Nikki still uses spreadsheets for — alongside Class Manager’s recital planner — is event and show planning.
One of Nikki’s favourite aspects of Class Manager is its professional and polished appearance, particularly from a parent’s perspective. She describes it as being “professional on the outside and slick on the inside,” allowing the academy to present itself as the organised, trustworthy, and well-run business that it is, while still having all the functionality needed behind the scenes.
What’s Next for Nikki & Her Business
Class Manager has played a key role in supporting the growth of Bovingdon Dance Academy. Managing 54 classes and almost 400 students would have been impossible without the support it offers.
By removing the administrative burden, Nikki has been able to focus her time and energy on growing the business, supporting her teaching team, and creating new opportunities for her dancers — while also reclaiming time for herself.
“Class Manager has helped me spend more time working on my business rather than on my business and helps me look professional and sleek, inside and out.”
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