Dance schools in quick step as profits soar 14 per cent

The 34 dance schools that operated in Malta last year employed 109 persons and generated a financial surplus of €391,836 (Lm168,215), the National Statistics Office said.

Collectively, the schools had a total of 5,086 participants, an increase of eight per cent over 2006, with the most popular types of dance being classical ballet, jazz and modern dance.

The number of dance schools in 2006 stood at 32. Of the 109 employees in these schools, 83 per cent were working on a part-time basis.

Female dancers preferred classical ballet and jazz while Latin American and ballroom were the most popular forms of dance among males. The most common type of dance offered by the 34 dance schools was classical ballet, followed by jazz and modern dance.

The schools' recurrent expenditure last year amounted to €654,318, (Lm280,898), 45 per cent of which consisting of staff costs.

Total income generated in the same year reached €1,046,154 (Lm449,113). Of this, 85 per cent came from tuition fees and a further 13 per cent from shows. The financial surplus of €391,836 (Lm168,215) reflected an increase of 14 per cent over the previous year.