INSURANCE

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT > INSURANCE

Yuck! Do we have to talk about insurance? … yes, unfortunately. This is what I’ve learned:

PERFORMERS INSURANCE

Performers Insurance is required by many venues. The cheepest one I’m aware of runs about $326 a year. Basically it is a policy that will cover medical costs that result from an injury you inflict on an audience member during your performance. It usually covers property damage your act inflicts on to the venue. You can also purchase extra coverage for your apparatus, should it be damaged or stolen. More information about specific policy coverage can be obtained by getting a quote from the list of insurers.

Most of the local performers I know use:
SPECIALTY INSURANCE AGENCY
3432 Denmark Ave. #231, Eagan, MN 55123.
Phone 715-246-8908
info@specialtyinsurance.com
www.specialtyinsurance.com

TEACHING INSURANCE

My teaching insurance is folded into my Studio Insurance, which is essentially three things: general liability, sports injury and teaching.

STUDIO INSURANCE

If your goal is to add aerial classes to your Dance or Gymnastics Studio, research your insurance coverage and what safety measures you can implement to mitigate risk and keep your policy cost as low as possible. For example, some policies don’t insure a rig point above 15 feet. How high are your ceilings? Do you use crash mats?

YES, OF COURSE you do, right?! (*** Begin rant. You would not believe how many dance studios hang a hoop or sling and don’t have a crash mat under it. That’s one of my personal pet peeves. Spinal chord or head injuries can happen from a short distance. Not using a mat is just asinine. End rant ***) Now, having mentioned that some insurers have a height restriction — and say, your ceilings are 20 feet (you ARE an aerial studio after all) don’t freak out. There are plenty of insurers out there and not all have a height restriction.

I found an insurance policy for my Aerial Studio that covered general liability, sports injury and teaching. I used a broker that found a policy tailored to my specific needs. The category we aerialists refer to as “Aerial” insurance is actually “Sports Injury” coverage.

This is the broker I used:

Wendy Martin
Chief Executive Officer
AthleticsICC Insurance Services
(717) 371-1868
wmartin@athleticsicc.com
CA#4246828
www.athleticsicc.com

OK, let’s talk money. Just to give you an idea on cost, I have a very small operation with few classes, so my first year insurance costs are low compared to larger studios. Also Tennessee may be less expensive than say, California or New York. The policy I got through Athletics ICC for 2025 cost me (if paid in full) $2,206.00 for 12 months. Costs can vary depending on many factors, including the number of students, the age of the students, number of events, size or height of space, do you own or rent and in some cases the number of apparatus etc.

Advice I got from my broker surprised me. From an insurance perspective, I was told that it’s preferable to teach children rather than adults because with kids, they have parents who are responsible to cover the cost of medical care should an injury occur. Adults on the other hand are more expensive to cover because if they are injured and can no longer work, they cost the insurance company more money. That was a surprise to me.

If you plan on working as a teacher at an established Studio, ask to see a copy of their insurance policy. Many Studios’ insurance policy only cover employees and will not cover you if you are an independent contractor. You would then be obliged to carry your own teaching insurance. To learn the distinction between an independent contractor and an employee in the State of Tennessee click here.

I hope this information is helpful. This is the nitty gritty stuff I wish I had known when I was first building my business.