Before joining: choose the right membership
If you have not joined Levels yet, your first step is to review the public membership information and confirm the curriculum scope and current terms before purchasing. Studio owners can compare Studio Monthly and Licensed Studio. Individual teachers can review Instructor Membership.
You can choose a pilot class, class length, and teacher before joining. Teaching Studio sign-in, onboarding videos, lesson preparation, and class setup below begin only after you have eligible Teaching Studio access. A Dancer Membership for video practice does not include Teaching Studio. If you already have Teaching Studio access, use your own account and included curriculum rather than buying another plan just to begin.
After joining: prepare your first week
The goal of the first week is one well-prepared pilot class, not a full-studio rollout. Use the current Teaching Studio to prepare the lesson, and give each teacher their own authorized account.
Days 1 and 2 choose your pilot class
Choose one class, one curriculum level, and one teacher. Confirm the class length and the group’s experience. Studio owners or administrators can review class setup in Studio Launch Center and My Studio. An individual instructor uses the curriculum included with their own membership.
Days 2 and 3 orient the teacher
Sign in to the Levels Teaching Studio with your own membership or studio-invitation email. Open Start here → Open full video guide. Begin with the welcome, how-the-system-works, and first-seven-days videos. Confirm that the teacher can find the correct curriculum, class, week, and matching videos. Do not share the studio owner’s password.
Days 3 and 4 prepare week one
Open the correct lesson from My Teaching or Curricula. Read What am I teaching today, choose the actual class length, and preview unfamiliar material. Keep the first plan manageable: one warm-up, two or three connected skills, one activity, and a short wrap-up.
Save lesson makes the lesson easier to return to in My Teaching. If using Plan with Levels, review the generated plan, make any needed edits, and save it. Saving a lesson or plan does not mark a class taught and does not download the video files. Test playback before class. If an official Levels app offers offline viewing, use it only as permitted by that app and your membership; do not assume portal videos can be exported or redistributed.
Days 4 and 5 communicate with families
Explain that the class is using a structured hip hop or breaking progression and what the group will begin learning. Use Share with families or a reviewed Family message draft when available. Confirm current account permissions and licensing terms before printing or distributing curriculum materials. Creating a draft does not send a message.
Days 6 and 7 teach and review
Teach the first lesson, then record one success, one question, and one adjustment for next week without putting dancer records into chat or general notes. Mark as taught only for the correct class when the lesson’s central purpose was taught. A canceled class or an unfinished lesson should not be advanced just to match the calendar.
What to avoid
Waiting for every teacher to be ready before starting a pilot.
Rewriting the curriculum before understanding its sequence.
Starting in a later week without a clear reason.
Adding too many skills to the first class.
Treating a messy first attempt as a failed rollout.
Sharing passwords or assuming saved plans grant video-sharing rights.
Watch the existing first seven days video
In the Teaching Studio, open Start here → Open full video guide and choose Your First 7 Days: Do This, Avoid That. This is part of the existing onboarding series; older recordings may show previous screens. Follow the current portal instructions above.
As a video-library alternative, watch Your First 7 Days in the Levels Video Library. Sign in with your own Levels membership account or the email connected to your studio invitation. Video access depends on your membership; a public help article does not unlock subscriber videos.