Pole Studio Manager Has Been Redesigned and Relaunched
We just finished a full redesign and relaunch of Pole Studio Manager, our studio software for the pole, aerial, and circus world.
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Software developer · Founder · Dancer
I build software that helps dance studios run better.
I’m David DuVal, founder of Dance Studio Manager. For more than two decades, I’ve worked where software, small business, and the dance community meet — building practical tools that make complicated work feel simpler.
20+
years shipping practical software
20+ yearsbuilding practical software
FounderDance Studio Manager
Builderproducts and online communities
My main business
Dance Studio Manager
Dance Studio Manager connects enrollment, scheduling, tuition, payments, communication, reporting, and everyday administration in one practical system built specifically for dance studios.
DSM began as a solution for a working dance studio in 2003 and still grows from real conversations with studio owners, staff, teachers, and families.
One connected system
2003serving studios since
1system, not five apps
24/7studios run on it
- Registration & scheduling — classes, levels, and rooms in one calendar
- Tuition & payments — billing, autopay, and reporting that reconciles
- Portals — family, teacher, and staff views of the same live data
- Real support — help from people who know the product inside out
Built for dance studios — not adapted from a generic gym platform.
How I build
Three rules I keep coming back to
01
Start with the real work
The best software begins with an honest understanding of what people do every day, where time is lost, and what needs to become easier.
02
Build for the long term
Useful products outlive trends. I value steady improvement, reliability, and modernization that protects what already works.
03
Keep it practical
I’m interested in ambitious technology — including AI — but I judge it by whether it produces clearer decisions and better outcomes.
Notes from the workbench — and beyond
Browse all writing →
Latest writing
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A few ongoing threads
What I write about
The archive is broad because my interests are broad. These are the clearest paths through it.
20 essays
Professional Work
Building products, running independent software businesses, and learning from the work.
Explore topic → 27 essaysTechnology & AI
Practical experiments and opinions on software, AI, and the tools changing how we build.
Explore topic → 6 essaysCreative Projects
Small applications, unusual ideas, and the pleasure of making something new.
Explore topic → 7 essaysDance & Community
Ballroom dancing, teaching, community, and a lifelong connection to dance.
Explore topic → 24 essaysTravel & Language
Languages, places, and what travel teaches me about people and perspective.
Explore topic → 10 essaysHealth & Longevity
Notes and questions about health, longevity, and living well over the long term.
Explore topic →Still building
Useful ideas should survive their first version.
I enjoy taking products, systems, and communities with real history and helping them become more useful, more dependable, and ready for what comes next.
Read my story