I also did not realize that Amatuars could now teach, earn an income. This must have changed recently, and because at a novice level it does not effect me, I dont keep up with it. BTW, I am in favor of this change.

I do agree with the quoted instructor fees... Here, we will pay about 90.00 an hour, and that is how I came up with my estimate of 12K a year in lesson expense.... I just could not for the life of me figure our how someone could do a comp cheaper than a week-end of lessons.

Many of your AM couples like ourselves are husband and wife teams and I dont consider it sharing the cost.... It comes out of one pocketbook.

What I think though that is missing and have to disagree with is throwing money away.... Not all who both compete and take multiple lessons a week are doing it to rise to the top. The reward is the joy of preparing for the comps and not just the comp.... Sometimes I have to laugh at this thing we call a hobby.. 3 lessons a week and on the off days in the studio working on what we have leared in our lessons. But still it is a hobby, just a very passionate one that makes myself and my husband quite happy regardless of our placements.

"I do agree with the quoted instructor fees... Here, we will pay about 90.00 an hour, and that is how I came up with my estimate of 12K a year in lesson expense.... I just could not for the life of me figure our how someone could do a comp cheaper than a week-end of lessons."

$50 x 2 for competition entry
vs
$90 *2 for pair of lessons


"Many of your AM couples like ourselves are husband and wife teams and I dont consider it sharing the cost.... It comes out of one pocketbook."

It would cost you twice as much to both do Pro/Am as you would be doing it seperately... So you don't exactly save 50%, but you save the 200% increase

I guess I keep getting caught up in the comp prices you are quoting.... Do you mind me asking where in the US you are competing for that price?.. Maybe what it is you are competing?

We do travel to many regionals (am/am), USA Dance and NDCA comps in different parts of the US and have never paid that price. It sounds like maybe one champ entry, with no entry fee to the ballroom?? I dont know. We dance both international standard and smooth, maybe that is where the difference is.

I think there is also a misconception as to what a AM couple learns in lessons. Sure, of course two of us are learning "steps" and we could dance it seperatley. But for the most part we are learning partnership skills, how to compete together and it is (In my mind) just not the same as say two people seperatley taking a priviate lesson from a pro. The focus is on the couple, not the individual. Progress is definetely much slower.... Dont mean to beat a dead horse here.

"I guess I keep getting caught up in the comp prices you are quoting.... Do you mind me asking where in the US you are competing for that price?.. Maybe what it is you are competing?"

Either coast. If you go to the USA Dance competitions that have large attendance by serious competitors, the prices are very low. If you go to the ones run by people who can't get out of the grand hotel pro-am pagent mindset, they are going to be overpriced.

"It sounds like maybe one champ entry, with no entry fee to the ballroom??"

Two levels will usually cost you $50-55 per person, no entry fee for competitors. Sometimes you can enter four events for that price, sometimes its alacarte.

"I think there is also a misconception as to what a AM couple learns in lessons. Sure, of course two of us are learning "steps" and we could dance it seperatley. But for the most part we are learning partnership skills, how to compete together and it is (In my mind) just not the same as say two people seperatley taking a priviate lesson from a pro. The focus is on the couple, not the individual. Progress is definetely much slower.... Dont mean to beat a dead horse here."

Before you know what you are doing that might be true, but once you have the basics down it really isn't. As my coach used to say when I was in between partnerships and taking some lessons alone, there's really only so much I can teach you outside of a partnership. Dancing the steps is not the main skill!

USA Dance Regionals entry fee survey for 2007 (per person)

Southwest (CA) (2006) $60

Northwest (Seattle) entries are free, weekend pass required ($45/$55 standing room/balcony)

North Central (Chicago) $100 (ouch!)

Northeast (NJ) $60

Southeast $130-$150 (longstanding reputation for outrageous prices!)

As I said... the ones on the coasts are cheapest, and also biggest and most contested, wheras the ones in the middle are overpriced and small...

LOL...The 2 regionals we have planned so far is the Southeast and North Central!

The up side is that our flight to Chicago will be under 200 each, which is probably a first for us.

"LOL...The 2 regionals we have planned so far is the Southeast and North Central!"

The downside is not so much the entry fees, but the much much smaller events. You would have much more competition at southwest or northeast.

Ren=member, when comparing these to proam comps, that the fee per person covers ALL entries for all events. Proam comps usually charge per heat, in addition to the myriad fees that surround the 'rpo'...

Right, NDCA comps are charged by the heat. Even for an AM they are much more expensive than USDance. We just registered for a local NDCA, total cost $400.00.(entry and entrance fees) For a Pro-AM, the cost, considering other fees would be much more.

From all discussions it looks like the only cost gor compwtition are entry fees per dance which vary betwen 50-100.
I was told by my studio that on the top of this the cost of upcomong competition is 2950 per day to participate. I guess that there is a hidden cost to cover expenses of my instructor but even with 150/hour it should be max 1200 counting 8 hours. Any idea what " daily fees mught be ?