Hey guys. I am so frustrated! I have been taking ballroom for about 2 mos now, although I have taken other forms of dance all my life (ballet, lyrical, hip hop, theatre, etc). I just found out from my teacher at AM that she just started training to be a teacher there 4 mos. ago -- but the worst part is, she says that prior to that she had absolutley NO dance instruction at ALL!!!! Oh my God! It's so obvious too. She had no concept of counts...just relies on her S-Q-Q...How can I learn from someone who can't hear the beat and gets thrown off count on a rumba or hustle and blames it on me not doing the step correctly?!? This has already happened more than once and how can she teach proper technique if she doesn't even have any!!! I want to enter into competitions. These "dance parties" they sign you up for are bogus too. I don't want to learn to lead 50 different women. I want to find 1 partner and improve technique with her. Help! How can I find a place that will help promote that? What should I be looking for?

You are definitely on the right track as to what to be looking for. I suggest you check out every single studio, both franchised and not, that is within a reasonable driving distance of where you live.

Go to a couple of group classes and parties and see how the teachers teach and how the students are learning and dancing. Find out which teachers coach competitive couples. Try taking a lesson or two from a few of them as a "try out." (If a studio is going to make you purchase a long-term or otherwise expensive package just to check them out, cross them off your list...you should be able to drop into any group class or party, or book one-off lessons, with no problems or sales pitches.) Eventually you will find someone you click with who has a lot of experience and knowledge, combined with good teaching skills.

Good luck. Knowing that you can do better and wanting to look for something better is the first step in the right direction.

Thanks for the encouragement. This place definitely seems more interested in "cattle call" dancing rather than individulaized and personalized instruction. The best is when I signed up, they asked me to fill out a questionnaire in order to help the teacher better personalize my lessons to my goals and ability. Yeah, right! I don't see anything different going on with my instruction or package than anyone else. And I wouldn't even mond paying those expensive rates if I was being taught by some one who actually knew what "staccato" meant five mos. ago and I didin't have to share my private lessons with 40 other people taking private or group lessons at the same time!!!! Sorry just venting here. But I appreciate your response.

"if....and I didin't have to share my private lessons with 40 other people taking private or group lessons at the same time!!!"

FYI private lessons almost never mean private space. It can happen that no one else is teaching then but it's extremely rare for a studio to guarantee your privacy.

What city are you in?