Actually I do Better than 75per hour, and I have 401k and medical inssurance paid for by my employer so please don't patronize me. I don't see the Outside world as a negitive place and honestly no one in the AMI faamily that I've been in contact with has ever given me reason to think that it is. My opions are my own from my personal experience of which I've had alot. After my 6years with AMI and my 10 years of dancing I think that I am qualified to make my own judgements thank you. I just believe that it is wrong and highly irresponsible of any teacher to bash an organization based on their own self promotting and biased opinions. To believe that the Frachise ways are wrong simply because they are different is one thing but to make up lies and half truths is totally another. Their is a big world out there and it's filled with dancers of all different needs and desires some will work better in the system's used by the franchises others might not and I have recommended to some that we are not the right place for them based on their needs. I'm no tpart of a corperation I'm part of a family with members as far away from me as australia, people whom I get to see when the whole family gets together, you those AMI Dance-o-Ramas, both professional and student a like. We greet each other by first name and share our love of dance with one another.Bet You Can't say that. There is no reason to want to go anywhere else because I am home. And the people I instruct believe that too.

Hi Amaisucks,

I have been with AM for a total of 12 years, I love AM and all it REALLY stands for. Most are good people and good studios. I have always been paid well. Our students, social and competitve alike, seem to be very happy. I love my students very much. I love our studio very much. I love dancing and all it has to offer. The outside world of dance also has many that are AM affiliated. Did you know that Ohio star ball started out as an AM comp, and the organizer is affiliated with AM? also many coaches and dancers that are current on the circuit are AM affiliated. I am lucky to coach with many incredible people, AM and independent coaches alike,and have had independent studios in the area offer me jobs in the past. I take it as ahuge compliment, I have worked so hard to further my dancing and the dancing of my students and have accomplished more than I could have imagined in my time with AM. I am currently training to compete pro in the rhythm division, hopefully (fingers crossed!!) I will be active on the circuit within the next 4 months....

seriously people, hasn't this gone on enough already? Back and forth, back and forth, let's talk about what we all love.. DANCING!!! It's obvious that some are going to have to agree to disagree. But on that note, I would also like to say that the negative comments about other people, instructors studios etc. should really stop. let's keep this a positive place to come and discuss dancing instead of a heated bashfest. There is room for everyone and everyone is welcome in the world of dance.

lets address a few points. your not making more then 75 per lesson at arthur murray. if you are you are lying to yourself and everyone else. ami charges between 85-135 for a private lesson. simple business would tell me they are not going to be making 10-50 dollar on a lesson. they wouldnt be able to pay there bills and overhead. your probably making between 10-25 an hour plus com. wow you have a 401k and benefits. so does everyone else in this world. way to go there chum!
working for a francise is simple. you like the fac that you have a constan flow of students and you use the name to get success. working for a franchise is a security blanket. all you speaking of how great a franchise is hae no real world experience. you have only been accustom to one thing in your life. i am glad you enjoy it. glad its working out for you.
yes i know ohio is owned by sam sodano and he is on the arthur murray dance board. i also know after a comp i had a few drinks with him at dinner and i told hi how much i hated arthur murray. he laughed lol. he knew exactly what i was talking about. and yeah is it a ami comp now? nope for a reason. bob and julia are arthur murray and i give them respect. this debate is prety pointless. you are arguing with a guy whho has been affliated with ami fads and now is very successful in the independant world. i have experience with all aspects. you have experience with one.
and lets address the students here defending their precious franchises. each one is individually owned and operated. you can not tie one studio into the entire chain for that reason. there are GOOD one and there are TERRIBLE ones i feel really bad knowing some people are paying that kind of money who cant even explain basic movement and theory. that is not fair at any studio. as a consumer in dance most people dont understand the difference between a quality lesson and not. at franchise you are paying to move in patterns. they might try o explain connection but not gonna happen. its just regurgitated from what they heard before. they also hold you back from learning more until you fill up there piggy banks more. how fair is that. i urge every single person to go to a trained( i am certified through licentiate in american and international styles, no need for fellowship yet) and then compare your chain school to your independent instructor.

"lets address a few points. your not making more then 75 per lesson at arthur murray. if you are you are lying to yourself and everyone else. ami charges between 85-135 for a private lesson. simple business would tell me they are not going to be making 10-50 dollar on a lesson. they wouldnt be able to pay there bills and overhead."

I wouldn't consider it impossible.

Normally a studio would want a higher margin, but for one of their better teachers, a sweeter deal might be available - especially if it's what keeps that teacher for striking out on their own. A bit of a loss leader you might say. I'm more used to seeing this in the form of the owners own teaching being a great bargain compared to the price of working with their employees, but the economics are the same: if there's something you want to do (keep a good teacher, or have outstanding students) you may have to meet the pay or price rate of that person's other options, and offset it with profits from another aspect of your business.

"your probably making between 10-25 an hour plus com."

The margin off employing those folks is how the owner can afford the poster's abnormally high pay at reduced profit or even a loss, while staying in business.

As one who has never even walked past the front door of a franchised dance studio under any name. Where I live they don't exist. A question. Are they affiliated with the IDSF in any way. Or are they a law unto themselves answerable to only themselves.

"As one who has never even walked past the front door of a franchised dance studio under any name. Where I live they don't exist. A question. Are they affiliated with the IDSF in any way. Or are they a law unto themselves answerable to only themselves."

It's almost unheard of for a d Dance studio (commercial business) to be affilated with IDSF.

A dance club on the other hand - that might be a member of a national IDSF member body.

And this is an interesting distinction: in countries where the IDSF idea is popular, the leading training organizations are dance clubs, not dance studios.

And even in countries where dance studios dominate real training, it is not chain-style studios doing it - instead, it's instrucotrs doing all the things our chain advocate in this thread keeps claiming no real instructor would ever do - such as teaching without a formalized study plan, taking money one lesson at a time, etc.

Oh, and the claim about chain instructors being "constantly" coached by world class professionals? Impossible, for the simple reason that no-world class professional viable as a teacher at that level is going to stay put enough to be "constantly" training anybody. These folks travel the world, and are probably "home" little more than 50% of the time. You want to learn from them, you get used to intermittent lessons, even if you are in "their" studio.

anymouse,

Three things.

1. Professionals is plural meaning many come in, so what do the independents do? I know many who rarely train anymore.

2. You still have yet to define the ambiguous and emotionally charged if not logically backed REAL you like to speak of.

3. Why all the hate and pretending you understand something you clearly don't.

Coaches as in many, we fly them in for afew days and then fly them back from all over.

You honestly can not tell me what I make you don't work here. And no not every dance teachers has 401k benifits especailly ones macthed by their employer. Not to mention medical and dental. I've had students now that I have had scince I started with AMI I don't "use" Arthur Murray. I'm glad to here that you don't use any of the teachings you recieved to teach your student to dance, though I am interested to here what you are "Regugitating" as instrustion. I'm not even sure you are an instrustor. I've worked with your kind before and found them to be puffed up self important blow hards(which buy the way removes in value from their instruction) I'm not interested in what they have to say because thier all about there own ego. I'll be sure to send Sam your regaurds when I have my next drink with him. I'm sure well both LOL