After reading all the posts on this topic, I am disgusted. We're all adults, and many of us are professional instructors from different types of studios. Instead of giving 'omar_meja' some friendly advice and encouragement about starting dance lessons, it's turned into a hate filled bash fest about what studio is better and who is more qualified. Why not let each student decide for themselves? Offer up your point of view in a proffessional manner, and wish this person good luck and let that be the end of it. I'm a dance teacher because I love dancing and I love sharing that experience with people who want to learn how to dance. If you're secure in what you're teaching and in your studio, indepenant or franchised, then there is no need to be so bitter and vile towards other methods of teaching and other instructors and studios. We are on this website because we share a passion-why is that dividing us when it should be bringing us together? I hope certain ones of you are proud of yourselves for such insulting vicious comments that are doing nothing to help new dancers see the joy in dancing when they come here for advice about how to get started. Why don't we check our egos and baggage when we all sign in and help eachother to grow as dancers in a positive way. That's what dancing is about anyway in my opinion-not only growing as a dancer but as a person.

dance4joy..........applause, applause..........WELL SAID!!!!!

Danz4joy, I understand you're angry of the negative publicity, but we're merely stating our experiences at AM/FADs. We were once naive, but we got burned and learned and we want to educate new people on how to choose wisely. If you are not getting businesses, change or go work for an independent. If you are truely good at what you do, you wouldn't have any problems getting business, right?

"If you are truely good at what you do, you wouldn't have any problems getting business, right?"

More like, if you are truly good at doing something for which there is a market.

Guest1,
It would be more accurate then to simply say, "here is the expierience that I had at this particular AM or FADS" rather than saying "they all stink" don't you think? This way you are not making statements about some other 400 studios that you have never been to or know nothing about. This way good hard working studios aren't getting the "credit" that the other less than stellar studios have earned.

I'm all for specific location, but I don't think the host of this site will allow it. If we're allowed that, you'll see that it's all over the place and not just isolated to one specific region. This issue is wide spread because they have the same business model. The so called "good studios" that Danz4joy and a few other are defending for their lives are very rare.

The chain studios are in the special position that they could provide unqualified teachers to serious dance students who are capable of and are desirous of learning really good ballroom dancing. Their unqualified teachers would find no business as independents, or at least no serious student would go to them and stay. In such instances, the chain studios would be using their blend names to offer inferior service, tantamount to consumer fraud. The student may not find out, given the self enclosed nature of many of these chain studios, until much harm has been done. I see that happens personally.

To be an ethical business, the chain studios should retain and assign qualified teachers for such students. I confess I don't know to what extent that is happening.

Amen!, Danz4joy. Amen.

Many like myself have never come in contact with an AM Studio. I know what a franchise is. What I'm wondering , are the franchisee answerable to anyone. Do they please themselves to what standard they teach, or what the standard is of their staff. Here , to teach in a studio one must have done a Level O course and past an examination. Even then to take a class or an idividual lesson, a Level O must have a fully qualified teacher in the studio at that time. If they were a competitor and broke the rules they would be in big trouble along with the studio owner. Sometimes the people in control do go a bit too far. A while ago one of our top amateurs was asked to judge a Rock and Roll event, which isn't even ballroom. It was only a small fun thing at a local club. He was brought before the board and they tried to slap a ban on him. He immediatelly turned professional which took him out of their control. He later won the Professional title.

Hey there. I know this thread is a bit old now, but I live in the same area as you, and take down at Dancer Avenue in Lomita. All the teachers originated from either AM or Fred Astaire, so they are well-trained, but better priced and much more flexible (less cult-like).

They are on Narbonne, sometimes still found under 'Stardance Studio' as well. Also, there is the Regency Ballroom in Lomita, just a short drive away from Dancer Ave.

I hope that helps, and hope to see you there!