Hello,

I am brand new to this board, and brand new to dancing all together. I am looking into a few local ballroom dance studios for private lessons, but none will give me an average price range until I first go in for a "dance analysis." Apparently this is to customize a private lesson package based on my needs and budget.

My question to you all is . . . what kind of average cost could I be looking at for private lessons, probably once a week at about 60 minutes per session??? I'd really rather not even go for these "dance analysis" sessions without having some idea of the cost first.

Thank you so much, dancers!!

"none will give me an average price range"

As you suspected they do that to try to make a more presentation that is less depressing that simply telling you the cost on the phone.

However, a studio that quotes an average price is a studio that is not about dancing. Teacher vary so much in skill that what it is reasonable for them to charge has to vary too; places that set a fixed price do so for business reasons not for dancing reasons.

"until I first go in for a "dance analysis." Apparently this is to customize a private lesson package based on my needs and budget."

Go for their analysis, assuming it's free, but simply state that your spouse (real or pretend) and you agreed that you would come home with the information and talk it over together before making a decision. And promise yourself that there is ABSOLUTELY NO WAY that you will sign on the line and buy anything while there, no matter what kind of last-day-of-special-sale nonsense they try to feed you.

Also realize that while the consumer side of the industry pushes these lengthy packages, on the real dancing side they are quite unusual. Serious teachers have no more desire to be stuck filling out a package for a disinterested student than students have to be stuck finishing out a package with a disappointing teacher. In the real dance where where it is about dancing rather than business, lessons are paid for one at a time and there is no outrageous markup balanced by pretend package discount fakery going on.

Very sound advice, anymouse. Vwex217 will benefit greatly from it.
But to hopefully shed a little more light on the question, our private studio charges about $60 for a one-hour private lesson. I think if you sign up for five or more at one time, that price comes down a bit. I believe that a private wedding dance lesson is $75 .. only because I think those go more than an hour.
I am not certain, but I believe it to be lower than some of the franchise operations, which tend to push bigger contracts.
I don't see it as prominently now, but it used to be that the "dance analysis" you speak of is really a chance for the studio teachers to analyze what kind of opportunity they have for a sale. In other words, can they wow you with the music, the lights and the dancing in such a way that you get what they used to call "sensory overload" and you are on cloud nine -- and signing a dancing lesson contract that has them smiling like Cheshire cats. And, of course, whether you smile or not will depend on how things go during the course of your contract. You may fall in love with it and think it was well worth the time and money ... or you will be left longing for more and wondering how you could learn so little after spending so much money ... which they hope will have you considering extending your lessons.
All of which, again, is not a major problem if you have the time and money and are getting great enjoyment out of the lessons.

Your first entry into ballroom should be thru the Class experience .

2 reasons.. 1.. cost effective ( $ 5-- 10 per ) and 2... it usually provides a wide choice of dances .

Priv. lessons vary from area to area. larger cities with high profile independant teachers, command higher prices ( $ 60 - 90 ) and no contracts involved .

In smaller towns, $ 40 - 60 , would be a guide .
Before you make a decision, check to see what Qualif., if any , the teacher has, and how long they have been teaching .
Lastly, you should make your dance choices clear, to whomever you choose .

PS.. if you are a " single " check to see if they do a 1 on 1 lesson, many do not .

Our studio charges $60.00 for a private lesson and we are up front with that price even over the phone.There are no contracts although we do offer a discount when hours are bought in bulk. We do offer 'evaluations' for 30 minutes for people who claim previous dance experience. We see no need to give an evaluation to beginners. Group lessons are a great way to try out dance without a huge financial committment. Try to stay away from any sort of contract, from what I 've read on this board, most people end up feeling exploited.

I know that a lot of people paint contracts as being evil - but please note that in some states dance studios are required by law to have written contracts. And, such laws provide that contracts have to provide things such as cancellation policies. Some states even specify a cap on how much a studio can charge you for terminating a contract. In the states that have such laws, it applies to independent and franchise studios alike. (Google "dance studio act" and the name of your state and see if anything comes up. For instance, Florida has one, Illinois has one.)

If your state has such a law, then providing a written contract makes those studios law-abiding, not evil. You don't automatically have to run from a studio that asks you to sign a contract. But be sure to READ IT, and ASK QUESTIONS before your sign it.