My wife and I are finishing up training for a cha-cha routine we are performing at a fund-raiser, and we've noticed that the studio is fairly empty compared to a few years ago in regards to ballroom students. So we've been able to go in and have our practice sessions without many time conflicts. We had this discussion in the past, but I am sure other studios are noticing a drop-off in enrollments right now with this recession we're struggling with.
Hope it ends soon. We may be heading for a break as well if things don't get better. The dollar is not stretching the way it once did.

Actually, it is exactly the opposite for us (we're in Canada). The studio is full to overflowing. All our beginner classes are packed and there is no shortage of people willing to pay for private lessons. I think amateur couples are looking carefully at their expenditures for competitions and cutting back on the travel, hotels etc. There is a big comp coming up in Feb. in Montreal that everyone went to last year but I know of only one couple that is attending this year. We are an independent studio with no contracts or obligations and prices for group lessons are very reasonable. We have had many calls from students of the chains who can no longer afford the expensive packages and are looking to continue dancing with out all the pressure.

One of my studios is now always empty, but its because the pros that defected to it have returned to a less 'beautiful' but much larger and cheaper (floor fees are less)studio and taken their students with them. The older studio is always packed and has the best group lessons I've run across.

My sweetheart has finally agreed to learn to dance with me, but wanted to start slow, so I'm also taking an intro to ballroom with him at community college and it has a wait list of 17. (By the way, yikes from open gold to prebronze!! At least its good practice on the basics, you can always use practice!!)

If dancing is your passion you figure out how to do it. You may change where and when, but you do it.

Maybe the downturn will be a good thing. Maybe the comps will have to change who they rob to make money and return the impetus to good dancing not just big spending.

Those are all good messages to hear. I am glad this may only be a blip of some sort, rather than a prolonged problem. The more I thought about it, I think the other factor is that we're just experiencing a brutal winter in the Chicago area, and a lot of walk-ins or regulars are not battling the 30-below winds or 8 inches of snow to get to a dance lesson. We're pretty rugged when it comes to winter, but this has been a tough one by any standards. Throw in the bad economy and so many people out of work, all forms of entertainment are likely to take a hit around here.