Is it possible to become a good dancer through a chain school?

I've been taking lessons from one of the chains for six months, and so far I have felt pretty good about my improvement. However, after doing a little research on the web about ballroom dancing, there seems to be a kind of stigma associated with taking lessons from a chain. I'm a single male in my twenties, and at first I got into dancing for the social aspects and to meet women. But, it's grown into a hobby that I will carry on for the rest of my life. My goal is to become a good amateur competitor. I have no desire to teach or turn pro. My instructor realized my seriousness, and encouraged me to start working on technique from the very beginning. Instead of throwing a bunch of moves at me, she drilled things like forward poise, Cuban motion in rhythm, and sway, rise and fall in smooth, leading, and floor craft. I get a lot of compliments from fellow students, instructors, and total strangers about my dancing, so I feel like I must be doing something right.

Every few months, the studio I attend will participate in a showcase which involves the other member chain schools in the area, as well as a few independents. Some of the students from the independents get away with things my teacher would never let me do (eg. Dancing at higher bronze levels without even having a good basic step). My teacher taught me a few bronze and social elements for a variety of dances, but we primarily worked on technique for the first six months. I'm finally starting to move into some intermediate and higher bronze moves, and they look and feel really smooth. When you know the timing of a dance, it makes breaking down new moves so much easier.

I'll admit, my lessons are probably a little more expensive than the average. I also had to buy my lessons in a huge block (contract) to get the rate I got. However, the package included all the groups and parties I wanted, plus my showcase fees. I milked this big time and attended about 60 group classes and dozens of parties the first six months. I recently signed on for another big block of lessons at an even better deal than the first. The chain I attend requires the instructors to continue regular coaching sessions with some of the chain's regional and national instructors. So, the trickle down effect of that coaching might justify the extra expense of the lessons.

I really enjoy learning from the teacher I have, and several of the male instructors often give me pointers. So, is it possible things could be even better at an independent?

Thanks for any input any one has to offer.

-dancing dude

There is nothing inherintly wrong with a chain school, and indeed it sounds like this one may be teaching you quite well. Certainly there is always the possibility that you might learn more efficiently elsewhere, and you might start investigating what additional resources there are in the area. But since you just bought another package, now doesn't seem like the right time to jump ship. If you do research now, next time you have to decide on a package you will have a better idea if you should stay, start to mix in some training from another source, or leave.

You mentioned an interest in amateur competitions - if so, now that you have 6 months of training you are more than ready to start looking for a partner and entering the lowest level at some competitions. Because these events are restricted to those with limited experience, expectations are not high - but it's important to get out there and try it, then use that experience to help shape your future training.

So far it sounds like you have worked on the American styles, smooth and rhythm. In general competitions beyond those hosted by the chain itself, the internationals styles, standard and latin, tend to have much more competition. If you start learning those styles, you can enjoy dancing against their larger fields of competitors - plus you can keep doing smooth and rhythm too, to get the most out of travelling to the comp. Some good training in standard will also improve the technical quality of your smooth a lot - even though the figures are different at the beginner level, the underlying motion ideas are the same, and standard often forces you to execute them more precisely.

I agree with SS. You sound content where you're at. I think that generally the "stigma" attached to the chains is the sales pitch can get a little murky, but I competed against a woman a few years ago who was a chain person and she was a very able dancer and looked to be doing things right/well.

I think there is one particular chain which only competes within its chain; that is probably something I wouldn't really be keen on. And as I have progressed, I have found the group classes to be less beneficial to me (although you can't beat the price) because for instance, last night, I went to a group class and I was the only competitive dancer in the group, so they didn't really teach me anything that would particularly help me with competitions; it was geared mostly to the social scene. That's not always the case, and I just look at it like it's "practice", but it's not really helping me a lot competition-wise.

Anyway, good luck to you. You know, if you want to check out another studio or teacher, you can do it and then make the break when your contract is up. I'm not a big fan of contracts myself.