I have had really wonderful experiences with AM and FADS. I am an AM student and have been for many years, yet a friend of mine lived in a town where there wasn't an AM rather a FADS. The folks at the FADS studio welcomed me when I visited my friend. I attended dance parties and group classes and even attended one of their showcases. It was a neat experience and neater still because the FADS people were just as willing to learn from dancing with me as I was willing to learn from dancing with them. It was a wonderful experience and one that I hope to replicate often whether I am visiting a FADS or an Indy. It's about connecting to the music with another soul and helping each other's hearts sing with joy, not about who belongs to what crowd and how much whoever pays for whatever thing. There's a higher purpose to the art and the journey. But that's just my take on it.