I am relatively new to Ballroom dancing. Started taking lessons last June at a local chain studio. There are not a lot of options in the small town I live in. I am concerned that I may be overpaying for lessons. The studio sales big packages and if you commit to a $5000 package, it averages out to $83 for a 25 minute private lesson and being able to attend the group classes while you are there. I have been there for nine months and spent $9000 and now there hand is out again. I would like to start taking more private lessons maybe coming in twice a week for an additional hour or so and when I asked my instructor about this, they said sure, but it will use up two of my lessons if I come in for an hour, this cost me on average $166 per hour! This sounds outrageous to me. I make a good living and can afford it, but I do not want to overpaying for anything. Is this the type of rates I should expect or should I be looking else where, there are other instructors around town who teach on the side, who do not really have a studio who teach for around $60 per hour. Of course the studio I am at discourages taking lessons from a different instructor to supplement my lessons with them. Any advice is very much appreciated. I live in the Macon, GA area. there are alot of options in Atlanta, but they are 90 miles away. I really want to learn the best way possible

Thanks

having taught in Atl. for many yrs, i can reccomend several teachers of excellent Quality ( and 1/3 of the price you are paying ) its worth the drive one day a week .
PM me at-- salsahoy2000@yahoo.com

I know that the price of lessons is dependent on where you live, the quality of instruction, etc. However, the price sounds OUTRAGEOUS to me! I take lessons in the Boston area and there are many amazing teachers who cost about $85 for 45 minutes. I can't imagine being able to afford $83 for only 25 minutes!!! Even lessons with top level dancers only cost $125 or so for a 55 minute lesson. How do they justisify $166 for an hour?

No offense to your studio, but if it is truly just a local chain studio, I do not think that the quality of instruction is truly worth $166 an hour.

Here in UK I use two teachers for private lessons - both excellent. One charges £12 for 30 minutes, the other, £20 an hour.

Classes are typically £4/5 an hour.

I should move.

Jacob. I would take the advice that Terence has given you. At the moment it would seem to me you are being taken for a ride. Where I live it would cost for a teacher who themselves have lessons with Gleave, Wood, Sinkinson. When they are home which at the moment is n't very often. It would cost for 45 minutes $A65. And what they can show you is worth every penny. Good Luck.

Jacob, Terence2 gives you an excellent response. I was at, when I started, a local chain franchis studio. Same thing. Triple digit 40 minute lessons and always some sort of sales pitch for pkg pricing, inclusive of group lessons and dance parties. Discouraged "outside" learning, outside events, etc etc etc. on and on.
My instructor is $75 per hour (10 minutes of that is on discussing goals, questions/answers) and even our coaches (3 different ones who have won international titles) also charge between $75 to $85 per 45 minutes session. We would normally book 2 sessions together to make it worth our time and effort. We live 90 miles apart from each - you will find an excellent instructor and it will be worth it. We also have found numerous regional dance events, parties, etc through the internet. Good luck.

Add to that some chains "in house" teach people to become instructors over a few weeks.

I have a friend who was once a manager for a chain. As he puts it:

"We were often teaching the steps to the teachers just before the students were coming through the door."

Find out if your teachers are ISTD or National Body equivalent certified.

Group classes in our area average $8 or less per hour.
Practice sessions through our Club can be had for $1/week for 4 1/2 hours time (or about $0.22/hour).
Private lessons here range from $50 Associate - $65 ISTD Fellow/Examiner.

Do the math.

OB

http://www.vbds.org

http://www.dancingdragon52.com

We took lessons from a chain too. We spent thousands and knew little more than how to do a box step - although it was a technically correct box step.

We felt like the pace was incredibly slow and that the intent was to suck more money out of us. Listening to the pitch about buying the next block of lessons was about like talking to a used car salesman. It was hard to get a straight answer on how much it was really going to cost, or what we would be getting for our money.

Strangely enough, when we first signed up, we asked us what our goals were and we said we wanted to be proficient social dancers. The rony is that only knowing how to do a box step actually handicaps you on the social dance floor.

Finally, we wised up and began taking classes with the local dance group. Classes usually run $7 per person per lesson -usually a 1-2 hour lesson. You can actually take private lessons with some of the instructors (I'm not sure if they are certified).

While we appreciated all the nuances of the box step we were taught by the chain, we have learned more in six months of taking lessons locally than we learned in 18 months with the chain - and we have saved a lot more money.

I guess in the end, it depends on what you want out of your dancing experience.

Thank you all for the response. I think I am going to finish out the lessons that I have and look for other options. Maybe trying to go to Atlanta once a week and then talk to one of the local groups about additional lessosn here once a week. I really enjoy lessons and have been going three times a week here, but do not feel what I am getting is worth the money!

Thank Jacob

Jacob, and any others in this situation.

I am so sorry you are having that situation. People like that give ballroom a bad rep. You should never pay more that $12 n hour. I live in Warner Robins, GA. I take lessons here, in Macon and Perry. They rage from $12/hr on the high end to $10/2hrs. I have all the info for this area. Write me at: UNVCandy@Yahoo.com or call my cell at 478/919-0624
Yours ~ Carl