DOn u are from austrlaia then, which state? You seem to be actively involved in all the dicussions and very passionat about your dancing. Any techincally good male/female ballroom instructors in melbourne?

Anonymous. In Melbourne there are some vey excellent top class teachers with a proven track record. The same can be said about Sydney. I live in Brisbane Queensland . Here we have as well as modern probably one of the best coaches in this country. They, living in Europe for many years, were at one time seventh in the world in Latin. It's not unusuall for couples from other cities to fly up from the south for a couple of days for lessons. Which with the air fare, plus accomodation, plus if they are youngsters a parent, it gets a bit costly. But if it wasn't worth it who would do it. If you were paying Melbourne a visit, you won't be short of some very good teachers. There is a style of dancing here, it is a competition style and can be done at all levels. I would first find out if a particular school was predominately Australian New Vogue. Otherwise you would land there and wouldn't no what was going on. Sydney the same. At this point I will have to say that there are Modern teachers, which includes Latin, who wouldn't touch the other style. Even though at the championship level it requires a lot of skill.Best wishes Don.

how do you pay for your lessons per hour?

Anonymous. There is no paying up front. You book a lesson , the only requirement is if you need to cancell 24 hours notice is required.Which is fair enough. If for some reason I didn't make it I am leaving a coach standing there for an hour. I would expect to be charged.
Ordinary Social Classes are pay at the door. Usually there are two teaching sessions but not like a Medal Class which is much stricter. It is possible that a Medal Class which goes for about ten weeks, (being in the class doesn't mean you have to do the medal) some schools would need an up front payement. The payment would be somewhere around a A$100. for the whole course. Having said that I have never had to pay an advanced payment yet. The two technique classes I go to vary. One has no more than ten in it and is A$20 pay as you enter for one hour, and stay and practice as long as the doors are still open afterwards, No absentee fees. The other technicque class is a private lesson shared by six. If five are there we just divide it between us. The most I have payed when there were only three there which was unavoidable was A$18. I'm not sure what the exchange rate is. But I do shudder when I read the postins from America.

It has to be said that the best dancers aren't necessarily the best teachers. Teaching especially teaching beginners and improvers) takes a certain skill which is not the same as the skills needed for a top competitive couple. What happens if a beginner couple have a problem which the top couple never encountered?
Ideally, a teacher should be an excellent dancer and an excellent educator with plenty of experience in both fields

"Teaching especially teaching beginners and improvers) takes a certain skill which is not the same as the skills needed for a top competitive couple. What happens if a beginner couple have a problem which the top couple never encountered?"

If you watch top teachers work with championship couples, a substantial portion of the lessons is devoted to correcting basic things that they should have learned as beginners... had their coaches during their beginner time been blessed with championship knowledge