I've only taken about 3 semesters of (beginners) ballroom at my college, but I'm really liking it.

How do most instructors get their careers going? I realize it'll take a while, but I'd be happy just to get an idea of what to do, and how long it'd take...

Thanks to anyone with any info...

I would have more empathy for you if you people would extend your students the same courtesy you'd expect. Once, my instructor was sick and no one from the studio called me to let me know (not even her). I didn't find this out until I went to the studio and then only to find out that a lesser experienced (w/ less than a year of ballroom experience) instructor will be substituding. Mind you, this AM studio in Riverside expects their students to give 12 hour notice for cancelation and yet they don't reciprocate to at least give the student a chance to reschedule.

We took lessons at FADS for 5 years. They would call us the day before, to insure we were going to be there. Once or twice our teachers could not make it and they did not have anyone to take their place. They called us and we rescheduled the lessons. Once or twice we could not make a scheduled lesson and we called them as soon as we knew we could not make it.

Our teachers were fun to work with and very flexible and supportive. I have heard a lot of negatives about franchises and did not experience them in our 5 years. The teachers seemed to enjoy what they were doing.

If you want to be an instructor quickly, you walk into a commercial studio and sign up to work for slave wages and take their training program.

If you want to be a respected teacher, the chances of ever advancing from an entry level position are not impossible but very slim. So instead you spend years studying as a (competition) dancer for yourself, study the technique, spend hours watching until you can "see", place in the finals of national competitions - and only then convert to teaching.

I thoughly enjoy being a teacherand have been for many years now. teaching children and adults. It is so satisfying.
I didn't compete in national level just local, when I was younger.....but to learn and understand correct footwork,and technique, takes years....I am still learning. Technique changes, new steps appear it is constant.
I wish you all the best for your future studies..................check out the technique books for sale on this web site. all teachers learn by those books. The oral side of the learning is the hardest....learning it parrot fashion......I can still recite in my sleep
1 left foot forward
2 right foot to the side
3 left foot closes to right foot

commence to rise end of one
continue to rise on 2 and 3
up on 3, lower end of 3

and that is just a very small portion

good luck, it's a lovely career

Julie (England)x

PS this is a great web site....especially the variations every week

You don't absolutely have to go competition before going pro, but it's the easiest way to cut through the shady side of the business and get good students right off the bat. Still the other can be done if you find a studio to train in that cares more about dancing than about business.

One suggestion: try not to spend much time on the latest patterns. Dancing itself is about general concepts, and it only takes a dozen classic figures per dance to demonstrate them. Once you really own that, you can figure out how to do the step of the month at sight.

Wow, thanks everyone. Even for that sobering look at most studios...
Actually, that was how my friend got her job...

What's some of the worst things about being an instructor? What's unique to your profession that gets on your nerves? How do you deal with them?

studio neglecting to tell you that your students cancelled... so you show up to work but don't get paid. not that what they give you counts as getting paid in the first place

What do you mean?

get paid peanuts on a good day, and sometimes show up to find out your students have cancelled but the receptionist can't be bothered to call and tell you that before you come in.