I am trying to get started with teaching private lessons in my area. I don't know how much I should charge. I have experience in teaching, I coached a high school ballroom team, I've competed, I've been on both high school and college teams and competed in formations, I just don't know where to begin with charging people who would like to learn. What's a good figure to start with? Any suggestions would be GREAT!!!

You did not state your qualifications- only your experience. And even then --- in what ??

"You did not state your qualifications- only your experience."

Yes she did, as they are in her case as well as many others one and the same.

NO she didnt-- she said she had taught here and there-- those are not Qualif !!.It may be experience , but until you sit a prof exam, you are not technically qual ( I am a former Examiner )
There are too many people loose in the market place, who suddenly figure out that they can teach-- so lets advertise , and thats all it takes .

"NO she didnt-- she said she had taught here and there-- those are not Qualif"

Experience most certainly is a qualification, in fact it's the most common one. Not just sorry studio staff, but many leading, outstanding teachers who are still active as competitors also have no other qualification than their experience.

"It may be experience , but until you sit a prof exam, you are not technically qual"

If you choose to recognize only exam qualifications, hat is your personal opinion only. Others choose to recongnize practical qualifications held by many outstanding teachers & competitors: their real world experience as dancers and teachers.

"There are too many people loose in the market place, who suddenly figure out that they can teach-- so lets advertise , and thats all it takes ."

Some of the people with exam certification need to have it revoked, as they obviously studied only for the test and then forget too much of the material and reverted to their previous bad habits. And there are many people without it who are quite expert.

Of course there are incompetents out there, but neither you you or I are the dance police, it's not your decision or mine who is qualified and who isn't, we can only state our subjective opinion of the matter.

Without overstating the obvious-- it was implied that one should be backed up by practical experience.

Am well aware , that a piece of paper, does not make you a success as a teacher . I run into these people where ever I teach . But it should show, that you have a working knowledge of the subject at hand .

again , with most , we are quoting exceptions rather than the rule . Good ,bad and indifferent, will co exist.
I would still rather put my faith in someone who can provide me with evidence , that they have shown some level of competancy .

Remarks , like you implied , invariably come from someone with no qualif.

You're working in a market place. You should find out what your competitors charge, look at your own offering (venue, availability, experience, skill and personality) and pitch your marketing and pricing accordingly.

If your area is dominated by the high-priced franchised chains, you can afford to undercut on cost and still make good money. If you have something special to offer, you can charge a premium.

Don't forget that you're running a business, which just happens to be dance based. Put it on a proper business-like footing, and you shouldn't go far wrong.

Aubrey.When a person says ballroom dancing, to be correct this includes Standard, Latin, Argentine Tango and American Smooth just to mention four. They are all classed as ballroom. It would be better to name the style of dancing that you are going to be teaching and how highly qualified you are in whatever style or styles you going to teach.

It's great advice to check out the prices of your competitors and under cut the big guys when you can. But make sure you cover your overhead! What will you be spending on studio space, insurance, advertising, etcetera? Figure out what you'd like to be profiting then add on your expenses. This will give you a good base price that you can raise or lower to bring in customers.

Certified teachers in my area are charging $50 - $65/hr including floor fees. We are small market though (pop. 350,000).

Cross the water to the big city (2,000,000) $60 - $85 appears average.

OB