Hello! I'm new to this board and fairly new to ballroom dancing. I've been a dancer most of my life but have been studying ballroom dancing for 8 months. I've started a bronze program and my instructor says to complete bronze will take me about 18 months. He wants me to pay in advance, approx. $11K+. My immediate instinct is "no way", but is it typical to pay for lessons this far in advance? The total amount of money I don't have issue with, just the idea of paying it all up front, particularly since it is a small studio and had shut down less than a year ago due to lack of students. However, I really do want to progress and this is the only ballroom dance studio where I live, so I feel like I'm between a rock and a hard place.

I welcome any comments.

Liz

There's no good reason why you should pay ANYTHING in advance. Do you buy groceries like that?

Arrange next week's lesson at the end of this week's, pay as you go, and change teacher if you don't think you are getting value, or being held back.

The customer is king. Even if your cirrent studio has overlooked that basic commercial reality.

NO, it is NOT typical to pay for lessons so far in advance. It is also very unusual - and equally suspicious - for an instructor to ask for all of the money up front.

When you say "complete bronze," do you mean that you want to master the bronze syllabus in all four major styles?

Find yourself another professional - immediately.

My current partner paid her other instructor in advance for a bunch of lessons. Now, he keeps cancelling on her so that she can't use them up.

Most instructors will let you pay by the week and many will let you pay by the lesson (including mine). There is absolutely no reason that you should have to fork over that much money up front.

There are many good, ethical instructors out there; unfortunately, there are also quite a few scumbags. It takes work to find a good professional.

jj

To pay that much upfront is ludicrous. The advice to look elsewhere is sound, but you said no one else offers it nearby. So, I would talk to some other students and find out if they were happy with their progress at this particular studio. You didn't touch on the 18 months, but to me, that's also a fairly accelerated push to master the bronze in all styles. But, coming from me, you have to remember that I am middle-aged now, working two jobs and taking and teaching dance on the side. Still, time goes by fast when you are having fun, and you'd be surprised how quickly 18 months scoots by and you haven't really mastered everything that was promised. If you get decent feedback about the quality of instruction, just tell them you can only pay as you go, or at the very least in increments of several payments, preferably monthly, with an option to stop any time you'd like.
Still, that's more than $600 a month, which is twice as much as the studio I attend would charge for private or small group (2 or 3 couples) lessons.
Tread cautiously on this one. It may be your only choice -- but no choice is better than a really poor one.

Liz,
If you don't want to pay $11,000 up front, be prepared and suggest an alternative to your studio owner. Do you want to buy, say, 10 lessons at a time? One lesson at a time? If so, then tell that to the studio owner, and be prepared that you probably will get less of a discount on the lesson cost than if you pay it all up-front.

Also, what is the arrangement for a refund of any pre-paid money if you need to stop taking lessons?

This should all be spelled out - gasp! - in a written contract. If you ever need to get your money back, you have it in writing as to what you paid and what your termination rights are.

Also, check your state laws. Some States have caps as to the amount of money a studio can take in pre-paid lessons. Some states require that studio owners post a bond with the state, so that if the studio goes belly-up, students have a shot at getting their money back. If your state requires a bond, has your studio owner complied? (Usually, I've found that chain studios comply with this requirement, but it's independent studios that ignore it.) Also some states specifically require a written contract for any lesson that is pre-paid in excess of a set $$ amount - whether it's one lesson or a hundred. (Again, chains usually comply with this, independents quite often ignore it).
In short, go to your studio owner and be prepared to do some negotiating.
Good luck.

I got taken for $10,000 at one of the chains. It almost ruined me for dancing. I drive almost 2 1/2 hours to get instruction on a pay as you go, and yes it is worth it.

Don't be stupid like I was and pay them...I had a written contract and everything. Still walked out with an empty wallet and a bad taste in my mouth.

OMG, no!!! I buy 10 lessons at a time and that's only because I get a discount. I get 10 lessons but only pay for nine. I can use them up as I see fit.

"but is it typical to pay for lessons this far in advance"

Only when they can talk gullible students into it.

Most of the world's leading dance teachers sell lessons one at a time, as their time is worth too much to waste on a student who has to be compelled by having their money held hostage to keep showing up.

It's the lesser teachers (and especially their studio employers) who try to play this game to rope you in and get the money up front, so they can keep are at least a big chunk of it even if you drop out part way through.

They may try to tell you that this is normal; but it's only normal for altered reality of their consumerized version of the dance world. Where the focus is really on dancing there's little patience for such nonsense.

Given that everyone is advising the same thing (for once!) DO come back and tell us that you told the Studio to get lost!

Loud and clear and with great consistency throughout all the posters in reply to your question.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO NO NO NO.
You do not mention the state or region you live in. But your in the right direction by asking on this web site.
11K for full bronze? what's in the fine print? What are the State and Business laws governing such a contract. You should not, EVER, pay that kind of money up front, in advance, whatever. Chain studios typically will offer a "package" of bronze syllabus wherein you need to complete so many lessons to get to a certain point - then you sign up for more package lessons to get to another point and it can cost thousands of dollars. Search out independent teachers, your local college or university, recreation and parks programs, or make the drive for someone who you want to learn from that. I was with a chain franchise studio when I started. Learned more about financing ballroom dancing in a more productive environment that was wallet friendly for my budget. You may find a "pro" (teacher) at another venue that is not a dance studio per se. I am now paying $75 per hour on a per lesson basis. I have, in the past paid in advance but only from 5-10 lessons in advance and no more. Your situation raises so many red flag warnings that it would colorblind a knowledgable person. Seek another alternative, take your business elsewhere or tell him you'll pay by the lesson and nothing in advance.