What are the steps of becoming a ballroom dance teacher? Do you apply to a studio and the studio trains you? How long should you have dance training? Basically what is the process to go from a student to a teacher? How much money does it cost? Any information would be appreciated!

Your location is important to the answer .

Briefly, if in the USA, many chain schools will give you a basic foundation course thru, 50/100 % of their Bronze social Amer.style .

There generally is no charge... however.. you will be place under a contract, not so much for teaching within the school, or training fees , but prohibiting you to teach within a specific radius of their location , for a specific amount of time.

There are many who will not employ part time staff, so check what the ground rules are BEFORE you begin.

Independant schools do not have the need ( generally ) for trainee staff .They will however train you at a cost per lesson.

The length of training should be ongoing . typically, the chain school is an 8 week course ( evenings.. w/e ) for between 2 and 4 hrs per nite .Its a good way to explore whether or no , you will like it as a career .

Your competancy level will be minimal for the 1st yr ( theres a lot to learn )
One last thought.. you must be at least 18 yrs of age .Also, do realise that most studios operate from 1..10pm weekdays and Indies are busy on W/ends.. so, if you like social life , it will become restricted .

( your name ? boy.. girl ?.. guys get booked much faster than gals, so do NOT give up your daytime job )

kym, are you thinking of teaching dance as a career? If so, you need to consider the worsening economic environment before committing yourself.

I personally consider dancing to be an important part of my life. However, most people consider dancing to be a luxury, something that they can do without when money is tight.

I don't know how closely you follow the news but the economy of the US is declining precipitously; Europe will not be far behind. The bailout of the major financial institutions will not provide relief for any significant percentage of the population and many more people are losing their jobs.

I would never tell you not to pursue a career in dancing but I will advise you strongly to have a backup plan.

Sorry. I don't mean be to be a downer.

jj

At our studio (an independent) all the instructors teach part-time and have day jobs. Most learned to dance at a chain school and taught there for awhile before moving on. Only the owner is a full-time pro and teacher. As Terence said, they have to teach evenings and weekends. They also continue their training with regular coaching sessions. However, every single one of them can't imagine a life without dance and love every minute they spend at the studio.

J.J, I have a flash for you,

It is a documented fact,that in times of world stress ( wartime, etc ) and financial crises, the " industry " has ALWAYS become a much more profitable venue.
We have always had much more interest from the general public, in the form of diversion thru dance .

This is empirical evidence .

I can see good points in what JJ and Terence bring up here.
I know people throughout history have turned to dance as a nice diversion during tough times, and when I am teaching (I moonliight in that regard) I bring that up -- learning to dance will result in a relatively inexpensive and fun entertainment to partake of during times when money is tight.
However, lessons can get expensive and I do see that as a problem -- especially with the significance of where our current economy in the U.S. is headed for at least the next few years. So, while I believe Terence may be right in terms of the historical facts showing an increase in interest, I would still hedge my bets based on how deeply this oncoming recession is going to sting people. I can't imagine my wife saying it is OK to continue dance lessons if I suddenly had little or no money coming into the household. And that's what a lot of folks are dealing with now.
There's a reason Dancing with the Stars is so popular -- it is a joyous diversion from getting beat up at your office during the day. And yes, we've often turned to that in our past, but I'm not sure as many people embrace dancing to begin with as in the past. And that could be a factor as well. When I was a kid, every adult knew how to dance pretty well and they did it at neighborhood parties and get-togethers. Today, I couldn't point to anyone in my neighborhood who particularly likes to dance, nor do I remember a real dancing party, per se. I have convinced a friend to throw one soon, so maybe it will be the start of something big!

Terence, "empirical evidence" is something that you can show to other people to demonstrate the truth of your claims.

What you have provided is "anecdotal evidence."

If you have some published statistics then I'd be more than happy to consider them.

dheun is quite correct to point out that interest in dancing and the willingness to pay for dancing lessons are not the same thing.

I understand that you've been around for a while but were you a teaching professional during the 1930's? The coming economic crisis is going to be just about that bad.

jj

My empirical evidence is owning 17 different studios over the past 40 some yrs, as well as managing several chain schools. Also, dancing thru war time Britain... the dance studios and halls were never busier.. thats factual.

Again, you seem to proclaim you know more about my profession of which you are no part .

And ya know... it really doesnt matter what you think you know about studio operation ....you havent lived thru it.. I have .

And by the way, i was a child student thru the end of the 30s and into the 40s.. studios were never busier .

It doesn't sound as though you have ever been able to hold a job down for very long, T ...

Still waiting for that "empirical evidence."

Added: By the way, did you spend your student years in the US or UK?



jj