Hi everyone! My daughter is 8 years old. She has been a ballat dancer since the age of 3.
She loves to watch ball room dancing and would love to start taking classes.

However, I am curious and nervous as to how much money this art will cost our family?

With lessons, shoes, costumes and competitions.... How much can it cost our family annually? Just a round about figure would do. Anyone???

Thank you
April

Where in the world are you? Location makes a huge difference.

The direct cost of supporting a child in Dancesport in the UK can be very modest. Your single biggest expense is likely to be travelling to competition venues. But if you are in the US - I hope you have a deep pocket.

The expenses will be easier to handle if you can split them with her partner's family.

The boy's age should be within a year or two of your daughter's.

Whatever you do, don't get talked into having her perform in pro/am competitions. First, the cost is prohibitive unless you own a mint. Second, she won't learn anything.

Good luck.



jj

here in the u.s. it will cost relatively the same as ballet as long as you stick to group classes. however, if you look into those evil chain studios you may find they offer discounts for kids, secondly pro-am teaches much more as long as she dances with as many people young and old.

Are you serious? Independent studios still beat chains even with their "discounts."

Pro/am teaches more than what? Not dancing at all?

Ballroom and Latin are partner dancing. To learn to perform them properly, a student - no matter the age - needs to work with a partner. An instructor is not a partner.



jj

Depending on where you are there are schools for children to learn ballroom. I know in Phoenix there are several and if Phoenix has them any major metropolitan area should. They will run about the same price as tap, jazz, ballet, etc.

Just my own opinion and not to step on anyone's toes, she is 8. She should be dancing with a kid her own age. Not an adult. Yes there should be a teacher but at her age she shouldn't be pro/am no matter how much money you have.

Anyone that suggests an 8-year-old should be dancing with a fully grown man, well, they probably aren't taking your daughter's best interests to heart. I won't even touch on the concept of chain discounts.

100% serious. having taken lessons at both major chains and at six different independent studios range in location from downtown chicago to its suburbs, and various neighbourhoods in between; i can say that the discount given to children at the chains is very much so in line with discounted children's prices at independent if they give a discount to children (and yes i know because i asked). concerning your vehement hatred towards pro-am you conveniently forgot my stipulation, as long as she dances with as many people young and old, and yes i did not edit myself well last time it should have read as long as she dances with as many people young and old as possible. now to more directly address aprils concerns at a chain studio you will pay a premium for one on one instruction time. however, every contract i have seen at a chain includes unlimited practice time and unlimited groups and a practice party usually once a week or every other week depending on the size of the studio. at independents the price for one on one instruction is probably three fourths to half as much but you will be charged for any groups she attends and for any practice time she uses outside of her instructed time in the chicago land area i have found the price actually averages out, for the lessons only, to be about 100 per week at either type of studio (this is figuring going to two groups a week and practicing only one hour every time i came to the studio) and the child prices i have inquired about run half that roughly. if she finds a partner of course cost are then half as much. costumes will be roughly the same amount as ballet at that age unless you decide to get custom gowns instead of just shopping at your current dance supply shop; my cousin that dances spends about 500 total per year on clothes and i am told that that is high. shoes, well my cousins pointe shoes cost her twice as much as her ballroom shoes but she has a foot problem and had to have custom shoes made for ballet where her ballroom shoes she uses an insole that has arch supports, using off the rack shoes. as far as competitions, i know one of the studios did a childrens recital last year i think that was based on them having a certain number of children participating that one was free. and biggest expense for competition is the travel. the chains tend to have theirs at swanky joints where per night room costs soar and independents usually go to local competitions so travel cost vary by distance (some so close you might not need a room) and of course the venue chosen. it has been my experience, and this is predicated on i have not joined any competition that required more than one day off of work, the actual competition for me always runs around four hundred dollars per competition. i do not know off hand what my aunt and uncle ended up paying for my cousin to attend and compete. all that to say if she is truly interested in making the switch get her started even if it is the deplorable pro-am setting (and yes i say that tongue in cheek). worst case scenario 5200 for lessons; clothes, 4000 figuring shoes and costuming and 1200 for competitions but that is the adult prices on everything especially the clothes. lastly if you do make thw switch talk to me and i will tell you what we did to get my cousins clothing costs under 200 and shoes down to 100 for the year

One word for you..........

PARAGRAPH

One practice of most professionals with amateur partners around Atlanta is the insistence that the amateurs not go to parties and dance with other amateurs because doing so will "throww them off."

The real reason for this retriction is to keep the amateurs from realizing that they aren't learning how to dance properly.

Let the little girl spend her time learning the fundamentals and developing good habits. Putting her through her paces will also show her parents whether she'll stick with dancing or not (the same is true of music lessons). Many children are excited about something until they realize that it requires real work. They don't want to fork out a lot of money for costuming and accessories and then have her decide that she wants to be a professional killer instead.

As Belle points out, there are probably local studios which provide specialized training for youngsters. Just be sure to check out more than one (if there are) before making a choice.



jj

Most of what you all posted has yet to answer the question FLAT OUT!

I dance at Fred Astaire, in Cleveland Ohio, and have been since i was 15.

At start, I paid 250 dollars a month for 5 privates, unlimited groups, (i went to 3 a week), and a party on friday.

Shoes cost around 100 bucks but can be found for less.

Compitions are where most of the money goes. For my last amature comp, i paid 1400 dollars. Then bought my dresses which have varing prices. Together, they were both about 1000 dollars.

Yearly, I would guess, that I used to pay about : 7,000.00 dollars.

Hope i was helpfull!!!
Cree