I am 16 now and I started dancing on my 16th birthday (April 6) (my grandmother gave me dance lessons for my birthday) and I loved it so much I continued dancing, I've been at it for about 7 months now. I'm really interested in turning pro and my instructor said that I seem to catch on to things very quickly. The problem is, I'm not poor or anything but my family can't pay for more than one (maybe two) class(es) a week and my instructor says that I'm not gonna learn much that way.
I had a few questions-
1- Do you think I have a chance at turning pro?
2- How much does being a dance instructor pay?
3- How does one become an instructor?
I probably have more questions I just can't remember them now.

Thanx

Luv, Kisses and Cookies,
~*Bri*~

OK SWEETIE, HERE'S THE DEAL. SOUNDS LIKE THE DANCE STUDIO NEEDS ANOTHER TEACHER, I WOULD WATCH OUT FOR ALTERNATIVE MOTIVES...THE BALLROOM WORLD CAN BE QUITE DEVIOUS. O.K. YOU WERE ME ABOUT 4 YEARS AGO. STARTED DANCING AND WANTED TO BE A WORLD CLASS DANCER. NO OFFENSE BUT YOUR CHANCES OF BEING A WORLD CLASS DANCER AS A PRO ARE AS GOOD AS YOU WINNING THE OLYPIC GOLD IN SNOW SKIING. THE PRO COMPETITION IN AMERICA IS TOUGHER THAN IT EVER HAS BEEN. THIS IS BECAUSE OF FOREIGN DANCERS MOVING INTO AMERICA AND THEY HAVE REALLY STEPPED UP THE LEVEL OF COMPETITION.PRO DANCERS ARE NOT BEGINNERS. ANY PRO DANCER THAT IS GOOD ENOGUH TO WIN, DID WELL AS AN AMETUER BEFORE THEY TURNED PRO. AND WHO SAID DANCING WAS CHEAPER AS A PRO! IF YOU END UP TEACHING THIS IS NOT GOING TO MAKE YOU A BETTER DANCER. ONLY PRACTICE DOES THIS. I FOUND DANCING AS AN AMETEUR MUCH CHEAPER!!! YOU HAVE STUDENT DISCOUNTS AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO TEACH WHICH IS A LIFE CONSUMING JOB. I TAUGHT AND IT JUST MADE ME SO I COULDN'T DANCE BECAUSE I HAD NO TIME. I SUGGEST YOU FIND THE LOCAL COLLEGE IN YOUR AREA, AND SEE IF THEY HAVE A DANCE TEAM. I WOULD ALSO CHECK OUT OTHER DANCE STUDIOS. ESP. IF YOU ARE TRAINING AT A CHAIN STUDIO...ARTHUR MURRAYU,FRED ASTAIRE. THESE ARE PROFIT STUDIOS, AND RARELY DO YOU FIND A WORLD CLASS DANCER HERE, THEY MOVE ON WHERE THEY CAN MAKE MORE MONEY AS A TEACHER AND NOT HAVE TO BE A SALESMAN! TRUST ME YOU WILL THANK ME FOR THIS ADVICE, I WISH SOMEONE WOULD HAVE TOLD ME ALL THIS WHEN I WAS THINKING OF TEACHING AND TURNING PRO! GOOD LUCK, BUT BE VERY CAREFUL WHAT PEOPLE TELL YOU. YOU ARE YOUNG AND PEOPLE WILL TRY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOU! US YOUNG CHICKS HAVE TO STICK TOGETHER!!!

I wouldn't suggest turning pro. You get to look forward to find a college with a dance team.

What you might do, is see if you can hire on part-time - cashier, DJ, clean-up, dance assistant, etc, to get a price break. That's what I did for awhile. Luckily, I found an independent teacher that needed help running his parties.

Best of luck to you, and just remember, taping your lessons and practicing on your own are free.

You certainly do! I believe that people should follow their dreams. I've heard a saying recently: What would you do if you knew you could not fail?

Although I'm an amateur, I'm sure that an intructor's pay varies from studio to studio. I live in the New Jersey area. The studios that I am familiar with range from $50/hr to $70/hr for private lessons. I do not know what percentage of that an instructor receives. I'm sure you could name your price (within reason) if you were to branch out on your own.

Let your intentions be known. I was an instructor for 1 year. When I first started lessons, I made it known that I wanted to make a career out of dancing. The instructor I had knew my motive the first time I walked into the studio.

Regards,
Hoofer

Anyone can turn pro. How successful you will be will depend on not only how well you dance and how much training you have, but also how well you can convey your knowledge! It doesn't matter how well you do cuban motion if you can't teach someone else how to do it. There are many teachers out there that aren't stellar dancers, but are great teachers...and stellar dancers who are terrible teachers.

Now, do you really want to? If you turn pro, you'll never be able to compete as an amateur. That may not seem like a big deal now, but will you regret your decision later? You can regain your amateur status later, but it will take time and effort. Also, what is now your hobby will become work. Will you still enjoy it as much as you do now?

As a teacher that doesn't have very much experience, you will probably make somewhere in the neighborhood of $10-$15 per hour, maybe a little more if you're in a high cost-of-living area. That seems like a good rate of pay, but you probably won't get a full work week...only a few hours a week (classes are almost always at night or on weekends, and most privates will be too). It's a good second job, or a job to have while you're in high school and college, but hard to make a good living at it doing solely that...unless you have some titles and years of experience under your belt.

However, it is a good way to learn how to dance faster and cheaper...some studios don't charge for their teacher training, others charge a ridiculous amount. It's also more fun and better paying then most jobs teenagers get!

If they ask you to sign a contract, have it looked over by someone with legal training, and maybe a friend in the business. Good luck, and make your decision wisely!

I am the person who like you who are dreaming to be pro. First, you have to know how much can you make money as pro. Sonebody have told you already, but let me tell you again. My friend is working for the one biggest chain dancing studio, she is making $6 hour. The studio charge thir customers $120 per 45 min. lesson. If you would like to be rich, never be dance instructor. But good thing, the most of the chane dancing studio have free traning. but if you quite within two years (my friend's studio) you have to pay $25000 for your traning. So, be dancing instructor is big risk and commitement. Please remember that. Sorry, I told you too many dark side of dancing world. But I want to let you know not only good side of dancing. about me....again I am the person like you who are dreaming to be pro. Because I love to teach and dancing so much. I am practicing 6 hr. every day, 7 days a week. I sleep only 4 hr everyday to make money for taking privte lessons. If you want to be instructor, be good dancer first. Anyway you are really young, so take time to decide to be dancing instructor. Now you know the true world of dancing. Even you know those things and still don't want to give up you dream, I am glad to know about that. To be honest, I hope you don't give up your dream and will see you at some competition someday as pro. But be careful to decide.