I just don't understand charging for a set number of sessions to cover a certain portion of the syllabus! Shouldn't this determined on a lesson my lesson basis, based primarily on the ability and talent of the student? What takes someone 35 lessons to master can take someone else only 10 lessons to learn! I would not agree to such a price structure...

Make no mistake, Dance Studios are a business and need are there to make money.
There are other studios than AM or FA. The independents are often run by people who love the dance first and make money second.Maybe they will give you more Bang for your dance dollar.
Also, group classes (in my opinion) are never "Useless". You can always focus on footwork or other technique in a group. Also, the basics are the foundation of all our figures and even a Bronze I group will give you an oportunity to practice yourcraft!
Good luck and happy dancing.

in Greece with 6.000 $ u reach until Full silver as a beginer on a very expensive dance studio with lot's of qualified teachers !!!! my my my my !!!!!!
Very Expensive !!!!!! indeed !
:))

Greec is on the euro and 6000 euro is a lot of money. But she's talking about dollars.

Hi NewJerseyDance,
If you like it at this particular studio I would communicate with your teacher your concerns. Be upfront and honest about what you want, I am sure that they will want to make sure that you are happy above all else!

All debate about price and tactics aside, progession through the skills of ANY sport is a very personal thing. I teach skiing. If someone signs up as a level 4 skier and pays for level 5 lessons then when I meet them they turn out to be a level 6 skier I do NOT keep their level 5 money and insist that they give me more money for higher level lessons. I teach to them at their level. If they are in the wrong class, I move them to the right class, no extra charge. If I tried the method you seem to be talking about, I would not only go broke, I would probably get reported to the Better Business Bureau and sued (I live in the states, after all). If I were you I would run, not walk, to a different studio.

My dance instructor teaches me what I am ready to learn when I am ready to learn it regardless of where that item is listed in the syllabus.

Also, there are more men in the studio than women so the situation you described in groups is reversed. Maybe you should come to Seattle?

$6,000?

You must be mad!

Come to the UK. Within ten minutes' drive from home I can choose three dance schools. The most expensive charges £5.50 for an hour's group class. They constantly rotate the students around every couple of minutes, so that everyone gets to dance with everyone else. Another is £5/hour, and they offer structured classes at six different levels, as well as holding a weekly social dance and teaching privately, and the other is just £4.hour, and still perfectly OK.

Not one of the three have any facility to "sell" me a course of lessons: I just turn up on the night, and pay as I go. All of them know that we would just laugh at them if they tried any such stunt, and they also know that we are free to go where we find the atmosphere and quality of teaching that suits us.

$6,000 - and just for part of bronze? Well, at least you've cheered me up!

Clive. In Australia we are about the same as you are in the Uk.. The pricing is about the same when pounds are converted to Aust Dollars. I dont know of any place here where we have to pay in advance, pay at the door is the way we go. Even medal classes are pay as you arrive. Some offer a discount if a twelve week course is paid in advance. I have never yet paid in advance ever. What I read here makes me shudder.

Same here.

Group classes are about $6/hr through our Society and taught by ISTD or CDTA certified teachers or student teachers under the supervision of an Examiner.

http://www.vbds.org

Local private independent teachers charge around $8-$10/hr. for groups.

Certified teachers here are charging $50-$65/hr. for privates.

AM just moved into our town and on a straight fee for service comparison are double the cost to the student.

OB in Canada

In the Arthur Murray schools students do not pay extra for Group sessions or practice sessions. there is no monthy membership dues and your not charged differently depending on how high your teacher is certified. You can also use your lessons at an of the 300 plus studios world wide without extra charge. Most students in the Arthur Murray system attend 10-20 group classes a month while attending only 4-6 private lessons. A Student using the system the way it is inttended will find it is much more economical than the "pay at the Door" technique. Also being that the instructor supervised practice sessions run about an hour and a half the students find that the cost per hour of instruction is about 1/2 the independets.