We are a couple who have been learning ballroom dancing for about two years. Our goal is to be good social dancers with occational competitions. Which way is more efficient in learning? Studio or private instructors?

Any advices? Thank you in advance!

I think it depends on the studio and how you like to learn and how good the pros you have chosen happen to be. You will need at least some private lessons to fix real issues and to make faster progress. I honestly wouldn't consider competing without one-on-one with an instructor who knows what they are doing. If you are just going to mess around, have fun and not care how you do...then you can get enough out of group classes.

When I first started dancing I spent alot of time in group classes and learned plenty...now its a waste of my time and energy....and though I mostly work with a professional I still supplement with higher level coaches...who have taught me things he couldn't get through my thick skull.

I have danced for many years and there are still things to learn...you will continue to learn and grow long after you thought it was impossible to have anything left to learn. Dance is magical that way. I think I am doing so well and then I suddenly have a breakthrough that changes everything. For that to happen you have to work with the right people. That means the right location for you....the right teachers for you and people who have real live experience dancing in the direction you want to go. That takes research and trial and error...and be extremely careful if you go with a chain. Sometimes you may find someone good....but the majority of people are just a step ahead of you which isn't really enough to make them decent teachers who can charge at the rate they do. Sadly until you've been dancing for a long time you might not know enough to tell when a person isn't skilled enough to be working with you....which is why a lot of people only work with people who consistently do well in real competitions (Ohio, Emerald, Millenium, Nationals...etc.)

Belleofyourball, thank you so much for your insightful advices!

By studio vs. private, I meant independent instructors vs. those hired by a studio. We have been learning ballroom dance at a chain studio for up to 2 years, basically with 3 private lessons (2 separate and 1 together) each week, plus some group lessons and practice parties. We also occasionally have had travelling coaches. We've attended a few low-key competitions, but ironically still felt not very comfortale as social dancers (I mean not just mess around). But since we never had any private instructors, we don't have comparison in terms of efficiency (time and money). As for the package with the studio, we do like the group lessons for new patterns and the parties to dance with the teachers and more advanced students. But the learning process seems slower or less focused than we would like.

Any suggestions?

Thanks again!

Parties and the like are to keep you coming...they make them fun on purpose....so you keep coming and keep paying. I did work at one major chain and began my dancing at the other....so I have been there and I know what they do and why they do it. It is about money. They will not advance you at an appropriate level due to their in-house rules to ensure they make money. They tend to be extraordinarily more expensive then an independent instructor. There are a few really good teachers in those chains but there are also a lot of duds. They also tend to keep you at in-house comps so you feel like a 'winner'.

I would certainly recommend an independent instructor with a good track record. If you are competing he or she needs to be a competitor who has a history of winning (at real comps...no in house chain competitions). If you are looking to be good social dancers I would certainly recommend group lessons which have a group practice at the end of every lesson. It will give you more opportunities to dance with many dancers with different styles and levels of ability and grasp of steps...and that is cheap. Social dancing=group classes....competitive dancing=private lessons. I can almost guarantee you will come out at a much better financial place then you are now.

It took me nearly a year to unlearn all of my bad habits from my chain days....and I was dancing with the trainer of all dancers for all of the studios in a major metropolitan area. Get a good independent instructor and you will never be sorry.

I'm not as experienced as other guys who give you advice, but I've tried 4 studios and one independent instructor and this what learned:

- the method of teaching provide by some studio or some private instructor doesn't suit everybody.

- if you join a studio for a group class within first month on of staff advice you to take private lessons , change the studio because credible instructor will advise you continue with group lessons at least three months.

- if you feel that you are struggling in group class and you told the instructor and she didn't give you a time fix a lead/follow or Foot position not even 2 mins after class, given that whatever learned in class you fail to do on club's dance floor, you should change studio.

- if you feel that the instructor pushes you to take more private lesson than you want to have and if you feel that he/she is delivering more promise than he/she should then you should change instructor.

as for chain dance studios, belleofyourball has a point so don't join chain studio unless you exploit other options and you found really great instructor who works in it otherwise you won't get what you are paying for.

I ended up in a chain studio and I found that its teaching suits me very well but if you are in a chain studio and feel that in doesn't suit you then try other option. and remember finding good studio or instructor requires trial and error.