I'm just curious about this. With this stubborn recession we are enduring here in the States, I was wondering if instructors are noticing fewer people coming to the studio for lessons.
I ask this because my income has gone off the cliff, so my wife and I naturally had to stop going to our studio on a regular basis, and just stop in once in a while now. The last few times we went, there was only one other couple there.
It's not the end of the world for us not to go as often, as we are experienced and know a lot of dances/steps/variations, etc. But it is great for a brush-up and to pick up something new each time, whether it is actual steps or just a technique.
I also moonlight as an instructor at night, doing it at the homes of students or at my home. Usually just friends and acquaintances I am helping for weddings or other events; or people who are intimidated by the studio, and I am trying to alleviate those fears and get them "brave" enough to go, But that has fallen off rather dramatically as well. Not sure if it is the economy, or a fading interest after the big boosts from "Shall We Dance" and "Dancing with the Stars" etc.
I know this has been discussed before on the message board, but we're going on two years now of an economy in the cesspool, and I was wondering how it is affecting those out there who are trying to help people forget their troubles by hitting the dance floor!

I didn't get any responses to this post last month, but I can add this: I went to our studio for the first time in a couple of months this past weekend, and went to a Friday night lesson. There were only two other couples, and in the past, there used to be about 15. My instructor said his business is down about 3/4 of what it was just a few years ago. We also went to an open dancing event on Sunday, and there were about 7 couples there. It was only $5 a person, so the price was right, in terms of people watching their dollars very closely now. But in the past, the open dance events could draw as many as 20 couples.

dhuen,

I am seeing a drop in people for sure. In the last little while some of the pros are starting to come back but for awhile it was pretty sparse.

I see fewer wedding people and I know my pro has several students who have 'disappeared'.'

I know in the next month or so I'm going to be cutting back because whereas I have taken a salary blow my instructor has pushed up his prices.

Belle

I don't know that I have seen a trend, other than the normal seasonal one.

Classes (and practise sessions & socials) are quite busy from September & January, but after Easter, anything new struggles, and established classes wane. This year, if anything, attendances have held up better than previously (for me, anyway), but the long, light, Summer evenings do seem to call dancers away to other attractions.

There was a definite increase in business several years ago, with the launch of TV shows like Strictly Come Dancing, and its spinoffs (DWTS in US), but the effect has exhausted itself, I think - after all, there must be a finite number of people who want to dance, and out of every ten couples who start out as raw beginners, I doubt more than three are still going after twelve months.

The drop out rate is considerable, but I think it always was. One real obstacle, in my area, is the availability of anywhere to dance socially. There are lots of dances where a very low standard of social dancing and rather too much sequence dancing is the norm, and the average age range is well into retirement. Very much less common are events where a younger age range and a decent standard can be seen. Outside the very small world of Dancesport (perhaps less than 10% of all dancers, probably much less than that), I sometimes despair of the majority, and their dancing.

It will be 100% Zumba soon...

hmmm, several owners of established studios in my region have had to "re-invent" themselves to survive. I now dance with an independent, while I miss the social culture of meeting people and befriending other students at events or dinners, etc., I've cut way back on the amount of lessons - like down to one lesson a week and competitions? well, I cut those way back as well when my pro decided to raise the rates on everything. I've noticed friends and others who danced - are now at college group lessons, or social events where they can dance and possibly learn something and enjoy the evening or daytime hour(s) without busting their wallet such as a community center with a fundraiser - so their money is going for "something" not just into the studio receivables.

This is traditionally the slowest part of the dance yr.. add in the recession factor, and yes, my business is the lowest ever ( and thats a lot of yrs )

We are weathering the storm fairly well (in Canada). The studio has seen some drop in business so we keep group lesson prices low and we now offer a 'wedding dance' package of 5 hours for a very good price. Also, we have a dance every Friday night. $7.00 per person admission. We have seen an increase in attendance and some of the new people are from other studios. We are trying to create a 'club' feel so people feel they belong to something special. The dancing shows on TV have created interest and people know the difference between a samba and a waltz but they are fooled into thinking that dancing comes easy. As Telemark said, not many beginners make it through the first level. Even fewer go on. Still, we are doing OK.

I dance at or have contact with 3 indy studios. I had to cut back to one group class per week and one private lesson from a high of 4-5 group classes and one private per week due to financial considerations.

I've seen close to a 100% turnover in students at one studio (and that includes losing several people who have been there for years) and attendance seems down by at least 30%. They cut their monthly pass price by 35%.

The second studio is hanging on by a thread, or so I'm told. And the third seems to have a hardcore cadre that is stable but the more casual students have been coming and going.

In reply to the original post, I have now seen all the schools I have contact with take in their Autumn starters, and it is indeed dismal.
The list of enquirers is at about 50% of what we would see a couple of years ago. The actual starters could be 50% of that. So instead of 20-30 beginners, schools are lucky to get say seven starters for a class.

The studio I attend has been suffering its usual Summer slowdown, but that should improve some soon. Some have cut back due to economic difficulties, but still show up on occasion. Many students have left the studio because they tire of being cash cows for the showcase mill. However, I believe we still have a large number of people in the surrounding community who want to learn ballroom in an environment where there is continuity to what they are first taught and later experience, but that, all too often, isn't the case. It's sad. Poor management of client resources hurts a studio worse in bad economic times.