Dance Class....how much?

[hockeyprincess]

Ok guys, August is here, that means here in Ohio... school is back in session soon, dance class is starting up, football & cheerleading, and everything that goes along with it!!

My question is, how much do you pay for your daughter's/son's dance classes? My daughter only took 1 class up until now, this year she will be taking 2 dance classes plus a tumbling class, it's going to cost me $50 per month plus $150 up front for the tumbling class, for fall, winter & spring. ($20 discount per session for tumbling if you pay up front....no discount for paying in full for dance classes.) This is of course, outside of shoes/tights/leotards, costumes etc.

Just wondering how our area measures up with other states/areas!

 

[MariDisney]

At our dance studio the 1st class is $90 per 10 week semester (so you pay it 4 times per year). As you add classes it is discounted. My DD will take I think 6 classes this year and it will be about $350 per 10 week session. As you said, this is before leotards, tights, shoes, costumes, additional workshops, etc.

 

[foltzy]

My dd (5) is really just getting into dance so she only does an hour a week. We pay $10 per class and she gets ballet and tap or ballet and gymnastics, depends on the week. This is of course before all the things she needs and I'm not even 100% sure what that'll be this year (She danced when she was 3 but with a different teacher).

 

[DCLbrideSept2009]

We have 2 kids in dance right now. One is in her second year of performance ensemble (competition dancers) and the other one will be in her first year of PE. Our cost is $190 for the first and $170 for the second per month for unlimited classes. We baby-sit the dance teacher's kids to help offset the cost. This summer hasn't cost us anything due to baby-sitting. Even got the one dd's privates paid for with the baby-sitting. We won't be as lucky in the fall.

 

[WDWorBUST]

DD doesn't start until September, but we will be enrolling this week. She takes a combination tap/ballet class and it's a $10 enrollment fee (returning students), $43 per month for class & recital fee, and then $55 per costume. She will need two costumes and the first half is due in October and the second is due in January. They have a class leotard and of course she needs new shoes which the shoes are usually $18 and the class leotard is $20ish so for the first month and getting started I'm anticipating it costing about $120.

 

[mercydisney]

DD's dance class just went up. It's $60. per class a month. We will be unable to take to classes this yr. $120, a month for 2 classes is just not in out budget. I think if they has better teachers it would be different. DD's ballet teacher is extraordunary. Jazz teacher not so much. She rather go to Disney.

 

[descovy]

We pay $60 for one month of dance classes (one hour a week) It is the going rate around here. If you take two classes or longer classes it's a sliding scale. (for example, take ballet on tues and jazz on wednesday you pay $95)

Recital fee is $50/family. (so 3 kids in dance I just pay the $50) no cost for seats. Costumes hover in the $60-70 range, and they are one costume per class.

Jazz shoes were $34. Our school is picky about the shoes... no rubber soles (like at payless) so I have to go to the dance store for suede soles. Since I had a coupon, I went ahead and got younger daughter ballet shoes there $20. Maybe payless would have been cheaper, but not by much. Plus the coupon was $10 off a $50 purchase.

 

[Darcy03231]

I live in NE and we were paying approximately $10/hr for dance (last year). DD graduated and is off to college this year so I don't know if fees went up or not.

 

[jojo0612]

OH-IO! We pay $45/month for a ballet class. From what I've seen it's the going rate around!

 

[princessmom29]

OUr studio does a sliding scale. One hour per week is $45 a month and it goes up from there. DD6 is taking 4 hours a week this year, and it is $96 a month with a $30 registration fee. Costumes will run us about $60 each and she will need 5. I have about $200 in shoes this year. We don't do competition at our studio, but that can run you multiple thousands. The last year my sister did competition dance the total bill was about $8,0000 and that was 10 years ago.
Eta: someone said something about payless shoes. They are only a few dollars cheaper than the studio and no where near the quality. I would go with the studion for shoes, or order online once you know what brand your DD likes/can wear. I use www.discountdance.com.

 

[Kitzka]

Wow. I really need to move to where some of you live. Dance cost is varied where I live. The studio DD is at now is by far one of the most expensive in the area and up until recently the level of teaching was worth what we were paying. Not so much anymore. But if there is anyone who is only taking 1 class it's $72 a month for 10 months. As you take more classes it gets to be a little cheaper. This does not include the $35 reg fee, $60 costume deposit, and $25 recital tickets. And as PP have mentioned does not include tights, shoes, dance wear etc.

We are hoping to switch to a new studio which is $55 for 1 class for 10 months. As you take more classes it gets cheaper.

Lara

 

[DeniseinNS]

We pay $120 each for 3 sessions, that is for a 90 minutes class (Jazz/Ballet/Tap) and the recital outfit is usually around $65 and the recital fee is $24 which includes 2 tickets.

 

[Juliee8]

DD 5, will be starting her 2nd year of dance in September. We paid $12 registration fee. Her class is an hour long (1/2 tap & 1/2 ballet) and is $8.00 a week, so about $32 - $40 a month. We have to go and order shoes next week, but I am guessing around $80 for those. She will have 2 recital costumes this year, which vary price wise, but last year ran about $60-$70 a piece. Our dance school does a fundraiser and instead of the school getting anything for it, they apply that portion of the proceeds to your child's dance costumes. I think last year I only had to pay $20 for the cotume after they applied our fundraiser credit.

 

[DebMcDonald]

I have three in dance, the two little ones do tap, jazz, ballet, the oldest does those, plus point. I pay $148 a month x 10 months, we do get a multi dancer discount. This does not include recital costumes which are about $300-400 a year.

 

[sk!mom]

I pay $170 per month, the studio max, for unlimited classes. DD14 is required to attend 4 ballet classes (1.5 hour each), 3 pointe classes (30-45 minutes each), 1 Variations class (45 min.), and 1 pilates (1 hour) per week to remain at her level. It is strongly recommended that she also attend 1 modern class(1 hour), 1 jazz class (1 hour), and there is 1 more ballet / pointe (2 hours) that can be taken additionally or used as a make up.

DD normally takes all classes listed although she will miss jazz or modern on occasion if she has a lot of homework or something else really important.

We pay no other fees but must purchase tickets for all productions. Her studio does 4 productions a year- Fall Jazz Show, Nutcracker, Spring Contemporary Show, and End of year recital. Tickets are $25 each for Nutcracker and usually $15 for the other shows except the recital which is only $8 as it's the least professional and includes all dancers from 3 years up and no guest professional dancers. All costumes, except shoes and tights, are provided. Rehearsals for all productions are in addition to classes so it's more time but there aren't any rehearsal or production fees. A few times a year, there will be extra optional workshops or intensives and those are all extra. DD started a two week intensive today with guest instructors which is $260.

I don't even want to calculate what I spend per year on leos, tights, and shoes. Pointe shoes are a killer.

DD dances at the local Civic ballet which is a nonprofit which may make a difference in cost.

 

[maddiesmom0116]

DD6 takes a 45 minute ballet class, and a 45 minute tap class and a 1 hour gymnastics class and the monthly cost for the year round programs is $190 a month. The major added cost comes in when you buy recital costumes.

I think it really depends on the studio. I know many studios around here that I could do the same thing for a $100 a month, but I chose my DD's studio based on reputation and small class sizes. She is not very coordinated and I want to help her as much as I can, so I really needed either small classes or personal instruction. I am in Northern Indiana, so not far from you.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

DD has been in as few as 3 classes up to 8 classes per week. Our base class is 1 hour ballet at $56.00 per month/10 month payments. At three classes, I was around $100.00 per month, with the 8 classes my bill was $225.00. We have a registration fee - $25.00, costume fee per class $50.00, and the performance fee which is also $50.00 (that includes 3 tickets).

Now on top of all that we have to buy leotards, shoes, tights, and most of all the cost for "professional" sessions when the owner secures classes.

I have never regretted a penny spent. I also will say that even at a young age, DD's teachers would not allow the payless shoes on their feet. The worse thing you can do if give your child bad feet.

 

[stsomewhere]

My Dd-9 is on a competitive pom/dance team. I pay $20 a month for 1- 30 minute class a week. Plus, competition fees and uniform cost.

She was in gymnastics prior and it was about $20 an hour for pre team class.

 

[mjkacmom]

When dd9 took ballet, it was $275 for 16 weeks, plus a $25 registration fee. If you took 2 classes, the second was a little less. I'm lucky with her irish dancing - it's a flat fee for 3 or more classes, and she dances about 9 hours a week.

 

[PHXscuba]

If you are getting two dance classes for $50 a month, that's a pretty good deal. If it's $50 per class, maybe not.

I feel very lucky that my daughters' classes are about $30 per month for hour-long classes once a week. The recital fee is $25 per family to rent the auditorium and tickets are free. Costume fees are roughly $25-30 per dance.

This dance teacher enlarged and converted her garage into a dance studio with wood floors, mirrors, etc. She works really hard to keep it affordable and clean-cut, which I really appreciate.

PHXscuba