Dance Class....how much?

[MickeyMomOfThree]

You are getting 4 classes a month for $118??? WOW. That is CHEAP. You are only paying 29.50 per month for each class or 7.37 per class! that is a good deal IMHO.

They take ballet, tap and jazz all togeether, ballet in the middle cause it is required, so like for DD11 who is dropping jazz, she will come and do tap, then ballet, then leave her class. Some will do the same, others will come after tap and stay for jazz, some will come for all. So it is 2 times a week but all the classes. Hip Hop is seperate, as there is a different teacher. Unfortunately we are still there 4 times a week because of their ages one goes M/W and the other T/Th. But it isn't that I think they are overpriced, I went with them 7 years ago because they were non competive and had the best prices, I jsut personally can't afford to pay more then $100 a month. I took on a job last year to help pay for it but the job was a one year position and this year have not found anything.
We also have $40 per child reciatal fee. Anywhere from $100-$150 per child in costumes. $25 for the family in registration fees, then the extras like shoes, videos, pohotos, etc so last year it was $1500 by the time we were done. Like I said, mine isn't a bad price, but for my family we can't handle more then $100 a month.

 

[LisaNJ25]

My kids school went up to $55 this year. I pay $55 for my daughters class and than $50 for my sons (its $50 per each additional class)

 

[clori]

My girls go to a non competitive dance school a few miles north of Boston. Both girls will be taking a 1.5 hour combo class of ballet/tap/hiphop which is $153 each for 10 weeks though there is a 10% sibling discount. They are in different classes though. My dd10 may also take 1 hour dance team and 1/2 hour pre pointe class which I think added together comes to another $153 per session. Ugh $153 x 3 = $459 for 4.5 hours of dance every 10 weeks before the sibling discount.

We don't have a registration fee or performance fee but end of year recital tickets are $18 each. Last year I paid $90 for the 3 in 1 costume so not bad at $30 each. Dd's dance team was $90 which she wore for two years but is outgrowing now. They do a small Nutcracker performance in December/January but just where holiday dresses and wear holiday dresses when they dance at nursing homes. For kids not in dance team there is a $10 tshirt if they want to march in parades but only the dance team kids really dance in them.

 

[madge]

my DD8 classes are $17/week ... that's for a 90 minute class (ballet, jazz, tap)

we're all stocked up on tights, shoes, and leotards for this year, thank goodness, LOL!

 

[sk!mom]

We got off easy on the pointe shoes this year- DD severely sprained her ankle on 7/1 so hasn't been allowed to dance all summer! This was really hard on her (she had to cancel her Rockette training program) but I don't mind not having the 10 night NYC hotel bill OR the summer pointe shoes! Now she needs to get back in shape for Nutcracker auditions!

Hope your DD is better. I know how hard an injury is on a girl who loves/lives dance. My DD had to take 6 weeks off last Summer after she fractured her elbow in the last ballet class of the semester which was also her birthday.

Honestly I never dreamed that I would end up spending so much on dance when I signed my 3 year old up for ballet 11 years ago. My DD just got back from the 5 week CPYB intensive- summer intensives another big expense that I didn't foresee.

 

[mychicks]

First, I love the studio my dds go to. This is oldest dd's 9th year there. For the 3 girls I pay $434 a month. I'm expecting it to go up this year, but I hope not by much. DD12 and DD8 take tap, ballet, jazz, acro and a private class each. Adding another class this year too. DD5 takes tap and ballet. Our costumes are $60 each, but we do have combo costumes for some classes, so that helps save some money.

I skipped the pictures this year and last year. Too much money for 3 kids. Didn't want to spend over $100 for photos that will sit in an envelope. The dance store we go to does sales periodically during the year. This week they are having a 20% off sale so I'm taking dds for their shoes this week. Thankfully a few pair still fit from last year!

 

[PA Princess]

Our studio charges on average about $50 a per class a month, but they also offer a sliding scale for multiple classes and family groups.

We have 4 kids and they all dance...our two boys(14 and 15) take 3 different tap classes a week, dd 10 is in tap, acro, and a cheer dance class, and the youngest (5) takes a beginner class that includes tap, ballet, and acro. All of the classes are 60 minutes.

Our family monthly bill for tuition alone is $260...it is a steep bill that I do not love to pay, but that is for 10 classes total which is an average of $26 a month per class...I try to focus on that number.

 

[luvmy3jewels]

Funny to see this topic, since I just registered my dds for dance today. Seven classes a week are going to cost $117 a month for 10 months (jazz and ballet for 6 yr old and lyrical, jazz, ballet, tap, and hip hop for 9 yo). There is a $40 family registration fee, with a $35 costume deposit for each costume (1 per class) due in Oct. There is also a $40 recital fee per family and tickets are $10 each with two nights of recital.

When you add in the costs of shoes, leotards, tights, etc. it really adds up!

 

[ChrisKsAngel]

Our studio is also on a sliding scale. On average though, the first class is $45 a month for a 45 min, 1 a week class. My 11 yr old daughter takes Ballet, Lyrical, Jazz, Tap, Tumbling, Hip Hop, Stretch/Strengthening, Leaps/Turns, and Pre-pointe so we pay the unlimited max tuition of $180 a month.

She is also on the competition team with a tap solo, tap duet, jazz group, hip hop group and lyrical group. That runs me $45 a month for team practices.

Costumes are $75 per dance, recital and competition. Then you have the competition fees, travel expenses, etc.

It does add up quickly, but the studio we attend is awesome and my daughter loves it With dance classes, I have come to realize that you really do get what you pay for!

 

[tiggger1]

this year we are paying $176.00 a month for 5 classes (tap, ballet, jazz, Hip hop and Musical theatre) there was a $15 reg fee that I paid at the recital and costumes are $65 each. If I prepay before the end of Sept you get a 10% discount...


this is in Southeast Ma and is a competitive school...they have great teachers and a great early childhood program...

 

[lisamarch]

Our studio in central Illinois has a sliding scale depending on how many hours per week the child takes classes. Age of child and type of dance class do not matter. For 1 hour per week, the charge is $44 per month. For 2 hours per week of classes, the charge is $60 per month. 4 hours = $92 per month.

Hope that helps.

 

[Pembo]

We're in NE Ohio and dd is taking ballet 2x week and jazz once a week. We are paying $580 for the semester. We do not have a recital (yay) so no costumes etc. However dd will be able to try out for the Nutcracker this fall. Not sure what the costs will be for that.

 

[tinker&belle]

I was happy to find this thread. I just signed my older DD yesterday for a beginning ballet/tap/gymnastics class. She did the class to try it out and she loved it (and I did too!) There is a recital at the end of the year and she said she sells us the costume for the wholesale price plus shipping. We will be going in to try on shoes and leotards in the next few weeks.

One question I have from the experienced moms, how many leotards would you have for the beginning class (1x/week)? She can wear any leotard, as long as it is pink or black. She has one hand-me down one. I was thinking maybe of buying one of the studio ones and using the hand me down one as a backup in case the other needs washing and because we are still working on potty training.

ETA: Forgot to include class is 1 hour, 1x/week. There was a $30 registration fee and the class costs $45/month.

 

[Jaime4004]

I was happy to find this thread. I just signed my older DD yesterday for a beginning ballet/tap/gymnastics class. She did the class to try it out and she loved it (and I did too!) There is a recital at the end of the year and she said she sells us the costume for the wholesale price plus shipping. We will be going in to try on shoes and leotards in the next few weeks.

One question I have from the experienced moms, how many leotards would you have for the beginning class (1x/week)? She can wear any leotard, as long as it is pink or black. She has one hand-me down one. I was thinking maybe of buying one of the studio ones and using the hand me down one as a backup in case the other needs washing and because we are still working on potty training.

ETA: Forgot to include class is 1 hour, 1x/week. There was a $30 registration fee and the class costs $45/month.

I think you'll be just fine with 2. I'm a big ebay leotard purchaser since they grow out of them so quickly..

My DD is taking ballet and hiphop at $76/month. Glad to see it's around where most other places are charging..

 

[Jey12]

Great thread! I love to see how our local studio compares here in the Kansas City area. DD4 is starting her 3rd year of dance/gym combo classes and it is $65 for an hour and a half class once a week. Half of the class time is a tap/ballet combo and the other half is tumbling/gymnastics. Next year she could be invited into dance or tumble team and I believe that is where the cost will start to add up. Right now because she's a returning dancer there is no registration fee past the $20 we paid 3 years ago. I also am a huge ebay leotard shopper and often can get packs of 2 gently worn leotards for under $10 w/ shipping. Summer garage sales are also a great spot to find leotards for as cheap as 25 cents. Recital time is in June and that's an additional $180 for two costumes and the location rental. Admission is free to the recital since it's covered in our monthly tution. They also have a parent support organization that holds a fundraisor 4 times a year and 80% of what your child sells goes directly into their account. I have yet to pay a dime for a recital costume and usually I end up with at least a month of covered tuition. She attends a highly competitive studio with at least 400 kids enrolled. Other dance/gym companies in my area when we first looked were up near $140 a month for the same level I pay $65 for.

 

[tink76]

My DD is taking a one hour class. We just paid $119 for September/October and a $20 registration fee. The place she was at was $60 a month, so it seems to be the regular rate around here.

 

[MinnieGi]

Thanks for starting this thread...it's so interesting to see how other studios compare.

My 9yo DD is starting her 3rd year on the studio's performance team. I actually just signed the EFT forms today for her and our grand total will be $173.00 per month! This includes technique classes in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, & hip hop plus a two hour choreography class for the team. She is slated to dance a trio this year and this fee will cover all trio classes too. It also covers costumes which will be 6 this year and all extra rehearsals before competitions, performances, recital etc. It does not however include competition fees or additional workshop fees which the team does every year.

Last year our team did three competitions plus National comps in Wildwood, NJ for Dance Xplosion. Including comp. fees, hotels, food etc. these weekends are an easy $500.00 and Nationals ran more as it was a weeks comp.

Our recital fee is $60.00 and that includes two tickets and a program book. Additional tickets are $15.00 a piece. And as others have said these fees do not include all the shoes, leotards, & tights!!

In addition to that they are dancing at WDW in JUNE!!!!! SOOOOOO thrilled about that!!!!!! She will be dancing in DHS one day and the next day in the parade in MK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Disney sends the choreography for the teachers to teach the teams and also the costumes. (We of course do pay for the costumes). DD is just soooooo excited about the parade, as am I!!!!!!!!!!!!! But of course this is another added expense but one that I will gladly pay for as what a thrill it will be for her and our family!!!!

Why do we do this??? She loves it and her dance friends are some of her best friends.
I just love to watch DD dance and become a better performer.

 

[MickeyCrazedMom]

YIKES summerrluvv that's alot!!!!!

Anyone in competition classes, can you tell me, when your dear dancers win a competition, and there is prize money involved, who gets the money? Is it split between dancers or does it go straight to the studio?

At our studio the prize $$ is split between the students.

DD 6 is in the competetive group and we pay $85/month for 2 hours of class. Each level of competition goes up from there. DD 2 will be taking tap and tumbling this fall at $20 per class per month. That is a family discount price down from $26.

The monthly fee isn't bad at all, it is everything else. Costumes, recitals. competition fees and travel can be a killer. She will be doing a duet next year and that will be a $90 choreography fee plus $40 per month.

To me, it is worth every penny!!!

 

[summerrluvv]

YIKES summerrluvv that's alot!!!!!

Anyone in competition classes, can you tell me, when your dear dancers win a competition, and there is prize money involved, who gets the money? Is it split between dancers or does it go straight to the studio?

Tell me about it...and the worst part was I had to buy a recital ticket for myself, but I was class mom and didn't even SEE my seat, let alone sit in it.

My DD seems to like the instructors and is comfortable there now, so I won't switch to one of the many less expensive places around here.

 

[Shellydm]

I need your help!

I have a question about picking a dance studio and saw this thread and thought It's a perfect place to ask. Sort of budget related too

There is a pretty established dance place here that had a summer camp. They had 2 sessions this summer for a summer camp of 2 weeks where you went twice a week.

We signed our 5 year old daughter up for the first session for 2 weeks and literally the day of the first lesson about an hour beforehand they called to say it was cancelled since there was not enough interest in the first session and we could roll over to the second summer session. (which we did).

Again the day of the next session an hour before the class was to start we got the call it was cancelled. And would we like to roll over to fall. We said we'd think about it.

Then I went crazy trying to find another dance place for our daughter. I read reviews and most were not good except this one and another one.

So we went today to the other dance studio that is literally only 1 minute away. They are super nice! BUT they are soooo small. I mean you can barely fit in the waiting area which has only 5 or 6 seats. And there are 2 dance gyms but no viewing area, both pretty small. I honestly don't know where the parents would sit during the lessons. The paperwork said once a month the parents can sit in on the classes for the last 10 mins. So do we just drop off and pick up?
Also this one is more expensive per month by around $20. Plus it has a recital fee that the other one doesn't. And the other one gives the parents free tickets as well.

So the plus is the people are super nice, but the con is no viewing area. No area at all really for the parents, literally. oh and she would be in the 3-5 year old class. I thought they was an odd age pairing. I thought maybe 4-5 year olds would be OK but 3 and 5 are totally different in terms of attention span etc.

The one that cancelled twice this summer has 5-8 year old classes. Its a huge studio. It had lots of other things going on there too like music lessons, singing lessons and so on. So I think they wouldn't cancel in the fall for the year, just the summer was low interest.

Its a big studio. Lots of room for parents and viewing area. Its less money per month. They were OK nice. Not as nice and warm as the little place but they were not unfriendly or snobby.

Which do you think would be better for my daughter. The small, more expensive one where they are super friendly but I think we drop her off? and she is in the 3-5 year old class?

Or the big one that cancelled the summer camp twice on us. But have a great big studio. Plenty of room for parents and viewing area. less expensive. No recital fees and 2 free tickets for parents to the recital.

Sorry for the novel, but I have to decide before tomorrow. Registration is this weekend for both but we are going on vacation tomorrow for a week so we need to sign up for one first thing in the am before we leave. I can't sleep trying to figure this out!!!

Thanks
shelly