How much are tix for your DC's dance recital?

[X and G's mom]

Former Cheerleading coach here! My DD11 has been dancing since she was 3. I knew the cost of dance before I put my DD into it, since I coached cheer for many years.
Our studio charges $50 per costume and $13 per adult for the recital. My DD is in ballet, tap and jazz. For the recital, there are 3 shows. My DD does Tap in show 1, all 3 dances in show 2, and ballet in show 3. I will only be attending show 2.
I think the owner does a FANTASTIC job all year! We just love our studio and all the dance instructors!

 

[summerrluvv]

Great post! I, too, own a dance school and it saddens me to see all the complaints here. Owning a dance school is the career I have chosen, so I intend to charge what it takes to make it a successful business/career. I am no where near a millionaire, LOL. In fact, when all is said and done, I am lucky that I have a supportive husband who can pay our bills.

One thing to consider: having your child involved in an extra curricular activity is a choice you make as a parent. If you find it is too expensive, too much money, waste of money, waste of time, etc....then perhaps it is not an activity that your child should be involved in. At my school, parents are given a handout when they register of the costs/time involved through the year, so it is no surprise. I make sure they are informed up front.

I think you are confused. I haven't read anyone saying that it's a total rip off, or how dare the owners charge xxx dollars for each thing, or it's such a waste of time for the money. It's merely a discussion on how much it costs.

 

[tiggger1]

My daughters studio is great! Super organized! and they need to because they have over to 300 kids. The costumes are $60-65 a piece. Once the are in reg classes ( 1st grade) you also need to pay for the tights. The tickets for the recital are $14.50-$16.50. Its held a the local community college and there are 3 shows. They color code the schedule and when you register you just make sure that all of your classes are "red" and you will be in the red show. IF you choice classes that are "red" and "blue" then you will be in 2 recitals.. this usually happens with the kids that take alot of classes.

I dont have to pay for tickets for the recital because every show you volunteer at you are given 2 free tickets.. ( I am doing all 3 shows, do I get 6 tickets free)you would think you would have a million people backstage but alot of the parents wont do it!

the one thing that the studio does that I love is they dont allow ANYONE but the volunteers in the dressing room and backstage. When you get there you sign in you children at the dressing room and you are given a bracelet. Someone working will take the child in the dressing room and you pick them up at THE END. No one is allowed to go visit or remove the child without permission. ( these are usually the little ones in diapers or the kid that have medical issues) The reason they do this is with over 100 kids under the age of 9 in 1 dressing room, it would be crazy if you added another 100 parents and other relatives...plus before we did this we had parents removing kids to go visit grandma and missing their numbers and getting mad at us because their "snowflake" missed their only number

 

[MELSMICE]

Another studio owner here, so I'll chime in too!

Are any of you allowed to go backstage to help your DD change costumes??? We aren't allowed backstage and my DD has to change 3 times this year. I would really like to be there to help her and keep her costumes organized.

Give your DD a large suitcase to stand in when she changes. Tell her to just drop her costumes in that & close it before she heads backstage again. When she's done you can reorganize for her as everything will (should) be in the suitcase.

What really gets me, is that if my DD's want to come out after their dance and watch the rest of the show, they also need a ticket! I find that crazy since they are part of the show. Everyone age two and up must have a ticket, even if they are going to sit on mom's lap.

My students are not allowed in the auditorium at all (with the exception of preschoolers).

Everyone that comes through the auditorium doors at my show MUST have a ticket - this includes infants & toddlers. The reason for this is that in the past when we did not have this policy people would come with their small children that were supposed to sit on an adult's lap. Of course, the squirming toddler would be moved to a seat. If the show is sold out, then a paying customer does not get a seat.

I'll be honest, the reason we charge for infants & toddlers is to deter people so they will leave them home because in most cases, they are a distraction during the show. Sorry.

I own a dance studio and I just want to chime in here.

It is a business and we have to make money at it. We spend ALL year putting these recitals together, it's a big part of our job and if you work you expect to be paid for it yes?

I only charge $7 a ticket and $45 - $60 for costumes. We do not allow pictures or video at the recital as it becomes a Papparatzi ZOO so we do hire a proffesional video company to come in as a courtesy for the parents who would like a video. Studios typically make very little on recital DVD's or pictures. I know what I make on pictures barely covers my staffing for picture days.

Recital costume orders take hours and hours and hours ...then when they come in they take hours and hours and hours to sort. At my price range of 45 - 60 I mark up very little and would probably faint if I figured out my profit margin vs the time I take doing everything.

The High School Auditoriums cost quite a pretty penny too. Rent, custodians, theatre tech ... air conditioning! (Yes, a lot charge you extra for that.) Then you have to pay your staff on top of that because they don't work for free.

I was once told by another studio owner that your recital should make you enough money to live on over the summer. (HA HA HA. I need to raise prices.) BUT ... in a way that makes sense because you would think something that takes 10 months out of your life could support you for 2 or 3.

All that being said ... if you are at a good dance studio your children are learning lessons far beyond how to Plie' or shuffle hop step. Lessons that will aid them far into adulthood. Confidence, team work, commitment, poise, leadership...and so much more.

Happy toes to all!

WDWO

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

I wish we only had 40 numbers in our show!!! We run closer to 70. It really makes for a long night! This is our first year out of the preschool class and DD is in 4 numbers, along with the show opener. Most of the girls who have been there as long as your DD are in somwhere in the neighborhhood of 8-10. I shudder to think what our costume bill will look like by then!

For the courtesy of the audience members, the show should really only be about 2 hours long - no longer than 2 1/2. Even as an owner & having a vested interest, I know that everyone is there to see their own child only - they don't care about Susie Snowflake that is in 12 dances, so they want the show to go quick, get the finale on stage & then they'll head home.

Great post! I, too, own a dance school and it saddens me to see all the complaints here. Owning a dance school is the career I have chosen, so I intend to charge what it takes to make it a successful business/career. I am no where near a millionaire, LOL. In fact, when all is said and done, I am lucky that I have a supportive husband who can pay our bills.

One thing to consider: having your child involved in an extra curricular activity is a choice you make as a parent. If you find it is too expensive, too much money, waste of money, waste of time, etc....then perhaps it is not an activity that your child should be involved in. At my school, parents are given a handout when they register of the costs/time involved through the year, so it is no surprise. I make sure they are informed up front.

Best of luck to all the dancers on their dance recitals this year! I know they have all worked very hard to prepare for it, so try to forget about all the things you dislike regarding your current dance studio situation and focus on your child's big day! They deserve it!!

Thanks to you also!

Yes, as an owner, we have chosen this profession. I love what I do (on most days), but it is a job & it is a business.

I try to keep my costs minimal for my clients, but I have to pay bills & I have to make payroll for my employees. No one knows that there are many weeks that I do not take a paycheck. How can I pay myself when my clients don't pay me?

As an owner I can not collect unemployment during the summer months when I am closed, but my employees can. My only source of income during the summer is from any summer camp - if it goes over well enough. As someone previously posted, we must make sure that we have about 3 months worth of expenses set aside so we can operate through the summer.

I'm not complaining either, but please understand that the fees you pay are so the studio owner can makes ends meet - not become a millionaire. The venues (including high schools) charge incredible $'s to hold a recital & the costume companies charge more & more each year for less quality costumes. We must also pay to attend seminars, classes & workshops each year so that we can stay up to date with the things to teach your children.

Also, as another studio owner said, your child is gaining pose, confidence & is making friendships that will last a lifetime. I'm still friends with my dance friends that I met over 30 years ago.

All in all though - I do enjoy my job very much.

 

[livie1205]

my dd4 ballet recital is free to family and friends and we paid 40.00 for the costume.they would not even think about charging us to watch a dance that we have paid good money for them to learn.That is up to the buisness though.We love our ballet school and will keep going to them.I think if you dislike all the extra charges I would look into another school.

 

[leebee]

DD has been dancing for 13 years now. She is in the ballet studio about 16 hours a week and takes 3 tap classes (4 hrs) and is on the competition team (1.5hrs/wk) in addition. This is a light year; usually she takes jazz and modern/lyrical also. She also dances for two local ballet companies.

Tuition is $850 a semester because she is "maxed out"; fortunately tuition is on a sliding scale (decreasing) so the more classes you take, the cheaper each one is until you finally don't have to pay for any more classes (I am not sure there are any more hours in the week ). Recital fee is $25, costumes range from $55-$80, but sometimes we are lucky enough to be able to rent them from the studio for $15-$40, depending on the original cost of the costume (to the studio) and the age of the costume. Recital tickets are $10 general and $18 reserved seats, but each dancer gets one free general admission ticket (which you can upgrade to reserved). EVERYONE needs a ticket, but this is to cut down on little children in the audience more than anything. Pro video is available for $40 (grr... last year's arrived in Feb...) and photo packages start at $15 (package prices comparable to school pix) and after paying for the most expensive package on your order, there is a 10% discount on the rest. This year, DD is only in 6 numbers, but fortunately the studio owner believes that the show has to run under 2 hours. There are two shows, Sat evening and Sunday matinee, and they are very similar except for some of the youngest dancers, who are in one or the other of the shows.

$1700 a year is a lot for tuition, but I am assured that DD is getting solid ballet training. Her teacher was trained by George Balanchine and was soloist (by age 16) and principal (by age 17) at Joffrey. DD has been accepted to summer programs at Boston Ballet and Juilliard for ballet, and Rockettes for tap, so I know I am getting my money's worth. Still, it's a hefty bill each month, and then there is the cost of leotards ($20+ each), tights (I buy them by the dozen) and pointe shoes (new pair every 6-8 weeks at $80/pair). Fortunately competition is not as expensive as it could be. Tuition is included in the dance tuition, and they only do one competition/workshop a year. Still, it was $380 for competition fee, workshop fee, and one costume, plus $22 for food for the weekend; hotel was free as one family donated their timeshare points so we didn't have to pay hotel bills, too!

So? I pay it, and am a proud mama! Sometimes it's easier than others, and the studio owner lets us "float" our tuition payments sometimes. I cannot imagine my DD NOT dancing !

 

[Liltx]

I have two girls ages 5 and 7.

Monthly Tuition for 3 classes $100
Costumes $52 each, four total. They are gorgeous and come in zippered hanging bags from the company.
Recital fee- none
Ticket fee- none

The place is the biggest theater in our city so seating is not a problem. They have two shows because there are so many students. Each show is still a little over 2 1/2 hours.
They make plenty of money while charging a reasonable fee to parents.
There are four studios (in a high rent area) which run classes from 3:30 to 10:00 each night and sat early until 3:00. All classes are really full and we wait in a long line to sign up for our day and time in the summer. It has been in business for 76 years. So I don't really agree that they NEED to charge you all of that money to run their business. Maybe if the fees were more reasonable they would get more business.

Monica

 

[MELSMICE]

I have two girls ages 5 and 7.

Monthly Tuition for 3 classes $100
Costumes $52 each, four total. They are gorgeous and come in zippered hanging bags from the company.
Recital fee- none
Ticket fee- none

The place is the biggest theater in our city so seating is not a problem. They have two shows because there are so many students. Each show is still a little over 2 1/2 hours.
They make plenty of money while charging a reasonable fee to parents.
There are four studios (in a high rent area) which run classes from 3:30 to 10:00 each night and sat early until 3:00. All classes are really full and we wait in a long line to sign up for our day and time in the summer. It has been in business for 76 years. So I don't really agree that they NEED to charge you all of that money to run their business. Maybe if the fees were more reasonable they would get more business.

Monica

I think it depends on the area. Plus, no one really knows what someone's costs are.

I'm in the Western New York area & my studio is located in a lower income area. I price tuition for other studios in the area each year. I make sure that I'm not the lowest or the highest.

Right now my tuition is 9 payments of $35 per month for one class, $62/2 classes, $85/3 classes, $105/4 classes, $120/5 classes & $135/6 or more classes. I am adding another tier of $145/7 classes next year.

I have a registration fee of $25 for new students & $15 for returning students. I offer pre-registration incentive gifts beginning in May, plus first choice of classes when the schedule comes out.

My costumes are $52 for combination classes; all others are $62. This fee includes all alterations, props, headpieces, tights, socks, etc. The costume comes fully altered, on a hanger in a bag.

We don't charge for pictures - they are not mandatory, but optional & how much you spend is up to you. We ask that the kids be there for the class picture but it's not necessary to purchase them.

My performance fee is $25, which covers the rental fee of the school. Each family gets 1 free ticket to each show their child is in (we have 3) & additional can be purchased for $8 presale/$10 at the door.

There are other things that we offer that are optional - tee-shirts, memory books (small yearbook), etc. Profits from these items help pay for my summer rent & expenses.

I do think it depends on the are you're located in as to what studios charge.

This thread is very interesting for me, BTW!!! Thanks to the OP for starting it.

 

[Liltx]

I think it depends on the area. Plus, no one really knows what someone's costs are.

I'm in the Western New York area & my studio is located in a lower income area. I price tuition for other studios in the area each year. I make sure that I'm not the lowest or the highest.

Right now my tuition is 9 payments of $35 per month for one class, $62/2 classes, $85/3 classes, $105/4 classes, $120/5 classes & $135/6 or more classes. I am adding another tier of $145/7 classes next year.

I have a registration fee of $25 for new students & $15 for returning students. I offer pre-registration incentive gifts beginning in May, plus first choice of classes when the schedule comes out.

My costumes are $52 for combination classes; all others are $62. This fee includes all alterations, props, headpieces, tights, socks, etc. The costume comes fully altered, on a hanger in a bag.

We don't charge for pictures - they are not mandatory, but optional & how much you spend is up to you. We ask that the kids be there for the class picture but it's not necessary to purchase them.

My performance fee is $25, which covers the rental fee of the school. Each family gets 1 free ticket to each show their child is in (we have 3) & additional can be purchased for $8 presale/$10 at the door.

There are other things that we offer that are optional - tee-shirts, memory books (small yearbook), etc. Profits from these items help pay for my summer rent & expenses.

I do think it depends on the are you're located in as to what studios charge.

This thread is very interesting for me, BTW!!! Thanks to the OP for starting it.

This sounds reasonable to me. The $25 tickets with a minimum purchase and the $100 costumes seem very high! I would not go to those studios. I will say that the recital is late, June 26 so I think that making it go until then makes up for the lower enrollment in the summer. It is a family business, but the co-owner (daughter) is also the dance director at the high school for the arts in our city so that is a good income as well.

 

[MinnieGi]

Another dance competition mom here. DD is now in her 5th year of dancing and second on dance team. Let's see recital tickets are $15.00 for each show - two shows. (one Sat. evening and one Sunday afternoon). It is held in the local high school auditorium. I am a backstage mom for each show so I get a free ticket for each show which helps. Costumes run about $90.00 a piece - DD has 5 this year. Since she is on the dance team she wears these costumes quite a few times over for competitions, exhibitions and recital so I feel a little bit better about their cost, plus she plays dress-up in them after the dance year ends. Pictures were about $100.00, DVD is $35.00, competition fees are around $150.00 per competition (three of those). plus hotel fees and food for that weekend and sometimes they have workshop classes too which is even more $. Oh and the SHOES and my DD's feet growing and buying more new SHOES before the season is ended!!! Plus the required make-up & jewelry! Oh and I didn't even mention the tuition which is $104.00 a month and that is with two free classes due to our health club membership where the studio is located. DD dances 6 hours a week, plus private lesson for her duo routine is another $15.00 a week. And last year the team went on a cruise which we paid for and next year we are headed to Disney!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay yeah, mucho bucks, huh? BUT - DD enjoys it, its giving her great confidence, giving her great exercise, she loves all the glitz and glam, and DANCE FRIENDS are the BEST!! All the girls on the team are so sweet to each other and really cheer each other on. The moms are too! It is a great learning experience to be on a team especially for my DD who has no desire to be on a soccer team etc... dance team still gives her that experience while wearing sparkly costumes!!!

Thanks OP for starting this thread its been interesting to see the range in prices for costumes, recitals, etc...