Why do Private Lessons COST SO Much?!

A

achilles007

Member
Gaaahhh!!

60 dollars an hour?

How am I ever going to afford the 4 lessons a month that one would usually get with group lessons? Which would be $240!!

Anyone whom ever took private lessons how in the WORLD did you afford this?
Would I be able to get away with just taking one or two private classes a month and then practice at home?
 
I figure with the specialized more concentrated attention from the one-on-one with the instructor I should break-even with 2 classes a month as opposed to the 4 classes a month where the instructor is busy focusing on the group as a whole, and not specialized attention to any one person.
 
There are some in-depth discussions of the cost of lessons in the ballroom thread. Some of the observations apply. Some don't. But it makes for interesting reading material. :cool: :-D
 
They cost so much because students like you and me are willing to pay as much. 100-150 / hour is not unheard of - 60 sounds cheap.
 
there is something magical about 60/hour (1/min) - massages tend to cost about this much as well... i wonder why.
 
Agreed quix. It's what the market will bear. And, IMHO, there are other factors, such as the cost of doing business. Any freshman (I think managerial) accounting class covers the basic formulae used to calculate fees for a service-based business. Plug in the numbers. I took managerial accounting a billion years ago, and the numbers came out very close to $60 an hour, then. Customers like to forget about overhead. Too bad service providers don't have that luxury. *shrug*
 
achilles007 said:
Gaaahhh!!

60 dollars an hour?

How am I ever going to afford the 4 lessons a month that one would usually get with group lessons? Which would be $240!!

Anyone whom ever took private lessons how in the WORLD did you afford this?
Would I be able to get away with just taking one or two private classes a month and then practice at home?
Click to expand...


Firstly.. why do you think you need private lessons ?. Unless you have a major learning difficulty, class work may/should address all of your immediate needs .

The occasional private lesson to get " feedback ", should suffice for now . And, you may find a partner who is willing to share the cost.
 
I used to charge $50 for 50 minutes of private math tutoring - pre-algebra through calculus - a couple of years ago. That was less than many private tutors here charged. I had zero overhead aside from gas to drive to the library. So I don't think the $60 per hour for dance lessons is excessive.

As to how we afford privates, that is another can o'worms that can be searched for in the archives.
 
This is certainly a common question. If you do the math, i.e., nobody booked for 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year, need to pay taxes, skilled labor, floor fees, etc., etc., this is a pretty reasonable rate. It feels like a lot if you are starting out, but lower than this, and it would be hard to find anyone willing to teach private lessons.
 
toothlesstiger said:
It feels like a lot if you are starting out, but lower than this, and it would be hard to find anyone willing to teach private lessons.
Click to expand...


Unless things have changed that dramatically since I left the States, ( '05 )majority of teachers in the last metro area in which I worked, charged $40/50 per hr.. and Im speaking very high quality teaching.

In the U.K. , thats a common rate (30/35 £s ) .
 
tangotime said:
Firstly.. why do you think you need private lessons ?. Unless you have a major learning difficulty, class work may/should address all of your immediate needs .

The occasional private lesson to get " feedback ", should suffice for now . And, you may find a partner who is willing to share the cost.
Click to expand...

I would agree with this. Examine your goals and see how many privates you really need. If you're just learning for social dance, you may only need the occasional feedback session. Of course, if you're looking at a competition or something, more may be needed.
 
There are people who charge less. I know of one ballroom studio in Syracuse NY that charges $40/hr for a private lesson for one person. They are ok, from what I've heard.

I also charge less than the usual 60, but that is for lessons either at my home or at someone else's home close by. If I have to travel, or rent studio space, I will add additional charges to my hourly fee for one person private dance lesson.

And around 60/65 per hour does seem to be the going rate, as others have said.

Another possible cheaper option is checking out college ballroom teams. Often students on those teams will offer private lessons for about 20 an hour. I've taken a few of those and if you choose well they can be quite good for the beginner starting out.
 
tangotime said:
Firstly.. why do you think you need private lessons ?. Unless you have a major learning difficulty, class work may/should address all of your immediate needs .

The occasional private lesson to get " feedback ", should suffice for now . And, you may find a partner who is willing to share the cost.
Click to expand...

I agree with Tangotime. Also, even if the group classes do not address your needs, you can always purchase high quality instructional DVD's from Dance Vision or USISTD as a supplement. I have found them to be of immense value as a supplement to the group classes. Good luck in whatever you decide to do. :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Dance Ads

Advertise on Dance Forums Reach dancers, teachers, studios, event organizers, and dance-friendly brands. View ad options
Back
Top