Reasoning behind Salsa dance class prices and are the costs too high?

R

Rebecca

New member
They absolutely HOSING you. The choreographer better be world famous or you're getting ripped off. If you're a beginner or intermediate level dancer there is absolutely no reason to pay that much for training. While costs do vary, you should expect to pay about $15 for an hour long drop in salsa lesson at any salsa dance class/club in your city. If you're training seriously and have aspirations of professional dancing then yes, you can expect to pay hefty prices for lessons. I charge $30 an hour for solo lessons, but group classes work out to about $15 a class over the season. Flat sign up costs for any one group lesson is around $500 (September-May). You will also have any additional shoe, costume, and performance or competition fees if you're a more serious dancer.
So, my suggestions are this: Look for another studio in your area that offers lower (cough, reasonable, cough) prices, and try a few classes with them if you're looking for a more studio based and serious class.
Or,
Look up Salsa enthusiasts in your area. They'll have a club somewhere. Most universities have a salsa class, and recreation facilities run by the city may have some. These classes are usually run on a drop in or sign up basis. At the university I went to you could drop in for $10 or sign up for the year for $50. It was cheap and a decent beginner level class. Everybody had fun.

The only reasonable thing about their pricing was the $59 intro price. The rest is just ridiculous.
 
that is way too much!! the prices wil vary depending on what suburb the dance school is in and how the dance teachers were trained and how much experience they have, and also how good they r at ripping you off!! you can go to a way cheaper dance school and learn just as much
 
I need to know if the price I've been quoted for Salsa dance lessons is too high. I've always wanted to learn how to dance salsa, so I walked into a dance school and signed up for an introductory special for $59. This included 3 private lessons, 2 group lessons and 1 practice party. Right off the bat at my first lesson, the "manager" sits down with me and the woman that's going to be my instructor. He tells me that the first 3 classes are really designed to show me a few basic steps so they can analyze my learning style, where I'm at as a dancer...and determine how much more "real" training I will need. I'm told that generally folks will need between 2-4 more months of classes and that these classes can range from $700-$2100 in total depending on what they see that I need. So, I do my 3 classes...during the classes, my instructor says that I should pick out 3 other dances so that I'm not a one trick pony and suggests Merengue, Bachata, and Samba. I understand what she means and say okay. I pick up the steps fairly quickly as far as I can tell. After the 3rd class, the "manager" sits down with me to go over what they've seen and make his recommendations regarding what the believes I need to improve. I can't say that I'm totally shocked that he said I need 20 private lessons, unlimited group classes, and unlimited practice parties. All this for....you guessed it. $2100! He said he would give me a 10% discount leaving it at $1890. Then he offered every combination possible for me to pay for it. Half now, half in 30 days...$500 now, the rest in 3 monthly payments...he just kept going and going. I told him that I like the idea of 20 classes and all the unlimited stuff...I just didn't like the $1890. I told him that I would be comfortable with that pkg, but for $1400...and I really am. He suggested to then just pay $90 per class and $10 per group class as I needed...and then kept trying to make payment arrangements for the $1890. I have professional instructors willing to give me private lessons at home for $30. So I can get 20 private lessons for $600, but I understand that it wouldn't be at a studio...there wouldn't be other people that I can practice with....it's just not the same.

So, what I guess what I'm asking is are these prices out of whack? Is this just a sales tactic like buying a car? I walked out of there Friday night without signing up to continue. I told them I'd have to think about it over the weekend. They tried and tried...but I said I had to sleep on it. Salsa clubs where I live also give free salsa lessons before they open too...they're group classes so you don't get the individualized training...but they are free! Can anyone shed some light on the issues? Has anyone negotiated with a dance school?
 
They absolutely HOSING you. The choreographer better be world famous or you're getting ripped off. If you're a beginner or intermediate level dancer there is absolutely no reason to pay that much for training. While costs do vary, you should expect to pay about $15 for an hour long drop in salsa lesson at any salsa dance class/club in your city. If you're training seriously and have aspirations of professional dancing then yes, you can expect to pay hefty prices for lessons. I charge $30 an hour for solo lessons, but group classes work out to about $15 a class over the season. Flat sign up costs for any one group lesson is around $500 (September-May). You will also have any additional shoe, costume, and performance or competition fees if you're a more serious dancer.
So, my suggestions are this: Look for another studio in your area that offers lower (cough, reasonable, cough) prices, and try a few classes with them if you're looking for a more studio based and serious class.
Or,
Look up Salsa enthusiasts in your area. They'll have a club somewhere. Most universities have a salsa class, and recreation facilities run by the city may have some. These classes are usually run on a drop in or sign up basis. At the university I went to you could drop in for $10 or sign up for the year for $50. It was cheap and a decent beginner level class. Everybody had fun.

The only reasonable thing about their pricing was the $59 intro price. The rest is just ridiculous.
 
I take group salsa classes for $15 but either no one else shows up or it turns out to be maybe 1 or 2 other people so its sort of like a private lesson anyways. Would there be a time frame in which you would need to complete the 20 private lessons? Where I am packages are expensive but there is no time frame in which you need to complete them so you can get a ton of free group classes if you take a private maybe every other week and parties are free regardless (also, as I said groups are pretty small where I am even when it isn't salsa). And if you can get private lessons for $30 at home- take those and if you're concerned about not learning at a studio or dancing with other people- just take the group lessons for $10 and go to parties. If you can get it that much cheaper, its definitely worth only paying $30 and not going to a studio.
 
You're getting the hard sell for an overpriced package. I have to admit that I've paid more than $90 for an hour, but only when a nationally recognized coach was working with both me and my regular instructor on some problem area. Group classes aren't going to take you as far as you might think, so the idea of unlimited classes won't likely turn out to make it an effective deal. Call around your area (prices do vary considerably along with real estate values, because you're paying in part for renting your piece of the studio), but in my region, $50-65 is the general range. And if there's any price difference at all (unusual, but it happens) the prices should be lower for a beginner.
 
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