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Old 05-05-2017, 01:02 PM
 
3,137 posts, read 2,691,443 times
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Does anyone else enroll their child in dance and feel like it's all about the money with these studios? We are willing to pay but they raise the price up every year (a 25% increase just this past year in tuition and they did not explain why). I found out their tuition is the highest in the twin cities area. They do fundraisers constantly, we've donated money to them as well because they'd send letters in the mail asking for donations. They give out very few scholarships and charge hefty recital and costume fees. I feel like these places are all about the money only and wish they could find a way to not make it so painfully obvious. They make tons of money in tuition fees, where does it all go?
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Old 05-06-2017, 10:20 AM
 
Location: NC
685 posts, read 1,101,084 times
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Yup. Is your child on a competition team? We left our old studio, for a variety of reasons, but one being they nickeled and dimed us to death. A class that was way too long for their age group and a teacher who rarely showed up and then ran it like a drill sargent. I also felt like they could have cared less if your kid actually "learned" to dance, or properly. I also noticed the smaller the studio, the more expensive. I researched a ton of studios before enrolling in our new one and asked about all hidden fees up front. Ours, there are non, except for costume, recital tickets and pictures, which are optional and we didn't do. My 2nd child is also half price, which is unheard of in my area, but it's the largest studio in the area with around 800 kids, so they can afford to I guess. What I am sick of in my area is the down right suggestive, "sexy" costumes. And our current studio has been a long time offender with their competition costumes. My DD will never be on that team, even if she wanted to, for that very reason. It's now all about winning trophies...
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Old 05-06-2017, 11:51 AM
 
Location: State of Transition
102,086 posts, read 107,163,173 times
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The main question in my mind would be: does the child want to be there? Are they enjoying the classes? Having been required to take dance lessons as a pre-teen, I can tell you, this is not a given. No one wanted to be there, in the class I was in. Hopefully, this is an activity your child chose, OP.
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Old 05-06-2017, 12:58 PM
 
3,137 posts, read 2,691,443 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth View Post
The main question in my mind would be: does the child want to be there? Are they enjoying the classes? Having been required to take dance lessons as a pre-teen, I can tell you, this is not a given. No one wanted to be there, in the class I was in. Hopefully, this is an activity your child chose, OP.
She did love dance classes for a long time, but not anymore. I think the studio's attitude has affected her. She knows it's a money machine, and she's only 8 years old. She no longer wishes to take. She has become more interested in a gymnastics place, and it costs less, and all we pay is a monthly fee. They also allow makeup classes for free, if she misses a class for some reason. The dance studio didn't offer this, and they also didn't offer makeup classes for holidays or even if the teacher missed class! It was crazy. Although legally I think I'm entitled to a refund in some cases or a pro-rated fee, their attitude is "if you don't like it, go somewhere else". I'm betting a lot of other students will be dropping also.
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Old 05-06-2017, 01:00 PM
 
3,137 posts, read 2,691,443 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Me 82 View Post
What I am sick of in my area is the down right suggestive, "sexy" costumes. And our current studio has been a long time offender with their competition costumes...
I don't like these types of costumes, either. I don't think they are appropriate for young girls. Just downright creepy. I will say, that's the only thing I liked about this place, they didn't require the girls to wear suggestive costumes.
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Old 05-06-2017, 01:40 PM
 
10,196 posts, read 9,832,842 times
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I tried to do the dance class thing with my daughter. She didn't like it and I just couldn't believe how much we spent. I am sure there are better dance studios but this one just seemed so boring and not very dynamic. So we never got into it.

She did gymnastics for a year when she was 3-4 and her coach was intense on picking the ones she thought would be good in the long run and ignoring the rest. She was obsessed with my daughter and would spend more then 1/2 the class time with her and then bug me to sign up for more classes. If my daughter loved it, then perhaps we would have gone for it. But she was pretty "ho-hum" about it.

At the same time the coach knew my son had no future in gymnastics and just ignored him. He liked it way more then my daughter...but maybe because he just worked with the teenage asst coaches and played in the foam pit alot
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Old 05-06-2017, 01:55 PM
 
3,137 posts, read 2,691,443 times
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Some of these places do hire teenagers to be coaches and that concerns me. I'd rather have a certified adult teacher to feel I'm getting my money's worth. If a kid is going to be teaching the class, I would only be willing to pay half the normal rate.
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Old 05-06-2017, 03:41 PM
 
87 posts, read 166,806 times
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I'd say you need to seek another studio. Our studio has NEVER had a fundraiser, that's ridiculous. We pay the monthly tuition, and then there are the expected costume fees and a recital fee, but that fee covers entry for as many family members as you choose.

One of my daughters was on the competition team and the director was very concerned with making sure parents were comfortable with the costumes. And focus has always been making sure students are learning proper technique.

My daughter is finishing up her 6th year at her studio and loves it so much I can't contemplate moving to another house where we'd no longer be in driving distance. You just need to shop around. There are better studios out there for your child.
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