the Price of Ballet Lessons for Kids

This was a one day per week, 45-minute lesson for my 5-year-old. She was in a class of about 18 students and was taught beginning ballet steps, stretching, rhythm, and basic dance moves. At the end of the school year, all of the classes in the dance school performed a 3-show recital, with each class performing their own dance.

My daughter and I really enjoyed the opportunity to take this class. It was a time of socialization for her, as well as learning to take instruction (as she's not in school right now). Her instructor took the students through learning to warm up and stretch, to learning to skip, hop, tip-toe, and do some other basic steps, to learning a choreographed performance. The teacher maintained strict discipline in the class, and ran a very tight ship. The students were required to have basic dance-wear, all in the same colors, so that there would be no competition perceived among them (who wore the prettiest outfit).

When you're looking for dance lessons, much will depend on what you're interested in. For my daughter, I was looking for an activity she could do with other kids. If you're serious about dance, the level of expertise would be more important for you. Consider the drive to and from the studio and how many times a week you'll have to make it. That could add quite a lot of expense. Also, ask upfront about other expenses you might incur. I didn't know that we'd have to pay $55 for a costume for the recital, $7-9 per ticket to see the recital, $18 for professional pictures of the class/students, $25 for a DVD of the recital (which we were not allowed to videotape ourselves), etc, etc. These things add up quickly. Also, ask about scholarship possibilities. I was not aware that an outside donor had made scholarships available for students who took ballet.