the Price of Ballet Lessons for Kids

My 17 year-old daughter took ballet lessons for five years, but during the last three years she was part of a very qualified school. The lessons were held one evening per week, which cost $43 per month. Other costs include soft ballet shoes, pointe shoes, tights, and any costumes for the spring recital. The costumes normally cost about $75, but there was opportunity to get great discounts by participating in selling candles to raise money. Each pair of shoes were between $30 and $40. She normally had 9 other high school girls in her class, and they were in the intermediate level. They learned and perfected the basics of ballet skills and terms.

They also learned "pointe," which was exciting to the group. Since they were intermediate, they didn't actually do pointe in the recital, but they wore simple soft ballet slippers for the dances. All year they practiced ahead for the spring recital. This recital was quite large and contained two nights of shows; over 150 students (mostly girls) participated in various dance genres. My daughter would perform in two ballet dances. Stretches and exercises at home during the week were encouraged. She kept in shape doing this, and I believe she developed a certain gracefulness to her walk and normal movements. Participation in recitals was not required, but who wouldn't want to participate?

This was an excellent program. The teacher was extremely qualified. My daughter had been a part of another dance school in the same town, but the standards for organization and dance was low. This teacher had a really informative, attractive website that answered all questions.

You learned the qualifications of every teacher, schedules of lessons, costs, various dance sessions and levels offered, etc. There was opportunity to save money on costumes (which were $75 each otherwise) by selling candles to raise funds. This helped immensely financially. The teacher communicated every detail in typed up handouts whenever needed, so you always knew what was going on with the upcoming recitals or photo sessions. She expected payment at the first of the month, whether you showed up or not, but I felt that was fair. She then sent you a personal financial report so you knew where you stood and if you still owed anything.

All year the kids had a goal--to perform well for the yearly recital. I believe the $43 per month (one lesson per month) was definitely worth it. My daughter made good friends and always enjoyed her teacher's personal care.

If you want your child to have dance lessons and you don't know anyone in the community who knows anything about dance schools, look in the local phone book. There may be studios in your area that don't have a website, so you can't totally depend on the web. However, if you want a really good school for your child that is up-to-date, it will have a website and will use it and update it. My daughter had a couple teachers previous to her last one who really weren't very organized or committed to what they were doing. A website will tell you a lot about the studio. You learn the experiences and qualifications of the teachers. You also learn the costs right upfront and the schedules for lessons.

If the dance studio you're considering doesn't have a website, you may want to look somewhere else. You as a parent need to know all the information, and contact numbers and emails should be right at your fingertips. If you live in a mostly rural area like we do, you may have to travel to the next biggest city to find a dance studio. It could be a big commitment on your part to drive a half hour or forty-five minutes to a lesson, but it will be worth it--especially if it was their idea.