We are all aware that dance comes with a high cost. Many parents go to great lengths to support their children's passion for dancing. I have witnessed parents working extra shifts, other family members taking on additional jobs or starting home-based businesses in order to cover the expenses related to fees, tuition, travel, and costumes.
Does dance really need to be this expensive? And is it worth it?
Let's start with teachers:
Dance instructors are a unique group of individuals who care for their students as if they were their own. They are dedicated to nurturing and guiding their students' progress, forming deep connections with them throughout their teaching journey. Despite being undervalued by those outside the industry, dance teaching requires extensive training not only in dance itself but also in the art of teaching. Like traditional educators who study child development and lesson planning, dance teachers must also acquire a wide range of skills essential for the classroom, such as knowledge of anatomy, safe dance practices, progression techniques, and behavior management.
Dance teachers have a demanding job that goes beyond the time spent with your child in each lesson. They must possess a variety of skills for tasks such as lesson preparation, choreography, costume design, and music selection. When you pay a dance teacher, you are not just compensating for their time, but for their expertise, experience, and the joy they bring to your child every time they dance. Just like when you pay $5 for a coffee, you are not just buying the coffee itself, you are paying for the experience of the coffee. In the world of dance, your payment covers the safe and welcoming studio environment that becomes a second home for your child, the extensive preparation the teacher puts into lesson plans, and their commitment to ongoing professional development to stay current in the industry. Additionally, your payment fosters the special connection that forms between your child and their teacher over the years of dancing together. As parents, we all want our children to be happy, and dance teachers share this goal – it is the driving force behind everything they do!
Now let's talk about the cost of running those classes.
If my 2-hour Wednesday class only has 5 children, each paying $45 per month, the total monthly income from the class is $225. This amounts to $56.25 per week for the studio, considering I am paid $25 per hour. The studio's profit from this class is $6.25, which likely covers basic expenses such as heating and lighting. To become financially stable, the studio needs around 7 or 8 children in the class and to generate a good income, they should aim for closer to 10 children.
So is it really worth it?
I scoured the internet, talked to Fusion parents and other dancers for their opinion of the cost vs. benefit of dancing school and this is what I found:
"...it's the discipline it teaches her and how fit it keeps her. My daughter isn't interested in tv iPads phones YouTube like lots of children her age! Which I personally am very anti because she's either at tumbling or playing gymnastics at home it's a fantastic hobby!"
"As a dance teacher, I've seen shy little 6 year olds walk in the gym and leave as confident happy teenagers ready to take on the world! It teaches them such good life lessons, and the joy and excitement when a new skill is achieved is priceless! I love my job 😊"
"It makes my daughter happy beyond measure. We both know she won't ever be an elite dancer. However she is determined to improve and trains hard. It gives her confidence in all areas of life. For example her math has improved when she realized that practice, hard work and determination is important."
"It teaches our kids resilience. It shows them that to achieve something worthwhile, they have to work hard."
"It gives my daughter happiness, structure, routine, respect for other, friends & she is learning that if u work hard enough at something you can achieve your goal."
"My kids have grown in confidence beyond measure"
"Teaches the huge lesson in life that nothing comes easily, hard work pays off and just because you may fail once if you persevere you can achieve anything you want!"
"she’s learning how to be disciplined and to persevere and also how to support others and also to be gracious."
"I pay for my daughter to learn to work with others and to be a proud , supportive, kind and respectful team member."
"I pay for my child to learn to deal with disappointment, when she doesn't get that score she hoped for , or fell during a move she has practiced a thousand times, but still gets up and is determined to do her BEST next time... "
"I pay for my girl to learn to make and accomplish goals."
"I pay for my daughter to learn that it takes hours and hours and hours and hours of hard work and practice to create a champion, and that success does not happen overnight."
"I pay so that my daughter can be in the studio instead of in front of a screen..."
I could add so many more opinions that I gathered but I think this shows that most parents don't invest in dance itself; they invest in the chances that dance offers their children to cultivate qualities that will benefit them in the long run and enable them to positively impact others. From what I have experienced as a dance parent and now a studio owner, the investment is more than worth it.
-Lara
Comments