How much do Dance Teachers really get paid? [Archive]

precious12

06-14-2007, 07:06 PM

Hi, i am thinking about being a dance instructor because i love dance and i just wanted to know what the average dance instructor made yearly, and does this differ from the franchised studios to the independents. For example, does Arthur Murray pay more than an independent or less, and if any of you all out there work for and AM studio or FA or independent, if you can give me a rough average of what you make a year that would help me know if being a dance instructor is worth pursuing because of right now even though i love dance it is EXPENSIVE:roll:, my lessons cost $60 a lesson for 45min, so tell me if you think this is high or not, and i do take at an AM because the are not any independents around and there is only one other studio which is a FA.
THanks a bunch?
:p

danceronice

06-14-2007, 07:13 PM

Well, I pay $75 for 45 minutes, I think (I buy a certain number of lessons for a lump sum.) I have never asked but I would assume some of that goes to the studio and some to the instructor.

As for whether it's worth persuing as a career--how good are you? Sorry, that's crass, but really, money would be only part of what I thought about if I were deciding whether or not to teach. What level do you dance at, what styles, what experience do you have teaching anything? Do you have the right kind of personality for teaching? Just loving something is not enough--I love horseback riding, in my own love/hate way, and I was very good at it, but I'd make a lousy trainer.

wooh

06-14-2007, 07:22 PM

I don't know many dance instructors for whom dance instructing is their sole form of income.

Terpsichorean Clod

06-14-2007, 08:02 PM

As I understand, the price you pay for your lessons has little relation to how much a staff instructor (whether franchise or independent studio) receives. I've heard that one might expect something like $15-17/lesson (not sure if this is for a new or experienced instructor). As the instructor becomes more experienced, the studio continues charging you the same lesson rate, but the instructor gets a larger percentage. It could work for you if you just want basic training without paying anything out of pocket, and you're doing it because you want to share dancing with newbies - it's not free, you're paying with your time and commitment (non-compete agreement?) to the studio. But don't expect your studio to train you up to gold/open competitive level.

Spitfire

06-14-2007, 09:38 PM

Well, the previous owner of the studio I often attend did tell me she paid her instructors $15.00 an hour for the time they were in the studio and not just for the actual hours of teaching. I don't know how closely this follows the norm though.

fascination

06-14-2007, 09:40 PM

yes, plz bear in mind that unless the instructor, not just the studio, is independent....that fee is highly unlikely to be the amount that goes to the instructor...perhaps some of our pros can pm you

fascination

06-14-2007, 09:42 PM

and welcome to DF

Spitfire

06-14-2007, 09:45 PM

Would like to mention that the independent instructors I know are generally happier as independents as opposed to working for a studio, and the money they are paid by their students is all theirs.

fascination

06-14-2007, 09:50 PM

yes...I have heard this in general as well

danceronice

06-14-2007, 10:09 PM

I know our instructors are paid when they're working a party. No idea how it works for lessons. I also know that the owner reads these forums and so does at least one instructor, so possibly they could say something in general? (I for one am not asking how much specifically. Not my business.)

I am pretty sure most aren't working other jobs, though, because I cannot see where most of them would find the time. At least not without giving up sleeping and eating anything but what they grab on the run.

chachachacat

06-15-2007, 12:04 AM

I worked part-time for a franchise for two years from 6-10 pm, M-F, required to be there, but only paid (a PITTANCE!) for the hours I taught, and the party. And I worked another job.
The third year I went full time at the dance studio.
The next year I went independent, and then I started to make a little bit of money.

tangotime

06-15-2007, 02:53 AM

First--I believe by your avatar, you are a lady ?-- its very relevant to your Q

I will give you an insight into the workings of my profession .Have owned
numerous studios over the yrs, and the format changes little .

1-- Location-- where you live, is by and large, going to determine your income . Larger towns offer more opportunity, but also-- more competition .

2-- ladies generaly do not have the same luxury, student wise , as men, in as much there are far more ladies taking lessons .

3-- Your income is predicated on knowledge, to a greater or lesser degree.

4--- Demand-- this depends again on the current situation where you reside.

Options-- chain schools frequently will train you , for free. However- many will only employ full time people, but will, in many cases, give you a guaranteed salary for a pre determined period ( until you get booked )

The basic hourly rate among chains can vary from $ 10--15 per hr taught, they also work on commission fees (5-10% ) and many pay for studio functions. You will, in some cases,receive free dance training-- could be daily -- could be weekly, this depends on the studios resources .

You also will be required to conform with chain school hrs-- usually 1- 10 p..m. ( some sat. in some schools ) and of course, eventually travel on w/ends .This will give you the opportunity to compete at pro/ am level .

lastly-- if you go the chain school route-- you will not, if you sever your ties, be allowed to teach for usually a minimum of one yr within a set radius of the studio location .

Independants-- Very unlikely you will recieve free training-- their system is not equipped (in 99% of schools ) . I actually did take on trainees in my Fla. schools many yrs ago.

Financially, if you are self employed, hourly rates are goverened by 2 things-- market trend and experience .
Most indy. teachers ,work anywhere between the $ 30 and 50 range , which also will include floor fees . Large metro areas may be higher rates .

Personally , I would advise you to choose the mode that suits your needs best . There is a lot to recommend chain schools . Get your self as highly trained as you are able ,within the system.

lastly-- prepare your self for Prof. exams with a nationally recog. society .

Oh and of course-- good luck .

meow

06-15-2007, 03:17 AM

Loving dancing is one thing. Being a great dancer is one thing. Being a good teacher is one thing. To teach effectively I think you need to have at least two of the three.
Also, you need to have had comp experience and get accreditation (theory & prac for both man and lady).
My son started 'working' at the studio at 13 - it was called helping out. He asked to do it and wasn't paid. He would just partner little girls in different lessons. I just thought he loved dancing so much he would go there as often as posssible. I was right but years later he told me that he was 'learning' at the same time. He was learning different teaching techniques from different teachers, different ways to communicate and demonstrate; differing styles of teaching. He doesn't make lots of money teaching but he is good at it, has some accreditation (with more to do later) and is a competitive dancer. He is now only 21 years old. You have to have it in your blood. He couldn't live without dancing. Do it for the 'right' reason for you.

Twilight_Elena

06-15-2007, 08:25 AM

This is my response to anyone asking me how much I get paid.
Q: How much do you get paid, T_E?
A: *stares and starts laughing loudly*

T_E

anp73ga31

06-15-2007, 10:02 AM

Only know about one studio(work there occasionally in exchange for lessons)... they have independent teachers who use their studio to teach in, and the teachers pay the studio 30% and keep 70% when they do group classes or a workshop. When these independent teachers have parties there, the studio gets 50% and the organizer/teacher gets 50% but this is because they provide someone at the door and cleanup during the party and after. I think that those same independent teachers only have to pay a floor fee of $10 or $12 to the studio when they have individual lessons...some of them add that into their price so the student actually pays it and they get their regular fee of $50-$65/hour. They dont have any teachers employed by the studio at this time(the two owners teach but thats it), so I dont know how much they keep per lesson with regards to that or if they just pay a salary.

Terpsichorean Clod

06-15-2007, 11:11 AM

This is my response to anyone asking me how much I get paid.
Q: How much do you get paid, T_E?
A: *stares and starts laughing loudly*

T_E
:lol: :lol: Whoa! You must get paid an obscene amount! ;)

Terpsichorean Clod

06-15-2007, 11:21 AM

I think it may get a little confusing as there are different sorts of teachers. My understanding is that there are:
-Staff instructor at a franchise studio
-Staff instructor at an independent studio
-Independent instructor at an independent studio
-Independent instructor who owns his/her own studio

Most people with little teaching experience start out as staff instructors. After maybe 5 years, or as many as 8, they might switch over to becoming an independent instructor, perhaps even at the very same studio. There's the exception of amateur competitors who, having built up a competitive history, might skip the staff instructor part and leap immediately to being an independent instructor.

If I recall correctly, Larinda started off as a staff instructor?

Twilight_Elena

06-15-2007, 03:11 PM

:lol: :lol: Whoa! You must get paid an obscene amount! ;)

Obscenely low would be the idea. :rolleyes:

HardLuckDance

06-17-2007, 03:02 PM

hello all. im new here! i just wanted to put my two or three cents in. i am a 25 year old dancer/chreographer and i run a professional dance company. but in order to pay my bills i teach.

i my file taxes as self-employed. and work as in independant contractor for all teaching jobs. which range from straight up dance studios, public/private after school programs, and granted programs teaching arts to children with disablities.

the prices range from $30-$55 an hour. for my age this may seem like a lot... but i have a lot of experience and i am very good at what i do. u have to love it and be more then proficient to teach. anybody CANNOT just teach. and many studios hire young kids who dont know how to teach and pay them bubkus. u need to find the kind of caliber place that will not do that.

DanceScientist

06-17-2007, 05:42 PM

I've worked for a large studio full-time with many teachers under a system similar to Arthur's Murray. First, your salary is highly dependent on the student to teacher ratio for your gender. For the first nine months I was working, I was not making a living teaching 10-12 lessons a week, but my workload and income tripled within three weeks after one teacher was fired and one quit. Overall, I would say an average teacher, teaching 25-30 lessons a week would expect to make about $25,000 a year (including party pay and sales commission). About half the teachers make significantly less than that, and half make significantly more -- the differences primarily due to how booked they are. While you might think how much you are paid per lesson is important, much more important is how many students the studio entrusts you with and how many of your students continue to be active year after year.

Joe

06-18-2007, 06:27 AM

the prices range from $30-$55 an hour. for my age this may seem like a lot... but i have a lot of experience and i am very good at what i do. u have to love it and be more then proficient to teach. anybody CANNOT just teach. and many studios hire young kids who dont know how to teach and pay them bubkus.
You probably also get less than 40 hours a week at that rate, so it all evens out.

tangotime

06-18-2007, 06:42 AM

Q-- how many bubkas are there to the £ ?--/ $ ? ;)

Al Gisnered

06-18-2007, 10:45 AM

Q-- how many bubkas are there to the £ ?--/ $ ? ;)

-.01b at today's exchange rate

dancin/dj

06-18-2007, 07:09 PM

authur murray wanted me too teach at there studio, when found out how much they pay and there system i laughed(not in there face) and never worked there.(im already a pro teacher) but if your not and you want too learn there system,get paid really low money, work a lot, and make them a lot of money on privates etc, go for it, it works for some people so they can gain the experiance(but be forwarned in there or other systems)you WILL be underpaid, used like a robot to sell sell sell lessons etc. i personally no 3 people who worked there and hated working there, (but again some people gain, from this, in the long run, so its your choice. some dances in the east coast will pay a teacher 100:00 for a hour class(most teachers do this part time(other places like dance studios on the east coast will give you 25 too 45 hr for a class depending on how many sign up, as tangotime said it depends on where you live etc.. but to work for a dance studio generally speaking, you wont make that much(independent seems to me the best) but it takes time to get a name, i only do it part time...

06-18-2007, 09:25 PM

tangotime

06-19-2007, 02:45 AM

dancin/dj

06-19-2007, 07:53 AM

Dn.dj-- I take just a little exception to your analysis of chain schools .

Being a former owner of many schools over the yrs, it invariably brings people to the conclusion, that because studios charge x amount of $ / £ , they put all of that in their pockets and leave the studio every nite in their limo-- yeah-- right !! . Fact is, the overheads of running any business, is far beyond your conception, that is if you have never been in that position.
I,m not crying poor mouth-- but it is never easy to make those weekly payrolls, rent, --oh that rent -- and all the other miriad expenses that are hidden from view .

When employing someone who is new, you have to factor in the cost of training that person (s ) .

No legitimate chain or independant, is going to employ someone, just to have them standing around. the chances are that you will develop your craft, learn business practices , and possibly get to compete ( at no expense to you ) in due course, if you so desire .

Lastly, unless the min. wage has risen dramatically, $ 10 per hr plus comissions plus activity pay , can quickly escalate into a decent weekly wage.--
If the reason you are coming into my profession is money-- then I suggest you look elsewhere for your career . Have NEVER in all my yrs come across a long serving member, who could honestly say-- " If it were not for the money, would have left this yrs ago ". tangotime well to each his own, we all know owner"s have bills etc etc. and should make more money, thats a given, but the people i mentioned felt used, lied too, and pressured to sell every day, i (did say) its a sort of trade off and you can learn if your young, its not all bad , but really a lot of ballroom"s around here have(and not just ballrooms, they have reputations" for being shark"s the story are enddless not just from the aurtur murray crowd,you"ve been in dance longer than me true , but like i"ve said in another tread elsewhere i"ve been in music dance and dj for 30 years, well dj for 7 , so i gotzzzzzz some stuff to say too i know all the tricks ands games from all corners, again if someone wants to learn dance for low pay, work and and be used, in a gentile nice way(maybe) to sell sell sell, i dont think thats wrong if a person agrees to that and comes out of it with dance experiance...

tangotime

06-19-2007, 08:22 AM

There are bad apples in all barrells , and I will concede, that selling is part of the operation-- but isnt that what you, I and anyone does, when promoting ourselves- we are selling !; its all a matter of degrees.

I worked in Philly and Germantown , on 3 separate occasions , so i know the area pretty well, admitted, that was many yrs ago .

Philly was noted for its excellence in producing quality students at all levels ,( maybe still is ? ). Point-- the same practices were in vogue then -- but people kept on coming. Why ?--I believe they got value for money . Having said that, it also gave a very good living to the staff .

Like anything else , you have to work to advance, and in so doing, your value is commensurate with your ability ( in most cases ) in the dance industry .

Of course i would prefer to work independantly, as i currently do , but the chains gave me an excellent opportunity to increase my dance knowledge thru the Amer. system ( I was primarily Intern , style ) .

One thing you should realise---- many of todays champions, were originally chain school products . I had the good fortune, to do the initial training ( in a chain school) for 2 teachers , who both became U.S. champions .

06-19-2007, 08:29 AM

Dn.dj-- I take just a little exception to your analysis of chain schools .

...that because studios charge x amount of $ / £ , they put all of that in their pockets and leave the studio every nite in their limo-- yeah-- right !! .".

But real studio owners drive caddies. :cool:

tangotime

06-19-2007, 09:48 AM

You saw me leaving one time ??

06-19-2007, 10:06 AM

Fool you picked me off the corner after leaving your studio. You don't remember? Too much gin and juice after the party I reckon!

How else am I supposed to pay for my dance lessons and my baby daddy's new grill? (Don't judge!)

tangotime

06-19-2007, 11:35 AM

So thats where I lost my watch !!! :car:

kittydanzer

06-19-2007, 01:23 PM

Well, I've done everything but work for a franchise. The horror stories I heard from teachers there kept me away.

I've worked independently, as staff at an independent studio and I've owned my own studio. You get paid nothing at a franchise, and you have to fight for fair pay as staff at an independent studio. I recommend working as an independent instructor and take no less than 50% of what comes in.

I paid my instructors 50% at my studio, because it's our advertising and location that gets them the business. But if they're good enough to keep the student coming, then they are worth 50% for their work.

Now, as to skill level. After 15 years in ballroom, salsa, swing, and west coast swing, there are two main factors that will get you the students: Charisma/Personality/Looks and Awards.

Most students are brand new and have no clue what a good teacher is like--- they assume that if they aren't getting it, it's "them." I had one instructor who was young and beautiful, and the guys fell over themselves to take with her (even experienced guys!), even though her instruction level/ experience was way below others in the studio...

Good luck!

06-19-2007, 02:28 PM

When Fence said, "This ain't a Movado... did tangotime give you this?" I knew I had been had. :(

DanceScientist

06-19-2007, 05:44 PM

Dn.dj-- I take just a little exception to your analysis of chain schools .

Being a former owner of many schools over the yrs, it invariably brings people to the conclusion, that because studios charge x amount of $ / £ , they put all of that in their pockets and leave the studio every nite in their limo-- yeah-- right !! . Fact is, the overheads of running any business, is far beyond your conception, that is if you have never been in that position.
I,m not crying poor mouth-- but it is never easy to make those weekly payrolls, rent, --oh that rent -- and all the other miriad expenses that are hidden from view .

When employing someone who is new, you have to factor in the cost of training that person (s ) .

No legitimate chain or independant, is going to employ someone, just to have them standing around. the chances are that you will develop your craft, learn business practices , and possibly get to compete ( at no expense to you ) in due course, if you so desire .

Lastly, unless the min. wage has risen dramatically, $ 10 per hr plus comissions plus activity pay , can quickly escalate into a decent weekly wage.--
If the reason you are coming into my profession is money-- then I suggest you look elsewhere for your career . Have NEVER in all my yrs come across a long serving member, who could honestly say-- " If it were not for the money, would have left this yrs ago ".

Oh yes, I know there is a lot of overhead. And, many staff teachers don't appreciate that fact. At our school, the rent by itself is $25,000 per month. So, almost a $1,000 per day just to keep the place on the map! On top of teacher salaries, there are the salaries of two full-time managers and two receptionists (close to full-time), benefits for full-time staff, and bills for electricity, gas, supplies, etc. All of these need to paid through the fees from private lessons, group classes, parties, and floor rents.

HardLuckDance

06-19-2007, 07:11 PM

You probably also get less than 40 hours a week at that rate, so it all evens out.

and thats the crux of it. my husband usually helps bail me out on a bad month. but it is nice because i have flexible hours and leaves me a little time to try and build my own company up. the goal is not to go back to waitressing as well.

LindyKeya

06-19-2007, 09:52 PM

We'll see where the wind takes me but I'm not a kid anymore and just can't start teaching at a school where they want to pay me $15 an hour. I'm all for people making money but that's a hard pill to swallow.

I'm still exploring options. Haven't gone pro yet... don't have the qualifications to even think about going pro. I was considering a teacher training situation but haven't found one yet that pays well enough for me to support myself on.

YMMV, but a training situation that pays well probably doesn't exist. Brand new teachers (who are experienced dancers, but without major dance titles) won't get paid much more than $15/hour (except maybe in cities with 200% of the COL). Brand new teachers without much dance experience will make significantly less. As long as FA/AM can grab a young person off the street to train into a teacher, this won't change.

tangotime

06-20-2007, 01:33 AM

The rent is 25 grand a month ??-- what-- are you in Times Sq. ??? ( even if its canadian--( wow ! )

Laura

06-20-2007, 01:36 AM

Silicon Valley. Tres' expensive.

tangotime

06-20-2007, 01:46 AM

Again-- $ 15 an hour ?-- how many unskilled workers do you know ( not government:rolleyes: ) that start at that rate ? . As my post stated, most chains give a guarantee . $ 15 also twice the min. wage .

The last chain in which I coached, paid all their teachers a base salary of $ 300 per week minimum ( 35 hr week ), ( not one was above a silver level ) and could earn more based on production.Most chains and some large indies, will provide some sort of guarantee structure .

I also need to re empathise , that ladies invariably do not get booked as quickly, as do men .

You also have to factor in , the training, that seldom if ever ( I actually, in my schools always did ) is given free in Indies.

06-20-2007, 08:13 AM

Tangotime you should open up a new school and farm out some dance-forum talent. :D

meow

06-22-2007, 12:04 AM

Most dance teachers find that they work a fulltime job and teach part time as they can't always live off teaching.
Future teaching depends on how good and popular you are as a coach, the standard which you can produce from students, reputation etc. Ususally the top coaches have done significantly well in their own competitive career, produced some good couples with good results, have a reputation for producing the goods and being decent and honest. But it takes a long time to get there and it isn't easy. Some make it and others don't.

tangotime

06-22-2007, 01:25 AM

Meow-- That depends largely, on the employer. As I stated, chain schools ( not all ) seldom take on part time teachers, trained or otherwise .

So-- if they do employ you, it is because they need your services. They will not take on staff that cannot be gainfully employed ( no benefit to either party )

Small towns sometimes do work on a different basis , and forced, thru lack of business, to operate differently . It all depends on where you live, but ladies ,traditionally ,do not teach as much as their male counterparts .That could work out to be different in some small english towns ( lots of kids take )

The english schools are largely mom and pop operations and operate on a different standard than the Amer. system .

Way back when-- most u.k. teachers were part time ( and I mean the owners ) and were usually booked all day on Sat and Sun. ( still the case in many areas ) .
Also, they , with the obvious exceptions , were not champions at the level you might imagine . Many , not at all . were just well trained ex formation and or social dancers .

That is still the case in todays market .

tangotime

06-22-2007, 01:26 AM

Me--- would be nice gig-- not in a position to put that in place .

sd_danceguy

06-26-2007, 02:18 AM

At the studio I work at it varies. We have different levels of teachers, depending on your level of expertise and how many lessons you've taught, how many hours of training you have completed, etc. The pay isn't much at all. Let just say for the privates I teach that run about $75 a pop I get less than 30% of that. I don't do it for the money. I do it because it makes me happy.

meow

06-26-2007, 02:40 AM

elisedance

06-26-2007, 04:01 AM

Here, most studio's are businesses and do take on fulltime and parttime staff. Some top dancers teach (though uncertified) and get students because of who they are, others are top dancers with accreditation teach fulltime/parttime. Others are past top dancers who have taught for many years and produced very good couples (results). We don't really have 'mom and pop' owned studio's and our's is closed on Sundays. We don't have many chain schools - I can only think of one in Victoria. And the studio's here are very competitive.

so is it more like the English model - where you really have to join a single studio and dance/compete from that base? Here its very open, there is no link between the competitions and the studios - other than a financial one.

tangotime

06-26-2007, 05:08 AM

meow

06-27-2007, 06:23 PM

so is it more like the English model - where you really have to join a single studio and dance/compete from that base? Here its very open, there is no link between the competitions and the studios - other than a financial one.

No, competitions and studios are not linked but they are very protective of their couples. They don't want to lose a couple to another studio.
The politics is difficult as most adjudicators are teachers at studios - one has to assume that they are judging the dancing and not which studio that couple is from. You have to remember that this is not a large country so the industry has limited resources. A studio could have 3 judges at a comp and another studio only one - both studios have couples competing. Competitors are best to work hard and be the very best so that their 'winning' an event cannot be denied through politics.

meow

06-27-2007, 06:25 PM

Meow-- I thought the A / M studio still had a branch in Sydney ?-- at one point in time- there were 3 d/under .Will have to check their web site

There is one in Sydney, its been there for multi yrs .

I was referring to Victoria. Sydney is in NSW so you may be correct with what is available there.

Benz

06-29-2007, 12:08 AM

I was referring to Victoria. Sydney is in NSW so you may be correct with what is available there.

2 A/M's in Sydney, 2 A/M's in Melbourne, 1 AM in Adelaide, and I know there was 1 in Brisbane, but I think it closed. Also, at least 1 FA in Sydney.

meow

06-29-2007, 02:20 AM

2 A/M's in Sydney, 2 A/M's in Melbourne, 1 AM in Adelaide, and I know there was 1 in Brisbane, but I think it closed. Also, at least 1 FA in Sydney.

What do you mean by A/M's. The only chain school in Melbourne that I know of is Marshere. Which is the other?

Joe

06-29-2007, 06:43 AM

Arthur Murray's franchised dance studios.
Fred Astaire's franchised dance studios.

Benz

07-01-2007, 07:05 AM

What do you mean by A/M's. The only chain school in Melbourne that I know of is Marshere. Which is the other?

Actually, looks like 3 in Melbourne now, in Knox, City, and Bayside, going by http://www.arthurmurrayvic.com.au/ . Not sure how much they pay the instructors, but I don't think it's very much at all, unfortunately. Instructors do have some perks though, and some are going to Florence, Italy, to an A/M 'competition' there. A trip like that is extremely rare though...

meow

07-01-2007, 05:44 PM

Arthur Murray's franchised dance studios.
Fred Astaire's franchised dance studios.

I stand corrected. AM has 3 studios in Vic but FA isn't listed in either the Aust Dance Review or the phone book. Maybe they aren't in Vic anymore. But, honestly, I have been attending major (and minor) comps for years and had never heard of Arthur Murray studios. Are they under the ADS? If not, that could be why. Only do a couple of FATD comps like Crown and Canberra.

dgcasey

07-08-2007, 01:36 PM

but if your not and you want too learn there system,get paid really low money, work a lot, and make them a lot of money on privates etc, go for it, it works for some people so they can gain the experiance

This is exactly what I would tell someone that was thinking of getting into real estate here in Las Vegas. Go to school, get your license and then sign on with a large, chain company like Century 21 (my old company) or Re\Max or the like. Work for them for a couple of years, getting the free training they provide and learn how to work transactions and such.

Then .... get the hell out of there! Find a small local company that won`t rape your commission checks. The same could be said for a beginning dance teacher. Start with a chain and get the training, then move on.