Where do you practice?

[fascination]

I know many world class dancers who grew up dirt poor and had practice space the size of my walk-in closet and found a way...


just saying, regardless of all of the very good points, every studio owner is not obliged to have a philanthropic perspective on things....a determined dancer will find 10 bucks for the floor fee or go to the gym....or practice in their garage, or whatever it takes....studio owners did not take an oath that, while trying to pay their bills, they were also going to have an open door policy...is it unfortunate?, yes.....is it a bummer for folks who will have to find another way? yes.....is it a horrible mean awful stupid unfair thing?...no....

my house, my rules...your house, your rules..

while I would be inclined to have a fairly open policy (imv equal practice time free for same amount of lessons per week), I respect that people have to make their own decisions...i do not live in their head or their wallet, nor do I possess all of the information about their business that they possess, so I think it would be very presumptuous of me to think that I have a better take on someone else's business decisions than they do...even if I was that presumptuous, logic dictates that I can share that opinion with them once and after that I am simply howling at the moon...I appreciate that we may just have to agree to disagree...just my two cents

 

[Kits]

whatever I am just lucky that my studio doesn't charge.

 

[CANI]

I am sorry but I really disagree. I haven't read the other posts but this one just had me. I grew up in a poor environment. My parents went through a separation and all I wanted to do when I was little was dance but I couldn't because of my parents pouring their money into other things and not paying attention to what was important to me. I wanted to be a dance prodigy-and I wont lie I do envy those young girls who dance gracefully on the dance floor. I wanted to be like that. Money has always been that enemy to me. Now I am older and have my own paying job that I work hard at just so I can dance. This is something really really special to me. I don't make enough money as other people I know. So if they started to charge for dance floor practice times and group lessons and anything else that is now complimentary I feel like they are taking a way a chance for a confident and ambitious dancer to be born.

It is ok to disagree -- the beauty of the forums. I can understand where you are coming from -- I worked jobs consistently from age 11 (and even before) to make money. I also am now an adult and supporting myself -- and I am very happy to have had those times in my adulthood when I spent money on dance...and I will again have times in the future when I spend money on dance. It is all good.

 

[CANI]

It is in my personality to agree to disagree. It is also a Firm part of my personality that One person can make a difference.

I agree completely with this -- I have always believed that one person can make a BIG difference -- think of any major change, anywhere -- most likely it started with one person. I don't think taking a stand makes you a 'bad guy.' Not at all. I have taken a stand more times than I care to count - when I believe in something, I'm in whole. Go for it. In this case, in my little limited view of dance, I happen to agree with the various practices I've seen -- some include free practice time (although the cost is tied in with the groups or privates) and some include practice time allocation related to lessons, and some include charging for floor time.

 

[wooh]

I personally tend to prefer the charging for practice floor fee. Because the money has to come from somewhere. And I'd prefer to pay for the time I practice at the studio (and not be paying when I practice elsewhere) than to have to pay more for lessons.
Since it's a huge drive for me to any studio, I'm going to find other places to practice, and I don't feel like I should pay more for lessons so others can practice for free at the studio.

 

[fascination]

It is in my personality to agree to disagree. It is also a Firm part of my personality that One person can make a difference. So While others choose to stay quiet and move on I choose to make the difference by being the " bad guy" and bringing issues to a head. Fairness for a studio owner and fairness for a student is a two way street. Nothing works in business by being one sided or a dictatorship. Now all of the studio owners have been extremely fair to me as I have been for them. They have my utmost respect in what they do best. But as for the business aspect there is much to learn. Back in the day contracts were made for $10,000 and above wooing the consumer into things that ran them financially to the ground of which the law had to step in to stop those practices. Now a days the students are smarter and will be loyal to the studio and support the studio as much as they possibly can if they feel they are being treated fairly. Can a student practice in a garage,kitchen, bathroom yes but would they do better in a studio with mirrors and other dancers willing to help yes. In my dancing experience because the instructors Saw how much I practiced and how hard I worked on the lesson after the lesson and how my dancing and footwork, posture, balance, controll, etc improved they took special attention to giving me more-- side bar info and pushed me to a higher level. Given the oportunity I felt fortunate and appreciated what the instructors showed me and that gave me the extra incentive to work harder as well as that is my personality also. Could that have been accomplished in a garage or kitchen -No Again its ok to disagree -thats my two cents

there is no doubt in my mind that one person can make a difference...and I am often the person NOT being quiet...but I also know when I have been heard and disregarded and it is time to dust my sandals off and move on...just saying you can really only make your point once with owners and then it is up to them....as for practice habits...I have always practiced at my studios b/c it has always been allowed...I would venture to say that my dedication to practice is well-known...but truthfully, my great dancing progress has happened on my own away from the studio so I hope those who feel shut out of studio space will not allow themselves to use that as an excuse for lack of progress... if you can get whatever owners to which you are referring to relent, more power to you...but a studio isn't a government...it is a business and they can be as non-collaborative as they like...to their own peril even...that doesn't make them dictators...b/c as you freely note, their students are free to walk away....

 

[fascination]

Thanks for the vote of confidence. I'm always in trouble for rocking the boat both in my personal life and in my business life. It's who I am and I am ok with that.

nothing wrong with rocking the boat...you just have to be aware that you might be the first to be flung overboard...and you have to weigh whether or not the rocking serves any useful purpose...sometimes people just aren't going to take your good advice...and may even punish you for not hearing their refusal the first time...as long as you are willing to pay the price, forge up that hill

 

[fascination]

it hasn't struck a sore spot with me...whether or not you have already approached them (hard to be omnicient online, just what it sounded like, but isn't essential to my point anyhow), my point is that whenever you choose to discuss this with an owner--past, present, or future--it is wise to consider the true nature of the dynamic and your lack of power...that is all...I have no dog in this fight at all..

 

[wooh]

I think the great thing is there are so many studios, that each have their own business models, that we should all be able to find what we're looking for (at least if we're willing to travel a bit for it.)
I'd rather pay for practice floor time, I go places that have that business model. You'd rather frequent a place that doesn't charge for practice time, there's studios that allow that. When I go to a dance party, I don't want a hard sell from instructors that dance worse than I do, so I don't go to that studio's parties. Someone else wants instructors to dance with all night, so they do go to that studio's parties.
And considering I drive a 1/2 hour to take lessons in a tiny home studio, and if I want to go somewhere I can dance more than 4 steps without hitting a wall takes an hour+ drive (when traffic's good, which it rarely is here), "convenience" isn't a huge factor for me. But I know some folks that will go to one studio because it's 10 minutes away instead of the long 15 minute drive to another one.
Business owners have to stay in business. They create their business plans and models around what they think will attract the customers they want. So if they want customers like me, that's who they'll aim their policies at. If they want customers like you, that's who they'll aim their policies at.

 

[fascination]

MFD...I don't know a thing about you... at all...not one thing ...and I would venture to guess that your info on me is likewise limited...this isn't, at least on my end, personal...it is about my actually trying to give you my best perspective on an abstract concept...you certainly don't have to consider it or agree with it...but it isn't meant to be the least bit contentious...it is based upon my knowlege of how requests such as this may be recieved

 

[fascination]

The discussion is on going with the studio's I frequent. As you well know learning is a process. Some are quick learners and some are not. The Flip side is that I am on the side on the studio because I want them to do well and I would enjoy still learning from them. But they have to still be in business for that to happen and since so many studio's here have closed already, I don't want to see that happen anymore. Again, The studio owners and instructors have my utmost respect for what they do best and I consider myself very lucky but I want that to continue and making the right business decisions are crucial especially in this economy.

I appreciate and agree with that concern...and understand you entirely ...always have...I appreciate that your posts have been out of that concern....am only making the point, as I have had similar intentions myself at times, that however noble your intentions, they still might not be accepted...i hope that there is a good outcome

 

[CANI]

Thanks for the vote of confidence. I'm always in trouble for rocking the boat both in my personal life and in my business life. It's who I am and I am ok with that.

I don't even consider it rocking the boat -- you have an idea you think can help dance businesses and dancers alike in your area, why not share that and explore it?

When I started in groups before the studio I now attend opened -- I was frustrated by three things -- (1) not knowing where to dance on weekends and not having a partner (even tho I would go to places by myself); (2) wanting to practice with a partner between the group classes and not having a partner (although I did practice by myself) and (3) not having access with the teacher I liked to advanced group classes.

To make a long story short -- I asked all the people in the group classes I was in if they were interested in dancing on the weekend and practicing. Many were -- so they gave me their e-mails and I started in. Made a weekly list of all the places to go dancing, coordinated meet-ups and car pools to dances, and everyone danced with everyone else -- as well as the people at the venues, so we had partners. I also coordinated times for us to all get together and practice and e-mailed the routine and the notes I had so we could practice alone and then together during the practice session. It was great -- whatever I couldn't remember, someone else could, and we all helped each other out -- and we all had partners -- we switched and shared. Eventually, I had enough people I was able to get an advanced group class together -- the teacher was happy (he commented that students had asked about advanced classes prior to this, and any time he offered it, none came) because he got interested students and the money from a group class and we all benefited by getting to continue to explore a dance more fully and consistently. There's a lot that can be done to support dancing and to address the things causing frustration.

 

[ash_sk8s]

The studio I've started going to charges $20/hour for floor time unless you take private lessons with their instructors, in which case you can practice for free for the 6 days following your lesson. If you take a lesson there from a guest instructor, you can practice for free 1 hour that same day.

When I was preparing for competition this weekend I looked into other studios to see about practice space, and NONE of them mention anything about it on their websites!

 

[Terpsichorean Clod]

The studio I've started going to charges $20/hour for floor time unless you take private lessons with their instructors, in which case you can practice for free for the 6 days following your lesson. If you take a lesson there from a guest instructor, you can practice for free 1 hour that same day.

:shock: The max I've seen around here is $10/hour, and that's only one place. The prevailing rate seems to be $10/day (whether person or couple). I go to two places that charge $5/day.

 

[DancinProf]

The search for practice space has been an ongoing struggle for my husband and me. Our city does not have a dedicated ballroom studio although there are a couple of ballroom teachers; they teach out of a health club and a community center respectively. Neither of those venues charges anything close to a reasonable hourly floor fee. The community center does not rent by the hour at all, but we have been able to practice there on days when our USA Dance chapter and other people that we know have dances scheduled. Also, since the beginning of this year I've been taking ballet at a local studio and have managed to shoehorn in some practice time for us there. Before I was dancing there, the owner wanted $20 or $25/hour for studio time, which is roughly in line with other dance studios I contacted. Now, if the studio is open and the space is available, she is willing to let us practice for free. It's a huge blessing!