Dance clubs in the US???

[Hespera]

As some of you may know from my previous posts, I was born and raised in Austria, where I also learned ballroom dancing. In Austria, dancing is a rite of passage for many teens, and virtually everybody I know/knew is familiar with the basic steps of most standard and Latin dances.

I already know that this is not the case in the US. However, the thing that always shocks me is the price of lessons in this country! In Austria and Germany, I was a member of a Tanzclub (literally translated, a dance club) for about 200 Euros per person per year. There was a minimal fee of 3 Euros for lessons and free access to the floor space. The level of instruction was excellent, and it was fun. We were mostly social dancers, but there were some competitive couples as well.

Do you know of similar institutions (outside of universities) in the US? I find the prices of dance studios utterly ridiculous. My husband and I are not interested in competition dancing, but enjoy high level social dancing. We are not really interested in courses for the general community as they tend to focus on ballroom basics...Ideally, what we are looking for is something like my former dance club in Vienna: http://www.tscaktiv.at/

Any ideas or suggestions? Thank you in advance.

 

[Chris Stratton]

If you are looking for suggestions it might help to mention where are you located.

If you can get a group of like minded people together, you might find a teacher (especially one who is either independent or owns the studio they use) willing to provide you with a customized class.

 

[Hespera]

I live in Montgomery County, Maryland - about 30 minutes from Washington, D.C.
I have found that the concept of clubs, or "Vereine" as we call it, is unfamiliar in general, so I'm wondering if my search is an effort in futility...

 

[Joe]

The closest thing to a "dance club" is probably going to be one of the local college clubs.

 

[jennyisdancing]

The closest thing to a "dance club" is probably going to be one of the local college clubs.

True. I belong to a local swing dance club but it's a different setup. Dues are small, only $20 per year, and you get discounts to attend dances and workshops, but not free floor space.

If you just want some good practice space, one place to try is your gym, if you belong to one. My gym has a couple of beautiful workout studios with nice wood floors and mirrors. They are empty much of the time and I sometimes use them for dance practice. Of course, you'd have to pay for gym membership but then you'll get the benefits of a gym as well.

My dance studio allows its members to use empty studios for practice space as well, but you have to be taking at least one class, which costs $59 per month.

 

[tanya_the_dancer]

I live in Montgomery County, Maryland - about 30 minutes from Washington, D.C.
I have found that the concept of clubs, or "Vereine" as we call it, is unfamiliar in general, so I'm wondering if my search is an effort in futility...

I looked at the website but I don't know German, so can you clarify what "Vereine" is?

There are also USA Dance chapters (www.usadance.org), and depending on your area, they could be a useful resource.

 

[Hespera]

Tanya,

a "Verein" is typically a not-for-profit organization. The German-speaking countries are full of them, and people found and join them for all kinds of things from rabbit breeding to sports and dancing. There is a board -- elected from the membership -- and everybody has to pay fees (typically yearly) to participate. It's a great thing, because it brings together like-minded individuals without having the high costs of a dance studio. Some dance club members compete, while others are strictly social dancers, and they all peacefully (for the most part) co-exist.

I've been wondering if I should give something like that a go in Maryland...I'd need to find a suitable space...

I guess, the closest thing currently in existence here in the US are college/university dance clubs. Unfortunately, their rules are sometimes ridiculously exclusive. My husband is a PhD student at one DC consortium university (the consortium allows students to take classes at other consortium universities), while I am PhD student at American U. in DC -- also a consortium member. My husband's uni won't accept me in their dance club, because I'm not one of their students even though I am currently taking a class on their campus! AU doesn't have a club anymore, otherwise we'd join...

Thank you so much for the link! I will definitely look into that.

 

[GGinrhinestones]

I've been wondering if I should give something like that a go in Maryland...I'd need to find a suitable space...

I think it's a great idea! If you can't find what you're looking for where you are, why not start it yourself? It sounds like it would be a lot of fun. Maybe one of the local studios would be willing to work with you for space?