Purr
Forum Master
I've spent a lot of time mulling over when you get to the point you've learned all you can from a pro, or even if you can get to the point where continued lessons would be detrimental.
Is Pro Am becoming a sport of only the wealthy?
- Thread starter debmc
- Start date
I've spent a lot of time mulling over when you get to the point you've learned all you can from a pro, or even if you can get to the point where continued lessons would be detrimental.
fascination
Site Moderator
it can also simply be a matter, even if you haven't learned everything the pro has to teach you, that you need something else that he/she hasn't been interested/able to provide ...it happens....in either case, whether you have come to the edge of what someone has to share or whether you simply need someone different to make sure that an increase in progress continues to be as steep as you would like, I think most of us know it far sooner than we do something about it...because most of us do in fact get attached to our pros, even the ones we are ambivalent about....I think most of us who find ourselves in that situation stay too long...unfortunately that can really cause burnout, not to mention less of a return for our investment.
I soo agree with this. Often we need a change of pro, not because we outgrew their skill set, but because we need something else that another pro can offer. I just had this conversation with my current pro. The change I made had nothing to do with teacher skills, just personality needs. This had a lot to do with the burnout I had, just working on recovering from that problem.
scullystwin42
Forum Master
I get to have the personality needs conversation with my somewhat new pro tomorrow, to figure out if i want to continue with him. amazing skills, great teacher, but we may have personality conflicts that can't be overcome, and that may have contributed to my burnout-y feelings as well. and now this is probably wandering off topic
Not to sidetrack this, but I took lessons from new pro before the switch to have a better idea of his personality and how well we meshed. I was told that people have never seen me dance so calm and confident in the last 10 years. Definitely a result of the energy I am getting from my partner.
Well, I do know that every time, (which is not often) the lesson fee goes up, my pro has had an increase in lease, bills, etc etc much like our taxes, and there is every attempt to offset the increases by discounts, or sometimes free entries to comps, etc. None of us, where I dance, own a private jet, a real estate company, a radio station nor are any of us a You Tube sensation with millions of followers (just saying for imagination purposes) although, we are given access to many different opportunities to learn and improve, as my own life moves forward and changes I can applaude those who achieve their dance goals and have the monetary means, while I chose dance goals within my own pro/am means as I have also pared down the $$$, I am completely on board and mirror Fascination's comments.
I would say it's getting close to being "wealthy person's sport" in some ways........ Why? I agree with several of the posts above. 
I think frequent participation will weight results. Professionals will (of course) prefer to dance with those most able to afford a good salary and expenses, all other things being equal.
Being this is my first post here/background, I competed for a couple of years recently with a good professional, mostly west coast events, but also an east coast and a few Vegas events. I understand some have been competing for much longer......
I think frequent participation will weight results. Professionals will (of course) prefer to dance with those most able to afford a good salary and expenses, all other things being equal.Being this is my first post here/background, I competed for a couple of years recently with a good professional, mostly west coast events, but also an east coast and a few Vegas events. I understand some have been competing for much longer......
Mr 4 styles
Forum Master
Welcome eaglemike
^^This was very reassuring, for someone coming from a similar background. Thank you for sharing your confidence!
DanceMentor
Administrator
Supposing we are talking about any pro in the final for Standard or Latin at the US Championships, Embassy, etc... every student their paid at least the equivalent of a middle class family income for one year for their own dancing that year. The lesson rate for the pros in the final is $100+ per 45 minute lesson.
Now assuming that your goal is just to compete, and it is not important to gain a national title, it can be done much cheaper. You could take 1 lesson per week, and buy clothing made overseas, and do it all for less than $4000 in one year.
Additionally, with USA Dance competitions potentially making a comeback, there could be some even better deals to be had. I would look forward to some pressure on prices wherever that may be found.
The example I made above is a stretch. Ndca competitions don't really cater to people who don't have a good deal of money to spend. As far as I'm concerned, I would love to see divisions where it cost $50 to compete and you have a lot of people who mainly take group lessons. There are other places in the world where it is much cheaper to compete.
But in today's environment Unwritten requirements include expensive Hotels where simple entry to ballroom often tops $100, each person wearing at least $2,000 worth of clothes, just dancing for 1 minute sets you back $40, etc
Now assuming that your goal is just to compete, and it is not important to gain a national title, it can be done much cheaper. You could take 1 lesson per week, and buy clothing made overseas, and do it all for less than $4000 in one year.
Additionally, with USA Dance competitions potentially making a comeback, there could be some even better deals to be had. I would look forward to some pressure on prices wherever that may be found.
The example I made above is a stretch. Ndca competitions don't really cater to people who don't have a good deal of money to spend. As far as I'm concerned, I would love to see divisions where it cost $50 to compete and you have a lot of people who mainly take group lessons. There are other places in the world where it is much cheaper to compete.
But in today's environment Unwritten requirements include expensive Hotels where simple entry to ballroom often tops $100, each person wearing at least $2,000 worth of clothes, just dancing for 1 minute sets you back $40, etc
Your math is off.
I am that category--not trying to win a national title, spend less than $40,000 per year, but do take more than one lesson a week even at $100+ per lesson. I compete less than I would if my budget were larger, but I decided the lessons were more to the point for me than competing more.
DanceMentor
Administrator
Too high or too low?Your math is off.
open_mind
Active Member
It's sad, really. I competed a few years ago as am/am - about $40 per competition to enter, about $100 per week for a few private lessons , lots of practice in-between lessons.... oh those golden days...
....
My pro just asked me about my dance goals and suggested to compete pro/am with him. I did a quick math as well - at least $25,000 per year (most likely more) including weekly lessons that he insists I need to do more often. One can get a decent education in some reputable profession for that kind of money. So I question whether it's worth doing. I am not after a national title, I am just trying to keep up with what I love to do, and even though I can maybe afford this kind of money, I am not wealthy by any standards and the money I do have came from long hours of hard work.
So for me, the question is whether I should continue to dance. The more I think about it, the more it sounds like I will have to find another hobby, because I can't justify that much money to be spent on a hobby and other forms of ballroom like social dancing or group classes are not for me. I suppose I can continue doing one lesson per week without any goals, just to keep myself alive, sort of. Or how about finding an amateur partner? (yeah, right...)
....
My pro just asked me about my dance goals and suggested to compete pro/am with him. I did a quick math as well - at least $25,000 per year (most likely more) including weekly lessons that he insists I need to do more often. One can get a decent education in some reputable profession for that kind of money. So I question whether it's worth doing. I am not after a national title, I am just trying to keep up with what I love to do, and even though I can maybe afford this kind of money, I am not wealthy by any standards and the money I do have came from long hours of hard work.
So for me, the question is whether I should continue to dance. The more I think about it, the more it sounds like I will have to find another hobby, because I can't justify that much money to be spent on a hobby and other forms of ballroom like social dancing or group classes are not for me. I suppose I can continue doing one lesson per week without any goals, just to keep myself alive, sort of. Or how about finding an amateur partner? (yeah, right...)
Spookisgirl
Active Member
Considering the amount I spend to compete in pro/am, I often find myself wondering how much more I could do if amateur partners were not unicorns where I live. I find pro/am very limiting because of the cost and also find it extremely frustrating to know that my entry fees are really just subsidizing amateur couples so they can compete for less. There are certainly other things and ways I would like to be supporting dance, but for now, pro/am is the only option.
Rhythmdancer
Well-Known Member
@Spookisgirl Your entry fees are subsidizing amateur couples? Where'd you get that from? Most NDCA competitions consider am/am an after thought.