My wife and I are learning American style ballroom dancing from a local franchised studio. The studio does not provide any teaching supplemental material such as books or videos. After a serious talk with the studio owner yesterday, I learned that the franchise considers their teaching method proprietary and thus not for sale. I complained that I have to use my valuable lesson time (about $70/45 minutes private session) to take note and draw foot diagrams. Even so, after we get home I could not read my own notes most of the time. So we spent time re-learn our steps. Recently I bought a very good book from Amazon.com. But it is international standard and I can not recognize many steps. Can you recommend a good step by step book in American styling for beginning through advanced dancers? I have trouble searching Amazon.com for this subject. I have bought a few ballroom dance VHS tapes and tried to learn from that. Then the studio teaches similar but different steps with different name for each step, just enough to confuse a beginner like I. My question is can I go to my studio, or other places and demand them to teach us using my material? For example: use Teresa Mason's vedio tapes I recently bought and love them dearly. Is this a reasonable request? Where do I find an independent instructor who might accommodate my need? Thanks for any help or comment you can provide.

Dave

It is interesting to see this thread I started 2 years ago comes around. Shortly after I posted the initial question here, I found an independent studio and switched to International style dancing. Our cost for a full hour lesson is only $50 (at NY side of Connecticut) any NO "package agreement" has to be signed. The class is videotaped each time so we can concentrate during the class and review the tape later at home. Best of all, we are learning from someone who has represented US 3 times to the world.

Last weekend we participated in our first dance competition in Stamford, Connecticut and we really enjoyed. We watched Len Diana, a regular contributor to this forum, and his partner won every dance entries all way to Open Gold in International Standard. Congratulations!

BTW, thanks to all who give us guidance in this forum.

Dave

Dear Dave,
Most studios do not provide any teaching supplemental material such as books or videos, especially franchises. As a matter of fact, franchises keep strict controls on their materials from their teachers as well.
Depending on the level of intstruction you are receiving the average rates go for $60-$75 per hour (or 55 minutes) of private instruction (depending on your location). Groups average between $10-15 per lesson hour.
It is not uncommon that either - you would have to make notes during your lesson or pay your instructor for his/her time to note down your steps for you. I understand this can be quite an undertaking, my husband who is an independent professional teacher has on some occasions written out specific, detailed information for students (without charge) that took quite some time and if he did that for each student, he would not be able to make a living. Unfortunately, most of the materials teachers use do come through professional organizations and is generally written in such a way that a lay person would have great diffulty understanding the details. i.e ISTD syllabus books, etc.

Actually my husband and I have started a project this last year on some illustrative dance booklets, but it does take a great deal of time to illustrate accurately. A couple of the responses you received provided some good leads for you to check out.

In reference to >> My question is can I go to my studio, or other places and demand them to teach us using my material?<<
Most likely not, franchises are pretty strict about following 'their own' syllabuses and teaching methods. You probably would have much more luck with an independent studio/instructor. They are generally much more wiling to accomodate you.
The best way to find an independent studio/instructor is through referral. Another way is to check out your Yellow Page listings, call and ask about their socials and attend a social and see how they welcome you and observe the level of dancing (including the instructors) Unfortunately many studios hire beginner instructor's (both franchise and independent) so beware. I would ask about their certification or how many years have they been teaching ballroom?
I would also recommend that you try group lessons...they cost a lot less, you have some more time to review what you are learning and probably some time for making notes in a $10-15/hour class as opposed to a $70/45 min lesson. Once you have learned the steps in groups, you can refine your style and technique in the privates.

I hope that gives you some insight to what goes on in the dance business and hope you find it helpful.

Sincerely,
Rebecca (a teacher's wife)

Dear Jan:

Is 'JFAN552440' a valid e-mail address? BTW, thanks for your comment.

Dave

Dave,
Do not forget that you are the paying customer and you can request whatever method of dance it is that you desire. My husabnd and I also took lessons at a franchised studio and understand your fustration. After two years we went to a independent studio and the level of instruction is highly superior and we are much happier. By the way I also live in CT and would be glad to recommend a independnt stuido EMail me at JFAN552440

Hi, I have recently began ballroom dancing lessons from a franchise. I think we all know which one we are referring to. Lessons are $119 for 40 minutes! I am frustrated and feel the instructors are holding back on teaching. The instructors are definately a class act when they put on a demonstration for you but there is something odd about the whole setup. I have purchased a few dance videos on my own to help myself progress but I really can't find exactly what I am looking for. Best of luck to you

Hi Dave L.- Congratulations also goes out to yourself and Alice for your first and successful comp. Thank you for your support. Hope to see you on the comp floor again- soon. Len Diana

Hello there,
Speaking of learning from dance videos, from my own experience, I had to wait until I was a more proficient dancer before I was able to follow the video. I tried when I first started dancing, and could not for the life of me 'get it'! But after a few years of dancing, I found I was able to learn from videos. I go strait to www.istd.org for international, and usually dancevision.com for American.
A warning about watching other couples and trying to imitate them: What you see is very often not what you think is happening. Another post on this forum stated it very well, in regards to how much turn to make in a natural turn in Waltz. Although sometimes it appears to be 4/8, it is usually only 3/8, with the body turning slightly more than the feet, and body and feet 'catching up' on the first step of the next figure. But if a new dancer tried to imitate that, he/she would be doing mad whirling-dirvish moves all over the place! And the lady certainly could not follow 1/8 extra turn while she's trying to close her feet. So, a suggetion would be, if you see someone's dancing that you like, maybe ask them who their coach is, and take from that person.
All the best.

Crown, I'm from Pittsburgh as well, and indeed I *literally* know the franchise of which you speak (though it's been a long time since I was a student there). If you're not satisfied there and are interested in referrals for independent instructors in the area, please feel free to email me privately. There are plenty of excellent instructors in town who charge significantly less. My contact info is in my user profile.

Vanessa

Dear Dave,
Your issue with the franchised studio chains is an universal one. Many dancers that I have met, who hail from such studios, deal with an entirely different nomenclature and terminology for common so-called "school figures" that it becomes horrendously difficult to carry on a conversation with a dancer not from these studios. Further, I have noticed that the cloistered and parochial instincts of these studios often filter down to their students, who seem to bear an instant distrust of dancers outside their "cult". I have even heard a dancer from one of these chains claim that US and International competitions were pointless, and the only worthy competitions are those organized and run by her chain. My advise to you, at the risk of inciting wrath from many such aforementioned dancers, is to get away from the franchise - whose only intent, I opine, is to charge you high fees ($75 for 45 mins!!!!), give you minimal instruction, and to keep you coming back for more by withholding important information. I suggest you look for a private if even small studio and get your money's worth of education.

Although I am writing partly to commiserate with your situation, I will also suggest a few links to finding instructional videos that might help your cause. I gather that Dancescape.com carries instructional videos, although mostly pertaining to the International style of dancing. Just go to their web page for more info. Or try http://www.dancetv.com/ which also offer video instruction I gather. This following site also has some useful instruction directly on the web, if you want to look it up. The URL is http://www.jps.net/adamd/dance/dancelessons.html.

In all, I would recommend that you search the web, which has loads of information on instructional videos and places to learn dancing as well as just dance. My usual recommendation for a starting place is the site of my friend Henry, and here is the link to his "Info" page. It lists several links to online free instruction for beginners as well places to find videos for sale.
http://www-zeus.ncsa.uiuc.edu:8080/~hneeman/ballroom_info_hotlist.html

It is a large compendium of links from all around the world but it surely is as close to being all-encompassing as I can tell.

To briefly address the issue of taking videos to instructors and asking them to teach those steps, I suggest the following. Try to learn the steps with your partner by yourself. And then proceed to a trained instructor and ask to be fixed where fixing is needed. It will be a whole lot less expensive and a good way to learn.

And if you would only let us know of your approximate location, I am sure you can get information right on here about places to take dance lessons in your area.

I wish you well in your quest. Enjoy Dancing.

Sri.