"AM is the only studio to advertise for new staff offering a job as a dance teacher without any experience as long as you love to dance!!!!! The teachers are not qualified. PERIOD."
- not true, I see similar ads for Indy studios all the time. Also in AM, instructors typically go through at least a 6 week training period before they are even allowed to talk to even the most beginner students- and then they typically turn the students over to a more advanced instructor after introducing them to a few basic steps. meanwhile (at least in the studios I was associated with) they are in constant training for both dancing, teaching (and yes, sales- if no one sells the lesson, how will you buy it? duh). And most studios bring in the same coaches you use in the indy world.

"International dance studios are run by people who have dedicated their whole lives to dancing and have competed around the world in major comps including blackpool the most famous dance comp."
- Nick & Lena Kosovic, Bob Powers & Julia Gorchekova, Daniel Heroux, Bill Sparks & Shirley Johnson, Lukasz Rogowski, Luca & Lorraine Baricchi, Sam Sodano, Bill Jacobsen, Forrest Vance, Ingvar Geirsson & Leslie Spearin, up and comers like Joe & Leisa Howard, Luis Dettling & Rachel Whitney, JUST TO NAME A FEW off the top of my head......all Arthur Murray, either currently or formerly. ALL. Heard of 'em? If you haven't, then you don't deserve to make the above statement.

When I last went to Ohio Star ball in 2007 - my student - an AM student - placed top 3 in every single heat but 2 in both levels of Silver. And one I helped coach placed 7th (just short of the final) in the Pro/Am Latin Scholarship- it was only her second comp.
Our studio regularly attended independent comps, and more often than not took home a top studio and/or student award.

I'm sorry I feel the need to be defensive, but it is grossly unfair to state that AM(or even FADS) instructors are any less qualified than any other. Belonging to a franchised system neither necessarily qualifies nor disqualifies a teacher's credibility, dedication, passion, or experience. I was often APPALLED at the level of instruction some students had received from so-called "highly qualified" indy teachers when those students came to my studio. More often than not, they stayed at my studio, even though it cost more than the others in town. Quality sells. And you get what you pay for. (if you don't get out and get your money back!)

As "DanceTheNightAway" points out.
"Be very careful where you spend your money." Ericka, it's all in what you want. Having danced in AM, I personally didn't feel that for social or competition purposes, $140 for a 40 minute lesson was of value. I got alot of sales pitches and the ever present - you can't learn the next steps until...blah blah blah. While the teachers might have had a passion for dancing the pressure to sign paperwork and $$ committment was up there with a used car saleman trying to make quota. Once the AM studio learned that students either planned on leaving - for whatever the reason...there was no longer any interest in the student. The developed syllabus that the AM method of teaching might be great for some - the franchise owner is there to pay bills and make money..there is...in the long run the always present profit and loss statement. You will find the always present personal viewpoints. Mine? I love my independent instructors (two of them currently) and the studios. Quite successful at that - not that they didn't cut it at AM - but their passion for dance overrode the need/requirement to get customers to sign on the dotted line. Rather - they want happy customers - not bankrupt ones.

You are so wrong that idependent instructors are wash outs.In fact sone have yeard of experience compared to AM teachers

If you want to find a different studio in your area, here is a great directory. check it out: http://www.itsaboutdance.com

The only dance school that it lists for Atlanta is Fred Astaire.



jj

Think outside the box. Did you try "dance studios" rather than "dance schools"?

I tried every option available on that list.

That website simply doesn't provide much informaiton.



jj

I looked at the "dance studio" selection for Atlanta, and it listed about half-a-dozen studios: clearly more than JUST Fred Astaire as you'd initially stated.

I'm sure you don't want anyone to be mislead by your prior statement.

Here's a link to mine: Atlanta Studios.

If you select "Search by Category," the site just brings up another "Search by Location" which produces the same results: Atlanta Studios by category. This design doesn't seem to make much sense.

You can see other Atlanta studios when pulling up studio names by alphabet but that's little help to someone who doesn't already know the area. Someone who does wouldn't need the site anyway.

You can also see other studios by leaving out the city name and getting the studios in Georgia. Even that list is incomplete; it leaves out both Academy Ballroom and Atlanta Dance Center.

Do you have a financial interest in this site?



jj

Added:
Ah! Now I see. If you leave the fourth pull-down box set to all, it will pull up all categories. If you then select the "See More Results" button under "Dance Studios," then a list of six names will appear.

Also, I notice that "Atlanta" appears twice in the drop-down for the cities for Georgia. The two selections produce different results when a selection is also made from the fourth box.

Sloppy. Very sloppy.

No, no financial interest. Just someone who can do a lot with just a little information. And someone who agrees that you were sloppy in your initial research and comments that ONLY Fred Astaire was listed.