hi guys
i stumbled into international style dancing 2 years ago. now i am very proficient in all the patterns and routines these dances offer.i have used dvds in conjunction with group lessons.technically i assume i am not so good, for eg my head position and frame is not well defined.
so my question is from a economical point of view, how should i continue?
many thanks,
sl

SL,
I faced a similar dilemma. For me, I began to realize that I wanted more than I was getting from the group classes I took faithfully every week. I felt I couldn't afford both group and private lessons. I study ballroom through several media venues like you, and came to a point where I wanted to progress beyond what the group was doing. So often, group lessons aren't tailored toward moving students up through the levels of dance, and most of us can't each ourselves the finer points without professional intervention. You seem to be aware of improvements you think you need to make in your posture and frame. That is a sign of awareness of what you have learned. I think many students never reach a level of awareness that hints to them they they might need to move forward. And many have no desire. Your tone suggests you have the desire. I am now taking private lessons with an excellent teacher. I can't afford the instruction as frequently as I would like, but with practice, I am improving over what I was getting from the more regular (and cheaper) groups lessons. My instructor is correcting and improving me with each lesson, and I feel that I did the right thing switching. She understands I can't afford a lot, but she appreciates my dedication, passion, and practice.
Give it a try. You can always go back. Just keep dancing.

thanks md, your advise makes good sense. and it is a correct one, i have checked out group technique classes and they do not address individual problems.
i am a little apprehensive in starting private lessons because of the direct focus and not being able to deliver.

I stuck with the group lessons, but chose a later time slot, which over time proved to be a good move. The ranks thinned out on that later weeknight to the point where it was just my wife and I, and sometimes just one or two other couples. And, after a couple of years, the instructor knew our skill level and treated it virtually like a private lesson anytime we were there. If other couples were involved, we would simply be working on some more advanced things while they did basics. But this was a private studio, and it is probably less rigid than being at a franchise studio. Unfortunately, at this moment, I am not doing near as well on my job as in the past, so the dance lessons are on hold. I moonlight instruct on the side, which helps keep me sharp.

I think that sometimes starting individual lessons can be overwhelming but so worth the effort.

A good teacher will know you can't immediately deliver everything. It's a process and human beings aren't robots that can automatically incorporate everything that is suggested. You should be well ahead of most students who are starting out in private lessons.

You will probably find the one-on-one attention nice, most of the time. Sometimes it isn't but mostly it is a great thing!

Is it possible to change the focus of your group lessons? I am in a group that has learned all our bronze figures (and a few silver ones). Before we continue to silver exclusively, we have asked our instructor to focus on one problem that the majority is having in regards to technique. So we all waltz around the room and she picks one or two things that need to be corrected. Then we move on to the next dance and do the same thing. We are not overloaded with technique in one lesson so it is easy to practice what we have learned. It could be a very specific problem such as rise and fall on a particular step or it could be more general, such as heel leads in the tango.
I am very lucky to be with a group that does not identify with how many steps we know or what level we're at. We care about dancing correctly.

hi ladydance
changing focus may be a problem, we do 4 walls in 3 to 4 lessons and then proceed to another dance (only standard).
i'll try and suggest this idea the next time, we are a bunch of 50's so no one is too concerned.

You seem to have identified your problems ( or some of them ).. a coaching lesson might clarify an easy route to pursue..( your problems are not unique ! )