How Much Do Dance Classes Cost: Every style covered. -

Unless you plan on teaching yourself how to dance, then you’re going to have to pay for lessons. You’re okay with that, but you have no idea how much money to set aside. How much on do different dance classes cost?

You might pay as little as $16 for a child’s dance class to upwards of $160 a month for some classes. Factors such as the type of class, the location of the studio, and how good the teacher is all factor into your overall cost.

In this guide, we’ll demystify the costs of dance classes so you’ll know once and for all what you’d pay. Whether you want to buy dance lessons for yourself or your child, you won’t want to miss the information in this guide!

Table of Contents

How Much Do Dance Classes Cost?

As we discussed in the intro, the amount of money you could spend on a dance class could be as low as $16 a month or as high as $160 a month, with a more reasonable average about $60 per month.

Let’s go over the various types of dance classes you might be interested in enrolling in and assess the cost for each.

Ballroom Dancing

Ballroom dancing is a wonderful way to make a sweeping, dramatic statement at your next ball, gala, or other upscale event.

Many ballroom dance instructors charge by the hour, with the typical fee between $15 and $25 an hour.

If you danced for two hours, you’d pay between $30 and $50.

Other ballroom dance instructors charge per lesson, with a standard price of $50 to $100 a lesson. If you only take one lesson, then that’s not too expensive, but if you take five to 10 lessons, now you’re shelling out the big bucks.

Ballet Dancing

As one of the most popular dance forms for kids, ballet dancing is everywhere.

If you enroll your child in a dance class at the local YMCA, then maybe you’ll pay $10 to $20 a class. Your child won’t dance alone though, but in a group.

Perhaps your child is a part of a dance studio that charges a tuition. You’d pay every month towards the cost of that tuition, which might be as low as $60 and as high as $150 a month.

You could even sign your child up for ballet camp, but this can cost up to $2,550!

Hip-Hop Dancing

If you’re more into the freestyle fun of hip-hop dancing, most instructors will charge by the hour.

The fee can be as low as $25 and as high as $140, with $92 per lesson not uncommon. It’s not cheap to learn smooth dance moves!

Tap Dancing

If not ballet, then surely, your child will be interested in tap dancing. This is a much-needed relief on your wallet, as tap classes are a lot less pricy than ballet classes.

The average cost of one tap dance lesson is $23 to $30. At that cost, you’ll want to sign your child up for dozens of lessons!

How Is a Dance Class Cost Calculated?

Is there a reason that the costs of the above dance classes ran the gamut? Indeed, there’s more than one reason, so let’s investigate in this section.

Dance Type

The more popular a form of dance is, the more sought-after it will be. Dance companies know this and will charge more money as a result. That’s why learning ballet remains one of the most expensive dance forms around.

Teacher Quality

A dance studio could take any random Joe off the street to teach a class, but if he doesn’t know how to dance, then the entire class suffers.

The costs of the class will be cheap, but if you’re not learning, does the price really matter at the end of the day?

The more renowned the dance instructor, the higher the price tag associated with the class. You’re learning from an expert if it’s an expensive class, and the skills you collect could be with you for life!

Studio Location

If we’re talking about a dance studio in New York City versus Alabama, then of course, you can expect NYC to be far costlier in the price department. Everything is worlds more expensive in New York.

Even if you took the same type of dance class for the same duration, you’d still shell out more money in a major metropolis.

Studio – Rented vs. Owned

Whether the dance company owns or rents the dance studio is also a contributing factor to what you’ll pay. Your cash keeps the lights on and the music playing, after all.

Children vs. Adult Dance Class Cost – Which Is More Expensive?

Another factor that influences what you’ll pay for a dance class is whether you’re enrolling as an adult or whether your child is taking the class.

While it certainly can vary, children’s classes are usually less expensive.

The reason is that children aren’t learning dance to quite the extent as an adult. The classes won’t be more involved unless the child continues with dance as they get older. Then you’ll see a price hike.

What Is a Fair Price to Pay for Dance Classes and How to Spot Excessive Prices

What exactly does a fair price for a dance class look like anyway? Is it $16? $30? $90?

That’s a hard question to answer. As we discussed before, there are so many factors all rolled in that determine what a dance class costs. They must all be considered when gauging what a fair price is for a dance class.

What’s fair in one part of the world or in one dance discipline might not be in another, after all.

Is Your Dance Class Too Expensive? Here’s How to Tell

Admittedly, you didn’t put a ton of thought into the price of dance classes when you first signed up. You just paid the fee upfront and began attending classes.

Now, several weeks or months later, you can’t help but wonder if you’re being taken for a ride.

Here are some signs that you might be paying too much for a dance class.

The teacher says they’re highly credentialed but refuse to divulge their credentials or show any sort of background information to confirm it.
When you research other dance studios that offer the same kind of dance in your area, they’re all a lot cheaper than yours.
You’re taking beginners’ lessons but still paying an arm and a leg.
The prices go up sometimes without warning, and when you ask about why, you can never get a straight answer.

Don’t get us wrong; dance classes are supposed to be on the pricier side. That said, if you feel like you’re being swindled, then it’s time to examine your contract and see how you can get out.

If you don’t have a contract, then you can walk whenever you want. You might stick it out and get the full value of your money or not come back ever again.

When and How Frequently Do I Need to Pay for Dance Classes?

Speaking of paying for dance classes, when is that something you’re going to have to do? How frequently?

Well, that depends on the type of dance being offered and the studio that’s teaching.

As we talked about in the first section of this article, some dance disciplines charge by the lesson and others by the hour.

In both those cases, you will more than likely be expected to pay ahead of your dance lesson. Some dance schools might allow you to pay afterward but ask ahead of time.

Most dance schools charge monthly tuition. You might pay once when you enroll and then enlist in autopay so your card is charged at the end or the beginning of each month. If not, then you’ll manually pay from month to month.

Private Lesson Cost vs. Group Cost vs. Bulk Package Cost – Which Is the Best Value for the Money?

You want to stretch your dollar further when taking dance classes, which is why you’re looking at private lessons, group dance lessons, and bulk dance packages. Which is the most cost-effective?

Let’s examine.

Private Lessons

Private lessons are considered specialized instruction and are thus going to be the costliest of the three. You’d work one-on-one with an instructor to refine or define your dance abilities.

You may be charged by the hour, by the lesson, or monthly.

As an example a ballroom studio in Australia can charge $115 per 45 min for a private lesson.

Group Dance Lessons

Group dance lessons are pretty standard, especially for tap, ballet, and hip-hop dancing.

As the prices from the beginning section illustrate, group classes don’t come with any special discount. They should be cheaper than private lessons, but that depends on the type of dance in question.

Bulk Packages

Bulk packages by their very design are built to be more affordable. You might get 10 lessons in one package or three months covered upfront. There has to be some sort of discount built into a plan like this to motivate people to buy it.

How to Get Discounts on Dance Classes

Do you want to shave a couple of dollars off the cost of your dance lessons? If that’s what it will take for you to get to know the joys or dance or to introduce those joys to your child, then sniffing out a sale is worth it.

Here are some options to investigate.

Try Groupon

Groupon may offer money off dance lessons for dance studios in your neighborhood. Due to the highly fluid nature of the site, you’ll have to check Groupon often to find the right deal for you or your child.

Keep in mind that Groupon deals are usually short-term, so you would have to pay after the Groupon deal is up.

Look for Coupons in the Local Paper

If a dance studio is offering discounts, check your mail. You might see an ad in the newspaper, a mailed flier, or coupons in a coupon mailer. Present the discount to the dance studio and you’ll see a few zeroes come off your overall price.

Hidden Dance Class Fees

As we wrap up, we want to make clear that the advertised price for a dance class is rarely all you’ll end up paying. There exist a handful of hidden fees that can drive up costs as well.

Here’s an overview of those hidden fees.

Registration Fees

Nope, registering for a dance class isn’t free. Although this fee shouldn’t be exorbitant, that it exists at all can feel like salt in the wound.

Costumes

Be sure to ask upfront when joining a dance class whether the class covers the cost of costumes, or you’re expected to pay out of pocket. Dance costumes can be expensive if they’re ornate, so you’ll have to be ready for the extra financial responsibility.

Rehearsal Fees

If you’re practicing at a studio outside of your own, your dance class didn’t gain access to that studio for free (more than likely, anyway). You’ll be expected to shell out a sum for rehearsal fees.

Performance Entry Fees

The ultimate goal of taking a dance class is to someday perform on the stage. This too might not be free, so read the contract carefully and look for mentions of performance entry fees. If your dance class performs five times a year, that’s five times the fees for you!

Cancelation Policies

Can you not make it to class? Some dance studios might charge you with a cancelation fee if you don’t cancel within 24 hours of the next class date.

How Much Do Dance Classes Cost: Every style covered.