Answers to commonly asked questions from the experts on Lessons.com.
How much are dance classes?
Kids group dance lessons cost $60 to $200 per month, or $40 per week on average. Private dance lessons for adults cost $50 to $85 per hour, depending on the location, dance type, number of lessons, and session length.
Most dance classes are casual and focus more on comfort and form than style. What you wear to a dance class depends on the dance type:
Ballet and jazz require form-fitting clothes so your form and posture is visible.
Wear loose, comfortable clothes and shoes to contemporary or street classes.
Wear fitness or leisure clothes and tap shoes to tap dance lessons.
Wear casual clothes, smooth-soled shoes, or dresses to ballroom, tango, or salsa classes.
Are private dance lessons worth it?
Private dance lessons are an excellent way to gain new skills in a low-stakes environment, but they may not be for everybody. Private lessons are worth it if you:
Value privacy
Want to make progress quickly
Feel more comfortable one-on-one instead of in groups
Want direct feedback on technique
Need a class that conforms to your schedule
How long are dance classes?
Most dance classes last 30 to 90 minutes and meet 1 to 5 times per week, depending on the dance type and age range. Dance classes for children tend to meet more often for shorter sessions because children tend to benefit more from frequent, consistent lessons. Casual adult lessons tend to meet fewer times per week but are usually longer.
How do I choose a dance teacher?
Start by browsing our dance instructors, then:
Get three or more free estimates to compare.
Examine reviews on Lessons and Google.
Choose an experienced, reputable instructor.
Get a written estimate and timetable before the first lesson.
Follow a payment schedule instead of making a large payment up front.
After asking questions and verifying credentials, hire the best dance teacher in your area.
What questions should I ask dance instructors?
When looking for local dance companies, consider asking the following questions:
How long have you been in business?
Can you give me an estimate in writing?
Do you teach private lessons or group lessons only?
What dances do you specialize in?
What ages are you used to teaching?
Are your lessons entry-level or intermediate?
Reviews for Hamilton dance lessons
Recent success stories from people in the Hamilton area.
Megan
My teacher Phane J. Sen is a master teacher of the Indian Classical Dances Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam in Ohio. As such she has faced several unique challenges in the endeavor to teach American students a classical dance from India. One of the most impressive things about Phane is the gusto with which she has attacked issues such as language barriers, pre-conceived notions, prior dance training and the logistics of scheduling lessons for a wide range of students- from grade school to adult- that encompass enough time to adequately teach both theory and practical skills.
Primary among these challenges is, of course, language. The spoken language of Bharatanatyam and Carnatic music is Sanskrit, which the clear majority of Phane's students have never heard spoken before, little say speak or understand themselves. This provided a challenge to the teaching of Bharatanatyam hand gestures- each individual gesture assignable to several different meanings. The lessons of these hand gestures are of course recited in Sanskrit, and Phane realized quickly her English-speaking students were floundering with their memorization of the lesson because they had no meaning, no context for the words.
So Phane created a mini-dictionary in English and divided the lessons to aid her student's memorization process. Once the students understand the base names and meaning of the gestures, she goes on to teach the recitation.
There is also no tradition of writing lessons or recording lessons in Bharatanatyam. The primary written text is a central, and ancient discourse called the Natya Shastra, which encompasses the performing arts. To help her students accustomed to curriculums oriented in writing, Phane has developed novel methods using both written diagrams and digital recording to help English speaking students progress through lessons while mastering the salient points of the lesson.
These are few examples of the adjustments and innovations Phane has developed to effectively bring a long-standing classical dance to a body of students with likely little knowledge or background- artistically or culturally.
NatyaHasta School of Dance
Doan W.
His attention to detail and explaining things about all the different strokes has really helped me. I have been with him for 7 years.
Scott Foreman Tennis
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