By Katie Flashner | The Girl With The Tree Tattoo

At the beginning of October, FloDance published a video called “The True Cost of Being a Dancer.” It included interviews of three different professional ballroom couples, as well as yours truly, acting as the student voice on this important topic. If you didn’t catch it, check it out here.

As I stated in the video, ballroom is expensive. Straight up. After the video came out, I received a LOT of messages from fellow ballroom students echoing the statements made in the video while also pointing out all of the expenses that weren’t mentioned (hey, it was only three minutes!). 

It got me thinking: as pro-am students, we know how expensive ballroom is, but we don’t intend to let that fact stop us from dancing. So how can we make sure that we’re getting the most value out of the money we’re spending? Here are five ideas for doing just that. 

1. Come to your lesson prepared. 

Our teachers take on the responsibility of creating a plan for our lessons, but that doesn’t mean we can’t contribute. My teacher always starts our lessons by asking me if I have any questions. That way, whatever is on my mind can be addressed right away. Sometimes we end up spending the whole lesson on what I wanted to work on! Speaking of questions...

2. Ask questions! 

Whether it’s a private lesson, a group class, or a special workshop, if something isn’t making sense, ask about it! We can’t learn and improve if we don’t understand what we’re being taught. If you’re like me and get a little anxious about asking a question in a group atmosphere, write down your question to ask your teacher at your next private lesson.

3. Take notes.

While you’re writing down your questions, add notes about the things you did understand. Record lightbulb moments and breakthroughs. Do a self-debrief after each of your lessons by noting what you worked on and what you need to work on next. And if writing isn’t your thing, that’s OK! I know a student who makes voice recordings of her notes. Personally, I like videos so I will record my teacher, or have someone else record while my teacher and me dance whatever I need to work on.

4. Practice.

It can be hard to practice on your own, but this is where you can get massive value out of your ballroom dance dollars. By practicing, you’ll learn faster and need less review time during your lessons. When you save time, you also save money! If you need help figuring out what to practice, ask your teacher for specific homework and check out the solo practice guide available on my blog. 

5. Set goals.

Every journey needs a destination. Having a goal to work toward, whether it’s a competition, a studio showcase, or reaching the next level in the syllabus, provides that for your ballroom journey. Knowing why you’re spending all this money to do technique drills over and over again or fry your brain trying to remember choreography will help keep you motivated to squeeze every last ounce of value out of your dance dollars.

Of course, these tips aren’t exclusive to pro-am students. Ballroom dancers at all levels can apply them to ensure they are getting the most for their money. Happy dancing!