kroe1 Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 I am boiling mad. I received word that one of the theater troupes my DD performs in is charging $100 for the end of year recital. This is supposed to cover the cost of the theater and insurance at a public high school. I already pay $110 a month plus costume fees which was disclosed on the front end. The show is just a collection of songs done mostly by kids who paid extra for solos. My child is only in 2 group numbers. I will not get to see it because I am working. For comparison, the other troupe my DD is in costs $100 per year. They do a huge musical production at the end of the year, as well as tons of community service projects. It is a community theater school, so they already have a theater and get some donations. I am wondering if it is OK to quit this close to year end, or should I suck it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snickelfritz Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Recital fees are pretty standard around here, but I've never had one that high. More like $25. I've also heard of them requiring paid tickets for the audience in lieu of a recital fee. Fees are always disclosed up front (by estimate, at least) at the places we go. I would be ticked at a surprise $100. You will have to decide if it's worth skipping the recital. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 I pay, but it is hidden in ticket fees. Not that much though. I think it is $25-50 depending on where we live at the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 I deliberately picked a dance studio for DD that is located in a community center and partially funded by the city, so is able to use city-owned property without additional charges. We buy costumes (with a $50 limit per class/dance) and that's it. There are some studios here which have hundreds of dollars of additional recital fees on top of costumes because they're renting venues that are high priced-one of them charges something like $85/child, plus a $10/ticket charge to have their recital in exactly the same venue my DD's school uses. They also tend to have more expensive costumes, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mimm Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Hm, we had to pay a costume fee and we have a to pay for tickets. Is the recital fee going toward rental of a venue? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Since your DC is in another theater troupe, I'd feel free to quit this one, even this late in the year. DD is in dance. We pay $45-60 per costume and then have to buy tickets to the recital for $10-15 each. DH complains bitterly at the cost but the monthly rates for the dance lessons are very reasonable, IMHO, at $83 per month for 4 dance classes a week. Pegasus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Someone has to pay for the theater rental (heat, lights, cleaning, facility), the stage crew (lights, sound) workers that come with the theater, the janitor/facilities guy, etc. Costumes and a bazillion incidentals come into it too. Usually, that someone is the parents. Realistically, who else is going to come see the show but parents, siblings, and grandparents? Fees typically come through either a recital fee (which usually comes with tickets), or a ticket minimum. That said, the troupe should have disclosed at least an estimate of the fees up-front. Unfortunately, not every school does this, and parents who aren't clued in to ask about it can be taken by surprise. I would start by talking to the troupe director. Explain that you had no idea this was coming, you didn't budget for it, and there is no one who can watch your dd perform anyway. Be understanding of their position - they have taken on these expenses on behalf of your child and the other children in the program. If you don't pay, they will have to adjust their budget. Ask what they suggest. They may cut you a break, they may offer a way you can work off the fees (my dd's dance school has many opportunities for parents to contribute by working backstage or in the studio), or they may say tough luck. After you talk to them about the possibilities, you will be able to make an informed decision about how to handle it. I suggest you discuss the realities with your child, and see if they are willing to contribute (birthday money?) to the fees. If this is too steep for your pocket, your child needs to know that and begin to budget for things they want to do in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 We pay $40 a month for one class, $58 costume, and I think $40 showcase fee but you can invite whoever you want at no extra cost. I usually purchase the video of the recital at $40 a little high but is very high quality and dd and I love to watch it together. I don't purchase studio pictures I paid unter $20 for beautiful costume pictures at JCPenney. Otherwise the studio photographer charges minimum of $50 and up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Yes, I've experienced the "pain" of paying for dance recitals. Last year I learned about the world of violin and paying for rehearsals with the accompanyist. In Taekwon-do there are extra fees for belt promotion exams. It is frustrating when the extra fees are not always explained up front. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizzyBee Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Yes, I think recital fees are pretty standard. $110 sounds high, but maybe rents are high in your city? Some studios charge the recital fee regardless of whether the student participates in the recital, so not participating won't necessarily get you out of paying the fee. That said, you should have been told up front that there would be a fee, even if the amount had not yet been calculated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheres Toto Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Does that fee include tickets or is the show itself free for the audience? We pay for recital tickets at $30 - $40 each, which covers all the costs for the location. DD is in two shows every year so we buy tickets for both shoes for anyone who wants to attend (usually my mother, my dad and stepmom). We're also paying $458/month tuition, $50 to $150/costume, competition fees around $500 each for 4 competitions, travel for Nationals (Cape Cod this year), and shoes, tights, leotards, etc. Dance can be expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty in Pink Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Recital fees are not unusual. Do you live in an area with a high cost of living? Is the venue in a more affluent part of town? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokotg Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 We're paying a $35 recital fee, and I think a $55 costume fee. DS is taking two classes; the recital fee covers both, but I had to pay two costume fees. We get 2 free tickets; others are $7 each. The classes themselves are $50/month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 I understand recital fees, but yours does seem high. We've paid them, but it's never been more than $50 and that price included 2-3 tickets. I wouldn't expect the dance teacher to eat that cost. When you pay for classes, you get class instruction. A recital is different and involves lots of people that won't work for free. Would you expect a teacher to pay to take your child on a field trip from her salary? Would you prefer your child didn't perform? I do agree you should have been given warning, but it's been my experience that creative people aren't always the best at business. Also, you'll get a LOT more than $110 worth of work and stress out of anyone running a recital. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kroe1 Posted April 7, 2012 Author Share Posted April 7, 2012 (edited) I guess I am upset because this charge is the first I have ever heard of such a thing. But after hearing from you guys, it seems to be the norm in certain areas. DD11 has been dancing since she was 2, and acting/singing since she was 7. Since most of her work has been community theater or paid gigs, I guess I have been lucky. The costs to me have been low except for the privates. I think I will just pay it this year and just let her stick with community theater next year. All of her recital costs in the past have been included in the monthly fees and ticket sales. Thank you very much for the help. I feel better now. :) Edited April 7, 2012 by Minniewannabe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chepyl Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 The recital fee will cover the rental of the theatre, any staff that must be paid to use the facility, probably a program, and all of the other expenses associated with doing a performance of any kind. People really don't understand how expensive it is to put on that recital. That being said; they should have told you of a recital fee at the begining of the year. We do not charge a recital fee, we charge for tickets to the recital. Your monthly tuition pays for regular expenses: rent, utilities, teacher salaries, desk staff, office and classroom supplies - daily cost of doing business. And yes, hopefully the owner makes a little money. Remember, this is business. The teachers and owners do this to make a living. It is not a hobby for most people. I may only teach for 14 hours a week, but running a dance/theatre academy is a full time job. The costume fee pays for the costume. Whether they are ordered through a catalog or made, they are not cheap. It can actually be more expensive to make your own costumes. Costume companies get discounts for buying fabric in bulk. Again, yes, there is an upcharge on most costumes. But - I spend at least 80 hours (probably more) on costume orders. Kids must be measured, sized assigned, orders compiled, orders called, faxed, or done online (just placing the order can take hours!). Then we must follow up with the companies, double check order confirmations, sort and label costumes when they come in and then discipline. I have 150 dance students and about 450 costumes to deal with. I will assume that the second theatre company is non-profit. They get funding from somewhere. There are all kinds of grants for non-profit organizations offering art instruction. This allows them to charge less (although some still charge more than we do for our classes and tickets). That is the benefit of being non-profit. But, it leaves the directors subject to a board of directors and sometimes, not always, leads to inconsistency in leadership and instruction. I would pay for my child to do the recital. It is not fair to the rest of the group to pull your child out this late in the game. It could mess up choreography and staging. Sorry this got so long. I just get lots of these complaints about dance and theatre being expensive. That is the nature of the game. If you can find someplace cheap that provides good consistent training, switch; but not until next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancer67 Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 (edited) No. And NO. Our classes are $8.00 for one. And $6.00 for each additional. Classes are all 45 minutes. Solos are $150.00 for 10 week/45 min. Our dance teacher does not believe in spending over $65.00 for an adult (or teen) costume, or over $45.00 for a child. Most of the time, she will even have the kids just go out and get black pants from Wal-Mart, a t-shirt and they add rhinestones to it, and you get a sotume for twenty bucks. The big money is in the shoes. $500.00 for a competition? Not sure what comps you are doing, but we do several, one of them being Starquest, and group fees are only $35.00. We spend about $100-150.00 on comps. We have gone on, and won national titles. You don't have to be a fancy to win. It is all about the dance and choreography. Our recitals are held in one day. 2 shows. Tix are $10.00 a piece and reserved seating. We have never, ever been asked to pay for the place we do the recital. But maybe you guys have your at a fancy place? Ours is held every year in a large high school auditorium with stadium seating. If you do your homework, you will find that many dance studios are in it for the money. Not for the love of the students, or dance. and FWIW, our dance teacher danced for Disney Cruise lines for a long time, and she tells us all the time. If you want to own a studio, do it for the love of dance, and not for the money. Or you will be sorely dissapointed. ETA: I read the above PP about pulling your child out so close to recital. I say to bad. The owner should have a list of what is expected at the beginning of the year that should be signed by the parent agreeing to the studios policy. I say pull her out. And to add ... The last studio we were at prior to coming to the one we are now, I did exactly that. The owner called my 19 yo (then age 13) FAT. No lie. (and she was nowhere near fat either).I told off the owner and pulled my girls out 6 weeks prior to recital. I called the teacher the next day aat the studio we are at now, to just get information about her dance studio for the fall. I told her what happened, and she told me to bring my girls in the following day, and she would make sure they got to dance up on stage. There was only 6 weeks left, and she had extra costumes. She only charged me a small fee for the classes. Nothing for the costumes, and only tix to the show. Our dance teacher is amazing. Edited April 7, 2012 by dancer67 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chepyl Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 I own a studio because I love my students and I love the art of dance. But, I cannot spend the time my students deserve or pull of a good recital without making money. I cannot have a second job and pull off owning a studio. A dance studio is a business. A lot of dancers don't understand this until they are deep in a financial hole. Dance teachers can rarely get full time jobs at any one studio and it is hard to get 40 hours a week when you have to teach between school and bedtime. Plus, it is hard work. It is very physically and mentally demanding. Most teachers max out at 4 hours per night. Any more than that and the level of instruction drops drastically. So they make a high hourly rate, or at least they should. No. And NO. Our classes are $8.00 for one. And $6.00 for each additional. Classes are all 45 minutes. Solos are $150.00 for 10 week/45 min. Our dance teacher does not believe in spending over $65.00 for an adult (or teen) costume, or over $45.00 for a child. Most of the time, she will even have the kids just go out and get black pants from Wal-Mart, a t-shirt and they add rhinestones to it, and you get a sotume for twenty bucks. The big money is in the shoes. $500.00 for a competition? Not sure what comps you are doing, but we do several, one of them being Starquest, and group fees are only $35.00. We spend about $100-150.00 on comps. We have gone on, and won national titles. You don't have to be a fancy to win. It is all about the dance and choreography. Our recitals are held in one day. 2 shows. Tix are $10.00 a piece and reserved seating. We have never, ever been asked to pay for the place we do the recital. But maybe you guys have your at a fancy place? Ours is held every year in a large high school auditorium with stadium seating. If you do your homework, you will find that many dance studios are in it for the money. Not for the love of the students, or dance. and FWIW, our dance teacher danced for Disney Cruise lines for a long time, and she tells us all the time. If you want to own a studio, do it for the love of dance, and not for the money. Or you will be sorely dissapointed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancer67 Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 (edited) I own a studio because I love my students and I love the art of dance. But, I cannot spend the time my students deserve or pull of a good recital without making money. I cannot have a second job and pull off owning a studio. A dance studio is a business. A lot of dancers don't understand this until they are deep in a financial hole. Dance teachers can rarely get full time jobs at any one studio and it is hard to get 40 hours a week when you have to teach between school and bedtime. Plus, it is hard work. It is very physically and mentally demanding. Most teachers max out at 4 hours per night. Any more than that and the level of instruction drops drastically. So they make a high hourly rate, or at least they should. But, I cannot spend the time my students deserve or pull of a good recital without making money. ^^This^^^...........Our studio owner does not make hardly any money at all. She has told me time and time again, that if you are going to own a studio, expect to work hard, nights and weekends(not teaching, but picking out costumes, doing the recital line ups, picking songs etc). Again, this is why she has student teachers, or Assistant teachers that will work to pay for their classes. Her studio is NOT fancy at all. Yet, all of her students are excellent dancers and have competed in the National and have won. Most dance teachers I know, will work P/T at another studio in the mornings, or take a second job and work until 1 or 2 pm, then head to the studios for 3. You don't do it for the money. Business or not. There may be a few out there that make some money because you may be in a so called "prestigious" studio, and parents are being raked over the coals in tuition fees. I don't own a studio. But I DO know what our studio owners financials are because I work the desk and see her profit and loss. You really, really have to love dance and not think of it as a business, or money making outfit. Our studio owner thinks of her place as somewhere kids go to be able to love dance, no pressure, and work as a team. She is very upfront about her fees. There are no surprises. And believe me, to give up a job working on Disney Cruise lines to own a studio, she has to love dance and know there is no, or hardly any money to be made. Parents really need to do there homework as to which dance studios they choose. Fancy dance rooms, and pretigious buildings mean nothing. I do commend you on being a dance teacher. I couldn't do it. I see our owner doing all of this and I shake my head and wonder how she pulls it all off. But she does. And my daughter is now seeing how difficult it can be as well. But she loves dance. It is a career for her, but also a very fun hobby as well. She knows that if she ever took over the studio, she wouldn't make harldy any money. Which is why she is in college p/t, and works as a licensed hairdresser as well. I hope that as a teacher, you treat all your student equally. That is the one of the first things that are important to me. The child who takes one class should be treated the same way as the child who takes 10. :grouphug: Edited April 7, 2012 by dancer67 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 We have never had to pay a "recital fee" but have paid costume fees (disclosed prior to registration) and bought tickets to the recital/performance. One year DH lost his job after we had registered for the class but before we had bought tickets to the performance. I was able to barter some volunteer labor for a pair of tickets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chepyl Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 ^^This^^^...........Our studio owner does not make hardly any money at all. She has told me time and time again, that if you are going to own a studio, expect to work hard, nights and weekends(not teaching, but picking out costumes, doing the recital line ups, picking songs etc). Again, this is why she has student teachers, or Assistant teachers that will work to pay for their classes. Her studio is NOT fancy at all. Yet, all of her students are excellent dancers and have competed in the National and have won. Most dance teachers I know, will work P/T at another studio in the mornings, or take a second job and work until 1 or 2 pm, then head to the studios for 3. You don't do it for the money. Business or not. There may be a few out there that make some money because you may be in a so called "prestigious" studio, and parents are being raked over the coals in tuition fees. I don't own a studio. But I DO know what our studio owners financials are because I work the desk and see her profit and loss. You really, really have to love dance and not think of it as a business, or money making outfit. Our studio owner thinks of her place as somewhere kids go to be able to love dance, no pressure, and work as a team. She is very upfront about her fees. There are no surprises. And believe me, to give up a job working on Disney Cruise lines to own a studio, she has to love dance and know there is no, or hardly any money to be made. Parents really need to do there homework as to which dance studios they choose. Fancy dance rooms, and pretigious buildings mean nothing. I do commend you on being a dance teacher. I couldn't do it. I see our owner doing all of this and I shake my head and wonder how she pulls it all off. But she does. And my daughter is now seeing how difficult it can be as well. But she loves dance. It is a career for her, but also a very fun hobby as well. She knows that if she ever took over the studio, she wouldn't make harldy any money. Which is why she is in college p/t, and works as a licensed hairdresser as well. I hope that as a teacher, you treat all your student equally. That is the one of the first things that are important to me. The child who takes one class should be treated the same way as the child who takes 10. :grouphug: I have lower or similar class fees compared to most studios in my area. I have mid range costume fees and fairly low ticket fees (we get an extremely good deal on our theatre). But, we have very reasonable rent on our facility. We try our best to run the studio as a business, therefore we do not have any parents working our desk. We do have parent volunteers and students who assist in classes to offset some of their tuition. Every class gets the same level of instruction whether they take 1 or 10 classes a week. No matter what the attitude of the teacher - a dance studio is a business. You don't expect your housekeeper to LOVE cleaning your house and therefor charge you less. Same with the person who mows your lawn. The attitude that because you teach dance/art/theatre/music you must do it because you love it and be willing to make money is not fair to those who do it. Do you really think it is fair that your child's dance teacher do all that work for other people and not get paid a reasonable wage for it? You obviously don't because you choose not to teach. Yes, there are studio owners who are in it for money. You can tell because they have nothing but trophies around their studio and they charge higher fees and justify them by their winnings. We go to competition, we win, but I don't charge more because of that. I do charge enough to make pay my expenses and myself. I don't expect to become a millionaire off of my studio, but I work hard and expect to make enough to live comfortably. I do have a husband who works another job and that has allowed us to grow our business without pulling living money out of it for several years. In that sense - yes for 4 years I did it simply because I love it. Sorry to hijack the thread. I will take my business discussion back to the studio owner forum I frequent. I hope everyone's recital performances go well in the next few months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheres Toto Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 $500.00 for a competition? Not sure what comps you are doing, but we do several, one of them being Starquest, and group fees are only $35.00. We spend about $100-150.00 on comps. My daughter is doing 11 routines this year. 2 solos, 2 duets with the rest groups. The solos are what have the huge fees but this is her last year dancing at the studio so we allowed it. She's helping with the fees for one of her solos. We've done Starquest, Starbound, Star Systems. One of our competitions this year was a new one where the fees and award money go to charity. We have gone on, and won national titles. She has won overalls at the two Regionals we have done so far this year for her solo and due and at Nationals last year for her solo, trio and a couple of her groups. Mostly tap, her tap teacher is amazing. You don't have to be a fancy to win. It is all about the dance and choreography. Our recitals are held in one day. 2 shows. Tix are $10.00 a piece and reserved seating. We have never, ever been asked to pay for the place we do the recital. But maybe you guys have your at a fancy place? Ours is held every year in a large high school auditorium with stadium seating. Our recital is at a high school with a large auditorium with stadium seating and reserved seats. We are in a high COL area and this is the only school in the area with a large stage and auditorium so they get all the recitals from all the local studios. They need to pay people to run the lights, sound system, clean-up fees in addition to just use of the space. We do get a couple tickets free and parents don't need a ticket if they aren't going to sit down. They are allowed in the auditorium to stand in the back while their child is dancing. She does have a few costumes that use the same pair of pants with different tops, solo and duet costumes are completely in our control. They buy catalog costumes or custom made for the groups since they have a wide range of sizes and builds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 I wouldn't be impressed with being given a fee that high that wasn't set out at the beginning of the year. We have all the fees laid out for us when we register. They are pretty reasonable, partly because they own a wardrobe of costumes and don't buy new ones. Not $100 by a long shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancer67 Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Yes, there are studio owners who are in it for money. You can tell because they have nothing but trophies around their studio and they charge higher fees and justify them by their winnings. :iagree: And again, I commend you on being a dance teacher. I love to dance. Being doing it most of my life. But I could never own a studio. I see what our owner has to do, and I don't know how she pulls it off every year but she does.:D My 19 yo is being brought in now, like I said previously. At some point she will probably take over the studio. But she certainly knows it is not a money making business. Happy Dancing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thea Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Recital fees are standard where I am, although our studio is only $35.00 per student. The recital fee includes three tickets--if you want more, you pay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancer67 Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 My daughter is doing 11 routines this year. 2 solos, 2 duets with the rest groups. The solos are what have the huge fees but this is her last year dancing at the studio so we allowed it. She's helping with the fees for one of her solos. We've done Starquest, Starbound, Star Systems. One of our competitions this year was a new one where the fees and award money go to charity. I see why your comp fees are so high now. Solos are a lot to take to competition. I only allowed my daughter to do one solo at one competition. And that is great about the charity. I like that. :0) Now that she is older, she pays for her own comp fees, and she will compete in 3 comps doing her solo. Even she agrees that the comp fees are ridiculously overpriced. It just depends on the comp. They are doing the "So You Think You Can Dance" comp in May. It is $$$$. But again, she is older and she works. Plus works at the studio. So she is paying for it. And this will be her last year of competing so she is very excited about it. I never liked competitions, really. It is a huge expense. But, she enjoyed them, and it was a good learning experience. Now she goes to the teacher workshops and the DI in NYC in the summer. Now THOSE I do not mind helping pay for. But, her dance teacher picks up half the tab so it isn't a lot of money for me or my dd. The teacher feels this is an investment in my daughters future. And I am grateful to her for that. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chepyl Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 :iagree: And again, I commend you on being a dance teacher. I love to dance. Being doing it most of my life. But I could never own a studio. I see what our owner has to do, and I don't know how she pulls it off every year but she does.:D My 19 yo is being brought in now, like I said previously. At some point she will probably take over the studio. But she certainly knows it is not a money making business. Happy Dancing! I would highly suggest your DD take some business classes and look into a Rhee Gold Seminar, or at least network with some dance studio owners around the country. Dance.net has some amazing studio owners on the board. They have great business sense and understand that a dance teacher and studio owner needs to make a living and the know how to do it with quality instruction without charging an arm and a leg, but by knowing what your time and service is worth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mytwomonkeys Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 assuming it was important to my daughter, then yes, i would pay. on another note, my niece was just in her middle school play (in georgia). it was $300 per child to be in that play! i was floored! she attends the same middle school that i attended, and all of that was free when i was younger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelBee Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 The recital fee will cover the rental of the theatre, any staff that must be paid to use the facility, probably a program, and all of the other expenses associated with doing a performance of any kind. People really don't understand how expensive it is to put on that recital. That being said; they should have told you of a recital fee at the begining of the year. We do not charge a recital fee, we charge for tickets to the recital. Your monthly tuition pays for regular expenses: rent, utilities, teacher salaries, desk staff, office and classroom supplies - daily cost of doing business. And yes, hopefully the owner makes a little money. Remember, this is business. The teachers and owners do this to make a living. It is not a hobby for most people. I may only teach for 14 hours a week, but running a dance/theatre academy is a full time job. The costume fee pays for the costume. Whether they are ordered through a catalog or made, they are not cheap. It can actually be more expensive to make your own costumes. Costume companies get discounts for buying fabric in bulk. Again, yes, there is an upcharge on most costumes. But - I spend at least 80 hours (probably more) on costume orders. Kids must be measured, sized assigned, orders compiled, orders called, faxed, or done online (just placing the order can take hours!). Then we must follow up with the companies, double check order confirmations, sort and label costumes when they come in and then discipline. I have 150 dance students and about 450 costumes to deal with. I will assume that the second theatre company is non-profit. They get funding from somewhere. There are all kinds of grants for non-profit organizations offering art instruction. This allows them to charge less (although some still charge more than we do for our classes and tickets). That is the benefit of being non-profit. But, it leaves the directors subject to a board of directors and sometimes, not always, leads to inconsistency in leadership and instruction. I would pay for my child to do the recital. It is not fair to the rest of the group to pull your child out this late in the game. It could mess up choreography and staging. Sorry this got so long. I just get lots of these complaints about dance and theatre being expensive. That is the nature of the game. If you can find someplace cheap that provides good consistent training, switch; but not until next year. :iagree: I am a studio owner. People always complain about fees. Thing is....I am tring to feed my children and keep a roof over their heads. :) Putting on a show is EXPENSIVE! Liability insurance, paying your own staff, paying facility rental, their staff, spotlight (50 a pop here....meaning each time its used), their sound and light people, my sound and light people, videographer, security, food and water backstage....etc..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelBee Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 And my family is in the poverty level in our state. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 One of my dance teachers used to mortgage his home and the studio to put up the money to finance the annual Nutcracker show, in the hopes that he'd make the money back in ticket sales to pay it off. He also sewed all of the costumes himself; we reused many from year to year, but he made new ones as needed and to mix it up a bit each year, as well as changing/freshening up/mending the old ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancer67 Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 I would highly suggest your DD take some business classes and look into a Rhee Gold Seminar, or at least network with some dance studio owners around the country. Dance.net has some amazing studio owners on the board. They have great business sense and understand that a dance teacher and studio owner needs to make a living and the know how to do it with quality instruction without charging an arm and a leg, but by knowing what your time and service is worth. She is already taking business classes. Plus Child Psychology. I will tell her about the Rhee Gold Seminar. And Dance.net Thank you!:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kroe1 Posted April 8, 2012 Author Share Posted April 8, 2012 Well I have found out I was not the only unhappy parent. Again, it is not the money so much, as it is not the standard for our area. I do not know why I am so surprised. Both of DD's theatre troupes went to Access Broadway this year. The community theatre charged $35 for the group number while the troupe in question charged extra. But, in regards to a recital, the community service troupe charges $8 for a full length junior theatre production. They own the theatre, and the lighting, props, set, and costumes are done by theater staff. So it is not really fair of me to compare with the other troupe run by a mom who already owns nothing. I have already paid competition costumes which are being reworn in the recital. DD's company dance team, yet another owner, just charges $18 for each ticket plus costumes for the recital. She is smart because she charges a flat $75 fee for each costume per class up front at the beginning of the year. She has so many students that it all averages out when costumes are actually ordered in February. The perspectives of all the previous posters are very helpful and interesting. It is amazing what we will all do for our kids. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vettechmomof2 Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 normally not but a competition yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakia Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 I pay $63 for two classes (ballet for Emma, theater for Cora). There is a great family discount! Emma's costume for the recital this year is $45. Cora's is $35. Our recital fee for both is $60, and that includes a total of 4 tickets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 (edited) I know my kid who's been doing theater for the last year would be absolutely crushed not to perform with a group he's been working with for a while. So I'd choke it up this time. I'd also make sure the owner knew she should make this info available up front (even if she doesn't know the exact amount - a heads up that an additional bill would be on it's way with a reasonable estimate would be ok). And I'd re-evaluate for next year. ETA - yes, we pay huge performance fees for some things (local circus arts school nickels and dimes us like crazy!) . Nothing for others. (My daughter's dance studio charges nothing for recitals unless you want to buy tickets - no costumes, or anything. We paid $50 for my daughter to participate in a huge staged production of Joseph with professional costumes and months of rehearsals.). I'm very sympathetic to small performing arts studios and companies. It's definitely a love for these folks and not a huge money maker. Edited April 8, 2012 by kck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KimberlyNC Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 We pay fees thru tickets (tickets are $7.50 each). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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