I've been reading some old posts and now I have a question. I'm curious to know what your pro charges for competitions? I just switched to a new teacher (we worked together in the past but he moved out of the area) and he charges the following
$30 freestyle $100 solos (don't think I'll do those at the comps)
Scholarships are based on the number of dances at a rate of $30 a dance.
Plus, he figures $40 a day for food, and then I have to pay my share of his room and gas and transportation.
So what's the current rate? Are his costs somewhat normal for the Los Angeles area?
The only thing I don't agree with is that fact that his girlfriend and pro partner gets her "share" of the room they have for free. Maybe I'm being silly, but I think she should pay one half of the costs.
Your rates are comparable to what I've been paying recently. They're low by some people's standards, and a little high by others'.
As far as sharing the room goes, if the girlfriend wasn't along then you'd still have to pay the full price for the room, so from his point of view it doesn't matter one way or the other. I can see where you're coming from on this, but the truth is that I think it's fine to not question if his girlfriend will be sleeping over or not and asking her to pay for it
quote:Originally posted by DancingDiva: Hey there!
So what's the current rate? Are his costs somewhat normal for the Los Angeles area?
DancingDiva
In a word, the rate is 'whatever the market will bear'. If he decides that you should pay $200 per song, that's the cost of proam and the cost of you not finding a partner. He is in business, after all, and the charges he wants you to pay are what he wants... you can't bargain at the local supermarket, saying that the Corn Flakes should be cheaper because you saw that they got them unloaded froma bigger truck than the Grape Nuts did...
That said, the 'ethical' question' of where the money goes is somewhat of a nonissue, isn't it? You don't ask the waitstaff at the restaurant that you tipped how the tip is divided up. Yes, the teacher 'volunteered' where the money was going, but even if it was (as I assume it was) to convince you that his price was good, you really have no recourse on how he uses his fees. Knowing that he says that he thinks that what he proposed is fair is telling but not something to argue... it just means that he feels that what he said he thought was fair. Use this information in the future as a benchmark of what he thinks is business.
In other words, if how the $$s are divided up makes a difference in wheter you do the deal or not, then I say don't do it. If it is simply a 'proposed talking point' in negotiations, than I say go for it but be prepared for a negative reaction - or the possibility that next time the rates will be higher.
If you actually took up your lesson time to discuss these rates, then shame on you! LOL
quote:Originally posted by Just a Girl: In a word, the rate is 'whatever the market will bear'. If he decides that you should pay $200 per song, that's the cost of proam and the cost of you not finding a partner. He is in business, after all, and the charges he wants you to pay are what he wants... you can't bargain at the local supermarket, saying that the Corn Flakes should be cheaper because you saw that they got them unloaded froma bigger truck than the Grape Nuts did...
That said, the 'ethical' question' of where the money goes is somewhat of a nonissue, isn't it? You don't ask the waitstaff at the restaurant that you tipped how the tip is divided up. Yes, the teacher 'volunteered' where the money was going, but even if it was (as I assume it was) to convince you that his price was good, you really have no recourse on how he uses his fees. Knowing that he says that he thinks that what he proposed is fair is telling but not something to argue... it just means that he feels that what he said he thought was fair. Use this information in the future as a benchmark of what he thinks is business.
In other words, if how the $$s are divided up makes a difference in wheter you do the deal or not, then I say don't do it. If it is simply a 'proposed talking point' in negotiations, than I say go for it but be prepared for a negative reaction - or the possibility that next time the rates will be higher.
If you actually took up your lesson time to discuss these rates, then shame on you! LOL
Sorry for the 'rant'...
Your rant is uh...ok but really makes no sense to me. And yes I did take some lesson time to talk about this. As soon as I was done with my lesson, he had to go teach another couple at another studio. I drove almost 3 hours to take lessons with him. Since I'm going to compete soon, I thought it was better to get THAT (the pricing) out in the open now rather than be surprised later.
So ends my answer to the "rant" (And yes I'm being silly!)
quote:Originally posted by Joe: If your teacher is competing at the comp with his pro partner/gf it's not fair to put the entire cost on his students.
Not the entire cost, just the room. It's common practice for the students to pay for the teacher's room and then if the teacher brings his partner then she stays there. She still pays for her own plane tickets and other expenses. I'm just saying that this one isn't worth arguing over.
Not the entire cost, just the room. It's common practice for the students to pay for the teacher's room and then if the teacher brings his partner then she stays there. She still pays for her own plane tickets and other expenses. I'm just saying that this one isn't worth arguing over.
Still kind of sticks in my craw. If the teacher and partner were going on their own without students to a comp, partner would presumably pay her share of the room. Why should that change if the teacher is taking students? If he chooses to share a room with his partner, his expenses are less, and the savings should be passed on to his students. One of my Pro-Am teachers would often share rooms on the road, and do just that.
Possibly not worth going to the mat for, but it bugs me.
Not the entire cost, just the room. It's common practice for the students to pay for the teacher's room and then if the teacher brings his partner then she stays there. She still pays for her own plane tickets and other expenses. I'm just saying that this one isn't worth arguing over.
Still kind of sticks in my craw. If the teacher and partner were going on their own without students to a comp, partner would presumably pay her share of the room. Why should that change if the teacher is taking students? If he chooses to share a room with his partner, his expenses are less, and the savings should be passed on to his students. One of my Pro-Am teachers would often share rooms on the road, and do just that.
Possibly not worth going to the mat for, but it bugs me.
I agree with you as well as Laura. So my solution is simple. I will work with the one teacher I'm going with since he has other students going.
However, for my other competition to Montreal, I just won't compete with him. I have someone else I can work with and still do well AND enjoy myself BUT not be forced into paying another $900 for a second room (this will be a competition and sightseeing trip as well).
So, he can do what he wants (the one teacher) and I can do what I want.
Diva: you don't find any difficulties in switching between teachers for different, and not too far apart comps? It seems to me you need to get used to each other, to "build a partnership" of some sort, and that requires time and (many) lessons. Also, don't you worry about having bad feelings with a teacher when he sees you switching between him and someone else (unless they both work for the same studio, I suppose). I mean, teachers also become "invested" in their students, or at least the good teachers do, but only toward the students that they feel are invested in them in return, and this connection becomes a factor in the dancing. Or is it just me?
quote:Originally posted by Joe: If your teacher is competing at the comp with his pro partner/gf it's not fair to put the entire cost on his students.
Not the entire cost, just the room. It's common practice for the students to pay for the teacher's room and then if the teacher brings his partner then she stays there. She still pays for her own plane tickets and other expenses. I'm just saying that this one isn't worth arguing over.
That's all well and dandy, but if his students have to pay for his transportation to the comp (if he's doing pro entries) it ain't right. If they have to pay for his per diem for days he's going to be there anyway, it ain't right.
(And yes I'm being silly!)
