Dancing Through the Recession

We’ve talked before about finding a great teacher, but what happens when you find a bad one? For that matter, how do you recognize that someone is a bad teacher? Above all, how can you leave a studio with your dignity, relationships, and finances intact?

It’s Not You… It’s Me

In our article on finding teachers, we discussed finding a teacher who can help you reach your goals as a dancer. A teacher is the wrong teacher if they’re not helping you reach your goals for any reason. Those last three words are important. A teacher can do a great job in many respects but if you’re not achieving your goals, he or she isn’t the right teacher for you. I cannot make this clear enough: someone can be an excellent teacher but wrong for a given student. You are the only standard by which you can measure the teacher, you and no one else.

A few years ago, I was taking lindy hop classes with a university organization. These were good teachers who had trained many very skilled dancers and built a thriving lindy hop community where none existed. In addition to my two hours of weekly class, I was also taking semi-regular private lessons from them. Both the class and the lessons were extremely well priced, and I was able to go out to the organization’s social dances and hold my own as a beginner. When I went to lindy hop events, however, I found myself lost and confused. The lessons had prepared me to dance with the organization’s dancers, but not in the larger lindy hop community. I recognized that while I was getting a lot out these lessons, they weren’t right for me. When it came time to renew my lessons, I opted out and devoted the time and money to my ballroom lessons.

The above case is an example of a no-fault break. The teachers were doing a great job, but it wasn’t what the student is looking for. This is extremely common. There are many approaches to dancing, and to the teaching of dance, such that it is extremely unlikely a teacher’s default method will be perfect for every student. A good teacher will be able to adapt to meet the student’s goals in private lessons, and good students will focus on getting what they can out of group classes even when the class’s focus doesn’t perfectly suit their goals, but if these modifications are insufficient it may be time to leave that teacher.

Another common sticking point is price. Dance can be very expensive, and if you don’t feel you’re getting your money’s worth it is absolutely time to move on. A friend of mine was taking lessons from a former Soviet champion. They were working on slow waltz and, after months, the teacher had only shown her the turning box. Due to all of the teacher’s emphasis on technique, my friend had the most beautiful turning box I have ever seen, but she had no knowledge of the rest of the dance. She moved on to another coach who helped her expand her exquisite technique to other steps. This is a case where the student was getting a great deal out of the lessons, but not enough to justify the price she was paying.

Finally, some teachers are just bad. The United States does not require dance teachers to be certified or even have undergone training in order to teach dance. A would-be teacher could simply order a few dance videos and syllabi then set up an operation teaching dance, all the while reading the books and trying to stay one step ahead of the students. And by could, I mean this happens with unfortunate regularity. Still other teachers may be great dancers, but have little to know ability to explain to others how they do what they do, or how their students can do the same. If you’re stuck with a bad teacher, it’s time to leave.

Some signs that you have a bad teacher:

• You don’t feel you’ve learned anything in the past two lessons.

• You’re dancing feels the same as it did six months ago.

• Going to lessons has begun to feel like a burden.

• Dancing itself has begun to feel like a burden.

He’s Not Really So Bad

Once you’ve recognized a problem, don’t make excuses for the teacher, and don’t hide it. Speak to your teacher or the studio manager right away. The studio wants to keep you as a student and if you’re unhappy with the lesson, they know they need to make a change if they want you to stay with them. They may not be able to do something about a class being too fast or too slow – which, after all, must accommodate the learning speeds of all the students – but they can certainly change how they approach private lessons, or give you additional attention (or homework) so that you get more out of group classes.

Some people may bristle about criticizing their dance teacher. They may be concerned about hurting his or her feelings or coming across as a complainer. All I can say about this is that if you don’t speak up, nothing will change: the lessons will continue in their current state.

One area that absolutely must be brought to the teacher’s attention is problem students. You may not consider this to be the teacher’s fault, but he or she is responsible for conduct within the class and enforcing said conduct. When I first switched to WordPress, the very first article we published automatically linked to One Smart Cookie’s blog about some very unpleasant group class experiences. I was shocked at what the teacher was allowing to go on in her class. The following activities are never acceptable in a group class and it is the teacher’s job to stop them:

• Intoxicated students.
• Students criticizing other students.
• Poor hygiene.

Students should not have to confront one another about these problems, and a teacher who can’t handle them in a respectful but firm manner, is not mature enough to teach.

Getting Out

You’ve identified a problem teacher, you’ve tried to deal with the problem through proper channels, and it’s still not working out. You may need to leave the teacher. How do you handle this properly? The dance community is very small; bad-mouthing the teacher will not help you. Creating a dramatic exit will not help you. Both of these actions are likely to follow you around, may cost you your friends who still take lessons from that teacher, and may make it difficult to get any remaining tuition refunded to you.

The easiest, and often best thing to do, is to simply finish your current enrollment and not renew. If you always purchase lessons individually this is as simple as not showing up again. If you’re on a package, you can finish the rest of your lessons but don’t sign up for any additional lessons. Note that some studios, may put pressure on you to continue, as evidenced in the following Yelp review:

On to the sales pitches. They’re neverending! You think a used car lot is bad? These guys put them to shame. Also, with as many items that you have to pay for (see the list above)….you can see how often you get hit with them. Their routine is to pull you into a closed room with either the studio owner, or the assistant manager…and occasionally your instructor to “tag team” you. It’s hideously uncomfortable, and almost to the point of being sleazy.

These sales pitches can be helpful as a way to ask questions and learn about the program, however if your mind is made up to leave, don’t let them pressure you into a private room for a consultation, and if they do get you in there stay resolute. Most studios, even those that do use sales methods such as this, are respectful of their students but there are unfortunate exceptions.

Your teacher may ask you why you’ve decided to leave. If you followed the advice given above, and spoke to the instructor about problems you were having before you decided to leave, this won’t be a surprise to him or her. Simply remain respectful but reiterate your complaints and emphasize that they have not been sufficiently addressed. If you did not talk to your teacher while he or she could have still done something to help you, don’t be surprised if they seem upset.

The biggest hurdle is getting your money back if you still have lessons remaining. Unfortunately, getting refunds from dance studios can be an incredibly difficult prospect. Your best bet is not to speak to them directly but to write a letter. I have seen people spend weeks trying to get a refund in person or over the phone without much success, and I have seen manager’s writing refund checks after scarcely reading letters. Your letter should have the following sections:

1. Remind them who you are. Identify your name, your teacher, your level, when you started at the studio, and, if you’re on a package, when you started your current package.
2. Explain your complaints and any steps you took to have them addressed. The more you can demonstrate you’ve already tried to reconcile this with the studio, the more likely the manager is to issue a refund without further attempts at reconciliation.
3. Request a refund. Be specific and request a certain amount, as well as how you arrived at that figure. For example, “We are requesting a $500 refund for the unused 10 lessons of our 20 lesson package.” If you signed a contract, search the contract for any information regarding refunds and include the relevant text.
4. Include all your contact information in case the teacher or manager has any questions.

Send the letter by certified mail. If you do not hear from the studio within one week (mark it on your calendar) call and ask to speak to the manager.

It is an unfortunate when a student must break off ties with a his or her studio, but your dancing is too valuable for you to waste your resources on people who aren’t helping you become the dancer you want to be.

Tags: Lessons, Money

This entry was posted on June 14, 2009 at 12:01 AM and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.