Thread: $100 an hour for private lessons!?

When would it be worth it to pay this much for privates? What would you expect to accomplish? Would it be more useful than just attending classes alone or can you get the same benefit from several classes a week? The price kinda shocked me.....c::

Originally Posted by mrsnj20

When would it be worth it to pay this much for privates? What would you expect to accomplish? Would it be more useful than just attending classes alone or can you get the same benefit from several classes a week? The price kinda shocked me.....c::

Here in Sweden that would be considered pretty normal and even cheap. The teacher probably has to pay studiorent, and the of course taxes, so if you think about it it´s not much left.

As for if it´s worth it, depends on the teacher and how used to you are working on your own on stuff in class.

Good GOD! I'd want a damn good reason for that kind of price tag before signing up for them. Privates are pricey (and should be so), but $100 sounds kind of outrageous. Admittedly, I've got no idea what the particulars of this instructor are, so I couldn't say what she/he "should" be charging. Where would they be held? Does the space need to be rented specifically for a private?

the teacher owns the studio and is a bellydance superstar

Suhaila charges about the same amount, according to her website.

The question is, do you feel you would get $100 worth of learning from that hour. Is she/he the kind of teacher who can boost you up to the next level?

Both Hadia and Denise Enan charge $100/private class - I only charge $60.

But I'm not a Master Instructor!

I guess it depends on who you want the private with.



***Further elaborating to accommodate posts further down****
$60 includes $20 studio rental in town (1hr drive for me) or $45 in my home studio (which rarely happens). I'll put in about two hours of preparation time before the lesson, so that's roughly $13/hr. I'm not trying to gouge anyone, and teaching is primarily a labor of love, but if I can't make it semi-lucrative, then I'll have to cut back on dance and return to full time work. At which point, I wouldn't have time to prepare and simply wouldn't be available for privates or the practice & training I do. And that would suck. Big time. My rate is standard for the area and I feel it's quite fair.

Paying the artists we want to learn from helps to keep them available to us.
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To go back to the original question - Private lessons have been a better asset to improving my dancing than group classes. Small class sizes and privates are definitely the way to go if you're able to.

To charge $100 per hour is symptoms of a diva.

I'm not sure if she has been teaching long enough to warrant master teacher status. How long does that take?
IF it was Jillina, I could easily pay 100 an hour because she is so experienced.

If they are a big name star that is coming into town, I would say that they ARE a Diva. I don't have a problem with that. When Raqia Hassan came to town, I took her class, paid around $125.00 per day. It was good, but crowded. I said then that they next time she comes to town, I would pay the money to have a private. I would expect to pay a least that. I think it is my responsibility to make it worth it by setting goals before heading in. Just my 2 cents.

Thalia

Originally Posted by Elektra-shimmyheat

To charge $100 per hour is symptoms of a diva.

I don't think so... some of these ladies have earned their stripes and are well worth it. I haven't looked, but I'd hazard a guess Master Instructors from other dance forms charge a hefty rate as well.

Just saw the next post. If she does not have master teacher experience, than that is a little high.

Thalia

It's a lot of money, but depending on the location, it does not seem completely unreasonable, compared to the hourly rates of e.g. electricians.

Now, whether that's worth it depends - if I wanted to learn something specific from the person, I'd say it's completely worth it. More than 20 years ago, I paid 25Euro (about $40) for 30 minutes of private equestrian lessons (my horse, my travel) without blinking an eye.

Originally Posted by mrsnj20

I'm not sure if she has been teaching long enough to warrant master teacher status. How long does that take?
IF it was Jillina, I could easily pay 100 an hour because she is so experienced.

The bottom line is, what is it worth to YOU to take classes with her? If you want to lower the price tag, what about splitting the hour with a friend?

Due to her travel schedule, Raqia didn't end up doing privates when she was here, but they were initially advertised at $100 hour as well.

As Adi said, the question is whether it's worth it to you for what you expect to get out of it. I wouldn't pay $100 for an hour with just anyone, but I'd pay it for an hour with Bozenka, Jillina or Hadia (among others) because I know I'd be getting excellent value for the money -- they're professionals who won't mess around and waste my time -- and they are very good at teaching things that I personally want to learn.

Originally Posted by Zana

Due to her travel schedule, Raqia didn't end up doing privates when she was here, but they were initially advertised at $100 hour as well.

As Adi said, the question is whether it's worth it to you for what you expect to get out of it. I wouldn't pay $100 for an hour with just anyone, but I'd pay it for an hour with Bozenka, Jillina or Hadia (among others) because I know I'd be getting excellent value for the money -- they're professionals who won't mess around and waste my time -- and they are very good at teaching things that I personally want to learn.

So if I were going to pay $100 for an hour with a teacher, how often do you all think I would have to do it to get benefit from it?(while also taking group classes). Would once a month be sufficient?

Originally Posted by Adishakti

The bottom line is, what is it worth to YOU to take classes with her? If you want to lower the price tag, what about splitting the hour with a friend?

I don't know anyone to split it with. I just moved here 2 days ago so I could study at this dance school. Maybe eventually I can meet someone that will split a private with me.

$100 is a little steep for a local teacher, but for a MASTER teacher (see: morocco, artemis, yasmin, dalia carella, and many others of decades long experience and very well travelled and schooled), worth the price......depends on the teacher's experience............

it depends on how much YOU are willing to put into it........how often depends on your finances, free time, AND what you plan to get out of it..........private instruction is ALWAYS worth it with a respected teacher.........once or twice a month should be ok, as long as you really work your tail off in those sessions, and are clear about what you want to learn

Originally Posted by ruta21030

$100 is a little steep for a local teacher, but for a MASTER teacher (see: morocco, artemis, yasmin, dalia carella, and many others of decades long experience and very well travelled and schooled), worth the price......depends on the teacher's experience............

it depends on how much YOU are willing to put into it........how often depends on your finances, free time, AND what you plan to get out of it..........private instruction is ALWAYS worth it with a respected teacher.........once or twice a month should be ok, as long as you really work your tail off in those sessions, and are clear about what you want to learn

Excellent point, Ruta. As a frequent teacher of private lessons, I love it when a student knows what she wants/needs. This might involve (if you haven't done this already) establishing some goals for yourself -- immediate, medium-term, and long-term. And be sure to ask for homework, and take your dance notebook so you can write that and other notes down.

Latifa

If it were with the right teacher (someone such as Suhaila, Morocco, or that caliber), I wouldn't consider it overpriced.

I think for it to be worth it for me I would need a clear idea of what I hoped to get out of the lesson and communicate it to the teacher ahead of time so that we could focus on doing the right work.

I just paid $100 for a private lesson with Aziza of Montreal. And I will say it was worth every penny. (It was actually $95) Also note that there is a BDSS dancer in my area that charges less than $50 for private lessons. I just wanted to play devils advocate with myself :)

thats alot of money...thats about 50 quid here!! I wouldnt pay that. I have been quoted £20 before which I find reasonable but deffo not £50.

price depends on where you are too.
$100.00 an hr in the central valley wouuld mean, you would not be working !
you CAN price yourself out of a job!
z

Originally Posted by mrsnj20

the teacher owns the studio and is a bellydance superstar

Ah, well there you go! That sort of price tag is to be expected with a degree of celebrity and calibre. I was operating under the (false) assumption that you were referring to either your regular instructor or someone on the standard (meaning non-celibrity or big name status) circuit. In this case, the $100/hr isn't too astrinomical, although whether or not it would be 'worth it' would depend on what you want to get out of it, whether or not the instructor's teaching/dance style suits you, and how much you review what you learned on your own time. After you have one class, you'll be able to determine if a monthly private session is worth the moolah.

Originally Posted by theesfield

I just paid $100 for a private lesson with Aziza of Montreal. And I will say it was worth every penny. (It was actually $95) Also note that there is a BDSS dancer in my area that charges less than $50 for private lessons. I just wanted to play devils advocate with myself :)

I guess it depends on who it is, ultimately. Aziza can command that much, because she's reputed as both an excellent teacher and excellent dancer, as well as having the celebrity status.

I can't fault anyone for charging that much, because if I could, I would. However, as a consumer, it's up to me as the consumer to determine what I find worth my money. Being a BDSS, IMO, wouldn't be enough of a reason for me, because there are plenty of dancers worthy of that title who do not have it.

Since it sounds like money is a factor for you, I'd look at what your goals are and see if this person will really help you achieve them. Commanding a high cost doesn't always mean calibre

Dondi - who is a bellydance superstar - was going to charge me $60 for private lessons at her house. She actually came to see me perform at one of my restaurant gigs, and took notes. We were going to start classes but then she said her scheduled got all weird, and wasn't able to anymore (out of town or something) But she gave me her notes.
My experience with her her was absolutely amazing, she's sweet and very cool (I was shocked when she offered and actually came to see me dance- chered, and tipped an had a good time). Too bad I wasn't actually have the classes.
I would have paid more than $60 for her.

But a $100 better have a really good reason, like the teacher lived in Egypt for 5 years, etc.

That really is not an unreasonable price for one on one time with an Instructor who knows their stuff. You should be able to process quite a bit if information and detail. It could be considered the equivalent of taking a couple of months worth of classes but all detailed to your body type, personal style and preferences. But do your homework first to ensure you get what you want out of it...Shah

Originally Posted by Marianna

Dondi - who is a bellydance superstar - was going to charge me $60 for private lessons at her house. She actually came to see me perform at one of my restaurant gigs, and took notes. We were going to start classes but then she said her scheduled got all weird, and wasn't able to anymore (out of town or something) But she gave me her notes.
My experience with her her was absolutely amazing, she's sweet and very cool (I was shocked when she offered and actually came to see me dance- chered, and tipped an had a good time). Too bad I wasn't actually have the classes.
I would have paid more than $60 for her.

But a $100 better have a really good reason, like the teacher lived in Egypt for 5 years, etc.

It sounds like Dondi would have been a good teacher. Too bad she went out of town.

i dont agree with this at all. I think that just because someone is a bellydance superstar it does not mean they can exploit others and use their reputation to make silly money from people who want to learn. Im sure they wouldnt of liked paying a huge amount when they were first starting out.
Fair enough charging a fortune for performing but to charge other dancers a fortune for one hour is silly. £50/$100 may not sound a great deal but it is when you consider here in the UK we pay about £4 an hour to be taught by excellent teachers. They may be fantastic performers but they might be awful teachers!! I just think its an insult to the other teachers around who work hard and dont rip people off.
Fair play that this is their only source of income but surely they could afford to charge less than that for one hour of their time.
Sorry for the rant but I just hate people taking the p*ss!!!!!
I am off to a free workshop with Shafeek at the liverpool arabic arts festival...its an hour and its free!! He may not be a BDSS but he is very well known and respected and does this for free...so there :P

I think it's fair you and others (myself included) don't wish to spend that much money. However, if there's a demand for it, I can't fault someone for charging that much. As consumers, it's our choice to let our money speak for us. As you pointed out, there are plenty of good people out there who aren't charging high amounts.

It sounds like Dondi or people who do things like that are excellent and are well worth the amount. It may take an hour to prepare a lesson (or more; I haven't done this), an hour to observe, and an hour to teach the lesson. $20/hr, from that POV (and not including travel and studio costs), is still good pay for the teacher but it isn't absurd.

Actually, Ibrahim Farrah used to charge $100 an hour for private lessons in the 1990's. Luckily, I was one of his faves, so he only charged me half that, but it was always worth every penny.