Dance clubs in the US???

[Ranosha K]

I was born and raised in Austria, where I also learned ballroom dancing. In Austria, dancing is a rite of passage for many teens, and virtually everybody I know/knew is familiar with the basic steps of most standard and Latin dances.

I already know that this is not the case in the US. However, the thing that always shocks me is the price of lessons in this country! In Austria and Germany, I was a member of a Tanzclub (literally translated, a dance club) for about 200 Euros per person per year. There was a minimal fee of 3 Euros for lessons and free access to the floor space. The level of instruction was excellent, and it was fun. We were mostly social dancers, but there were some competitive couples as well.

Do you know of similar institutions (outside of universities) in the US? I find the prices of dance studios utterly ridiculous. My husband and I are not interested in competition dancing, but enjoy high level social dancing. We are not really interested in courses for the general community as they tend to focus on ballroom basics...Ideally, what we are looking for is something like my former dance club in Vienna

Any ideas or suggestions? Thank you in advance.

[greatcyber]

Hello Ranosha K,
One would think with the popularity of dance shows on television there should be much interest in exactly what you are talking about. You may find that looking into vocational schools, you may find that you can take intermediate/advanced ballroom classes for a nominal fee. It depends where in the country you are residing.

Have you googled dance clubs for the area in which you live? You may just get lucky and find a club that has been put together. Also check the social networking sites (Facebook, etc.) and do a similar search. If you don't find any hits, why don't you consider starting a post on a site or in your local newspapaer that indicates that you would like to start such a club and see what kind of hits you get. I would assume you will find many other people who are in the same position as you and want to enjoy dancing and learning without having to resort to basic steps.

As a former teacher at Fred Astaire and Arthur Murray studios, I can tell you that you are right about the cost. It is a racket meant only to take your money and they have had many complaints lodged in their history.

Best of luck in your endeavour.