Ballet shouldn't charge the same

[wholelottahistory]

Dd is on grade 2 and we've just had an email saying classes will go ahead as non-sylabus classes on instagram live.
There has been no reduction in fees - dd does 2 hours per week and it costs about £11.50 per lesson.
Our school fees have been cut by 25% for next term, and a musical theatre class she does has been cut by about 45% as it will be on zoom.
Conversely, her individual singing lesson with peripatetic teacher is still £20 for 30 mins on skype, but that is 1 to 1.
Wibu to email ballet school to mention I feel there could/should be a small reduction?
I think she will get governmental help although I know it is slow....

Our dance school is not doing online classes and they expect everyone to pay full class fees.

This is a total of £300 p/m for my kids.

I am losing more than £300 per month by being Furloughed. Therefore, it isn’t possible for me to pay this.

Chatting to other parents, they are in the same boat and also won’t be paying.

My Performing Arts school are still charging full price for online classes but we are teaching syllabus if that what’s the class is an exam taking class. We are still continuing with all lessons online including instruments, dance, drama, singing, musical theatre, privates etc. We are continuing because we plan to have exam sessions/comps/shows that are missed as soon as possible when this is over and we need to keep up with students who currently/are planning to work in the industry (yes some of these are kids as we’re based in London). We also have a waiting list for online classes as some parents are looking for stuff for kids to do as some clubs/hobbies aren’t online as we won’t take bigger classes than we would teach in a studio. We are fully insured to teach live online classes btw.

I'd think yourself lucky you've had the discounts and you can afford all these classes anyway.
We are still paying full price for music lessons, they're on Skype and no discount from school, but that's fair enough.

If you don't want to pay, give notice and then they can fill the place.
I think most people are charging the same if they are offering the same service, albeit online.

Ballet cannot be taught safely via video or at least not to the standard needed. Offer half or cancel.

I will be paying full fees for next term of full time vocational college for although I know some parents have complained. That's because I know the overheads etc they have and if we don't pay our fees there will be no school come September (also helps the government pays the majority of our fees). Ds's recreational dance school has a limited timetable of zoom classes and you pay as you go. There is a slight reduction and you pay per family, not per child. Ds has also had a zoom piano lesson that costs more than his usual school based lessons but a bit less than the rate of the teacher he had it with (he's a very high calibre teacher who usually only teaches professionals).

I wouldn't want to be paying full rate for Instagram based syllabus classes as you although I appreciate the work required (I used to run classes myself and dh is a singing teacher) you are not getting the full advantage on Instagram as there is no feedback or corrections and without corrections you may as well log onto one of the free classes currently out there.

With zoom it is a bit different as that can be set up so the teacher can see the participants.

We also have the advantage of an empty dining room (having just moved house) with harlequin cascade layer and a portable barre. Many kids won't have that space, even college level dancers struggle.

Umnoway

"Cubs have said we’re welcome to pause standing orders until it’s back up and running although they’d appreciate it if we didn’t. I’ve made the decision to pause it because I refuse to pay for something we’re not using."

I absolutely still want to pay for cubs (although our income has not been affected and I wouldn't blame anyone for cancelling if their income was affected).

Our wonderful cub leaders give our children amazing and life enriching opportunities such such camping/ campfire cooking/ water safety/ road safety/ swimming galas/ indoor and out door games/ water pistol fights... These people who give their time freely after a busy week at work don't charge a penny! They simply ask for subs towards expenses and building costs and maintenance. Ours are £10 a month! I want to support cubs and for cubs to be there for my child when this is over and I really don't understand how you could begrudge them.

so the class is still running? Then yes of course pay.

so the class is still running? Then yes of course pay.

I’m very picky about what I pay for. I’d he very wary of paying full price for an Instagram based syllabus class for a young child and to be frank would not think very highly of a teacher who thought such a class was safe or advisable.

There are better, safer ways of providing dance classes online but the big thing is that students mustn’t be asked to do something new they haven’t attempted before. For younger children it should be more of a fun, keep you going thing than anything else.

For cubs, volunteer led, it would be quite mean

For ballet, if they offer online lessons, could you not try out? It might be nicer than not doing the classes?

My dd dance school are still asking for full fees if possible. They’re doing lessons via zoom, although not as many hours and usual, but they’re trying their best and dd is enjoying them. I would hate for the business to close so I’m still paying. However I’m in the very fortunate position that my income hasn’t changed so I can afford it. Still paying for other things like swimming lessons too because the teachers are self employed and I also want to keep my slot. My view is that what goes around comes around and if you can still afford it/your income is unchanged then you should still pay. Obviously for those who have suffered financially it’s a different situation.

I think if you're lucky enough to be relatively financially unscathed you should keep paying where you can. My dh and I are furloughed but his work are making up most of his salary and accounting for childcare and travel we're no worse off. We're being a bit cautious because there's always a worry about redundancy but we're keeping up with our regular payments because I'm going to feel like shit about those savings if good businesses go under.

also helps the government pays the majority of our fees

You're not really paying full then, are you.

Interested at the number of posters who think an online class equates the same as virtual class. Before all this virtual classes were almost almost cheaper if not substantially cheaper....

I think it should be reduced. In a live class, the teacher can advise and coach your daughter. Min an instragram lesson, she can’t see how well your daughter is doing and suggest any improvements.

My children’s ballet school is asking for full fees, we’re not paying as the children aren’t attending the Zoom classes. Irish dance haven’t asked for any fees and have refunded the fees for the cancelled classes. No fees for swimming lessons and down to £5/month for swim club. No fees for gymnastics either. DH has been furloughed, we need to watch our bank account and this is an area we can save on hugely across 4 DC.

@Soontobe60 I don't think that sounds like a lot of after school activities really.

@Standrewsschool my dd dance teacher has been really good at giving corrections via zoom. She’s shows them an exercise then they practise together then she asks them to do it one by one. She sits really close to the monitor and can offer relevant corrections and ask them to do it again if necessary. She also asks them to do slight variations on an exercise making it either easier or harder depending on the child’s ability. No it isn’t as good as a real class, but the dance teacher really is trying her best under difficult circumstances.

Like I said we haven’t been impacted financially (both public sector key workers) so we are lucky that we can afford to keep paying as we usually would. I can completely understand not paying though if you’re in a financially difficult situation. This is part of the reason why I think people like me should continue to pay. It’s a wonderful dance school that’s been running for years and I would hate for it to go out of business. Dd will 100% want to go back once all this is over.

This is the most upper class post I’ve ever heard.

Why don’t you fire one of your butlers and ask a chauffeur to reduce his hours?
Perhaps sell some of your 18th century wine from the cellar?

@Soontobe60 You didn't miss the point, you chose to be judgemental and critical

Aye, I thought the same. Let the bairn have a break man. Christ.

Upper class? Middle class, perhaps. And in any case, what’s wrong with a post reflecting this lifestyle? It’s as if being middle/ upper class is inherently bad. No one would ever lament a post for being ‘working class’.

Dds dance school are not charging. They are also offering a reduced amount of zoom lessons for free. Half hour instead of an hour and not all disciplines. However, this is a very lucrative business and well oiled machine, which has been running for a few decades. Not all schools can do this, especially small set ups or start ups. I think how you play it will depend on your financial situation and how much value your dd attaches to her lessons.

Struggling to give a flying fuck. Fee-paying schools are a blot on a civilised society.

OP, if you don't support the business by paying the fees, it's likely not to be there much longer.
I can't begin to tell you the horror of your business just folding beneath you. Skype lessons are our saviour atm, having lost all other avenues and it wasn't a business with all eggs in one basket neither.
We are in the NW, but were doing the south leg of our tour in Devon.
As we left, one cancellation notification came one after the other continuously until our diaries were empty.
Please support The Arts as much as you can, they will be the last to recover.

A wonderful situation to find yourself in when many people are being made redundant and claiming benefits.

As others have said if you want your ballet school to be there when the apocalypse is over please pay her.