Does studio conditions affect student attendance?

[Elektra]

Does the studio where you teach BD classes affect student attendance. I was pondering about this idea because here in New york City we have a wide range of dance studios to choose to rent in order to teach. Some studios are super cheap in price to rent but they are really run down with bad flooring, no AC, looking like they are about to collapse any day. The nicer studios are well maintained with central air systems, beautiful wood flooring and surround sound stereo (of course for a higher price to rent).

Personally, I believe students continue to take classes with an instructor based on her teaching abilities not based on the studio conditions. But I do wonder, if there are students who care about the conditions of a dance studio. I know many legendary, well-known instrutors who teach at the most run-down studios in the city in order to pocket the more profit.

There is one place in particular that is so run-down you litterally are afraid the ceiling will cave in and yet that place is super popular because is so cheap to rent and some of NYC finest belly dance instructors teach there. And these instructors charge so much although they pay close to nothing in renting fees. Not all instructors do this, most instructors do rent decent studios.
Most of the regular or popular instructors teach at great locations. These instructors tend to charge less for the classes but they themselves profit less because they pay higer renting fees.

The logic of it all doesn't seem to make much sense...

So I'm wondering is it worth teaching at a low budget studio? And even if that is so or not, Does the conditions of the studio ever have an impact on the student overall attendance?

 

[Aisha Azar]

Studio conditions

Dear Elektra,
As a teacher I care about the condition of the studio where I teach because I want my students to be comfortable. The air conditining is not so important to me, but heat is.
Unfortunately, in the last year, the studio where I have taught for about 12 years now, is sort of falling apart. The ceiling developed some leaks, the floor is a mess because Irish step dancers have been working in there in their big black shoes. Every time they do something about the leaks, the heating system get messed up.
At one point I was ready to move on, but the owner is an old freind and we have discussed it. She is slowly dealing with the issues and the floor will be fixed this summer when many of us are out of there for a break. The heat has been fine lately and the leaks are fixed. As long as she comes through with the floors this summer, I will stay, but if the floors are not taken care of, then I will have to look for a new place. We don't need anyplace fancy, but we DO need a floor that is safe to dance on and we need it to be warm for the students.

Regards,
A'isha

 

[Suheir]

The state of a studio will certainly influence my attendance at workshops - no air-con in the summer, bad floor and cramped conditions put me right off.

 

[Mandii]

I dont mind bad floor or a ceiling about to cave in, but air conditioning is a biggie with me. When I get too hot I feel tired and I dont want to do anything, however, the cold is good because it makes me work harder to stay warm so I dance more. So the conditions wouldnt be a real biggie, except for the climate control, if I have been with my teacher, but I dont know that I would start with a new teacher if the studio was in poor shape. IMHO I think when you see a run down studio you think, maybe the teacher cant do better, because they dont have a following, I rarely think that people want to do less then the best because it reflects poorly on them. Just my thoughts. Good Luck!

 

[sstacy123]

If I, as a student was looking for a new place for lessons it could be a factor in making a choice, especially if I have many teachers to choose from. If I was already taking classes and I liked my instructor I wouldnt quit because of it unless it was really bad (no a/c in Alabama in the summer would probably make me consider a new place)

 

[KuteNurse]

The studio where I am taking lessons is not in the best neighborhood, but the studio is clean, with good floors, lots of mirrors and lots of laughter! The ceilings will not cave in anytime soon. As for climate control, it is still cool in Minnesota so I do not know what it will be like. I also am sensitive to heat and I would be much more comfortable in a studio where air conditioning is available.

 

[Amanda (was Aziyade)]

As a student, I don't want to take class on a concrete floor, or in any studio where I'm afraid of being alone in the parking lot.

No space is perfect, but if it looks like a demilitarized zone, I can't imagine many people wanting to hang around there.

But then in the ballet world, there's a weird sense of
Destroyed = Serious

And so by that "logic," the studio that looks as though it's seen the most wear OBVIOUSLY trains the better dancers! I have never understood that, but I bought into it.

 

[Aisha Azar]

Studio

Dear Aziyade,
I notice that a LOT of dance studios, unless they are chains, tend to be in poorer, rougher neighborhoods. I think this is because that's where we can afford to rent!! Of course, that does not need to have an effect on cleanliness or the indoor condition of the place.
Regards,
A'isha

 

[Sara]

I think mirrors is a biggie. We don't have one! GOt everything else, but no mirrors. I think a nice light room is more inspiring though than a dark cramped one. It makes you feel brighter and more alert.

 

[Aisha Azar]

Studios, etc

Dear Sara,
I so totally agree with you!! I HATE either teaching or learning without benefit of mirrors. That's one thing I despise about those big, overcrowded workshops in hotel ballrooms or gymnasiums. I just got done talking about that very thing with somebody!!
Regards,
A'isha

 

[charity]

i agree with stacy, if there were several equally good teachers to choose from studio quality would be a factor. i'd go with the largest student/space ratio.

in class when we work on turns and traveling, students have to tuck their arms in to prevent smacking someone beside, behind, and in front of them. to me this is no big deal because the trade off is floor to ceiling mirrors and hard wood floors. i wouldnt even take class in a space that had no mirrors.

a/c is no big deal to me. if heat were so unbearable for 1-2 hours out of the day then i would hope the teacher would invest in a window unit.

 

[Amanda (was Aziyade)]

There was only one time when my husband "interfered" with my dancing, and that was when a former teacher moved her classes to a studio in a really bad neighborhood. I later decided I didn't want to take class there when the instructor started locking the front door to keep the locals from wandering around inside. Too spooky!

Dear Aziyade,
I notice that a LOT of dance studios, unless they are chains, tend to be in poorer, rougher neighborhoods. I think this is because that's where we can afford to rent!! Of course, that does not need to have an effect on cleanliness or the indoor condition of the place.
Regards,
A'isha

 

[gwinity]

My classes are in the local community centres, and for those of us who get there early, there's the moving of furniture, and scouring the floor for staples and other sharp objects left over from the previous class. We don't have mirrors, but after it gets dark outside, the windows make a good substitute. No A/C, but there are overhead fans (which do make things a little awkward for veilwork). Chairs and tables and doors not quite shoved completely out of the way make for obstacles which teach us stage positioning, and how to recover gracefully when you dance into something. It's friendly, safe, welcoming, and cheap - for both us and the teacher.

I've never taken classes in a 'proper' dance studio, so I don't know what I'm missing, but from all the references I've seen in pop-culture movies (I'm a sucker for dance films) and from the discussion here they seem to be either sterile and uninviting, or grungy and dangerous. I think I'll stick with the community centre.

 

[Aisha Azar]

Studio

Dear Aziyade,
I used to take the occasional class from Feiruz when she lived in Seattle. The studio was in a very bad part of town. It was worth it!! I would always be with friends and we did not leave or arrive alone. the amazing thing is that any place becomes the bad part of town if you are being harassed or attacked. It can and does happen anywhere.
Regards,
A'isha

 

[Aniseteph]

The place I go to now has a lovely floor and mirrors on two walls so you can check out the side view for a change! :shok: :dance:

It must be difficult to not have mirrors at all. But the most annoying for me is when there isn't space to spread out so you can all see the teacher. I gave up hiding at the back, just so I can see what's going on properly and not spend the whole class dodging around for a clear sight-line.

 

[Moon]

In my monthly classes, there are no mirrors and actually I don't miss them at al :lol:

 

[da Sage]

My favorite BD class is in the best local studio I've seen (heat, AC, free/close parking, great hardwood floors, mirrors on three sides, A+ acoustics).

It is also the closest belly dance class to my house (only 3 or 4 miles), and there's a bread bakery right next door (so I can buy a savory roll and Coke on my way home). The class time is ideal for my schedule.

The class is consistently challenging, but I'm comfortable with the format and the pace, so it's not overwhelming.

The great location is great, but it's the teacher and her teaching style that makes the class. I'd travel a long way to continue learning with her, but I'm glad I don't have to.:dance:

 

[Midnight Siren]

I dance in 2 different studios. One has wooden floors, air con and mirrors at the front and is also quite spacious and the other studio is cold, old but huge though no mirrors, windows,a/c etc. I'm not too fussed where I dance, I think it's more important that you are getting good tuition!

 

[Aisha Azar]

Studio

Dear Group,
For me, a good venue with mirrors and heat is very important, but the most important thing of all is the quality of the teaching. All the dance comforts in the world do not make up for a bad instructor or compare to a great one!! The very best is when you can get it all in one place.
Regards,
A'isha!!

 

[Tikvah]

Studio space can help me decide between teachers. I want to feel safe going to or leaving class, feel safe with my feet turning and gliding on the floor (that goes for performance places too!), and a decent amount of space per student.

When I have multiple options, I will pick a good teacher over a bad space though )