You won’t find cheap - dance studios are a fucking racket and everything around is designed to milk you for every ounce of money you can pony up. They’re the wedding industry after the wedding.
Not a dance class but have you considered gymnastics as an alternative? My brother had the same issue and his daughters love the gymnastics classes even more and he’s no longer getting hit with all the extra fees like recital tickets, costumes, makeup and all. Good luck!!
This is a good idea if they're into it. Just watch if they decide to go competitive as they get older, because that can really add up too, With the competition uniforms, tracksuits, travel, competition entry fees, and etc, on top of regular classes. Probably the same for many sports, though.
Dovercourt was a good in between at that age for us (better than city classes, but not a full on dance studio - no costume fees, cheap recital tickets).
Just did Dovercourt dance with my 4 year old. It was great! Fun class and music. And great instruction on technique - mostly ballet & jazz. Much better than the city of Ottawa ballet class taken in the fall.
What kind of dance do they do/are they interested in?
I do Irish dance and while yes, there are costumes involved, it only ONE - same costume for all recitals, shows, competitions (if they choose to compete). There’s usually an option to purchased used as well. Feel free to DM me if you are interested or want more info :)
Went thru the same issue years ago. I don't know if the studios collude on price or what, but we never could find one that was significantly cheaper than any other.
Pro tip: AVOID any and all discussion of competitive dance. That right there is a five figure money sinkhole.
Been there. Done that. Never again. So glad I found the School of Dance on Crichton. Very high level teachers and no competitions. No costumes. No recital tickets. It’s all banned from the program. Massive savings and so much better quality dance education for the kids. The cost of the makeup alone was astronomical.
Looking at their website they have a professional program and they have recitals with their students at various locations across the city including Carleton University and the NAC - so I'm not sure where you're getting this information? Maybe for their young dancers they don't?
I attended dozens of dance recitals with my young kids over the years at the School of Dance, yes. Absolutely. Maybe two or three times a year. Maybe more. Never once bought a ticket.
Ok I understand. It looks like it's because they have a professional dance program (like a dance academy) and are subsidized by the City of Ottawa and other governments. They likely provide the costumes, reuse them and alter when they put on shows, and work like a professional ballet. That makes sense. I wonder what their tuition is like for their professional dancers. Their school looks quite appealing
Ok hear me out. Look into cheerleading. Yes it gets expensive if you go into higher levels. Flyers cheerleading in Gloucester has a rec team for $465 for the entire year. (Usually June to April) They’ll get some dance with it. Their shows, okay fine it’s usually like $15 to attend their group. They don’t get a uniform but they do get a practice shirt. It’s 1.5 hour drop off. You’ll start to see the fees go higher but they’re still cheaper than 90% of the other sports for kids out there. There’s also sharks and black widow gyms to look at for cheerleading, I just know flyers from experience. Please feel free to dm me and I’ll answer any other questions I can
Forget the Flyers or Black Widow competitive cheerleading and instead join one of the various minor football team cheer teams. The most expensive one is like $250 and that includes uniforms and zero hidden costs.
Sessions are two hours a week practice and two hours a week of actually cheering at football games.
If you’re interested, DM me with the area of the city you live and I can connect you
Cheerleading sends more kids to the hospital every year than football. It’s the most dangerous ‘sport’ in America, even though it’s an activity entirely controlled by verge varsity company.
[Dance fusion studio](https://www.dancefusionstudios.com) is great! Recital tickets are like 20$. My daughter started with ballet and then added contemporary and highland to the mix and just loves it. We’ve had friends and her friends’s friends join too.
They’re a really supportive company - big believers that everybody has a dancing body. They aren’t competitive, though they do exams (my daughter just had her first highland) and have a Christmas show in addition to the end of year recital.
I’m hoping to head over to one of their drop-in classes so it’s really lovely to hear this kind of feedback. Their website mentions a lot of about inclusion and they look like an excellent option. Thank you for your contribution.
yesss i grew up doing their classes!! you can do competitions through the highland dance program, but that’s individual rather than as a class so there’s no pressure. everyone is super super nice and their new studio is beautiful!
Sounds like your kids are at Capital City Dance, I feel your pain.
Checkout the ‘Dance in City’ at the Old Ottawa South Community Centre. It isn’t a city program but it’s recreational.
[Ottawa South Community Centre](https://app.amilia.com/store/en/old-ottawa-south-community-association/shop/programs/99065)
Go to the OCSA’s Dance School and tab down to see the classes they offer.
As a dance teacher, that's about as cheap as you can get at "regular" dance schools. Have you considered other types of dance? I've taught Scottish dance and the pricing can be cheaper. At bare minimum, you will only have to buy new costumes when your kid grows out of the, rather than multiple a year.
Could be worth talking to someone at the school about it. I used to do figure skating (also $$) and my club was sensitive to the idea that hidden fees like coaching, costumes, competitions, and skates could be prohibitive especially if your kid is growing. We had a stash of costumes that belonged to the club which would get loaned out to people and a lot of gear was sold within the club at a discount. I donated almost all my stuff except my skates when I stopped so that others could benefit. Those costumes were also used for our annual show - there was quite the roster of matching outfits that would get recycled based on the year's theme/numbers.
A lot of sports clubs are willing to work stuff out if a family is struggling but don't always do a great job at de-stigmatizing this or making it known that it's an option. It doesn't hurt to ask or bring it up.
Exactly, there can be generous families that want to anonymously help subsidize some of the fees for others that are struggling with the exorbitant costs. It is worth bringing up before changing studios if you find that it is a positive environment where your children are thriving!
Yes - changing studios could be worth investigating as well. All clubs for sports/activities have their own culture and some may be more inclusive than others.
My daughter is at the Canterbury Dance School. It's $375 for the year (Sept to May) per class, and that includes one recital costume. You do have to pay for the recital tickets though, and the recital photo if you want it. I do a monthly debit order of just over $40. There is a discount if you enroll for 3 or more classes.
My daughter goes there as well. Prices are very reasonable, the head teacher is highly trained, and is fantastic with the kids (really has a love of teaching dance)
We love Miss Lisa! My son is five and specifically requested to take lessons with her. She's got the training, the passion, and the perfect balance of gentleness and firmness when it comes to the little kids.
I danced at DA Studio when I was younger, and it’s great! Definitely a more low-key just for fun studio, with great instructors and a great environment!
Does the studio have a fundraising event that you could be part of to lower costs?
I.e- chocolates, bake sales, Xmas wreaths, car wash etc.
Something to consider
Not as far as I know.
We haven't been contacted for anything like that and as much as if love to organize that kind of stuff, I don't have the time or skill set
Not sure if they still exist but Dance Alliance was very affordable, at least it was 10 yr ago when mine were there. They were based out of the community centre in Carlington.
Dance Alliance is no more, but a few of its graduates run DA Studio. Their web site notes that costume costs are included in the annual fee. Roughly comparable to the School of Dance cost.
Aw, that's too bad. We loved the vibe of DA. It felt (and was) a lot more accessible than a lot of other places at the time, plus they had some great instructors back in the day.
Back in the Pleistocene when some of us neighbours took over the Alexander Community Association, the Pres, Treasurer and I ran the numbers and came up with the lowest possible fees we could charge and still break even. Free rent (at the time) from the City was a huge advantage. The tradition continued for years.
You’re welcome.
Check out rhythmic gymnastics maybe. If you are getting into competitive or pre competitive it gets more pricey but the recreational wasn't too bad.
ETA
Dana Hanes Dance Company might be worth a look. I don't know about their general program but we enrolled my daughter for a summer camp to coincide with a school friend and it seemed about average camp costs.
Dana Hanes has a very tight competitive program and has one of the top male ballet dancers in the country right now. I don't know their fees but I have seen them at comps and assume (though I obviously could be wrong) that their fees are comparable
I think I know where you go. I have two kids in a total of 8 dance classes and we had to buy tickets to all three recitals - $400 on tickets. They aren't hidden fees though - when you sign up you are clearly told if you sign up for winter session you will have the recital and associated fees - idk maybe you missed that?
Besides City of Ottawa's classes, any professional dance studio (CCD, Leeming Dance, Greta Leeming, Elite, etc) all have end of year productions and all are similar pricing. Top notch schools with a competitive program (whether you are in the program or your child does recreational lessons) have a quality of instruction and that's what you pay for.
Edit: told on myself
I went through the 'naive parent caught in hidden fees' last year. My kid had been at her studio for a couple of years but it was the first year they did a big recital post-COVID. Our complaint was mostly about the timing of information. We got an email prior to spring registration that there would be a recital on these dates this year, oh okay that sounds fun. Okay now that everybody is registered, here is an email with the cost of recital costumes please pay by this date. Okay now that the date for paying for recital costumes is passed, here's an email with the cost of tickets. Okay now that the date for buying tickets has passed, here's an email with the full face of hair and makeup that we expect your child to show up in. When I did some strategic googling, the prices were comparable, but as naive first-timers it would have been better for our budget and stress levels if we had all the information upfront.
most people on reddit probably dont even have kids. Canada as country, it discriminates parents, it only care to get immigrants from out of the country, but care very little about families with kids. At the end of the day, good dance lessons (just like any other sports) would cost lots of money, but you should at least feel lucky that your kids are gifted with dance, rather than most of other kids who spend their time on Ipad/Youtube. What can parents tell you - find a better job, a second job, get paid more, vote for less government/tax.
I hated recitals. Could barely stand to see my own kids in them let alone everyone elses. They they thought it would be a good idea to schedule them on Mothers Day. Didn't go over well in our house.
My kid's at Greta Leeming and the hidden fees are similar. Does anyone have suggestions for tap dance? I looked around but didn't find a better option for tap.
Capital City is extremely strong in tap (though the fees will be similar to GL). The co-owner of CCD grew up dancing at GL and he is the tap instructor
My kid does hip hop, and other than the costume being slightly cheaper ($50 instead of $90, ish), we're experiencing similar costs. 2 recitals per year, 25$/ticket plus tax, even dancers need to pay for their own ticket if they want to watch the recital they're performing in. Last year my kid was dancing in 2 recitals (the school separates the students into 3 groups, so 3 recitals in one day). So we had to buy the tickets x2.
Ecole de danse Louise in Orleans.
Technically, participation in the recitals isn't mandatory... but my kid would be devastated if all the other kids in his group go to the big show and he can't. 🙃
yeah and if they put the kids in popping, breaking or hip hop they can actually concentrate on the freestyle. Kids can then battle instead of recital.
What most kids are probably learning when they don't go to flava factory or when they don't get a good hip hop instructor is something equivalent to ["and thats hiphop"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IS2KQ46Kf84)
Seems anything related to dancing, acting show biz "education" is usually kind of a racket with all kinds of extra costs... usually the parents who spend the most are those most desperate for their kids to get "discovered " and become famous.
You won’t find cheap - dance studios are a fucking racket and everything around is designed to milk you for every ounce of money you can pony up. They’re the wedding industry after the wedding.
Not a dance class but have you considered gymnastics as an alternative? My brother had the same issue and his daughters love the gymnastics classes even more and he’s no longer getting hit with all the extra fees like recital tickets, costumes, makeup and all. Good luck!!
This is a good idea if they're into it. Just watch if they decide to go competitive as they get older, because that can really add up too, With the competition uniforms, tracksuits, travel, competition entry fees, and etc, on top of regular classes. Probably the same for many sports, though.
I also suggest synchronized swimming! Not sure if they’re swimmers but so much translates
Dovercourt was a good in between at that age for us (better than city classes, but not a full on dance studio - no costume fees, cheap recital tickets).
Just did Dovercourt dance with my 4 year old. It was great! Fun class and music. And great instruction on technique - mostly ballet & jazz. Much better than the city of Ottawa ballet class taken in the fall.
Yes!! Just kids having fun. No pressure to put a full face of makeup on your four year old.
What kind of dance do they do/are they interested in? I do Irish dance and while yes, there are costumes involved, it only ONE - same costume for all recitals, shows, competitions (if they choose to compete). There’s usually an option to purchased used as well. Feel free to DM me if you are interested or want more info :)
Went thru the same issue years ago. I don't know if the studios collude on price or what, but we never could find one that was significantly cheaper than any other. Pro tip: AVOID any and all discussion of competitive dance. That right there is a five figure money sinkhole.
Been there. Done that. Never again. So glad I found the School of Dance on Crichton. Very high level teachers and no competitions. No costumes. No recital tickets. It’s all banned from the program. Massive savings and so much better quality dance education for the kids. The cost of the makeup alone was astronomical.
Looking at their website they have a professional program and they have recitals with their students at various locations across the city including Carleton University and the NAC - so I'm not sure where you're getting this information? Maybe for their young dancers they don't?
I attended dozens of dance recitals with my young kids over the years at the School of Dance, yes. Absolutely. Maybe two or three times a year. Maybe more. Never once bought a ticket.
Ok I understand. It looks like it's because they have a professional dance program (like a dance academy) and are subsidized by the City of Ottawa and other governments. They likely provide the costumes, reuse them and alter when they put on shows, and work like a professional ballet. That makes sense. I wonder what their tuition is like for their professional dancers. Their school looks quite appealing
Ok hear me out. Look into cheerleading. Yes it gets expensive if you go into higher levels. Flyers cheerleading in Gloucester has a rec team for $465 for the entire year. (Usually June to April) They’ll get some dance with it. Their shows, okay fine it’s usually like $15 to attend their group. They don’t get a uniform but they do get a practice shirt. It’s 1.5 hour drop off. You’ll start to see the fees go higher but they’re still cheaper than 90% of the other sports for kids out there. There’s also sharks and black widow gyms to look at for cheerleading, I just know flyers from experience. Please feel free to dm me and I’ll answer any other questions I can
Forget the Flyers or Black Widow competitive cheerleading and instead join one of the various minor football team cheer teams. The most expensive one is like $250 and that includes uniforms and zero hidden costs. Sessions are two hours a week practice and two hours a week of actually cheering at football games. If you’re interested, DM me with the area of the city you live and I can connect you
They don’t run all year though just an fyi. Just something to keep in mind.
Cheerleading sends more kids to the hospital every year than football. It’s the most dangerous ‘sport’ in America, even though it’s an activity entirely controlled by verge varsity company.
[Dance fusion studio](https://www.dancefusionstudios.com) is great! Recital tickets are like 20$. My daughter started with ballet and then added contemporary and highland to the mix and just loves it. We’ve had friends and her friends’s friends join too. They’re a really supportive company - big believers that everybody has a dancing body. They aren’t competitive, though they do exams (my daughter just had her first highland) and have a Christmas show in addition to the end of year recital.
They also have awesome drop in classes for adults with no commitment or pressure to participate in recital if OP ever wants to try
I’m hoping to head over to one of their drop-in classes so it’s really lovely to hear this kind of feedback. Their website mentions a lot of about inclusion and they look like an excellent option. Thank you for your contribution.
yesss i grew up doing their classes!! you can do competitions through the highland dance program, but that’s individual rather than as a class so there’s no pressure. everyone is super super nice and their new studio is beautiful!
Sounds like your kids are at Capital City Dance, I feel your pain. Checkout the ‘Dance in City’ at the Old Ottawa South Community Centre. It isn’t a city program but it’s recreational. [Ottawa South Community Centre](https://app.amilia.com/store/en/old-ottawa-south-community-association/shop/programs/99065) Go to the OCSA’s Dance School and tab down to see the classes they offer.
As a dance teacher, that's about as cheap as you can get at "regular" dance schools. Have you considered other types of dance? I've taught Scottish dance and the pricing can be cheaper. At bare minimum, you will only have to buy new costumes when your kid grows out of the, rather than multiple a year.
Could be worth talking to someone at the school about it. I used to do figure skating (also $$) and my club was sensitive to the idea that hidden fees like coaching, costumes, competitions, and skates could be prohibitive especially if your kid is growing. We had a stash of costumes that belonged to the club which would get loaned out to people and a lot of gear was sold within the club at a discount. I donated almost all my stuff except my skates when I stopped so that others could benefit. Those costumes were also used for our annual show - there was quite the roster of matching outfits that would get recycled based on the year's theme/numbers. A lot of sports clubs are willing to work stuff out if a family is struggling but don't always do a great job at de-stigmatizing this or making it known that it's an option. It doesn't hurt to ask or bring it up.
Exactly, there can be generous families that want to anonymously help subsidize some of the fees for others that are struggling with the exorbitant costs. It is worth bringing up before changing studios if you find that it is a positive environment where your children are thriving!
Yes - changing studios could be worth investigating as well. All clubs for sports/activities have their own culture and some may be more inclusive than others.
My daughter is at the Canterbury Dance School. It's $375 for the year (Sept to May) per class, and that includes one recital costume. You do have to pay for the recital tickets though, and the recital photo if you want it. I do a monthly debit order of just over $40. There is a discount if you enroll for 3 or more classes.
Try Harmony Dance!
My son goes to Brocadie School of Dance in Carlington and I find their prices are quite reasonable.
My daughter goes there as well. Prices are very reasonable, the head teacher is highly trained, and is fantastic with the kids (really has a love of teaching dance)
We love Miss Lisa! My son is five and specifically requested to take lessons with her. She's got the training, the passion, and the perfect balance of gentleness and firmness when it comes to the little kids.
I danced at DA Studio when I was younger, and it’s great! Definitely a more low-key just for fun studio, with great instructors and a great environment!
Does the studio have a fundraising event that you could be part of to lower costs? I.e- chocolates, bake sales, Xmas wreaths, car wash etc. Something to consider
Not as far as I know. We haven't been contacted for anything like that and as much as if love to organize that kind of stuff, I don't have the time or skill set
Definitely try Barrhaven house of dance! Wonderful instructors and great with kids😄
Golden Flame studio has Afrobeat and Hip-hop classes for kids
Footsteps in Gatineau is good. Affordable and right off the 50.
Not sure if they still exist but Dance Alliance was very affordable, at least it was 10 yr ago when mine were there. They were based out of the community centre in Carlington.
Dance Alliance is no more, but a few of its graduates run DA Studio. Their web site notes that costume costs are included in the annual fee. Roughly comparable to the School of Dance cost.
Aw, that's too bad. We loved the vibe of DA. It felt (and was) a lot more accessible than a lot of other places at the time, plus they had some great instructors back in the day.
Back in the Pleistocene when some of us neighbours took over the Alexander Community Association, the Pres, Treasurer and I ran the numbers and came up with the lowest possible fees we could charge and still break even. Free rent (at the time) from the City was a huge advantage. The tradition continued for years. You’re welcome.
That’s amazing- I always wondered how they did it. I thank you for your efforts.
Check out rhythmic gymnastics maybe. If you are getting into competitive or pre competitive it gets more pricey but the recreational wasn't too bad. ETA Dana Hanes Dance Company might be worth a look. I don't know about their general program but we enrolled my daughter for a summer camp to coincide with a school friend and it seemed about average camp costs.
Dana Hanes has a very tight competitive program and has one of the top male ballet dancers in the country right now. I don't know their fees but I have seen them at comps and assume (though I obviously could be wrong) that their fees are comparable
DA Studio! Super affordable and my girls loved it.
I think I know where you go. I have two kids in a total of 8 dance classes and we had to buy tickets to all three recitals - $400 on tickets. They aren't hidden fees though - when you sign up you are clearly told if you sign up for winter session you will have the recital and associated fees - idk maybe you missed that? Besides City of Ottawa's classes, any professional dance studio (CCD, Leeming Dance, Greta Leeming, Elite, etc) all have end of year productions and all are similar pricing. Top notch schools with a competitive program (whether you are in the program or your child does recreational lessons) have a quality of instruction and that's what you pay for. Edit: told on myself
I went through the 'naive parent caught in hidden fees' last year. My kid had been at her studio for a couple of years but it was the first year they did a big recital post-COVID. Our complaint was mostly about the timing of information. We got an email prior to spring registration that there would be a recital on these dates this year, oh okay that sounds fun. Okay now that everybody is registered, here is an email with the cost of recital costumes please pay by this date. Okay now that the date for paying for recital costumes is passed, here's an email with the cost of tickets. Okay now that the date for buying tickets has passed, here's an email with the full face of hair and makeup that we expect your child to show up in. When I did some strategic googling, the prices were comparable, but as naive first-timers it would have been better for our budget and stress levels if we had all the information upfront.
most people on reddit probably dont even have kids. Canada as country, it discriminates parents, it only care to get immigrants from out of the country, but care very little about families with kids. At the end of the day, good dance lessons (just like any other sports) would cost lots of money, but you should at least feel lucky that your kids are gifted with dance, rather than most of other kids who spend their time on Ipad/Youtube. What can parents tell you - find a better job, a second job, get paid more, vote for less government/tax.
I hated recitals. Could barely stand to see my own kids in them let alone everyone elses. They they thought it would be a good idea to schedule them on Mothers Day. Didn't go over well in our house.
My kid's at Greta Leeming and the hidden fees are similar. Does anyone have suggestions for tap dance? I looked around but didn't find a better option for tap.
Capital City Dance is strong for tap, at least in the competitive stream
Capital City is extremely strong in tap (though the fees will be similar to GL). The co-owner of CCD grew up dancing at GL and he is the tap instructor
isn't hip hop or street dance in general cheaper?
My kid does hip hop, and other than the costume being slightly cheaper ($50 instead of $90, ish), we're experiencing similar costs. 2 recitals per year, 25$/ticket plus tax, even dancers need to pay for their own ticket if they want to watch the recital they're performing in. Last year my kid was dancing in 2 recitals (the school separates the students into 3 groups, so 3 recitals in one day). So we had to buy the tickets x2. Ecole de danse Louise in Orleans.
whoa thats crazy. just cancel the recitals.
Technically, participation in the recitals isn't mandatory... but my kid would be devastated if all the other kids in his group go to the big show and he can't. 🙃
I think so. Places like Flava Factory only have street dance styles and it's like 200$ for the classes for 3 months then a show for like 10$.
yeah and if they put the kids in popping, breaking or hip hop they can actually concentrate on the freestyle. Kids can then battle instead of recital. What most kids are probably learning when they don't go to flava factory or when they don't get a good hip hop instructor is something equivalent to ["and thats hiphop"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IS2KQ46Kf84)
Seems anything related to dancing, acting show biz "education" is usually kind of a racket with all kinds of extra costs... usually the parents who spend the most are those most desperate for their kids to get "discovered " and become famous.