cost of ballet show?

Nanazolie

Hi

I'm ranting as well as asking for advice
My 6 years old has been doing ballet for 2 years. Nothing fancy, just the 45min weekly ballet class

Last week, we were given a note that the show would take place in April, and if your child takes part, please send the money for the costume next week. The price of the costume is... 50€. And the cost of the tickets is 12€ per adult and 7€ per child
So if I were to go with my husband and our son (who in fairness doesn't give a damn about ballet and will most likely spend the whole time pulling my sleeve repeating ' mum come out with me'), we would pay 81€

Now, I'm very proud of my child's achievements, but come on.... 81€ for a 2nd year ballet classes?

Someone suggested I get together with other mums and speak to the teacher. But I'm starting to wonder if this kind of practise could be the norm? I can see that a lot of the mums there are quite well off, big cars, kids all have IPads, etc, so maybe they will have no objection to this. And may be that's the 'normal' price for a ballet show? My only experience of shows is at the school and we usually pay a small fee and the costumes are pretty simple.

Any advice, please?

lazygal

If its like other ballet schools I know, it won't be just your child's class in it but a larger production with all grades. If its being held in an offside auditorium that will incur expenses and be the main reason for the price of the tickets. Without knowing the setup of the school, it might not be possible to hold a show in the same place where the lessons are given, especially for older classes who would need more space and a proper stage set up, especially for pointe work. Is it a big show with all the grades? If so, those prices are pretty similar to other schools. Costume rental might be on the expensive side for a six year old who I'm guessing will be doing a pretty basic number, so I'd guess the younger grades are subsiding the older ones where costumes would be more elaborate.

I suggest you talk to the teacher and ask specifically what the costume fee involves and whether it can be reduced. Ticket prices would seem pretty average to me - any way your son could skip it?

Nanazolie

lazygal wrote: »

If its like other ballet schools I know, it won't be just your child's class in it but a larger production with all grades. If its being held in an offside auditorium that will incur expenses and be the main reason for the price of the tickets. Without knowing the setup of the school, it might not be possible to hold a show in the same place where the lessons are given, especially for older classes who would need more space and a proper stage set up, especially for pointe work. Is it a big show with all the grades? If so, those prices are pretty similar to other schools. Costume rental might be on the expensive side for a six year old who I'm guessing will be doing a pretty basic number, so I'd guess the younger grades are subsiding the older ones where costumes would be more elaborate.

I suggest you talk to the teacher and ask specifically what the costume fee involves and whether it can be reduced. Ticket prices would seem pretty average to me - any way your son could skip it?

Didn't think of that. I don't really mind the price of the tickets for the parents as I aknowledge the costs to set up the stage, having lights and sound engineers on site, etc. But surely, a lot of kids have younger sibblings and it's not really fair to charge for these considering most are between 18 months and 4 years old? Unfortunately, I have no one to mind my kid on Saturday mornings. Anyway, I already told my daughter she couldn't go to the show, not for this cost anyway. I just can't afford it.

Regarding the costume, it will be ordered from the UK and then the children will take them home, rental wasn't considered.

lazygal

Ok now I think you've a case to make about costume costs. Generally costumes would be rented. The school would own a selection, adding to it every so often. This would be shared with other schools too. The rental costs would be lower than 50 Euro. Any chance the costumes could be rented from another school or retained by the school for future shows? The rental thing was the norm when I was involved in shows.

Moonbeam

I would not mind the ticket prices but the 50 euro for a costume is a bit much. Can you find out what it is and make one or borrow one?

Xdancer

I did ballet for many years and am still in contact with my former teacher. She would never expect any of her students to buy their own costume. They have had to pay rental fees or have been asked for a small sum towards the cost of making them, but I think 20€ is the max asked for particularly for the young kids.
Have a word with the teacher as this seems a bit excessive to me.

Big Bag of Chips

My daughter begged me to let her join ballet when she was in Pre-school. She was only 3! So she joined, loved it (is still doing it 3 years later!) but their summer concert came around. Their costume wasn't too bad, we had to buy a white t-shirt, that was to be sent in to be dyed, and white shorts.

The tickets prices however, were ridiculous. €25 per adult & €15 for a child!

After the show/big finale the bigger ones were allowed to leave the stage, while the smaller ones were kept sitting on the stage, and someone had to go collect them... Fair enough!

But while they were sitting there, someone came along and took all their t-shirts off them.. (obviously to keep for wardrobe for future use) and left them all sitting there in their vests!!

The cost of the tickets really got to me though. They were preschool kids. They were on the stage, for 90 seconds (my friend timed it). Their teacher flew to Australia 2 days before the show... And didn't tell them he wouldn't be there! And then they were like rabbits in headlights for the finale, before having their (Penney's) t-shirts taken off them, and being sent on their way!

We would have been just as happy to go in for 5 minutes (or 90 seconds ) at the end of their class, to watch their little routine!

It put my one off... For a while, but she eventually went back because her friends were!

Rant over.... Phew!!

Nanazolie

Big Bag of Chips wrote: »

My daughter begged me to let her join ballet when she was in Pre-school. She was only 3! So she joined, loved it (is still doing it 3 years later!) but their summer concert came around. Their costume wasn't too bad, we had to buy a white t-shirt, that was to be sent in to be dyed, and white shorts.

The tickets prices however, were ridiculous. €25 per adult & €15 for a child!

After the show/big finale the bigger ones were allowed to leave the stage, while the smaller ones were kept sitting on the stage, and someone had to go collect them... Fair enough!

But while they were sitting there, someone came along and took all their t-shirts off them.. (obviously to keep for wardrobe for future use) and left them all sitting there in their vests!!

The cost of the tickets really got to me though. They were preschool kids. They were on the stage, for 90 seconds (my friend timed it). Their teacher flew to Australia 2 days before the show... And didn't tell them he wouldn't be there! And then they were like rabbits in headlights for the finale, before having their (Penney's) t-shirts taken off them, and being sent on their way!

We would have been just as happy to go in for 5 minutes (or 90 seconds ) at the end of their class, to watch their little routine!

It put my one off... For a while, but she eventually went back because her friends were!

Rant over.... Phew!!

:eek: 50€ just for both parents? That's mental. I pay less to go to ballet shows at the National Concert Hall.
It just puts so much pressure on parents, you can't really say to your child that only one of you can attend the show. At this age they wouldn't understand why

Thankfully, my daughter was pretty cool about not going. I explained to her that I didn't have the money because her birthday and her brother's are just around the corner and I'd rather pay for a nic party for them

Big Bag of Chips

It might have been €20 per adult, I can't fully remember.. I do remember the blood draining from my face when I was told the price, though!! Even at €20, for both of us to go and bring her brother would have cost €55. To see her for 90 seconds! Even though it was an entire show, we were only interested in her 90 seconds, obviously!! Her dad was "busy" that night, though

thesimpsons

my little one did dance for a term yrs ago and when it came around to the time of the show we pretended to her we saw it all - her one routine on stage in a chorus line of dancers wasn't worth the 20e per ticket. costumes were free at least - the dance school had a supply of them they dragged out each year.

skit490

oh my god. that is ridiculous. fully intended binging my little girl to ballet when she is old enough but not if its going to be this expensive.

thesimpsons wrote: »

my little one did dance for a term yrs ago and when it came around to the time of the show we pretended to her we saw it all - her one routine on stage in a chorus line of dancers wasn't worth the 20e per ticket. costumes were free at least - the dance school had a supply of them they dragged out each year.

angelfire9

Ok... My 3 year old won't be taking up ballet either!!!

lazygal

It depends on the school. I never found it an expensive hobby. Irish dancing is more expensive in terms of fees for feiseanna, costumes and other paraphernalia. I found ballet very cost effective, everyone wore one set of uniforms often sold on or secondhand and never had massive.expenses.

Nanazolie

We pay 100 euros for each term, and we bought the costume last year. Aside from the slippers, I didn't have to buy a new costume this year.

I called the ballet teacher and there is no compromising, the costumes have been ordered from the UK supplier for the last 10 years. It seems I'm the only one to complain about the price, or maybe it's a way of downsizing the show so that not all kids will attend

Anyway, I'll certainly look at another class next year because I don't want the same happening year on year.

Big Bag of Chips

The little pink ballet outfit itself isn't the issue - for the last few years Aldi have gotten in the full kit - leotard, skirt, cardigan, hairband for €12. Shoes €5!

My daughter needed new shoes a while back and they were only €12/€13 can't remember, to buy in a show shop. So not ridiculousy priced.

But it's the cost of going to see a show for a 3 year old that got me! And the fact that the kids hadn't a clue!! They went from knowing exactly what they were doing in their classroom, to being put up on a stage, (while there teacher was in Australia!). They had been organised into lines according to height, and as they were lining up to go on stage, in their correct lines, one of the other teachers came along and moved a few kids, so they were completely disorientated!!

My little one is still doing ballet, and she really does love it. But it is a much scaled down setup!

Now their summer show consists of the parents going to the hall that they do their lessons in and watching a 20-30 minute show of what they've been doing. Much much better, and they are happier too!

Time enough for her to be getting into the bigger productions when she is that bit older. But they were just too small to be involved in the full show (especially without their teacher there to guide them through)

jecca1

In DD's school it was €10 to hire the costume for the show and the tickets were €12 per adult and €8 or 10 per child, i cant remember. The show is held in a large theatre in town so it would have high enough costs, but nothing to justify €25 per adult. That is ridiculous imo.

lynski

We had simialr costs for drama end of year show, in fairness my son had a few lines speaking part, but it was 15 per head, child or adult and with the grannie included and little sis €60. have had to take in into consideration this yr and he does not do drama now as it is the same as half a term of classes.

raven136

All of these classes,Irish dancing and Ballet are all expensive.

We recently paid €150 for our 4 year olds Irish dancing dress

RainyDay

The final straw for us was when, at the end of the ballet show, in the O'Reilly Theatre at Belvedere College, where we had to pay for city centre parking on top of the costume and the tickets for parents and grandparents, they came round selling raffle tickets to raise more funds for the ballet school. We didn't go back the next year.

thesimpsons

raven136 wrote: »

All of these classes,Irish dancing and Ballet are all expensive.

We recently paid €150 for our 4 year olds Irish dancing dress

I thought they only wore generic tops and skirts for the younger ages in Irish dancing! thats what the youngest dancers wore at the feisanna when mine were dancing..

Nanazolie

That's it. She won't be going back next year.
She went to her class on Saturday, and afterwards told me she and the other girls who won't do the show were rehearsing with the rest of them.

...... Except they were made to sit and cheer and clap, pretending to be the audience! :eek: 45 minutes of it, the cost of that lesson is about 10 euros. And it's very likely it will happen again next week.

lazygal

Nanazolie wrote: »

That's it. She won't be going back next year.
She went to her class on Saturday, and afterwards told me she and the other girls who won't do the show were rehearsing with the rest of them.

...... Except they were made to sit and cheer and clap, pretending to be the audience! :eek: 45 minutes of it, the cost of that lesson is about 10 euros. And it's very likely it will happen again next week.

Ridiculous. There are plenty of other ballet classes where your child will learn some dancing and enjoy herself. If she really likes it see if you can get recommendations.

Nanazolie

lazygal wrote: »

Ridiculous. There are plenty of other ballet classes where your child will learn some dancing and enjoy herself. If she really likes it see if you can get recommendations.

Yes, that's the plan. She has been doing ballet for 2 years and still loves it, so I'm keen to find another class that doesn't milk out the parents