I'd give you my right arm but I'm not sure I'm willing to give you $310

I made Mike go and watch Will at dance class so he could see what I was saying about Will being a "boy amongst a bunch of girls." An example of him being all boy is that the teacher told them that for the recital they were going to be monkeys. I wondered if she had chosen monkeys because she now has a boy in her class and needs to have something a little more boyish than just a bunch of princesses in pink tutus. Anyway, when she said they were going to be monkeys Will piped up and said, "Teacher, I can be a dinosaur. Can I show you how I can be a dinosaur?" And then he jumped up and ran around the room doing his dinosaur impression with his little arms up close to his body just like a T-Rex. All the little girls just sat on their little x's all quietly and politely while Will is running around the room growling like a dinosaur.

Mike and I had decided to have him try tumbling instead because there were two other boys but he got hurt and didn't really like it. So then we decided that he was still pretty young and the only reason we were doing it in the first place was because he needed more interaction with kids--boys in particular except that there are no other boys in dance. We also figured we are busy enough already that we don't need to be more busy by taking Will to dance every week. But Will loves it and keeps talking about it every day. I had decided that I wasn't going to take him anymore and just tell the teacher (a lady from our ward) that we had decided not to do it. But Mike said since he liked it so much that we should let him go.

So I took him last night and he loved it but I had to pay for the registration and the monthly fee. I was telling the lady that collects the money that we really hadn't decided if we wanted to keep him in dance or not. She said we could take a little more time to decide but that I had to pay the fee for the month and the non-refundable registration fee. That was fine because I had already planned on paying those fees. But then she told me I also had to pay a recital fee, a costume fee, and pay for two costumes (separate from the costume fee), all for the grand total of $310! And then of course, next month I have to pay $35 again for the monthly fee.

I came home and told Mike that they were going to be monkeys and he said, "They are going to be monkey's? So cute." I think the idea that our boy will be a tap dancing monkey is making Mike's brain cloudy because he is still thinking maybe we should keep him in dance.

And how can you deny a monkey like this?
*This isn't an activity I condone. My boys just climb everything.

Comments

Marcy said…
That's ridiculous--so many fees! Even more so b/c I get free dance, I guess, so I don't really know how much stuff costs.
Team Clark said…
I think that it's all great that he's taking a dance class - especially since he likes it so much. Is is a tap dancing class or just a dance class where they learn a few different kinds of dance?
Carolina said…
That is so cute that he loves his dance class and wants to be in a Land Before Time dance production. Everything is expensive, isn't it? But at least they tell you the fees up front. I know of way too many dance studios that don't tell you the recital and costume fees until your kid has practiced for the recital, is super excited about it, and would throw a tantrum if you decided not to put him in the recital. And I know of places that charge for admission to their plays/recitals and make the poor kids commit to selling a certain number of tickets or else they have to pay the value of the tickets they couldn't sell.
Pitcher Family said…
I think he will have a great time. I wrote out a similar check for dance not to long ago. You would think the teachers must be rich for all the charges they get from us!!
Cali said…
I agree that the fees seem excessive. Thanks for pointing them out to me now, so that if I ever get the dream studio I want and the opportunity I am waiting for to teach dance I can remember about fees and NOT be excessive with them.

I think it is cute that he likes to dance! I just dance with the kids in the afternoons. Right now we just take some nursery rhymes and make up dances to them. I would love to be able to put Collin in some sort of class where he would get more interaction with other kids--but moving so often isn't the most conducive lifestyle for such activities. I think it is great that you are letting Will have these experiences.

And I bet he will be a great monkey!
Amy E said…
Your dance studio sounds like ours! Eloise is in dance this year and we paid a $20 enrollment fee, $35/month lesson fee, $20 recital fee, 2 $60+ costumes for the recital, plus buying tap and ballet shoes which were about $40 together! Costs an arm and a leg! But aren't little kids cute when they're learning to dance?? The things we do for our children....
chelsey said…
Tap dancing monkeys? That really is going to be cute to watch, but yes, I agree with the ridiculous costs involved! I haven't started up with the ballet again with Sarah while she's in swimming. I think one at a time is plenty, let alone all the costs involved! You'd better take lots of pictures for us all to see this cute dancing monkey at recital time!

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