paid dance partners

[Ginger]

Anybody stupid enough to enter into that kind of agreement (like Wang or Wong, or whoever it was did) deserves what they get.

[elisedance]

..Can't say - its such a totally different world as far as I am concerned that I may as well comment on polite behaviour on Saturn...

However, one of my father's favorite sayings does come to mind: 'A fool and his money are soon parted...'  OTOH if I then look in the mirror I realize that I am probably spending MORE of my own 'discretionary resources' on dancing than that woman was!!  So does that make me a bigger fool?

[standarddancer]

that case was an exception, that dance teacher used rude language to insult his pro-am student in public, that's totally wrong...there are couples working out peacefully and nicely with their sponsors, it's mutual benefits, of course respect have to be there from both parties to ensure the nice long term relationship.

[standarddancer]

of couse you aren't big fool, ee, you are just so lucky no financial problem and so passionate for dancing, you are spending money on something you truly love and bring you happiness, so why not

[elisedance]

I like to think so
Of course, whether I feel the same way when I am 75 is another question

[standarddancer]

lol, love your sense of humor, you always crack me up;)

[ttd]

A friend of mine went to NYC on a business trip and she stopped by a studio party there (don't know which one). She said they pointed out several men to her and said she could pay them to dance with her. She did so because she realized that otherwise she won't get any dances being an outsider. After she did so, she got several free invites, because people saw what she can do on the dance floor. She also said that it was very different athmosphere compared to our socials here, because nobody mingled, or tried to be welcoming to newcomers, like we do here. Maybe it's a regional difference, like we have a bit of southern hospitality going here.

[elisedance]

A friend of mine went to NYC on a business trip and she stopped by a studio party there (don't know which one). She said they pointed out several men to her and said she could pay them to dance with her. She did so because she realized that otherwise she won't get any dances being an outsider. After she did so, she got several free invites, because people saw what she can do on the dance floor. She also said that it was very different athmosphere compared to our socials here, because nobody mingled, or tried to be welcoming to newcomers, like we do here. Maybe it's a regional difference, like we have a bit of southern hospitality going here.

I hadn't thought of that before - as a way of breaking into a new 'scene'.  I would hesitate to do the same...

BTW sadly, you can walk into a social here and walk out 4 hrs later without anyone saying a word.  Perhaps its the opposite of southern hospitality

[standarddancer]

I’ve never been at southern social dance scene, so really don’t know if in South newcomers are so welcomed. I haven’t been in NYC social scene a long time, last time I was there briefly for a show case, we went in, warm up and dance, then left so can’t really comment.

I do know that in NYC most of social dancers are regulars, regulars with their paid teachers. Studio owners would like to contact the regular paid partners before weekend social party and hoping those teachers bring their students to their party, not elsewhere. Newcomers sometimes contacting studio owners if there are paid partners for them for that night, if studio owner can’t find them any, they’d rather not going social party at all. Studio owners are usually not happy if their house-teachers can’t be there working Friday or Saturday night when busiest social dancing time.

[cornutt]

I’ve never been at southern social dance scene, so really don’t know if in South newcomers are so welcomed.

It depends some on the studio.  I've been to places in the area where everyone was paired up and it was tough to get a dance.  In fact, there was one place -- I think it was in Houston, but I don't remember for sure now -- where the owner came up to me (after they had taken my money for admission) and informed me that singles were not welcome there.  But I think these types of places are more the exception than the rule.  At our studio, we try our best to welcome newcomers and singles, and of the three other studios in town, I know that two of them are also very open to newcomers.  There's one that's a little weird about it, but I don't recommend that one anyway.  There are also some non-studio venues for swing and salsa dancing, and as far as I know, they all welcome newcomers. 

[samina]

The title of this thread always strikes me as a little lurid...LoL

[ttd]

I used to live in NY, when I just started dancing. We lived outside of NYC, so the social scene I was familiar with was mostly eastern LI, I guess. Nobody mingled there, if you did not come with your own partner or with a group of friends, you might as well stay home. But it was too far from NYC to have any paid hosts, at least of the type my friend was telling me about. And what really struck me about local dance scene when we moved that people were more welcoming and asked new people to dance, and kinda introduced themselves. Even though we aren't technically a southern state, we're borderline, but still very big on hospitality. Although another reason could be that our dance community is small as it is, and we are trying to be welcoming so it can grow.

[cornutt]

Although another reason could be that our dance community is small as it is, and we are trying to be welcoming so it can grow.

Absolutely... here we're all conscious of the fact that the instructors and studio owners aren't exactly rolling in dough.  They do it as a labor of love, but they still have to eat, and we all know that everything could disappear if we don't support it. 

[standarddancer]

I’ve never been at southern social dance scene, so really don’t know if in South newcomers are so welcomed.

It depends some on the studio.  I've been to places in the area where everyone was paired up and it was tough to get a dance.  In fact, there was one place -- I think it was in Houston, but I don't remember for sure now -- where the owner came up to me (after they had taken my money for admission) and informed me that singles were not welcome there.  But I think these types of places are more the exception than the rule.  At our studio, we try our best to welcome newcomers and singles, and of the three other studios in town, I know that two of them are also very open to newcomers.  There's one that's a little weird about it, but I don't recommend that one anyway.  There are also some non-studio venues for swing and salsa dancing, and as far as I know, they all welcome newcomers.  

Oh that’s terrible! Taking customers’ money first then tell them singles not welcome? NY studio owners much better in customer relations and conducting business – they’ll introduce singles that they have very nice, polite and skillful paid partners/teachers, then book the teacher with newcomer, charging an additional booking fee from the teacher – extra business for studio and extra income for teacher and newcomer got danced, then owner will tell the customer to call them next time before coming to book teachers so no need for last minute scramble to find paid partner.

[Some guy]

Haven't had that issue in Houston.  Then again, there are a LOT of studios here, so I can't speak for all of them.