How far do you travel to class?

[Elf]

About 15 minutes by bike.

[dennyland]

I drive an hour each way.  It's only once a week until I can set-up a carpool.  I am in a small, rural town so I don't consider the miles until I'm "down off the farm".  In that case, it's only 15 minutes.  

[GiselleJuliet]

It'll take me about 35-40 minutes, one way, to my class tomorrow. There's one that's closer, but I hate the class times! 

[Godfather]

Hi 

I travel 20 to 25 minutes by car depending on traffic to my classes I take classes 5 days a week for a total of 7 hours a week.

Thanks 

[MattMan]

Like so many others, i live in a small town that is two to three hours away from the likes of Seattle, Spokane, and Portland.  I enjoy my addition to ballet classes, so on Mondays i drive 65 minutes each way for an adult 75 minute class.  On Tuesdays and Thursdays a studio 10 minutes away has an adult class, where  generally I am one of just three students.  I was beginning to think I was too nuts to make the long trek for Monday's classes, but am encouraged to see that others do the same.  On Mondays I get to dance with 10-14 others in a bit larger studio, and I think it helps me to get acclimated to different teaching approaches and styles.  I also take my gear with me whenever I travel so I can jump into classes when I can find them.  

[insidesoloist]

I love ballet, and I miss taking class regularly, but I don't currently have any decent classes within 45 minutes of me, and unfortunately, 30 minutes each way seems to be the point at which I chafe about the drive being too long.  As a working mum, I just don't often feel I can take 3 hours away from home/the family very often.  And it's not like there's anything for my family to do at/near the studio, so it's really just me going alone.  I wish very much that my house had any space at all in which I could give myself barre, but -- trust me -- we do not.  As a former dancer/teacher, I just can't bear to take class at the one place within a half hour, where they charge full price, but class isn't a full hour and a half, the floor is terrible, the teacher doesn't give exercises in the proper order, she doesn't use correct terminology for things, and she makes people bourrée on demi-pointe for ridiculously long periods of time.  If I were single -- or even just childless -- I'd be happy to drive an hour for class, take some time in the coffee shop nearby, and then come home.  But knowing the family/dishes/laundry/dog/errands are waiting for me, it's just too much.  I very much miss my old house, where I had an attic with 8x10 feet of useable space, a barre set up permanently, and well-worn marley on my floor.  I could take one spare hour or so a day and at least give myself barre on busy days.

Sorry, that turned into a bit of a whinge!  Does anyone else struggle with this?

[justify]

Insidesoloist, I SO hear you!  That’s not my exact situation right now, but it’s been very close at times.

Do you have a gym nearby with a fitness studio?  You’d have to time your visits right, but having access to that space during non-class times might be worth the price of a membership.  

And, if you can, I think you should schedule days (even once a week or once a month) to treat yourself to that far away class! 

[Chasse Away]

Hi insidesoloist,

I totally feel your pain about the 1-hour classes that charge full price and are of the worst quality! It’s a shame these business are profiting of this, their poor students don’t even know what a ballet class is supposed to be. I’ve taken a few classes like this when times were desperate, and it is always not worth it.

I wish there was a way to rent out spaces in these studios and hire a teacher yourself, and then other students could join you for a proper ballet class that’s like a full 2 hour. 

You said you are in a relationship? Can you work out a deal with your partner? They do all the house/kids stuff Monday Wednesday and you do it Tuesday Thursday for example? Then you have 2 nights to go to dance, and the weekends and Fridays free for you all to do stuff together? 
 

 

[ArtfulFizix]

So far, the drive to my class is about 40 minutes from work. But I build in an extra 30 minutes because there are some bottlenecks that can get blocked with an accident.

I emailed another studio that is almost walking distance from work but... they never replied. 😪 

(Somebody famous once said that everywhere is walking distance... if you have the time 😜 )

I make a little use of the extra time by changing at the school (I'm finding that bathrooms are really not meant for this procedure), but then I mostly twiddle my thumbs until class starts because they won't open the studio until right before class.

It would be nice to warm up and stretch a little before class.

(I would apologize for replying to a 2.5-year old thread, but I have an even worse offense planned... 😉 )

[MattMan]

I found that some studios just don't have the resources to answer and reply to telephone and message inquiries.  Just for sh*** and giggles you might want to physically visit the studio that is within walking distance just to see what is actually going on.  One of my local studios ignored my multiple inquiries.  I only got past that by visiting the studio and speaking with the instructor.  I planned my visit so I arrived about 5 or 10 minutes before the end of class, so the teacher would have a moment to visit.  I now dance at that studio once a week and feel quite at home there.  I also feel at home at my other studio where I dance three times a week.  "Dance families" are NOT a zero sum game, if you know what I mean.