"Free" Lessons
Most mentions of a lesson before a dance will not include a link to this page because it's usually a stand-alone
beginner lesson that's included in the price of admission.
Some dances will include a "free" lesson before a dance. This is usually geared towards beginners to
get them moving on the dance floor and hopefully they'll come back for more. Do note that these "free"
lessons are not really free; you can't take the lesson and then leave before the dancing without paying.
It's actually included in the dance's admission price. Newcomers are probably more likely
to show up if they don't have to pay for the lesson beforehand. You'll see "lesson" with the time
of the free beginner lesson.
Workshop
In some situations, some dance promoters will charge extra for the lesson or workshop before the
dancing starts. This ensures that newcomers won't be coming to a dance cold, yet cover the time
for giving the lesson. Occasionally some people complain about not wanting
or needing the lesson and don't want to pay for a class they don't want to take. In cases like this,
the promoter might give a discount to anyone taking both the paid lesson and the dance.
Occasionally, the lesson before the dance will be something for the dancer with more experience
than the novice off the street. There will usually be an extra charge for this. Any special workshop before
a dance that requires payment will be labled a "workshop" and will link to this page.
Classes
Some dance studios will offer a regular series of classes before a regularly scheduled dance or charge
for any lesson taught before the dancing starts. This
will certainly require payment of some sort. Usually, the venue hosting the dance is also teaching
the classes. In some cases, however, the classes are taught by a dance studio and not by the dancing
venue. One potential benefit of these classes is that you might get into the dance for free if
you're taking the classes. Note that you probably won't be able to just jump into the class at
any time. Check ahead.
Check ahead!
Caveat emptor.
Updated August 19, 2015