ダンスは高いですね。 。 。

"Dance is expensive, right?"

The average price of a trail dance lesson in Tokyo is around￥1,500 (including tax). Depending on where you are from, that can be pretty expensive.

Attending a dance event can range between ￥1000 - ￥5000. Taking part in an event can get pricey too.

Luckily, LiD is here to share tips and tricks to help keep the costs down.

Dance Studios

As mentioned above, one trial lesson can be pretty expensive. But depending on how long you are in Japan for and where you are staying, dancing in Japan doesn't have to be costly.

Buying lessons in blocks rather than individually works out cheaper. TDS Dance Studio in Fukuoka have a pretty easy system, where it shows you how much you save when you buy your lessons in blocks.

There is also the option of taking the unlimited course, where for one set price you can take as many lessons as you want. Be careful as there can be conditions to this deal (time, level, duration of deal ext...).

Some studios offer a discount for foreigners as long as you show your passport when paying. If you are living in a certain area, some studios offer discounts to people living in the surrounding area.

There are many different ways to save money when looking at lessons. We advise you to check the studio's website/social media/reviews/receptionist to match your requirements and before handing over any money.

Very, very, very, very few studios give refunds...

Attending Dance Events

There are so many different kinds of dance events across Japan which is excellent for choice but not so good for your finances.

However there are ways to get discounts and save money.

Many dance events have an advance price and a pay on the door price, the former being cheaper.

There are some places that have a guest list where you can get an even bigger discount.

The events that require money are normally inside and are private events. In the summertime, there are many festivals outside which are free to attend and showcase a variety of performances. All because it's free doesn't mean the quality has dropped. There are loads of old and new talent at these kind of festivals. Go with an open mind and you'll be surprised at what you find.

Dancing In An Event

We can't lie to you. Dancing in an event in Japan can get really expensive.

Here is a rough estimate of the costs*:

Application fee: 5,000

4 Tickets: 10,000

Costume: 10,000 (T-shirt, Sweatshirt, Trousers, Accessories)

Rehearsal Studio fee per person: 8,000 (1,000 per rehearsal)

Present for teacher: 500

飲み放題 (Nomihodai = drinking party) = 3,000

*all amounts are in yen.

Good news is that you can sell the tickets to friends and family who want to attend. Bad news is that the other payments are non-negotiable. It is normally decided by the teacher. To argue the teacher can be very disrespectful.

Therefore please double check everything before signing up to do a dance event. How can you check if you don't know what to look for? We have loads of blog posts on our web page about dancing in Japan so please check them out!

Hopefully you have learned some tips to keep the cost down when dancing in Japan. Comment below about using these tips or share any more you have!