Ballet teacher charges $55 for mid-year performance, parent gets annoyed when 11-year-old daughter only performs for 10 minutes: 'The teacher was performing for 30 mins'

Author image for Ally Perry
Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
May 6, 2026 9:15 AM EDT

What parent wants to go to their kid's recital to watch the teacher instead?

Going to a child's various performances and games is one of the many responsibilities of an involved parent. Arguably, it can be one of the more fun ones; all it requires is sitting in a crowd or audience and potentially getting to watch your kid do something that makes you proud. It may come at an inconvenient time or have a price tag attached, but it should be worth it for the opportunity to see children do something that they have worked hard for.

Although plenty of teachers have horror stories when it comes to dealing with helicopter parents, it is also understandable for moms and dads to have certain expectations when it comes to these extracurricular pursuits. They want to know that their children are getting the time in the spotlight that they deserve and that they are learning something valuable from the experience. The pressure is on the people coaching them to make sure that comes across at the right moment. The last thing they want to deal with is the disappointment of parents who may be paying good money for their children to be doing this.

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  • Cheezburger Image 10628923648
    via Hrant Khachatryan

    Three pairs of legs of ballet dancers performing on stage

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  • A mom was left feeling annoyed and disappointed following her attendance at a mid-year performance at her daughter's ballet school. She had to pay $55 for the ticket, as well as $300 for extra lessons to allow her daughter to prepare.

    However, when the performance happened, her daughter and other dancers of a similar age only had 10 minutes on the stage. This was compared to 30 minutes of the teacher dancing, and other older dancers for another 30 minutes.

    Expecting it to be a performance for young people only, she felt misled by the experience. She wasn't sure if she was wrong for being angry.

  • Am I wrong for being angry after going to ballet performance for my daughter where the teacher featured predominantly?

    My daughter (11) attends a ballet studio twice a week, and they decided to put on an extra mid year performance. They charge an extra $300 for additional rehearsal lessons and ticket prices for show @ $55 each. The performance was run with another
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  • organisation that promotes the arts focusing on female and youth performers but upon looking them up, the director is same teacher as ballet studio. The show was for 80 mins with teacher performing on stage for around 30 mins (with others but predominant
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  • roles). While my daughter and handful of other younger dancers maybe 10 mins at most. Other senior dancers maybe 30-40 mins.
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  • Teacher is a good dancer but I was super angry everytime she came on, I didn't expect it, I thought it was a youth performance not a platform for herself. I'm pretty sure all the attendees would have just been friends and family of students. I think other parents were a bit annoyed too.
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    via Timur Shakerzianov

    Women and children sit in an audience, reading programs

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  • I don't think they should have performances where they mix students and teachers as she does. I feel like she wants to perform but she won't sell tickets so she does shows with students because at least there will be say 40 friends and family buying tickets. I want to send her a complaint that she was too heavily featured in the show and it should be about students and developing their skills.
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  • She also did a 10 minute performance at the students year end show last year that started at 7pm on Sunday and goes for over 2 hours. I think it is totally unnecessary on an already long show which seems to go forever. There's 30 minutes of just handing out certificates and medals.
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  • Am I overreacting for being angry. After being at the ballet studio for over 3 years, I have now watched the teacher perform on stage for longer than my daughter. Or is it my fault for not being aware that the show may include non student performers/performances. I enjoy professional ballet and have seen a few shows here and there over the years, but at those shows most just want to watch my kids and go as quickly as possible.
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  • I think if the tickets weren't so expensive I wouldn't be as annoyed as it costs around $165 for me, partner and our other child to attend
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    via Astrid Schaffner

    Several pairs of feet wearing ballet shoes, standing en pointe

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  • -laughingfox Honestly this kind of stinks. Yes, each instructor or school will have their own culture, and this may be normal in some....but hitting up parents for extra fees and tickets so she can feature herself is just scammy. NOR.
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  • Front-Interaction669 nor. Id be p ed if I went to any of my daughters paid hobbies and the teacher/coach was acting like they were a player. Imagine if a baseball coach hit the ball for the kids in a game?. A 35yo gymnastics coach in a 8yos performance. Like, sounds like
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  • she has an inflated ego and needs to be brought down a few notches. Trying to show your students to parents that your better than the students seems kind of off to me. Lol
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  • Traditional_Fan_2655 I would be ticked at the $55/person to watch the teacher. At this point, I would probably locate to another ballet school AFTER interviewing them about performances, etc. NOR
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  • Odd Equipment8924 I would be def be annoyed, but I also don't know what is considered standard...in elementary school we had a teacher with the loudest singing voice and every concert we had she would sing over all the students and it definitely annoyed the parents.
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  • hippofippo NOR. That's excessive on all levels. Definitely message and say that you were surprised how little the children were featured compared to the teachers and your feedback is to feature more of the children given the high costs included too.
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  • CrowRoutine9631 OMG, people are hilarious! How could the teacher not realize how this would be perceived???? NOR.
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  • Alternative-Golf8281 NOR. Seems like the teacher is padding her portfolio saying she performed x times in front of audiences of y size. When in reality y = questioning parents wondering why they're overpaying to see their kids perform 20-30 minutes.
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  • BoudiccasJustice NOR. You should say something.
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teacher performance ballet expensive daughter money parents
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