This article is well worth reading, it does include dance...

From the Los Angeles Times:

Getting Steeper All the Time
The theater is costly, and with good reason. But how many people are turned off by having to pay five times what they would at the movies?

By SEAN MITCHELL

MORE...

...Which brings up a question I've been wondering about for years: how is the name of that theatre pronounced?

I do agree that soem people probably do comparre going to a movie with going to a ballet ( ie 2 hours of 'entertainment ' , but really they are so different. A night at a theatre contains so much more. Dressing well, dinner, a glass of wine, watching people, the musicians warming up, the curtain rising, the dancing, the intermissions...., the coffee afterwards,... . It really isn't entertainment, its an event. And I think that one way to tell the difference is that an event is gives one memories. I could probably tell you something about every ballet that I have seen, but I would have a hard time telling you the name of the last movie that I went to. And, as was pointed out, with a little flexibility you can go to the theatre for 10 or 15 dollars, particularily to some of the off the beaten track shows.
There certainly may be pricing problems, and I think the ballets would do better financially with more flexibility in there pricing ( for example, perhaps a REAL student discount for one of the nights, or open seating, or something of that sort ), which may help build the audience of the future. A little experimentation wouldn't hurt in this area.

Here's an article about an initiative at the Colorado Ballet:

Dahlia Weinstein - Rocky Mountain News, October 7, 2002:
more...

I think that Matthew makes a good point:

However, if one can't afford the price of a ticket for the 'event,' or isn't sure that the price will be worth it (it's a fair amount of money to take a chance on), then one might very well opt for the 'entertainment' rather than the event.

I think that whether one is willing to pay that much (even necessitating a sacrifice in other areas of life) depends upon the value that one has been taught to place on such events. When my husband was still in school, and we newly married, we bought two of those expensive 'event' tickets for the Bolshoi. It meant eating more potatoes for several meals that week. However, we had been taught to value that 'event' highly enough to make the sacrifice. Though our Depression era parents never went - they taught us to value the experience.

There are of course, as the article that Marie posted in shows, various ways to innovatively price tickets, student discounts, etc., however, there is a limit to which the dance company can lower the price. Or is there?

Interesting article from Colorado, and you have to like the quote:

:(
OK, not going to open up that can of worms again.
Anyway, on a lighter note, everytime I go to the movies, between the cost of two tickets, popcorn,water ( unless I am brave and smuggle it in ), and the secret box of Raisinnettes I am pushing $30 - 35 dollars anyway.

Hey, Matthew - I smuggle in fruit (grapes especially) into the movie all the time - shhhh don't tell anyone.

Speaking of a can of worms I shall attempt some math,

In 1962 (the year we first went to the ballet and saw the Bolshoi) I remember very well that a ticket for the best seats was $10.50, ( Philadelphia, Academy of Music) and a salary for that time was around $10,000 (not that my student husband made that - but it was an average salary).

Today the price for best ticket (at least in this area) for a company like the Bolshoi is around 90.00 - while an average salary is around $45,000.

I believe that it works out that a ticket costs twice as much now relative to the salary of the times. (There was sorely needed input from the resident engineer to work out these high mathematical details) (hey, I can count fouettés, so I am not a total loss).

Anywaaaaaaay, prices have gone up. As for gov't subsidies (I think this can be discussed without getting all political ) - does it help with keeping down the price of a ticket? Or does it help with other costs like new productions?

<small>[ 10-08-2002, 16:32: Message edited by: Basheva ]</small>

I kinda miss the 'standing room' only deal for theatre events. Thats how alot of people got to see plays and such at low prices.I know its considered a fire hazzard now......SIGH!

May standing room always live at the San Francisco Opera House!

In the Hartford Courant:

In the Cincinnati Enquirer:

Gee, on the topic of gov’t subsidies, it would be great if we as a community (read here government) decided that it would be nice to support the arts at such a level. But the problem is deciding what arts to support. Inevitably someone makes something that lots of people don’t like and complain that they paid to have that made, they then get a group of people to start censoring stuff they don’t like and we end up returning to our current situation with no support for the arts. It kinda sucks but if the arts are to be supported by large groups of people, you have to get them to agree on what they will and won’t support, and we all know how hard it is to get a large group to make up its mind…

Another idea....

"Rush" Tickets from Smuin Ballet

Here's a plan to watch:

<a href=http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/business/4904196.htm target=_blank>More</a>

It's pronounced pan-TAY-jez.

<small>[ 11 January 2003, 02:03 AM: Message edited by: Liscarkat ]</small>