The Cost of being a Dancer

So yesterday, I was doing a spot of rather random mental arithmetic, to try and work out approximately the ballet year 2013/2014 is going to cost. This is what I came up with; Regular classes, about £25 a week. 45 weeks = £1125 2 Associate schemes, £25 a session each, 12 sessions a year = £600 One-off trip to London = £150 2 ballet exams, about £150 each (including extra classes & pianist rehearsals) = £300 Leotards, pointe shoes, tights etc (approx. 6 pairs of pointe shoes; £40 each, 6 pairs of flat shoes; £12 each, 1 pair of soft pointes: £20, 12 pairs of tights; £5 each, 4 leotards; £20 each) total = £472 About 3 auditions, £20 each = £60 Summer schools etc, £500. Wow, that is a lot. Okayy, so it costs around £3300 a year. (Sorry daddy!! Mummy Really regrets taking me to see Swan Lake three years ago.) Yikes. That is rather a lot- i'm sure vocational school on an MDS or DADA scholarship would be so much cheaper....