We're really, really lucky. We go to small school of the arts run out of a church. It's small, but decent. They have classes during the day for homeschoolers (although we attend the "regular" class), master classes, 3 recitals each year, and it doesn't break the bank.
The girls don't buy the costumes. They pay a $25 fee per costume each recital, and that's it. The teacher owns them and recycles them through the grades, and the fee covers dry cleaning and buying new ones as necessary. The recitals are held at the local high school and the cost is a recommended donation of $5 per family. They've never made a fuss about pictures or videos at performances, but you can also buy a DVD. I kind of wish they would take a stand on flash photography, because as others have said, it's not safe.
The costumes are fairly classic and not really anything fancy. Here's a picture:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...f&id=539102741
(my daughter is the little one with glasses in the front all the way to the right)
And the dance rehearsal:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sp-yylkB-ak
I'll admit-- it's not as polished or super fancy or cutsie as other studios I've seen, but it really works for us.
