As my daughter excitedly prepares for her 5th recital at Bella Ballet, I feel compelled to share our wonderful experiences at this studio. In addition to being a parent, I have the unique perspective as a prior dancer and early childhood educator of 20 years, creating very high expectations. I can say without a doubt that these expectations have been met, and exceeded, over the past five years at Bella Ballet in the Kentlands. My daughter began lessons as a 4 year old. It was clear that the staff understood child development, creating a safe, warm and nurturing environment which immediately puts the children (and their families) at ease and open to learning. They understand that that tears as children separate from parents is normal at this age, and they get to know each child and build relationships that help the students make that transition, quickly becoming excited to come back each week! The teachers use creativity and princess magic at the younger ages, holding students' attention and therefore providing a strong dance foundation while having fun. As the children have gotten older, they have been exposed to many different types of dance and styles, and given the time they practice, they are able to dance circles around their peers! However, being a part of the Bella Ballet family is far more than just about dance instruction. My daughter has transformed from a timid four year old, often in tears, to a kind, confident and respectful third grader. Bella Ballet offers many opportunities for community outreach, constantly helping the students to think about those around them and giving ways to show kindness to others. The entire staff promotes confidence, making good choices that you are proud of, acceptance to diversity and celebrating the differences that make each child unique. I could not ask for better role models for my daughter than the owner and instructors at Bella Ballet. Every interaction is professional, yet individualized, and tasteful from the choreography to the costumes! Bella Ballet's goal is to "Build Confident Ballerinas One Twirl at a Time"... and my daughter is proof that the experiences they provide do just that! read more

I can't say enough good things about Bella Ballet. First thing, the studio is beautiful and welcoming, and everyone who works there is genuinely nice, caring, sweet and do their very best to be helpful. I know this first hand because my older daughter used to have Selective Mutism and Social Anxiety disorder. I say "used to" because after being enrolled in Mommy & Me, Princess Ballet, and their Summer Camps, now I can safely say that my daughter overcame her anxiety thanks to the love, support and dedication of everyone at Bella Ballet. The instructors at Bella Ballet took time out of their busy schedules to sit down with my daughter's therapist to find out how they could help her engage in ballet class. Not only that, but they applied all the techniques to treat her condition and helped her gain the necessary confidence to speak in ballet class, engage with other ballerinas, voluntarily raise her hand to speak to a group, dance with everyone, perform in front of all parents and participate in a recital in front of hundreds! These were things that we could only dream of happening! Because of the instructors' dedication, and because they cared, my daughter now is unrecognizable. She barely has any struggles with anxiety and all because of the confidence she gained at Bella Ballet. This has translated into being more confident at school and multiple other settings. We are forever thankful to Bella Ballet, Ms. Jessie, Ms. Hope, Ms. Jackie, Ms. Jamie, Ms. Olivia, and the multiple other instructors who chose to care for my daughter's condition and made it their mission to get her out of her shell transforming her into a self-confident beautiful Bella ballerina. We consider Bella Ballet as part of our family. After a wonderful experience with my older daughter, I have now also enrolled my little one in Mommy & Me and she is loving it as much a her big sis. Thank you again to the entire Bella Ballet team for caring. Thank you for your support. We are forever grateful. read more

Bella Ballet is the perfect place if you are looking for a dance studio! My daughter has been dancing there going on her third year now and has loved every minute of it. The owner, teachers, and entire staff at Bella Ballet are the kindest group of people you will ever meet. We have danced in the Princess Ballet and Tap/Hip Hop classes and our daughter has loved both. The classes are structured so that the students are learning the particular dance style while also having tons of fun. This studio is one of the most organized groups that we have ever been a part of with fun themed weeks, numerous donation events to support different parts of the communities, lots of fun weekend parties/get togethers, and a beautiful recital where our dancers perform at the end of the year (one of my FAVORITE parts!). The staff is extremely kind, knowledgeable, and great role models for their students. This studio encourages kindness and being strong, independent individuals during their classes. My daughter is confident and a leader and I think being at Bella Ballet has greatly contributed to these amazing qualities she has! Plus I love seeing her get groovy on the dance floor! We love being part of the Bella Ballet family! read more

We love Bella Ballet! One of my best decisions as a mom was to sign my daughter up. The studio is adorable, covered in pink and tutus and boas and all things girly. The owner is super involved and truly cares about each and every little girl and her family and takes time to get to know them and make them feel welcome to the Bella Ballet family. The instructors are the kindest, most genuinely loving teachers ever and the girls look up them as princesses. They facilitate creative developmentally appropriate lessons which have a perfect balance of exposure and practice of dance techniques with FUN. The girls practice listening and following directions, improving their form and learning choreography but also have plenty of opportunities to get movement breaks, put on costumes to become various characters, and use their imagination in a million different ways. As awesome as all of this is, the very best part of Bella Ballet is what they have done for my daughter's self-esteem. They have gently guided her out of her shell and have helped her blossom into a confident, strong, gracefully fierce young lady. Trust me, just sign your little one up and you'll fall in love! read more

Seriously the best!! My son (yes son) attends Bella and the Prima Ballerinas that lead the class are the kindest, gentlest and best teachers my son has ever had. They understand children and understand the psychology of young children, but also instill a sense of responsibility, structure and order to the child. There are expectations and rules, but a lot of love and fun! Every class is a theme, usually surrounding something princess or along that genre. Lots of tutus and props, but also classical style dance fitted to the age group. Having a boy in ballet I didn't know what to expect. They have been warm, loving, and very accommodating (saying, boys and girls, instead of just girls, saying all the ladies and gentlemen instead of just ladies). It is a conscious effort on their part and it does not go unnoticed! If you're thinking of a place for your child, this is it. Very clean, fresh and warm. They have a viewing screen for "dance moms" to watch their ballerinas and ballerinos as not to interrupt the flow of the class. They make each class special (no easy feat!) and my son looks forward every week! 10 Stars! read more

My daughter has been with Bella Ballet for over five years now and she has loved every moment of it. Miss Hope, Miss Jackie and Miss Jessie are three of the kindest, loving and sweetest teachers I have ever met. All of the instructors are stellar! My daughter loves each class and the support and encouragement she gets from all her teachers. In the past year she joined the Bellas Dance team and I was pleasantly surprised by her keenness to do so. She was welcomed with open arms and has made friends on the team. I have seen more confidence, spunk and love for dancing since joining the Bellas - I couldn't be happier! This dance studio does more than just teach dance to young girls - it embodies and practices kindness as part of every lesson. It celebrates each girls uniqueness, strengths and diversity and provides a platform for them to shine and grow into strong, confidents leaders. I would highly recommend Bella Ballet for ballet, tap, jazz/hip-hop - all of the young dancers are encouraged, loved and supported throughout their journey. We look forward to many more happy years as part of the Bella family. read more

The Bella Ballet studio is amazing for so many reasons, my kids have been going here for the past 3 years and they continue to grow and flourish into confident little women and dancers. The staff here not only teaches dance but how to treat each other with respect and kindness. They give back to the community and continue to participate in local events. The recitals are where you get to see the compilation of all your kid's hard work and where you really get to witness the growth. The staff is AMAZING! They are vibrant, energetic, helpful, caring and most importantly, they treat each kid as their own. They truly want to see each one grow into the best version of themselves. If you're looking for that perfect place to get your kid started in something they might like or if they already like dance and want to progress, THIS IS IT. No one else does what they do, the way they do it. read more

My daughter has been attending Bella Ballet now since she was 4 years old (now almost 8) and we took a one year break due to new baby. There was not a day that my daughter Melody didn't ask when she would return to Bella Ballet and that she missed her teachers. When Melody walked throught the door after her year break Miss Hope and Miss Jessi immediately hugged her and said "Melody we've missed you" that made my daughter and my family feel so special. Each one of the dance instructors takes the time to make each little girl feel so special. I am so excited to see all that my daughter will continue to learn at Bella Ballet. I also can't wait to have see my other daughter dance her heart away at Bella Ballet when she's old enough in a few years!! read more

If your daughter is interested in ballet or even if you want her to take classes, she will become interested due to the special talent of Ms Hope MacDonald. She is a well trained teacher as well as the owner of Bella Ballet. Ms Hope will be teaching your child proper technique as well as making the class fun for the child. Ms Hope's patient and energetic demeanor makes Bella Ballet the perfect place for being engaged in such a beautiful art form. My daughter absolutely loves dancing at Bella Ballet. She wishes everyday was "time to go dance with Ms Hope." I love Bella Ballet because my daughter is learning more than just ballet technique. She gains discipline and self confidence. We fell in love with Bella Ballet from day one. read more

My daughters love going to Bella Ballet EVERY.SINGLE.WEEK. The owner (Miss Hope) which is also the teacher,the events coordinator, business manager, and most importantly, my daughters' biggest fan genuinely has a special talent for teaching children. We've taken ballet on and off around the area and this studio is by far the best place. If you want your "budding ballerina" to develop an appreciation and love for dance I would recommend Bella Ballet. Classes are reasonably priced, she offers private lessons, camps, birthday celebrations and sometimes tea parties, just for the fun of it. I'm honestly not sure if Miss Hope sleeps! I can say with certainty, any parent you ask about Bella Ballet will rave about this place. read more

Bella Ballet is a warm and welcoming dance studio for children of all abilities and my daughter has been a member for over four years. We couldn't be more pleased with the skill level of the instructors but more importantly, their dedication to seeing the abilities of each little girl and helping them grow more confident through dance. My daughter adores Ms. Hope and all her instructors and has grown more confident in herself as a person and a dancer. Hope's organization when it comes to recitals is absolutely top notch. Her knowledge of dance, genuine interest in and love for each girl, and business savvy far exceed my expectations. We will never dance anywhere else. Bella Ballet is the best dance studio around! read more

Bella Ballet has been nothing short of phenomenal. My daughter has special needs and Bella Ballet is the only ballet program around that has supports and a class for those with different abilities. My daughter needed a small class size and she also has sensitivity to loud noises, and Bella was able to accommodate for those needs and more. Not only does my daughter love her time there, but she boasts about her ballet class wherever she goes. The instructors are patient, kind, and really engage the little ballerinas to have fun but learn techniques at the same time. I'm so thankful for Bella Ballet and love their heart to serve their local community as well. They are a blessing to our family. read more

Miss Hope is passionate and creative at the same time loving to the kids - my daughter looks forward to her ballet sessions every weekend. It is fun even for us to watch the princesses chasing butterflies in their tutus and ever changing costumes that they get to wear in their session. She is friendly with the kids and my daughter loves her. She organized a ballet birthday party for my four year old as well which was a huge success. I love her studio which has such nice ambiance and a personal touch and ideal for budding ballerinas. If you want your daughter to be the perfect ballerina princess, Bella Ballet is the right place. read more

My daughter attended Mommy & Me for one year and she's currently enrolled in Princess Ballet (3s). The instructors at Bella Ballet are just wonderful with each student - my daughter SO looks up to Miss Jackie and Miss Jessie, and they are amazing in the way that they personalize their approach with dancers at every age group. She loves to practice during the week and to learn the words for each ballet move so that she's ready for her next class. I see my daughter becoming more vibrant, confident and passionate as Bella Ballet sparks her love of dance. We are so happy to be a part of the Bella Ballet community! read more

My daughter has been dancing with Bella Ballet for 5 years. There is not a more inviting, accepting and loving studio around. Ms. Hope and her team have raised the bar for dance studios and continue to raise it each year without sacrificing their mission of who they are and what they stand for. As a mother of a daughter, I find it refreshing to find a safe place where my daughter can learn to dance from top dance instructors all the while be herself, grow her confidence and feel empowered. It takes a village to raise children today. It's necessary to find places like Bella Ballet to support that journey. read more

My fresh two year old and I are in the winter session of the Mommy & Me class (2-3 year olds), which started in January. I wanted to find something social to do with her since she isn't in school yet, so Bella Ballet let us do a free trial class before we committed. So happy we found this place! The teachers are SO sweet and the class is very developmentally appropriate. The little ones dress up with costumes and practice a new ballet move each week. We haven't been here very long, but we love it so far. I can't wait for the recital in a few months!! read more

Bella Ballet is a place where my little one can be herself. The studio makes her feel like a real princess ballerina and there's tons of available classes. The teachers really know the technical part but they teach it in a fun way so everyone really enjoys learning without even realising it. Miss Jessie and Miss Hope make you feel like family and are very thoughtful as to find the right fit for your little one needs/wants. It's my second year attending Bella Ballet and we will keep on going as long as there are classes for my little one! read more

This has been the absolute best activity for our three year old daughter! We've tried other gyms, sports, etc but hands down Bella ballet has been the perfect fit. They have the right balance between fun + instruction. The teachers are all fabulous and the little girls get to dress up like a different princess at the end of each class and my daughter especially loves the freestyle dancing with her new pals. She is quite shy but has really blossomed - I encourage all moms to check them out! Not to mention - easy parking, always a bonus! read more

Bella Ballet is a fantastic dance studio! The teachers are wonderful and make every student feel comfortable and confident. The studio space is inviting and fun. Miss Hope and the Bella Ballet team truly put so much heart into all they do for the students, families, and community. They have created such a supportive and nurturing environment, one that promotes kindness and celebrates each child's individuality, and my daughter has loved every minute of her five years there. read more