I cannot say enough great things about this studio. My daughter has been going here for over 5…read moreyears now and we love it! It's one of her favorite things to do. The teachers are amazing, the owner is the sweetest kindest person ever. It's such a great studio with age appropriate dances and costumes and the kids love it!

We have loved coming to this dance studio with our 3 year old daughter! Her class was adorable and…read moreshe had so much fun. Her teacher was Krisann who was always so nice, enthusiastic, and took really great care of all her students. The owner Cassie also was very responsive and kind to us every time we needed to make up a class or ask questions. We will be back!

I've had 3 daughters take ballet, tap, and more classes with this studio. My first two daughters…read moretook classes for 7 years, 18 years ago. My now 10 year old just started ballet a few months ago and will be able to dance in the magnificent Nutcracker that the studio puts on every year. This production is beautiful and professional. All three of my girls have not only personally benefited from the discipline of dance, but they absolutely loved this studio. Very grateful that my girls have had the opportunity to dance here.

My daughter started dancing here about 6 years ago. It's one of the largest performing arts…read morestudios around. They don't focus on "flash", but more so on the quality of the basics. The faculty that has been assembled here are all highly sought after. Many of them are asked to teach seminars across the country and even overseas. They offer a variety of dance disciplines including classical ballet, hip hop, jazz, tap and contemporary. Every winter, the studio presents one of the finest "Nutcracker" ballet's performed by students. The time and energy that the staff and owners put into this performance is astounding. It allows the students to experience the big stage with all the lights and effects that are mostly reserved for professional artists. Finally, you know your child will be getting a strong performing arts experience here when they audition for national summer intensive programs such as the American Ballet Theatre, Joffrey and the School of American Ballet, to name just a few, and are accepted time and time again. My daughter auditioned for the first time last year. We didn't expect anything going into this process being our first try. However, the acceptances came rolling in one after the other. The process continues this year with similar results. I couldn't be happier to have chosen this studio for my daughter. She has gained physical strength, agility and grace through the various classes she has taken. More importantly It has increased her self esteem and confidence to a whole new level. My daughter has found a passion for dance that she will carry forever. I have since enrolled my younger daughter and son for classes. They too have gained much since enrolling. If any of the previous posts have turned you off to this studio, I suggest you take a personal look for yourself. You'll be glad you did.

I am more than pleased that I brought my daughter to this Academy to learn to dance. It is a small…read moreschool but we tried out two other dance studios in the area, and my daughter felt very lost at those. I like that the front desk staff communicate well with the parents, and I like that the school is very careful about how the dancers behave in the common area. This is beside the fact that my daughter loves being taught by the instructors that she has! She never complains about going to practice and she enjoys everything that she is learning. This is not the case with every other dance studio she's been to. This Academy has reasonable costs and I am very excited to see the first recital.

My daughter has been attending this dance studio close to a year. She loves every minute of class…read moreand has established beautiful friendships with her classmates! I'm especially fond of the instructors. They are talented dancers and choreographers! I'm in awe of how much my kiddo has improved with her technique, balance, flexibility, and sass!!! We highly recommend EDGE!!!

This a fun, supportive, confidence building, woman owned business. I have been taking class with…read morethe owner, Jess, for years. Classes are challenging but make students grow. There is always a different style to class: sexy, ratchet, sensual, old school. You name it, we've done it. Sometimes there are even live musicians playing along to the choreo. The people that come to class (even if they are new) are welcoming and we hype each other up. To say that classes at BPA are "a vibe" is a complete understatement. BPA is a "whole ass mood."

I have always enjoyed dancing, and stopped for many years. Later found this dance company, that…read morereinspired me to get back into dance. It's a place I can feel myself and express myself. I look forward to coming here week after week. I need it now in my life. Jess is so inspiring and honestly has helped me through some sad times.

My daughter has been attending for several years now and she absolutely loves it! Great…read moreinstruction. Great atmosphere. Great people and families. I've seen a lot of girls grow into fantastic dancers!

I've danced at To The Pointe for many, many years, and expect to continue dancing there for many…read moremore years to come. Erin Duclos provides a level of ballet training that is unparalleled by any school in San Diego. Her understanding of ballet technique exceeds her own personal experience as a dancer for many years. She has also studied in depth the best way to train fundamental alignment and technique so as to allow dancers to fully express themselves artistically. She uses physics and analogies of every day activities to make understanding ballet accessible, for beginners and advanced dancers alike. Her methods are tried and true, as many of her students have gone on to become professional dancers. Whenever I have traveled and taken classes at other studios, teachers approach me after class to ask where I trained. Her students' dancing speak volumes to her abilities as an instructor. Her knowledge is extensive in many aspects of ballet; including correct verbiage (rather than Americanized ballet slang), costuming (she can make tutus!), choreography (both original and staging other works), and a general understanding of the ballet world - which is useful in many contexts, for example, when looking for advice for auditions. Perhaps what I love most about To The Pointe is the warm and welcoming atmosphere Mrs. Duclos has fostered. It is a studio of support, friends, and fun, and mean spirits are not tolerated. I have never felt unwelcome dancing there. For this reason, more than any other, I keep coming back!

I felt so lucky when I found this studio for my daughter who is age seven. She had been to many…read moreother studios in North County SD taking ballet over the passed few years, and at all the rest of the studios - it felt like she was just a number, and like the classes were more recreational than real instruction. The classes everywhere are so over sized with 12- 13 kids because most businesses are focused on maximizing their profit. So, her progress was very slow being in those over sized classes of kids where the teachers are so outnumbered that they don't have the time to notice little things that need improvement. It just felt like a waste of time and money everywhere. And most studio's have recitals that are so cheesy too which I didn't like, presenting the dancers like they are in a pageant show with excessive make-up and cheap looking outfits. But then, we found this little gem hidden in Carlsbad. Mr. Valeri who is the owner and sole teacher there, was a world famous Russian ballet performer traveling through Europe and other parts of the world starring in famous ballets. He has trained side by side with some of the most well known ballet famous dancers in the world. He is in late 60's and has over 30 years of experience teaching Vaganova ballet which is one of the oldest, purest, and most beautiful forms of ballet. He teaches ages 3 and up, and truly loves his students. He is fun and sweet with the kids, but still making sure they are doing everything correctly and safely, and you can tell he has real faith in his students. His classes are small and personalized, and he keeps the dance floor and ballet barre very clean which I think is also rare. He's extremely knowledgeable and passes on his expertise to all his students with a lot of care and attention. And one of the best parts of taking classes there, is that he puts on gorgeous recital performances with his students twice a year, and they wear high quality beautiful costumes, and soft tasteful make up. The sets are also high quality from the back drops to the props which really showcases the dancers hard work in a special way. And he even give's the very young dancers important roles. There are many photos here to see what Im talking about. If you are looking for a studio where you or your kids will be taught very well, and actually make noticeable progress in less time, then this is the place for you. And it's nice that it's close to the 5 freeway so it's easy to get to. It's a very small operation so to get set up trying a class, you email the point of contact on their site, and do it that way. If you end up wanting to go there, sometimes it can take a couple weeks to get your account going so I just kept track of the days you go until then. But then when it all gets set up, there no problem and it's SO worth it. Anyways, we feel so lucky to be able to have both of our daughters ages 5 and 7 be taught by Mr. Valeri, and if you are someone who really wants to learn classical ballet, this is the best place in San Diego to do it. Some parents drive 45 minutes to come to his studio, it's THAT worth it. : )

My four-year-old daughter has been to about 5 dance classes here and I am so happy that we decided…read moreto go with this ballet school! It is a rare and wonderful thing to see kids this age be given structure in a dance class, while still being able to enjoy themselves. I appreciate that they are learning an art and not just how to shake it. The parents are allowed to leave during class, which is the only way I could do it because I have a 2 year old which terrorizes the small waiting space and is constantly trying to bother the curtain that separates the waiting area from the studio. The quality of the classes are worth this minor inconvenience. Also to note: parents are not supposed to watch the classes as it distracts to the kids, but there's no window or camera set up, so you actually never really see the classes unless it's your first class or a special family day. Also, as other reviewers have mentioned, the communication between the studio and the parents is not very good. Again, to me, it is still very much worth it, regardless of this small inconvenience.

Miss Janet is amazing!! she's taught me a lot, and I love the dances we do, and how well we get…read morealong.

My 4th grader started here as a new dancer almost 2 years ago. She has learned and grown so much…read moresince she started and even added multiple classes this year because she loves the studio so much! GC dance has high level instructors and competitive dance for kids who are looking for that type of community- AND- they also offer a safe and relaxed environment for less competitive dancers looking for a supportive and fun community. You can find all levels of dancers here. They even offer adult classes. We have truly been so happy here. I highly recommend checking them out if you are looking to explore dance!

Pacific Motion Dance Center has become our home away from home! Every teacher, assistant, office…read morestaff, and the owner are such incredibly talented, supportive, caring people! We feel super lucky to be a part of this community. And it really is that! When you join a class (which all classes are such a great price), you join a group of great people who become friends! The dance students are all very nice to each other and encourage each other. They also have the cutest little boutique of dance stuff at the front of their studio.

We've loved PacMo for the last 2 years. My daughter not only learns a lot, but we've both made…read moregreat friends in the process. She loves Miss Wendy and getting to perform at recitals. All of the teachers she's worked with are loving, patient, and extremely knowledgeable. Events and recitals are always so organized and impressive! Look no further!

My daughter loves this dance school. They have a friendly and caring team there. Had nothing but…read moregreat experiences with A Step Above.

We absolutely love this studio! Both of my daughters have been dancing here since they were 18…read moremonths old--now they're 7 and 5--and it's been such a positive experience every step of the way. The classes are always age-appropriate, with just the right balance of fun and challenge as they've progressed. The recital costumes are adorable and thoughtfully chosen for each age group. We've had the chance to work with many of the teachers over the years, and every one of them has been wonderful. The office staff is also incredibly supportive and welcoming. This studio has truly nurtured and grown my girls' love for dance!

UPDATE: I stopped attending Smith Chason San Marcos in June…read more2025, and the school continues to confirm exactly why I left. Current students still contact me ...a former student ...because they are experiencing the same ongoing issues: biased grading, inconsistent expectations, and an EPL course that seems designed more around personal preference than actual educational standards. At this point, it's unclear whether the root problem is poor management, lack of structure, or simply a refusal to acknowledge the program's failures. Regardless, the results are obvious ! students are failing, withdrawing, or transferring at a rate that should concern any institution claiming to prepare future professionals. So here is a direct question for the San Marcos campus How do you plan to maintain graduation rates when your own program repeatedly undermines the success of the students paying to be here? Is this going to reflect on the San Marcos website for the school ? The fact that students trust a former attendee more than their own instructors is telling. It reflects a level of dysfunction so normalized within the program that students no longer expect fairness, clarity, or support from within the school itself. I cannot recover the time or money I invested, but I can make sure future students enter with accurate expectations. I will continue updating this review, and I will also be posting TikTok videos breaking down these issues in detail so prospective students can see exactly what they are signing up for. A refund would be the bare minimum acknowledgment of the program's ongoing failures. Whether you choose to offer one is up to you .. but the pattern is already documented, and I will continue adding to that documentation as long as current students keep reaching out.

Smith Chason College @zala Askarzoi @Behrouz @Kenneth McDowell…read more0 stars!! My experience with this school has been very disappointing, and I honestly regret enrolling. In the beginning, everything seems great--they are friendly, attentive, and make big promises. But over time, it becomes clear that the school operates very differently. The school feels like a scam. They constantly change rules and tuition, and keep adding new requirements that force students to pay more money, either through loans or additional monthly fees. There is no consistency, and it creates a lot of stress for students trying to plan their education. One of the biggest problems is externship placement. The school does not properly support students and often leaves them waiting with no clear start date. There have been many issues with hospitals breaking contracts, and nearby hospitals reportedly no longer accept their students because the school enrolls too many people without properly planning placements. When it comes to staff, there is a huge difference in professionalism: April is the only person who truly deserves 5 stars. She has a great attitude, is respectful, answers questions clearly, and responds quickly to emails and phone calls. She genuinely tries to motivate and support students to finish their program, and she stands out as someone who actually cares. Zala, on the other, has been extremely difficult to deal with. She does not seem to care about students and puts little effort into helping with externships. Communication is very poor--emails go unanswered, and phone calls are often ignored. There are constant excuses for not being available, and it often feels like she avoids students instead of helping them. It's frustrating when you need urgent assistance and can't get a response unless you repeatedly insist. Behrouz, has also been very unhelpful. Communication is a major issue--emails are not answered, and when you ask specific questions, the responses are often unclear or unrelated. Simple tasks, like signing paperwork, can take weeks, which delays student progress unnecessarily. Professionalism and responsiveness are seriously lacking. Overall, I do not recommend this school to anyone. My advice to future students is to read reviews carefully before committing, ask detailed questions, and think twice before enrolling. Don't be misled by the initial friendliness--make sure you fully understand what you're getting into before making a decision.