I started my child/children here a few weeks ago. Having taken them to other dance studios and seeing the structure behind the lessons with 30 kids in a class, I would think that the people here could get a grasp on 5 kids from 3-5 years old. The second week we were there my husband noticed another class of teenage girls using vulgar language in the halls toward a girl helping teach the little ones.
Which reminds me, why is she helping anyway? She cannot be more than 14 and is NOT their teacher, I would hope that they would ask her to stay out since she is causing more of a distraction than help in the class. The teacher that is there was absent the second week, which i understand. Kids need structure and repetition, so far I have seen none.
There is NO sense of letting the children know where they are supposed to be in the room which practicing. Matter of fact, a little girl was standing directly to my daughters right, a bit in front of her, so every time she put her arms out she would basically slap my kid in the face. I was the one who was forced to go move my daughter so she could learn. The teacher said not a word.
The music they play for this age group with the selected "standard" teacher is NOT kid friendly. It was when they had a substitute there but not with the normal teacher.
Back to the foul mouthed teens in the hall. last night I removed my youngest from class because she had no intention of being attentive and caused distraction. As i was waiting, these children were telling stories with adult language and adult situations. I complained and they were scolded to a response of "so what?". Then the fake apologies came and didn't pay them any mind because no one else took it seriously.
Now for MORE great fun about this "dance studio". Ordering shoes. We paid them 30some dollars for a pair of tap shoes that were to be ordered after payment. I asked yesterday when they would arrive, to which the woman responded "you haven;t paid yet so I did not order them". After making her listen to the words that were coming out of my mouth and not sitting in her head she found record of reciept and I asked her to cancel the order and refund the money. Which she could not do because someone else is in charge of the money. Never telling me what or when I would hear about the refund. Great business strategy.
Lastly, let me say that in comparison to a school I took my kids to in Leavenworth, this place lacks an utter regard for teaching with the current regular teacher. Were as the substitute last week would help the kids get the feet positions by going over to them, lining them up and speaking like they were children the other teacher, L, just let's them flail about. With their mothers in tow.
I never really understood the immense boost it gives a child to have the parent out of the room so they can focus until now. Kids were darting in and out of the actual dance floor to their parents, getting drinks from them, having them escort them to the water fountain (which there are breaks for drinks often), and mothers out there teaching the kids where as L should be doing it herself, especially if she has her young "helper" who seems to annoy L.
Overall,this place needs to figure it out. I understand small kids are new and attached to to mommy but teach needs to assure mommy that her kid will be OK and mommy needs to sit in the hall. That is why there are chairs, not so the other kids can talk about being exposed by a boy. I highly doubt we will return. And I would never recommend them to anyone. read more