I honestly regret spending my money at DansWest Dance Studio.
The tuition is ridiculously expensive for Tucson, especially considering the quality of teaching. Paying around $100 a month for ONE class is already outrageous, and if your child actually wants enough instruction to improve, you're expected to pay for another class too. That can easily become around $200 a month, which is not realistic for a lot of families.
My biggest problem was the Acro Level 2-3 class with Miss Dani. In my opinion, the class was nowhere near the level it was supposed to be. Most classes were spent doing conditioning, stretching, splits, and backbends instead of actually teaching intermediate acro skills and proper technique. Students who were ready to learn more weren't getting the instruction they needed.
The wristband system also made no sense to me. I watched students receive higher-level wristbands even though they still struggled with basic skills, while other students with stronger technique didn't seem to get the same recognition. From my experience, the standards didn't feel consistent.
I also felt there was obvious favoritism toward some competition team students. I even watched one student receive opportunities that, in my opinion, didn't match the skill expectations that seemed to apply to everyone else. I will not name the student but his name starts with a G. However I don't blame the student--that isn't their fault. My issue is with how the studio handled it.
The owner has always been kind whenever I've spoken with her, and I genuinely think she's a nice person. However, I believe she needs to take a closer look at what's happening in some of these classes. The inconsistent teaching, confusing evaluations, and what I experienced as unequal treatment are problems that shouldn't be ignored, especially when families are paying so much money.
For the prices this studio charges, I expected much better instruction, better organization, and fair treatment for every student. Based on my experience, I can't recommend DansWest Dance Studio. read more