I used to dance here in high school and have nothing but amazing memories and gained the talent and…read moreconfidence to go on to become the captain of my college dance team.

My three and a half year old niece loves Lady Gaga. So of course she loves to....Just Dance!…read more Every now and then I'll accompany my niece, Madelyn to her weekly Saturday morning dance class lasting about 45 minutes. About three teachers, eager teenage girls, lead this class of 3-4 year olds in basic but most importantly fun dance exercises. Teachers here are patient and truly take the time to make sure the kids are learning the proper forms while making it fun at the same time. My favorite part is to see my niece holding on to the bar bending into a plie with her frilly pink tutu. Parents are able to see their little ballerinas in action through a one sided mirror that looks in the dance studio. I definitely suggest arriving at least 5-10 minutes early so you get a good seat on the "viewing bench." Parents are typically not allowed into the class, but I've seen exceptions made for children with severe separation anxiety. As a parent, or even an aunt, it's easy to forget to bring this that or the other to class. Thankfully, both ballet and tap shoes are available at their gift shop for rental free of charge to children enrolled in classes. I cannot wait to attend the recital at the end of the class!

At both sites, instructors at Beth Fowler School of Dance have not only molded my daughters into…read moregraceful dancers, but also played a pivotal role in shaping their character, dedication, and work ethic. While such activities come with a cost, witnessing the joy it brings to my daughters makes it all worthwhile.

I have absolutely loved my experience at Beth Fowler School of Dance. I have seen significant…read moreimprovement in my dancing since joining and working with very committed and qualified teachers. Love this studio!!!

If you need a place to take your kids to dance look no further. Miss Kelly cares about each one of…read morethe kids and makes them feel special. She goes above and beyond for them and is an amazing teacher. My girls love her and can't wait to go back to her studio again and again.

One of the most beautifully designed dance spaces yet encountered. Justin Heyford Chicago Readerread more

When moving to the area in DeKalb I asked another dance teacher from another studio we used to go…read moreuntil we moved- who knows a lot of people where I should bring my daughter and son five years ago when moving to the area -I was told to go to Beth Fowler School of Dance. So I called and talked to Beth the owner. She was so personable and positive. Even when I mentioned my son who has Down Syndrome and how he needed structure. She assured me he would do well there and they were completely accepting of any child no matter their differences. This alone made me shout inside. Loved the acceptance and they proved this right! When starting there five years ago -my daughter was a beginner and my son was in hip hop only. They loved it immediately! Teachers so supportive and encouraging. Good structure of classes and as a teacher in a high school I appreciated that. My daughter would come home and brag about Miss Brooke and how she was her favorite teacher- still does. In five years, I have never had to make them go to dance. They tell me when it is time to leave. Now, my daughter is still in classes and also is on the dance team. she has gotten so good- they have scores and has improved so much in three years of team. My son is still in classes for hip hop and loves it. I cannot stress enough the positives that have come out especially since in quarantine but Miss Allix, Miss Janelle, Miss Brooke, Miss Beth, Miss Rachel, Mr. Miguel and Me. Robert- I cannot say enough about the staff. Miss Becky, Miss Taryn, and Miss Kaitlin for also subbing for my kids. using online teaching and keeping them busy as well by still focusing on technique! I could not ask for a better staff. My daughter and my Son absolutely enjoy going there. The shows are wonderful and so well organized. I always help because I enjoy helping Madelyn and helping the studio for all they have done to be this positive force. Doing online classes and having lunch with our kids during this time of quarantine. I can not say enough about this studio. Even the receptionists are so helpful and polite when needing anything. Thank you to everyone that pushes my daughter - and encourages my daughter and son to enjoy, motivate, encourage, and being such a role model to my kids. If you are looking for a studio for your family-THIS IS THE ONE! They even allow you to try a class before enrolling to make sure you like it. Now that is amazing! I feel like part of a family there. It is with great pleasure that I encourage you to try this studio! See below the pictures of how much fun and family this studio makes us feel so welcome! The team does a big sister little sister to support the younger girls and my daughters big sisters have been amazing. The shows are also amazing if can even just come to Watch when we dance three times a year at Egyptian Theatre!

We have had an amazing experience at Beth Fowler school of dance!! My oldest daughter has been…read moredancing at this studio for over 5 years and has loved every second of it. Beth has a great amount of knowledge and has taught my daughter so much. My middle daughter just started dance and can be a bit of a handful, but Beth and the other instructors have been extremely helpful and patient. I can't wait to have my youngest daughter start dance. Not only have my daughters danced, but my son has performed in a couple shows. Such a great experience for all kids! And the shows are wonderful for the whole family!

We have become a part of Elite's Academy of Dance family last year. My daughter loves to dance and…read morewe found this new program to better fit her needs. I have seen the studio perform at a Dance Competition and was impressed with the quality of dance, the choreography, music and costume choices. What impressed me the most, however, was the team's camaraderie. These kids are so supportive of each other that I wished for my daughter to experience something this awesome. They looked so "happy" to be there and doing what they love. The studio has many dancers and parents so it's definitely not possible to know everyone but there is a special inclusiveness that I feel. The staff is phenomenal. The studio Director, Jennie Newman-Scheiwe is an amazing leader that I can't praise enough. What impressed me about her professionalism is how extremely organized she is and how she provides the parents patiently with detailed information about everything and always seems to go the extra mile. Her students are thought to be kind and welcoming towards new dancers and because there are so many kids, it seems like friendships form easily. There is room for any dancer, of any level and commitment. It was a tough choice for my daughter to switch studios and she did not transition easily. It was hard for me as well to watch her struggle and to put herself in this new environment. It was a big challenge for her, but Elite's studio culture and welcoming attitude of the staff, teachers and dancers made it so much easier each time she stepped inside. I consider us still being new to the studio but I am impressed so far and can't wait to find out what the future brings. When people ask me, "how is Elite?" I say "it's truly great", but you would need to see it for yourself to believe it, because it's not something one can explain. Change is good sometimes. I highly recommend Elite Academy of Dance as the best studio around!

Lovely, intimate theatre with very good shows. Parking is a bit tight, though. I wish they had…read moreperformances more often!

It's obvious that favoritism is a big problem here. It's always the same kids getting the lead…read moreroles and spotlight even events like Geneva's Got Talent, over and over again. There are so many other kids who deserve a chance, but they never even seem to be considered. Disappointing and unfair. TERRIBLE experience overall.

If you are looking to engage your child in the arts, YPAC has a wide selection of options, from…read moredance, tumbling, music and theater. With two locations in Yorkville, the facilities are easily accessible to families in Yorkville and in surrounding communities. Both of my daughters have participated in the tumbling program. My older child started tumbling at an older age, and YPAC welcomed her and built both her strength and confidence. The teachers are knowledgeable in proper form and safety. My youngest started in a parent/child class, Pre-COVID. It was more of an open gym/exploratory class, which was a fun introduction to tumbling. We just started back after a break for COVID, and the facility remains impressive. My now the year old jumped right in to participate, which impressed me. The teachers are obviously experienced with younger children. The facility has a great plan on place to safely check children in without a lot of close contact and traffic through the building, and parents can still watch class via Zoom. Prices are a little high- billing is monthly, and there is also an annual membership fee. I do believe that there are some scholarships available.

My experience with YPAC is with the one week performing arts camp (Monday through Friday) designed…read morearound tryouts for a play/musical on the first day and culminating in a performance on Friday evening. Every child enrolled in the camp (which I believe cost $500) is guaranteed a role in the play. I recently attended the Friday night performance for You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. There were only 10 children enrolled in the camp. The show chosen had 6 speaking roles, and 4 non-speaking roles. The participants in non-speaking roles were infrequently on the stage singing and dancing. Didn't have so much as one line in the whole show. Which meant they spent much of the week leading up to the show sitting around watching the others practice. Not exactly what the camp offered or was paid for. It would seem to me that a better show could have been chosen to allow fuller participation for all the camp enrollees. I understand that in any play some are cast in larger roles than others. However, the secret to a good theater camp is to figure out how to utilize ALL the kids to make them feel like full participants. There are much better theater camps out there. I would recommend skipping this one.