EDA as a dance institution is something quite uniquely special. The teaching faculty are all pedigreed masters of their craft who both nurture and demand the best from their students, and yet they offer ample space for you to make (many) mistakes without any harsh judgment. They boast a stellar curriculum that offers Chinese classical dance, folk dances, ballet, acro/tumbling, and all the programs have emphasis on both artistic development as well as technique. This is an environment that builds character by teaching students of all ages to appreciate the beauty of dance/art, to appreciate/respect fellow students and dance etiquette, and to appreciate the light and artistry that may lie dormant within themselves.
From what I have seen of the youth programs, the faculty invests an incredible amount of time for all youth age levels. They absolutely do not partake in the practice of focusing all their attention on the comp program and ignoring students in the rec classes. EDA also has a notable strong adult program; every adult student I've met over the past year has been very dedicated to the Academy and to helping each other. The founder and director, Eva Wang, leads by example as I've witnessed EDA's culture to be one that encourages you to not rest on the laurels of your last show or trophy, but rather she promotes hard work and humility, as well as a balanced school-extracurriculars life, or balanced work-family life. I've had the privilege of being part of their adult program for the past year and some change, having a great time and really just living out my best TVB costume drama -childhood dreams. Instruction is given in mostly Mandarin and some English, and I as a non-native speaker have inadvertently scored many hours of free language immersion (boy was my first month+ confusing and gloriously fun). EDA doesn't teach dance only as exercise, but as art. Come for the enrichment and stay for the lovely community! read more