My daughter has been dancing and performing on stage a total of 7yrs and at EDC for 3+yrs...she started on the recreational dance team, and now dances on the competitive company team. EDC is a great environment for those who are passionate about dance at any age! Its not about being the most technical, having the perfect look, or the most money - it IS about love of dance, being able to take instruction, show respect, and want to work and grow! EDC has found such a great mix of being a warm/welcoming studio for all levels AND providing top notch instruction and opportunities for the most ambitious/experienced ones! We have been with 4 total studios in North County and all have been wonderful (except for one - which I will not name, but we stayed less than 1 year, as we did not feel welcomed at all - after almost a full year of attending classes every week twice a week, the same check in lady had no clue who my daughter was). If I could give myself advice when starting this dance journey...find and stick with the studio that supports the vision/future you and your dancer are working towards...my daughter and I are pretty grounded when it comes to our expectations from all of this, but everyone is in it for different reasons and because of that one of the challenges as a parent is managing feelings of inequality/jealousy, or being left out/left behind - its helped me grow as a mom! It starts at home - work can be done on teaching your child to be an attentive student, set attainable goals, but dream big, and to compare themselves not to one another but to their last performance. Lastly, the EDC staff is involved in the industry professionally and is well connected for unique opportunities! They are bringing in top notch master instructors and choreographers, they attend a great mix of competitions and conventions - building confidence while keeping them humble! read more

My daughter loves to dance and will choose this studio as her dance family every day all day! She loves that she gets to compete on a team, all styles of dance, and even perform the nutcracker every Christmas! She has big dreams and feels everyone around is as invested in her success as her family is! It makes us so happy knowing she loves going to dance and she gets to really manage and drive her own little journey with the EDC team! read more

Joining Evolution has been the best experience we've ever had! It has brought so much joy not only to our daughter Cece, but to our entire family. It's truly the place she loves to be the most. She never wants to miss a class and is always excited to be part of every opportunity, every performance, and every experience the studio offers. This is her second year on the team, and it has been incredible to see her growth, confidence, and happiness. She has made wonderful friendships and is truly living her best life at the studio. We truly feel the care and dedication from Lisa and the entire team, and it makes EDC a very special place for these dancers to grow. We feel incredibly grateful to be part of the Evolution family. Livia Buteri read more

My daughters have been taking classes here for 3 years. We love all of their teachers and staff along with Lisa, the owner! My daughter's truly enjoy all of their dance classes! Thankful to have found EDC when we moved here. Highly recommend. read more

Our daughter loves EDC!! The instructors are top notch. They focus on technique and the dances are fun and age appropriate. The studio is clean and organized. My daughter is a competitive dancer and on the EDC dance team and loves it!! The studio is truly her home away from home. She is always happy to go and I know she is safe and well cared for. read more

We love dancing at Evolution! This is our 4th studio my daughter has danced for in Carlsbad so we have experienced all the different types of dance studios available in the area. At Evolution we felt welcomed, supported and most importantly in control of our dance commitment. When my daughter was 5 we tried the competitive dance route and learned very quickly that was not for us. I was basically told as a parent to conform to their dance requirements (12 hours a week) or my daughter wouldn't be able to dance, she was 5. We took a few years off to try other activities but my daughter desperately wanted to get back into dance. I chose Evolution because I wanted a place that focused on proper technique, offered challenging yet exciting choreography and most importantly a place where she could have fun. We haven't looked back! Evolution offers classes for those looking to come once a week all the way to dancing every day on a competitive team; so whether you're looking for a fun recreational activity or something more dedicated, Evolution offers both! The studio puts on a Nutcracker and Showcase performance every year that every dancer gets to participate in so you always feel a part of the EDC community and the dancers get the opportunity to perform for their families and friends. The end of year showcase even offers a "Daddy/Daughter" dance which is absolutely adorable. The studio provides classes with all genres of dance, is extremely well organized, and truly such a special place. We wanted to find a studio that gave my daughter the opportunity to grow as a dancer while maintaining the joy of dance at Evolution has given us both! We are very grateful for the friendships made and the memories created here. read more

Evolution Dance Center is the real deal. I cannot imagine a better school for the youngsters in my family who are serious about dance. Stop and read the one-star reviews, then come back here and finish reading my review. The one-star reviews mostly reflect on parents and their expectations, and not on the school. I could imagine a one-star reviewer complaining "my daughter went to 12 lessons and then when the annual Nutcracker performance came around, she did not get the role of Clara. Obviously this school is bad." Yesterday afternoon I sat in the 7th row in the main auditorium of the California Center for the Arts and watched a superb performance of The Nutcracker, in which none of the dancers was old enough to drive, and almost all of them were girls. This was my second year of attending this performance, so this time around I wasn't surprised to see a "Rat Queen" role, or the roles of Drosselmeyer or the Cossack dancers in the trepak all played by teenage girls. They all did a wonderful job. I once watched Mikhail Baryshnikov dance the Nutcracker at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC in about 1977, and, yes, he was better, but so what? It isn't a contest, it's art. I saw a production of Jewels at the New York City Ballet in the early 1970s, directed by George Balanchine. That was great art. My relative who danced in yesterday's performance is 5 years old. She owns two Barbie dolls and she is learning to read. She played a baby mouse, a gumdrop, and a Chinese dancer, with a dozen or two other girls about the same age. I am thrilled that she learned stage presence and collaboration with other dancers as well as the dance moves. She will probably never dance the role of Clara--she may well decide to move away from ballet dancing by the time she is old enough--but what she is learning is wonderful. She also takes classes in tap and hip-hop dancing. She came to our house once after a tap lesson and click-clacked all over the wooden floor in our kitchen. It was delightful, though my wife was worried there would be damage to our floor. If you have a young relative who is interested in any aspect of real dance lessons taught by people whose passion is dance, I highly recommend Evolution Dance Center. Yes, I know they are a little disorganized, and I know they don't always answer the phone, but where it counts, in taking dance seriously and helping children learn it and appreciate it, I cannot recommend Evolution highly enough. read more

It's such an amazing place and has such a great staff. Such a fun place for me to dance and really bring myself out. read more

Evolution Dance Center - Me and my Sis - Performing Arts Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Absolutely loved Evolution Dance! My daughter did an acro private and loved every minute of it! She learned so much in one hour and got so much confidence from it, she did her 1st front handspring the following week! Thank you SO much Evolution Dance for providing this for her! The space was amazing and she loved the teacher. We will be back soon! read more

Rude. They rip your child out of your hands, don't ask for emergency contact information and you're expected to trust someone you don't know with your YOUNG child for over an hour. Not even allowed to say goodbye. Absolutely the rudest and most disgusting experience for a center whose sole business is working with children. read more

Honestly find another dance studio. This place was recommended by my sister in law. I called the place to start my daughter on ballet/tap classes x 1 week. The place did not follow COVID precautions during the height of COVID (prior to vaccine roll out). Lisa, the owner was always dismissive, sometimes rude when we approach her with any question or concern. The teacher in her class was awful, and did nothing to encourage the kids in her class, nor taught them anything valuable except to run around the room with music in the background. The final straw was the Nutcracker performance of which she was automatically signed up to perform in. The cost was upwards $300 for one event to include fees, costume, etc. My daughter and a group of 4-5 year old girls came out for 30 seconds following a grown up dancer, did ZERO dance move, and went back performing no routine. Not sure what all months of prepping was about since they didn't even do a single dance move (not even a wiggle, or side the side movement- really nothing at all). If they don't want younger children to perform they could have just excluded them out of the performance altogether. But they signed them up anyway, taught them nothing for the performance just so they can collect fees from parents. There are many other studios in the area (we live in Carlsbad) that are better, friendlier, have higher skilled teachers, and more inclusive than this place. Heed the warnings from other parents and don't go to this place. read more

TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE - SCARED MY CHILD I called several times, left messages, emailed and was surprised at how many days passed before anyone got back to me. Finally through email I set up a complimentary trail class for my 2.5yr old. She's never done anything like this so I asked if I'd be able to come inside and watch - I have email confirmation that I would. I felt that this would be a smooth transition for my daughter if she could see me through a viewing window. I arrived early, the doors were locked. There were probably 20 kids waiting outside when they finally opened their door at 9am when class was supposed to start at 9am. Then it was a rush to get everyone in. At this point a woman took my daughter away from me and went inside and only then I was informed I wasn't allowed in. My 2yr old daughter was crying, reaching for me and yelling she wanted mommy and this lady just took her away. 10mins later which felt like a lifetime knowing how scared my daughter was I finally was let in for a "tour", I found the room my daughter was in and saw she was still incredibly upset and frightened at the jarring experience of being taken away from me with no communication. We left immediately, she was inconsolable for the car ride home and said she was scared and never wanted to go back. I'm heartbroken. I am beyond angry and disappointed in our first experience there. I understand with covid they don't want every parent inside to watch, but I specifically asked ahead of time and have an email saying I'd be able to go inside with her. There were several other new parents who were also shocked at the lack of communication from the staff. No one expected to not be able to go in and watch. This experience had ruined her interest in dance. As a business for CHILDREN- they should have much more compassion and have far better communication. One of the best parts of a parent is to be able to watch your child experience a new hobby, it was ridiculous to see all the parents sitting outside on the curb and watch from a zoom link. In my opinion, this company is not appropriate for little toddlers, their lack of empathy, nurturing and compassion was evident and I would never feel comfortable sending either of my children there again. read more

They're awesome! Highly recommend. Very professional. My granddaughter loves it. After going to several in Encinitas that had tough teachers. read more

Evolution Dance Center - Beautiful and very professional - Performing Arts Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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My daughter loves her jazz and hip hop class. She wasn't into dance but in this school she found herself. The recital is a big deal. read more

The girl who works at the front desk (I think her name is Bri) is absolutely fabulous. She is so helpful and insightful. She went above and beyond to help me out and figure out the best dance classes for my kids. I cannot recommend this studio enough. Make sure you ask for her when you get there. read more

Not happy through can't go into studio watching kids dance and have to wait outside until the dance starts or finished.

Beware! This studio has been a coronavirus hotspot multiple times. They are not taking proper precautions to protect the children. Pods: They have grouped the kids into pods, but the pods intermingle in the locker room, bathroom, hallways and waiting areas, which totally defeats the point. The recent Covid-19 outbreak spread to at least 6 kids in 3 different pods that I am aware of. It shows a real lack of awareness about the purpose behind pods. Social Distancing: They claim to enforce temp checks, hand washing, mask wearing and social distancing, but my daughter says that they don't follow through. I watch part of the class through the window and I see kids with masks around their necks standing shoulder to shoulder. I see instructors remove their masks to give instructions. I see kids running late skip the temp check and hand washing. Total lack of awareness, education and enforcement of the rules that are there to keep everyone safe. This is why there were 4 cases of Covid-19 in one class. Lack of Communication: The only reason I know that there have been multiple Covid cases linked to this dace studio is because of the parent network. The studio does not promptly inform parents when their children have been exposed to confirmed positive Covid cases. When there was a positive case in a higher level class, I was never informed by the studio. When there was a positive case in my daughters class, the studio didn't notify me until 3 days later. Luckily, the news passed around quickly amongst the parents and I was able to keep my daughter home. I care for elderly relatives, and this could have been very bad. Totally unacceptable. read more

Evolution is the best dance studio in San Diego and my girls have tried others. Lisa is the owner and she is absolutely AMAZING! Everyone is always included and she makes everyone feel that they play a very important role. Bri wears all hats at the studio and helps everyone with questions or any needs they have. The instruction is top notch as well! Love love love Evolution!!! read more

Evolution Dance Center - Daddy daughter Dance! Dad, Emerson, Frankie, Georgia. - Performing Arts Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Good classes, and they are going good with masks, but need a few CRITICAL improvements on COVID compliance Things they need to improve on 1). Hand washing not consistent They sometimes have kids wash hands, but there's no good organization to it. We saw 2 kids enter without hand washing or sanitizing. Esp kids that enter late ( same for temperature check. A few kids snuck in with no temp check when the mgr wasn't up front) 2). Distance between kids In the rooms, They have dots on the floor to keep kids separate, but the dots are like 3 ft apart. There's a lot of unused space in the room, so they should spread out the dots more. At least 6 ft apart 3) Entering/Exiting Kids waiting to enter the class are waiting in a small area Inside the building. What they need to do is have kids/parents wait OUTSIDE (in fresh air) until the other class is over and the room is empty. At that point, the next class should enter the building, ( maybe 5 at a time) wash hands. -and enter the room. Look forward to these changes! read more

We have tried Evolution twice now and both times we have had issues. The first time my daughter was there about 3 years ago for about 6 months. Absolutely everything was pure chaos. I originally signed my then 8 year old daughter (who had several years of previous dance experience) up to do a 3 hour session once a week. When we arrived for her first class my daughter was grouped with a tiny class of 5 year old girls. I thought it was strange for an 8 year old with dance experience to be put in a class with 5 year olds so I brought my concern to Lisa the owner. Lisa was extremely dismissive and simply said the other classes were full and that was the only opening she had for my daughter. She also said my daughter needed more experience before moving up. I was taken a back by her response. If that was the case, I certainly would have liked to have known that when I signed my daughter up, paid for the class, and bought all the necessary dance attire which cost about $200. Mind you, when I signed my daughter up I paid for her to be in the dance class categorized and advertised for girls her own age -- 8-10 year olds. Since my daughter was already in the class we waited out the 6 months. At the season recital my daughter was given a 1 minute part where she came out in a mouse costume and did absolutely NO dancing. It was incredibly sad to see her spend 6 months rehearsing to put on a mouse costume and not dance... again, I would have liked to have known this upfront. Fast forward two years and my daughter has a friend that wants to try Evolution and has asked my daughter to join. Since Evolution has now changed locations I think perhaps Lisa has things more organized and so we give it another try. Well this time is even worse than the last. Although Lisa states that Evolution takes precautions for Covid that is absolutely 100% false. This is all lip service. No one wears masks, no one washes hands, the rooms are not cleaned, the place is overpacked with dancers. There are absolutely no safety precautions for kids coming & going no one signing them in & out -- the place is a total nightmare. Most likely Lisa will reply to this review stating they do take precautions; however, all you have to do is drive by the place and you can look inside the big dance windows -- you will clearly see no one wearing masks, no social distancing, overpacked classes, no air conditioning, no open windows. Lisa's dance studio is filthy. When I walked in to drop my daughter off it was 7pm at night in December and the place was 80 degrees inside, muggy, and hot. She cares nothing about Covid or the kids safety and I don't just mean Covid. I honestly don't understand how she is in business. Furthermore, you'd think after 2-3 months of coming to class for 3 hours a day the dance instructors would start to know your child - remember their name - show some kindness when they see them.... NOPE! Not one of instructors ever remembered my daughters name, encouraged her, gave her praise.... NOTHING! To continue, Evolution isn't the nicest place. The girls all have their "besties" and are absolutely not welcoming. Lisa definitely does not make her dance studio a warm or inviting place. This is the very first review I have ever written in my entire life, that is how much this place makes my skin crawl. Find another dance place, Evolution is awful. I hope this review simply encourages others to think twice before enrolling their child at Evolution and supporting a studio that lacks so much! There are SO many other amazing local studios, try one of those first! read more

Our daughter has been dancing here for 2 years now and has made some great friends. They are organized, clean and very good choreographers! Its been a wonderful experience and a great influence on our daughter. Highly recommend! read more

Evuolution Dance Center is amazing. The staff is welcoming and knowledgeable. I highly recommend them to anyone at any level, beginner or expert. read more

My family is extremely fortunate to be a part of the EDC family. Our 3 daughters have been dancing at EDC for many years and I feel they have basically grown up at this studio...as Dancers...as People...and, I would not change it for the world. EDC has and continues to provide an atmosphere for my children and their peers to perfect, perform and compete in the art of dance while also encouraging education, personal growth, ethical behavior, team work, personal goals, etc. As a parent, it is a joy to watch in amazement what children can accomplish provided the proper atmosphere and teaching. Thank you to EDC. read more

Well, apparently they must be so incredibly busy that they do not want new customers! I've tried leaving messages and an email to inquire about classes for my children; not one of which has been returned. Wow! How do people like this stay in business?? We're going instead to San Elijo Dance Academy for a trial class tonight -- they returned my phone call within hours. :( read more

We love dancing at Evolution!! My daughter can't get enough of it! Sweet girls...great instruction...and a team spirit!

My daughter has been here for 2 years and has grown exponentially. Her style, grace, and athleticism has just exploded. She dances day and night and LOVE both classes and team. Lisa and her teaching crew are heartfelt, encouraging, and such a happy place for my girl. read more

My daughter did the one week summer camp of ballet & jazz. She said it helped her tremendously with her color guard. From FL. my daughters were with a dance company & we finally found another studio with professional instructors. We are looking forward to joining for their fall season. read more

We had a poor experience at another studio where the instructor treated my daughter poorly. We are so thankful for Evolution Dance Center. Lisa and all the instructors are so kind and fantastic. They make dance fun! There's a variety of classes for 2-3yo from song/music and ballet/tap, yoga and hip-hop, and ballet/tap. Ever since my LO started at Evolution, she says she loves dance and wants to go back. Highly recommend. read more

The coaches are amazing and care about my girls so much. They have provided the support and encouragement for my daughters to continue dance even through COVID. thanks guys! read more

This is quite frankly the most HORRIBLE experience we have ever had with any extracurricular children's school and even more sad that this happens in a dance school. Here is what we experienced: 1) They insisted in placing my nine-year old daughter in Primary Ballet even though she had some dance experience and put her with 6 year old girls. She felt like she learned very little. 2) they "mistakenly" charged us for classes that she did not attend, and it was a bear to straighten that out 3) they overcharge for costumes for recitals without any prior notification that we are to pay a fairly high price for those costumes and they are required 4) Completely disorganized with respect to times of dress rehearsals and recitals, causing confusion among all the parents and kids 5) My daughter was in tears during their dress rehearsal they wouldn't let her out, even though she was done 45 min prior and just sitting there by herself. They wouldn't let me go get her either, and probably would have continued to let her sit there until after 30 min of waiting for her outside, I insisted on them bringing her out. 6) We were given the wrong time for her dance recital, and we had family coming to watch from far away. Needless to say, she won't be back to this dance school. It's beyond disappointing - it's unacceptable that they treat the children and the parents this way. It's clear that all the management cares about is fleecing the families. read more

After being a broadway dancer for 15 years and now a mom of 2 girls living in Carlsbad I had to pick a dance studio. I did my research and went around to many local studios. We found evolution and stopped searching!! Amazing teachers, facility, quality of dancers, productions, and styles. It has everything and most importantly my girls love it!!!!!!!!!!! read more

Evolution Dance Center is an amazingl place to have your child train for dance in tap jazz lyrical hip hop AND ballet!! My children LOVE it here!! All the teachers are amazing!!!! I HIGHLY recommend coming here. read more

This studio was so welcoming to me my first year! The teachers are all so nice and have taught me so much! Evolution is an overall great environment for all types of dancers! read more

evolution dance center is an amazing studio! everyday you walk into the door they always welcome you with a smile. Being on the dance team there is amazing because teachers and owners encourage you to try your hardest and do your best. I would for sure recommend this studio to friends and family! They produce amazing shows and competition dances! Everyone always makes you feel welcome no matter what. Evolution dance center is like my second home. Perfect place for any dancer just starting or wanting dance to become a career! I have been dancing here for 4 years now, and have grown has a dancer here, such an encouraging studio!! read more

I have two words for this place... "Cha-CHING!!!" Don't sign your child up for classes here unless you have expendible income (which most of the folks here seem to...) The mostly average priced classes turn into brand new recital dresses at $70 a pop, recital fees, tickets for the recital (you have to pay for mutiple shows as your child is in two - four shows), DVD's of the individual shows and photo shoots. Maybe this is okay for many, but it is very challenging for a parent struggling to make the dance payments and then get hit with another $500 for a dang recital. Good god, way to gouge us. What, tell her she cant be in the recital that she has worked so hard for because mama can't afford it? Shame on you guys. Why not recycle the performance clothes and rent them to parents for $20? You shouldn't take advantage of parents who want to give their children something lovely (and she does love it there) by throwing in hidden costs. Or make the recital TOTALLY optional and inform parents when they sign up how much this will cost. Please be fair, we arent all millionaires, trust me. You have a good thing going there and many many students. You are making a killing, so be happy and be the kind of people in the world that honors the situation of ALL parents, not just the privileged. read more

My seven year old son took several classes here for a short period of time. I spoke with the front desk and asked if it was okay that he participate with the older kids (cut off 8 years old) since it worked better for our schedule. They said that it had to be approved by the teacher. The teacher said "no problem" He went maybe for about 6-8 weeks only to be told that he could no longer participate. Poor kiddo felt like he was kicked out of the class. I respect that they want to keep the ages togethers, but wish they hadn't let him start at all rather than hurting his feelings. The whole experience felt very unprofessional the way they dealt with it. The teacher, David, however was superb. The class was really overcrowded but he was able to manage them very well. read more

I don't know how anyone could give a 5 star review if it's recent, but I also can't believe a business can collect the amount of money they collect and have next to no management, customer service, reception, or even communication. It was our first year at dance, 3 different styles, and every event from photo day to recital left me, as a parent, completely in the dark. There were so many details for these poor little girls to stress out about, and very last minute planning on important things like rehearsal times and ticket purchase. We received a lengthy email with new requirements at 12:30 on the same day of a long rehearsal that started at 3:30! If you have other kids, and other activities, be aware that you will be frustrated with the lack of communication and staff at this studio. Just walking in that run-down place stressed me out. read more

My daughter has been dancing there for 2 years, she love it and WE LOVE IT!!!! Very Friendly Staff and team. The only thing is, your kid has to have talent, is not just a Dance Center to go have fun. It is a Serious place with hard workers Professionals building future stars!!! The Best!! read more

evolution dance center is amazing! everyone at the studio makes you feel welcome when its your first time dancing there and all the faculty is so nice and sweet! the faculty is also very professional and encourages young dancers to do there best! i highly encourage this studio for dancers all around!i have been dancing there for about 3 years and i love all the people i have met and i absolutely love it there! its my second home and i dance there about every day and i feel like I'm improving every time i go to class! Going to competitions and competing is so much fun and I recommend it! read more

This is the BEST dance studio ever! We have been there for 5 or 6 years and we have loved every one of those years! Everyone at the front desk is so nice and so sweet, the dance instructors are the best, and all of the kids are so sweet! The recitals are very organized and so is the owner. She makes sure that everyone understands the dates and times of all of the events that are held there! Its great for all ages! Its not only fun, but its good exercise! Overall, there is no better dance studio than Evolution! read more