My daughters have been attending GDS for about a year and a half now, both doing Ballet and Tap. Recently, I enrolled my oldest in private piano lessons through the studio as well and she seems to love it. We have tried other studios in town but GDS is definitely the place for us and here's why:
In short...
The studio is amazing. The teachers are incredible and make dancing fun while maintaining the integrity of proper technique. Everyone involved is so passionate and talented and it shows. If you're looking for a place to bring your child for dance lessons where you want them to have fun AND become a great dancer, this is the place! Miss Stephanie and Miss Adrienne are phenomenal teachers and are both so invested in their students. It's heartwarming to see such dedication to your child come from an outside source.
In long...
The Staff
I am blown away by the magnitude of talent Miss Megan assembled in her staff. The instructors at GDS are extremely skilled and bring their passion, enthusiasm, and professional experience to the classroom. It is clear that each instructor strives to make dancing not only exceptionally fun, but technically proficient, expressive, and full of life. My girls leave the studio elated and their technique noticeably improves with each passing week (especially after a little practice!). My little one, who is 4, asks me every single day if today is the day she can go back and see Miss Stephanie. She refuses to leave the studio without at least three hugs from Miss Stephanie and will talk your ear off the rest of the week about all the fun things she did in Miss Stephanie's class. I cannot speak highly enough of both Miss Stephanie and Miss Adrienne, both of whom my girls have had as instructors since their enrollment. Not only are they great role models for my daughters, they are, quite simply, the best in the business. If you don't believe me, ask my daughters. If you still don't believe it, just watch them dance.
Miss Megan, who runs GDS, is proactive, professional, and makes each parent and child feel like they are part of a family. She genuinely cares for her clients and will bend over backwards to make sure every child and adult is well taken care of. Courtesy, respect, and care, all attributes that seem to be rare in this day and age, come quite naturally to Miss Megan and it has always been a pleasure interacting with her.
The Shows
To date, we have done two recitals and one holiday show. Overall, I am very impressed with the entire process. The GDS staff makes these events look easy, which means they are clearly working ridiculously hard behind the scenes to produce the lighting, music cues, stage managers, ticket sales, costumes (all hand sewn and provided by the studio!), event coordinating, insurance, permits, event staff, etc. The rehearsals and shows go off without a hitch and it's such a great feeling to watch your little ones performing and see all the wonderful performances from other classes. My youngest froze up at the dress rehearsal for the recital (her first recital) and wouldn't move the entire time they practiced while they were up there on the stage. So, on the recital day, Miss Stephanie took the time to take my child out there for some one-on-one time, walk her through the entire process and help her practice. Needless to say, it nearly brought me to tears when my daughter started dancing her heart out the moment the music kicked in at the recital. Thank you, Miss Stephanie. That is one memory I will carry with me forever.
The Events
The studio offers a whole host of other shows, benefits, and events outside of their normal classes and recitals. There are dance camps, movie nights, carnival events, holiday shows, birthday parties, etc. It's not widely advertised, but GDS even comes to the local public schools to help get students involved in dance and put on shows there. They are highly involved with the local community.
The Facility
Sprung wood. Important for dancers. Ample street parking and a small lot behind the building. Walking distance to Porto's and all the shops and other restaurants along Magnolia. Kind of a small waiting room that gets crowded in between classes, but it makes me happy the majority of the space has been dedicated to the dance studios.
What to Expect
As with anything, it is difficult to judge something based off of a one-time experience. If you choose to enroll your child, I encourage you to enroll for at least a month before making a decision about whether or not to keep your child there. For some, it can be troubling allowing your child to be with perfect strangers behind closed doors without you, especially with the younger ones for the first time. But, I encourage you to trust the process and the teachers and allow your child to experience the environment as an individual. After all, there are a bunch of other kids in there without parents, and we can't ALL be crazy... read more