I LOVE Lois Ellyn. She is a wealth of experience and knowledge. But I do have to say, if your son or daughter has dreams of becoming a professional dancer and you're looking for hardcore training, I'd recommend another school.
The emphasis here is more on the experience of dancing rather than building your BEST technique. Not to say you won't build good technique here. Their teaching of a strong basic technique is good. But the teachers don't push hard enough or expect enough of the dancers, so they never quite reach their full potential. Ballet has evolved in so many ways, and now more than ever young dancers really have to be pushed, and an incredible discipline has to be expected from them if they want to acheive an elite level. Lois Ellyn is still a bit old school.
BUT, if your child just wants to dance, if you are a late starter looking to enjoy yourself, or if you're an experienced dancer looking to improve your artistry and musicality, this is the place!
Lois Ellyn is great at pulling out your inner artist. So if you are already technically sound, her classes are a great compliment. Her combinations aren't pretentious or tedious, are difficult enough to create strength, but more importantly, they're fun and playful; she always plays with the music, which I love. The people are also warm and friendly, and the environment is very relaxed. This is a huge plus considering many if not most studios are uptight and stuffy, especially in Orange County. No annoying OC housewives here : )
Also, it's a great place to gain performance experience. NCB puts on several shows a year, and Lois is great about making sure that anyone who wants to participate can. And their productions are fantastic!
The only real negative about the school is the studio itself. There is only one studio with an ancient hardwood floor. The floor makes footwork and pointework a bit difficult, and can be hard on the body. Also, I find at times that it's either too slippery or too sticky. The "pointers" in the class are constantly slathering it in rosin; great if you've got pointe shoes on, terrible if you don't. It can be tricky, but once you get used to it, it's manageable. And it's not the cleanest place. It's a bit dingy and smelly, mainly due to the cats wondering about. But these things don't really bother me. I'm there to dance, and the dancing is great. read more
