PCPA is an amazing dance studio that accepted my daughter as a person who liked to dance and transformed her into a beautiful confident dancer who LOVES to perform & compete. The owners, Jana & Carlos, are kind, approachable yet very professional. I've seen all the improvements they made in the past 4 years and the growing number of students is a testament to the kind of Family, Community, Professional Dance studio that's a precious gem for all of us who have found it. read more

My daughter took her first ballet class at Park & Rec when she was 2. She enjoyed dance so much that I started looking for a more permanent dance school. My coworker recommended Small Fry Dance Club (PCPA for the littles). She started in their Music & Movement program which incorporated tap, jazz, and ballet. Within 3 years, she was ready to graduate to the big kids' program. 6 years later, we are still at PCPA. This studio has given my daughter so much confidence and helps her to continue blossom into an outstanding performer. She, like many of her dance friends, has a full dance schedule, dancing almost every day of the week. She is has been in their Musical Theater comp team for the last 3 years and is preparing to add 3 more teams to her schedule. They have won numerous awards and the teams are always supportive of each other. Jana, Carlos, and their team and school are wonderful! read more

Since my daughter had such of great experience in small fry dance, she continue in PCPA, she joined Jazz competitive team, they had been doing such of great job, winning many awards, scholarships, and a lot of confidence. During Covid it was so hard for us, but PCPA keep us moving, focus, and enthusiastic. I really like the instructors very energetic Hey George!!! Stephanie great choreographer!!! Christa so creative, Jana and Carlos I admire their organization and they just make it happen. My daughter feels very happy and comfortable, that's priceless for me. We like all in general. My gym is so close to the studio, while she dances I train to. Love it read more

My 5 yr old daughter attended summer camp here, and this review is really about the summer camp offering/class. Positives: - I like that there is structure for each day of camp. Compared to other summer camps, it isn't just the kids left to their own devices with counselors standing nearby to monitor - I like that they planned not just dancing activities for the kids. Example, my daughter did yoga for warm up. - Dancing was not limited to just learning what's needed for the musical. My daughter learned a lot about various dances. She would show us little moves. - The kids who are regulars here are lovely, and warmly welcomed new folks. Not sure if that's really credit to the business, but I like that there is a community aspect here. Opportunities for Improvement: - Some of the younger teachers clearly don't know how to talk to parents. A few times, I would have to be more proactive and ask questions about what they taught the kids, how my daughter did, etc. Recognizing that their dancing ability is really what got them hired, it would be great to educate these teachers how to talk to the parents re: the kids. Let's be honest here.. the more effort you put in on this front means more business generally, no? - Clearly, the staff was more about catering to the parents who brought their kids on a regular basis - which is unfortunate since new business is just as important. Couldn't they do both? - The summer camp is very short. Only a week for each age group. They can make a lot on this front if they expanded the options. Interesting business model. - I was a late sign up for camp (didn't know about this business until I was researching dance camps and their registration starts in March). Consequently, there was no follow up to make sure we had the necessary information for camp. The day before camp, I had to go into their website to get some info I needed. As such, we weren't aware of the costume requirements for music theater camp. And to make things worse, the teachers didn't remind the parents either. When I talked to their front desk, they apologized saying that they sent their communication before I enrolled. Feels like this gap in customer service is solvable, and should have been tracked better by their business. - The parking situation is not ideal. So if your daughter regularly attends this school, it's best to select class times that are not during heavy traffic hours. - Extremely strict about drop off and pick up time - which I respect but it puts a lot of pressure on the parents (so fair warning if parents reading this have the kind of work schedule that's a little unpredictable). Bottomline: Would I go there again? Sure. It's a really interesting camp, and my daughter liked how different it was from the other summer camp sessions she attended elsewhere. Any advice? I advise that the parents should be more proactive and don't be afraid to ask questions to get updates, more info about camp requirements, etc. I also counsel that if you miss the registration, don't be afraid to just ask if there's any chance you can be on a waitlist, etc. And of course, if you totally can't enroll, put a reminder on your calendar that their registration is early Spring. What could the business do differently? Offer more camp sessions and consider offering more at multiple times during the year (even during winter or spring). Get more training for the staff so they are more sensitive to aspects of teaching beyond just the actual session. It's about interacting w/ parents. Perhaps they are trying to avoid the stage parents.. but most parents aren't that way. I also think the parents should get options on the website to purchase all the equipment they need - through Amazon links or their own store. Currently, their store has limited stuff and that's surprising. (Note: I am that parent who has no issues w/ a business making additional money from such cross sales if it goes towards dance education or even a scholarship for kids who need financial help to continue their dance lessons) read more

Jana and Carlos are fantastic business owners. This studio, on the other hand, isn't really focused on dancer methods. They are unquestionably for entertainment purposes only. Teachers, from what I have seen in the last couple of years, only teach and never correct students. They also lack the ability to do many of the dance moves. If you want your child to become a professional one day, this is not the studio for them. You can also observe that their older kids are not flexible or focused on conditioning. I believe their acro is limited to Acro I, and their Ballet doesn't even focus on turnout which is one of the foundation of ballet. The "competition team" is also just ok. They have 5 trophies in their studio. I don't think they have very great instructors who can really take your kids to the next level. read more

It's a mistake to sign up my kid at this place. If you are looking for dancing classes for you kids, please do yourself a favor and look elsewhere! The waiting area is uncomfortable. Sometimes the AC is not on, too warm. Class is closed door. Not allowed to see/picture/video. They do "provide" free WiFi. But it's so slow and unreliable that it's totally unusable. On the other hand, they only want your money really bad: * Summer closure with no advanced notice? Too bad, you are still paying for the class. * Class canceled before other kids are going to a recital? Too bad, you pay * You are on vacation for a few weeks? Pay or withdraw. Withdraw? Sure, we need a thirty day notice. * Missed classes can be used as make up classes. But the schedule is not very flexible for make ups. read more

I am proud member of the Small Fry family for quite a long time now (5 years) and I'm so grateful for having this amazing dance studio here in Peninsula in which my daughters have grown not only as dancers and performers but also have found great friends and learn team work and life values. And now thanks to Carlos' and Jana's vision, we are also part of PCPA, which I can tell it only gets better and better (I mean just try to watch this year's recital). Classes are amazing! Teachers follow the Chapeton's teaching philosophy with care and respect for their dancers. Not only my kids are happy every week when we go there but now I'm also a part of the dance family. I have been part of the Adults classes since the very beginning and can't explain how much I enjoy each class I'm in. I have witnessed how all dance levels are welcomed, the teachers just make you feel comfortable and help you learn and enjoy each class. They have so many options for everyone... Irish, Musical Theatre, Jazz, Latin, Contemporary, Ballet, etc. I mean there's something for everyone who wants to try different techniques and learn something new each day of the week. Sure, Aimee leaving was really sad and it's tough to find someone so soon to teach as amazing as she did, but I'm sure Carlos and Jana will always have the best of the best in their studio. Classes are getting bigger and bigger each month and I'm sure soon there will be waiting lists for adult classes too so go get your free trial soon and enjoy the wonders of this amazing dance studio. I love the bundle pack option so I can try different classes when I want or just stay in one for good. It's so hard to find a Dance Studio that welcomes the whole family and finally we have that amazing opportunity thanks to Small Fry and PCPA! read more

I come here for the adult Irish dance class and it's a lot of fun. The owners are really friendly, and I'm glad they have a range of evening classes aimed at adults to go along with their kid classes during the day. Their classes are very welcoming to beginners. read more

Love this place! My 2 kids have been dancing here for a few years and have always had great experiences. We have done ballet, hip-hop, jazz and the new all boys hip-hop. All teachers have been fabulous and it is a friendly group of parents as well. read more

This dance school is a special place. My 6 year old daughter has been taking a jazz class for a little under a year now. I've been impressed with the experience of the instructor and the quality of the instruction. Payment is easy. Parking is easy. The waiting room is comfortable. Communication is quick and easy. I'm happy my daughter wants to continue her practice at PCPA. read more

Love everything about this school. I grew up in a close knit family owned dance school and was looking for something similar for my daughters. I grew up dancing so knew what I was looking for. I searched high and low and researched many different studios up and down the Peninsula (San Mateo to Santa Clara). A friend of mine introduced me to PCPA and we just fell in love with this place! The staff is friendly, caring and energetic. My girls love each and every one of their teachers. This is their home away from home as between the two of them, they take 16+ hours of dance classes per week. They have a lot of fun in class yet are still challenged and learning great technique. I love that they allow make ups for missed classes, which I think is very unique. Parking is easy with a small lot behind the building, lots of street parking and also garage space for those who come after 5pm during the week and on weekends. There is always a friendly face at the reception desk to answer any questions. Recital time is a super fun time! Its a wonderful show that highlights all the different classes and dancers can show how much progress each one has made over the year. I was floored, when I found out the recital participation fee included 2 tickets to the recital and that additional tickets would only be $10/seat. Our previous school didn't provide any seats and we had to pay $40/seat and if your child/family was split amongst multiple shows, you had to pay for a seat at each show. PCPA has been a wonderful find! It took us 5 years to find them, but I'm glad we did! Jana and Carlos have created such a wonderful school/dance environment, I can't say enough great things about this place! My girls are thriving there! See for yourself and take advantage of a free trial! read more