My two girls have been dancing here since they were two (in Mommy & Me class). I was careful about…read morechoosing a studio, as I come from a performance background and I know how cutthroat the dance world can be. I was looking for a few things in particular and have been extremely pleased with HDA. Specifically, I was looking for: 1) Choreography and costumes that are age-appropriate. I have a huge problem with the sexualization of young children and I'm happy to say that I have never seen a child at HDA in anything that made me uncomfortable. (So, no five-year-olds twerking in bikinis.) 2) Promoting healthy body image. The dance world (ballet in particular) notoriously pushes dancers to be unhealthily thin. I have never heard of a dancer at HDA being told that they needed to look a certain way in order to dance and I've been happy to see dancers of all sizes and shapes in lead roles over the past several years. 3) Camaraderie among dancers. I have no patience for petty, backstabbing meanness. Dance does have a competitive element to it when it comes to coveted roles and I know how ugly behavior can stem from jealousy. I'm not quite sure how she's done it, but Jennifer has managed to create an environment where the students all genuinely cheer for each other, the older students nurture the younger students, and the younger students admire their leaders. 4) Performance opportunities. I think that publicly putting yourself out there -- in any way, on stage or in a business presentation -- is one of the most terrifyingly vulnerable things someone can do, which is why it's a skill that is good to develop at a young age. HDA finds a way to include even their youngest dancers in their productions (e.g., Reindeer in "The Nutcracker," mice in "Cinderella," guppies in "The Little Mermaid," etc.), which is not true of some other studios in the area. 5) Excellent training. Finding a studio that emphasizes good technique is extremely important, as ballet is the foundation for so many other kinds of dance. My oldest daughter (11) started en pointe this year and I will say that the evaluation to see if she was physically ready was excellent. The studio also encouraged us to see a doctor if we were hesitant, who also gave the green light. And quick note: starting en pointe doesn't mean immediately doing pirouettes in the center. The class moves slowly to properly develop the technique. On the other side of this, both of my girls have repeated dance levels in the past because the instructors didn't feel that they were physically ready to move up. I appreciated that they were looking out for their development and, while my daughters were disappointed, it gave them extra incentive to work toward improving in certain areas so that they would be ready to move up the following year. 6) Nurturing teachers. The fastest way to burn out is to hate going to class. That's never been the case for my daughters at HDA. Starting in the Young Children's Program, the classes are so much fun and so joyful. It really did instill a love of dance early on. Moving into the upper level classes, I see the instructors correcting and challenging the dancers, but never with a hardened rigidity that I've observed elsewhere. Each instructor has their own style, but the constant is the care that they show each dancer as a human being -- and how much they love to teach. I found one studio that had everything on my list: Hinsdale Dance Academy. I haven't been disappointed. Dance at HDA has given my girls confidence, a strong work ethic, opportunities for leadership, and a spirit of sisterhood. They have learned to overcome obstacles, to deal with disappointment gracefully, and the exhilaration that comes with obtaining a long-term goal. I highly recommend it.

Wow this is an AMAZING dance school! My child started taking classes at a very young age and loves…read moreit so much. My daughter comes home from dance and always has a joyful smile on her face. The studio is VERY clean and sanitized. Faculty is great, understanding, and kind. Everyone treats each other with respect and no judgment is made. I have taken my daughter to previous dance studios and she did not love it as much. Hinsdale Dance Academy is amazing. 1000% recommend taking your kid here. Also, I saw a couple of boys taking the class as well and they were treated the same way. Love HDA!

My daughter has only stayed class here, but we are already very impressed. The studio is…read moretemporarily located in a storefront on S Bridge St. They are building a new location just north that will have multiple studio spaces. Here's what I love... They offer drop in classes. This is a huge plus for kids of divorce- sometimes we can't commit to a weekly schedule. I love that this studio accommodates our schedules! Classes range in time. The 30 minutes classes are perfect for my daughter as she is starting out. There studio offers a huge selection of classes- ballet, tap, hip hop, lyrical, performance, etc. The staff is super friendly. Everyone was very welcoming! They teach discipline, too, which is a huge component to dance. They also offer a free trial, so check it out!

My daughters are happy with their experience at VIM! Staff genuinely cares about seeing each…read morestudent as an individual with personal strengths and areas they want to work on. I feel staff is dedicated to helping dancers grow in strength, technique, confidence and character. Customer service has been outstanding!! The location is very clean and comfortable, and I feel good about having my dancers training in such a positive environment.

We just love Thrive! I love supporting a local woman-owned business, and it's a place my kids…read moreloving coming to and learning to dance. I love the instructors-- they do a superb job of catering to dancers of all levels. I also think they beat out other larger studios in the area in terms of schedule, pricing, location, and instructors. I also think they do a great job of welcoming new dancers and families! Good job! Also, you can trial a class for free!

We love Thrive! Amazing, dedicated teachers that not only care about dance, but care about each and…read moreevery one of their dancers. Their enthusiasm and passion inspires the same in their students, whether that want to be professional dancers, or just love to dance for now.

Recently, I was invited to a birthday party a friend of mine was throwing for her boyfriend and was…read morepleasantly surprised to see that it was going to be held at H-F Ice Arena. These days, it seems, they offer packages where people can rent out a party room along with ice time in the adjoining studio rink for the exclusive use of all the guests. The perfect setting for her hockey player beau. On the invitations, we were told to bring our sticks and pucks to shoot around on the ice if we liked, which surprised me a little because the studio I remembered in the past was not painted with blue lines, face off circles and creases. It is now. Anyhow, everyone had a blast. So much so that they had to peel a couple of us off the ice when our time was done. The party was a huge success and now we're thinking about renting the studio to have a mini game or two in the near future. Time to dust off the pads, I guess...and update my Blue Cross policy.

HF Ice arena has some of the best ice around for the serious skater. The ice is always…read moreimmaculately maintained, the arena is clean and bright, the staff is friendly and the store has a nice selection of both figure skating and hockey gear. They have a nice party room and a small studio rink that can both be rented for a reasonable cost for birthday parties and such. The only downside is their extremely limited public skate hours (currently only on Friday and Saturday nights for an hour and a half) which means it is often very crowded, and there is not a lot of freestyle time available either. A few years ago, the little HF ice arena was nationally known because its figure skating program was truly outstanding. The synchronized skating teams (the HF Icettes) occasionally won the ISI or USFSA national championship, and often took silver or gold medals, earning them frequent invitations to skate in professional ice shows such as Superstars on Ice, etc. Unfortunately, a couple of years ago, the park district stopped supporting the arena, and the Icettes disbanded. Its sad. Within a couple of years a great ice arena with a national reputation for its stellar figure skating program became a good ice arena that few have ever heard of. Still a great place to skate though, if you can get there during the few times they are open.

We love Ultimate Dance. My daughter has been dancing here for 7 years. We love Miss Cheyanne and…read moreall of the teachers. My daughter takes all of the classes except for tap. One of her favorite classes this year is Hip Hop with Mr. Tiger. She looks forward to his class every Monday. I appreciate everything Cheyanne does for all of the girls. If you're looking for an inclusive, confidence building and family type atmosphere come check out the studio.

First of all on their website it states that you get one free class for trying out I went and asked…read moreand she said no you had to pay so my kids wanted to try it so I went ahead and paid after the first class my kids totally weren't into it but I convinced them to continue. Since you had a couple weeks to decide their class required you buy an outfit and some shoes I totally understand the outfit but the shoes definitely not worth for 45 min a week but if my kids would have liked it after the first session would have totally got them. The day I signed nothing was really explained as she was busy all these fees and extra things we're not explained or told to me but once again if my kids would have liked it I would have been okay with it when I finally canceled after the third class I asked for some of the recital fees to be reimbursed since my kids did not use the outfit she never measured them for it even said hey you know I totally get they didn't want to do class so I'm okay with losing enrollment fees and things like that but an outfit they never even got sized for come on that's a joke I even offered for her to keep one of my child recital money and reimburse me for the other to be fair since I had 2 kids I was trying to be as Fair as possible but unfortunately it's arguing with the child since this owner is only about 24 years old I'm not going to sit there and argue with a child I guess she needed the money more than I did so I let things go but I will be giving her a bad review because her unprofessionalism was beyond unnecessary if she wants to build a successful business she should have been far and ethical I wasn't arguing to get my money back but I feel that's the way she handled the situation it's just mine baffling Henry ridiculous and that's why I'm posting it on here so that if someone's thinking of joining you might want to read a review and I addressed to her that one of the main reasons my kids did not want to do the class is because the lyrics in the songs were explicit and the teacher was a male !!!!!!!!

Great studio and staff. Teachers and students are very welcoming, family friendly atmosphere!read more

Great teachers and very affordable. I would suggest this studio for anyone looking to enroll their…read morechild in dance.

I showed up at 2:15pm on a Saturday with a very excited toddler…read moreI was told at the door that they had a private party coming at 2:30 and they would be closed to the public for the rest of the day. I drove 30 minutes hyping it up to my toddler and he was very upset when we walked in just to leave right away. I guess the solution would be to call before arriving but I personally won't be trying this place again, going to KidsWork or kidventure from now on

We met another family here for a playdate, and it was such a wonderful experience! The staff at…read moreRock the Spectrum were incredibly friendly and welcoming, and the entire place was spotless, which we really appreciated. There were so many different toys and activities to choose from--it felt like every corner offered something new for the kids to explore. They had such a blast that they didn't want to leave! This play place is a gem, and we will definitely be back for more fun soon!

If looking for a place to start your child in dance or a new experience for your dancer, look to…read moreInspire in Naperville. My daughter has danced at Inspire for over 8 years and is on their Company team. She loves every minute of it! The love and devotion of each dancer, high-level training, second-to-none instructors, caliber of outside choreographers, and access to dance experiences outside the studio cannot be matched.

For a few different reasons, I want to keep my review anonymous, as it can be a bit of a conflict…read moreof interest for me. But with that said, Inspire is nationally known for creating world-class dancers. I have seen countless performances and videos of their work, and I am never let down by the technique, versatility, and advanced skill and artistry. I have had contacts/friends from inspire for over a decade, and I have seen so much growth from the company. They were always talented, as Anne Forrest knows how to train dancers, but they have started working with top-notch choreographers, which highlights the dancers' versatility and technique. I have never been a student at Inspire, so I can't speak on the culture or environment of the studio. But what i can say is that Anne knows what she's doing and know have to train technically-advanced and marketable dancers. Due to their reputability, they have kind of become a pre-professional company. This is a testament to the talent and training of the studio, but I also know that this is not for everyone, as some people aim to utilize dance as a hobby or outlet rather than a career path. With that said, a dancer will definitely get an advanced dance education here, and that can be hard to find nowadays. If you look into Inspire's graduates and their accomplishments, you will for sure see why they are so well-respected and nationally recognized. Another additive for some is that the studio is kind of a hidden gem... they are well-respected and very competitive, but they are not a studio that is all about social media presence and fame. this has upsides and downsides, but in the the long run, this is beneficial for your child's progression, privacy, and learning environment. All in all, Inspire is known for incredible training, and any child that is passionate about dance would benefit so much from attending.