I have two daughters who have many treasured memories from taking gymnastics, aerial arts, dance,…read moreand musical theater at Kids N Dance since they were little. They both developed innumerable skills and grew emotionally in countless ways under the supportive guidance and encouragement from all of the staff there, and especially from the owners. One of my daughters joined the Cirque Masquerade troupe (Expression Arts) in 2023, when she was 16. As in previous years, she has only positive things to say about Esme, Kris, and Marielle during her time in Cirque Masquerade. Like everywhere else in life, we have found at Kids N Dance that while things may not always be perfect, the staff there are all highly skilled at what they do, are compassionate and sincere, and very open to communication. As in other situations in life, rather than avoiding communication, it is always better to reach out with an open mind towards understanding the other's perspective instead of lashing out with negative reviews. Esme is brilliant, caring, and highly skilled, and like all of us, also human and not yet perfect. In our experience, it should be and is possible for mature adults to hold concerns about a perceived problem, and at the same time still recognize and show appreciation for the incredibly hard work that Esme, Kris, and Marielle have all done in order for our kids to be able to put on these magnificent shows. And let us remind ourselves that in situations where we demand curiosity from others, we should hold ourselves to the same standard and demonstrate the same curiosity towards them.

It is unfortunate that I must write this review, but we do so for the benefit of future families…read morethat may be considering Kids n Dance or Expression Arts as an outlet for their children. A little about our experience. Our daughter has taken many classes at Kids n Dance (owned and managed by the same persons who own and manage Expression Arts). As she grew older and developed a passion and skill for circus, she joined Expression Arts and was part of their circus troupe for 3 seasons. For a time, circus was a haven for our child. She built a community with the peer troupers and truly enjoyed the challenge and art of circus. Over the past two seasons, we have increasingly heard of concerns by our daughter about the environment at Expression Arts. While we were receptive to her concerns, we initially tried to ask our daughter to trust the program, embrace the challenges as opportunities to learn, and to believe in the positive intent of Esme, Kris, and Marielle. But over the past season the concerns and experiences have escalated. Numerous troupe members have come forward to raise awareness of troubling experiences endured over the course of years. Some of the concerns raised by troupe members and our daughter directly: Unsafe Physical Environment-Troupe members raised concerns of inadequate warm-up, inadequate breaks, extended time upside-down, and a persistent culture of pushing through pain and injury. During the lead up to performances, the children are often at practice for 6+ hours. Practice increases in frequency until the final few weeks preceding shows, where practice is nearly every day. During the two weeks of performances, troupers were initially asked to do 1 show on Friday, 2 shows on Saturday, and 3 shows on Sunday. Each show is ~2.25 hours. It was only after there were serious concerns raised in a parent conference with Kris and Marielle, that the 3rd performance on Sunday was cancelled. The standards, rigorous schedule, and high-risk performance are a dangerous recipe for the safety of the troupe members. Emotional Manipulation and Inappropriate Behavior- Esme often drifts between friend and coach with the troupe members. This relationship is confusing for the troupe members, with Esme using this bond to instill her values on the children and also playing favorites. Multiple troupe members have noted that Esme can be erratic in her behavior, switching between positive behavior and disparaging and belittling language. In one incident, Esme told our daughter that she must have "ADD" after our daughter offered to help with transitions. In another incident, Esme commented on the body figure of a trouper. And in another incident, she told a group of troupe members that their act was "stupid". In isolation these incidents may be explainable (and Kris and Marielle have attempted to rationalize all of the incidents), but what can't be explained or rationalized is how widespread and consistent the experiences are amongst the troupe members. After a senior troupe member sent a note to the troupe parents about her own traumatic experiences with Expression Arts, numerous troupe members came forward and shared consistent and repeated experiences. What is most concerning about our experience with Expression Arts is not the negligence of Esme, Kris, and Marielle, it is the complete lack of accountability and curiosity to do something about the numerous concerns raised by the troupe members and families. It is our belief that Esme, Kris, and Marielle have the best of intent. We believe they want to provide a safe place for children and to cultivate a thriving community built around circus. We also believe they are wholly incompetent and untrained in how to create this place. The incompetence can be addressed, there are programs like SafeSport which, coupled with Esme's passion for the art, could transform the space. But Esme, Kris, and Marielle first need to face the root of the issue and take the concerns seriously. After the senior troupe member raised concerns about her own experiences, she was abruptly removed from the troupe and essentially called a liar. The parents of the troupe then demanded a conference with Esme, Kris, and Marielle. Esme did not attend, but Kris and Marielle spent the bulk of 90 minutes deflecting and taking no ownership or corrective measures. Despite her initial love and passion for circus arts, our daughter has decided to close this chapter of her life and move on. Despite everything we note above, our sincerest hope is that Expression Arts and Kids n Dance thrives and can be a safe place for our youth to grow and express themselves. For this to happen, two things are needed: 1) Esme, Kris, and Marielle need to be curious, vulnerable, and accountable for the harm they are causing to the children. No more deflection. 2) Esme, Kris, and Marielle need to pursue the ongoing training to equip themselves to appropriately and safely engage with children and young adults.

My daughter loves the Kpop dance class offered here. The studio is clean and has all around good…read moreenergy. People look happy and the scheduling of the classes are so easy! We love this place!

Leslie moves like Aaliyah sings. Gifted communicator, killer stage presence, and even from the back…read morerow I'm envious of her skincare routine. Everything she comes up with feels "right" in the body, even if mine has never moved in this way before. Super fun and a great brain workout; if I keep going every Tues night for the Int/Adv in perpetuity, I don't think I'll ever inherit dementia. Worth noting that as I arrived, I saw students leaving the Beg/Int class prior, come pouring out the door with huge smiles and breathless chatter. Such a great place of art and community in Oakland!

My daughter recently joined their Infantil dance group, and is having a great experience. The…read moreMoreno family's care for their school and the dancers shines through, and Carlos Moreno Jr. is a wonderful teacher. Although my daughter was hesitant to join at first, they made it very welcoming for her such that she now enjoys each class. She's looking forward to participating in her first performance soon :)

This group has several show throughout the year as well as Christmas time. 2 hours filled with…read moretraditional Mexican dances from many of their states as well as a Mariachi band and a singer. From old to young, a great presentation. It usued to be first come first serve in seating but, seating Is assigned when you buy tickets only. Prices are usually $25 and up. Food and drink sold outside. At least at the Chabot presentation. Chabot college has good parking as well.

My nieces dance here, so I went to their Christmas show and had such a great time. The show and…read morechoreography were AMAZING.

We made a group outing .. called them and they said bee do t need to make a reservation... came at…read more7pm and to find it closed ... we were 20 ppl deep ....total disappointment

Great school with amazing end it the year performances! My daughter has gone here multiple years…read moreand I have also taken adult classes. Caring instructors and reasonable prices, highly recommended.

Better Together is an incredibly special and community based dance studio! I had heard that…read moreKirkpatrick's School of Dance (where I grew up dancing) unfortunately closed during Covid after 64 years of being open. A couple of the teachers decided to carry on the magic of Kirkpatrick's and open up Better Together Dance Theatre. My daughter started dancing at Better Together 4 years ago in the Tiny Dancer class where her love of dance began (thank you Miss Kelly!!). The teachers/owners are amazing and the environment has made her grow into a confident little girl. This studio is no pressure, no competition just a nurturing place to be yourself, learn, perform and have fun! They have a small holiday showcase as well as a stage performance at the end of the season in June. I also started in their adult ballet program and it has made such a positive impact in my life, not to mention the BEST workout i've ever found! They offer free trial classes to all ages/classes- I highly recommend trying this studio!

I can appreciate that my local neighborhood has a dance studio so close to my home in Cordelia! We…read morehave been coming here for 2 years. Through that time the staff has been amazing. Madi has worked with multiple instructors and we appreciate each and every one of them. They each have unique way of working with the dancers and they are passionate about what they do. They are all incredibly talented including The competition teams. They offer summer and spring camps. They also offer weeks to tryout multiple styles of dance and get an opportunity to see what your kid likes! We have done Hip Hop and are currently in Acro Techniques and Musical Theatre. This studio has personally built confidence, strength, balance, character, speed and even social skills and etiquette in my daughter .

We just started our girl a few months ago in this dance studio. So many positive changes have…read morestarted to show where we get to see her growth and development. She's changed from being a shy uncertain girl to a more confident girl. She gets so excited learning hip hop moves and learning a choreagraphed routine. Fast forward and now we're going to her first recital this weekend at a local theater. The teachers are helpful, encouraging and know how to work with other children's age levels and maturity. Parents are welcome to watch through zoom or peek through the door with glass. We look forward to more classes and seeing where her interests follow her. If you're looking for something for your child to look into, this may be the dance studio for them.

In Spring 2022, we enrolled our children in ballet classes. After a year of learning, they have…read moreprogressed from knowing nothing to a level where they can represent the school in performances. Our initial intention was to teach our children perseverance and not easily giving up in the process of learning ballet. We wanted them to stand tall and not hunch when they're on their feet. Under the dedicated guidance of Mrs. Chris for over a year, their ballet skills have made significant improvements. They can confidently perform the learned dance steps in the recital which held every six months. As parents, this makes us incredibly proud.

Wow, this studio has a phenomenal ballet instructor and ballet program for children and adults!…read more Ms. Cris holds the highest standards while still being fun and relatable. Ballet is an incredible Adult exercise, but it's is all about technique, and Cris is a true professional. My first class was free, and now I'm hooked. This is an excellent adult and child dance studio in the Central Valley!

My daughter started dancing at WCDC fall of 2022, and let me tell you I am so grateful I found…read moreAngela and her staff. My daughter's previous dance school closed down and due to the pandemic she fell behind on her technique. I was worried it was too late for her- but WCDC helped her so much! Her skill level and technique for an 11 year old is impressive and I owe it all to Angela and her staff. Angela is great! She so calm and collective, not a ordinary dance school director. I always recommend WCDC to those who want to start their kiddos in dance.

their phone is out of service, I sent an email but no one responded, I cannot reach out to them…read more My daughter (4 y.o) took a trial class, and I have follow up questions. She was having a hard time and none of the teachers (there were 2) trying to make her feel welcomed / comfortable during the class. No one checks us in. No connection was made during the class. I won't sign her up. Maybe they have gotten too big they don't care about the kids anymore.

7 years at TruDance and I wouldn't change it for anything…read more My daughter started as a recreational student, and from day one, every teacher was so welcoming, supportive, and encouraging. After her first year, she decided to join the competition team and we never looked back! From Hip Hop, Jazz, Ballet and contemporary, TruDance always stayed true to what dance is really about - strong technique, passion, creativity, community, and FUN. This studio helped my daughter learn the techniques to dance with all her feelings and heart, which became such an amazing outlet for her. It helped build her confidence, self-esteem, and allowed her to truly express herself through movement. Sarita and Alicia have created such a special environment where dancers are encouraged to grow as individuals and embrace their own unique style and flair. Every teacher brings incredible energy, passion, and their own unique groove to the studio. The master classes with guest instructors are top-notch and always have the students moving, growing, and inspired. And of course, you can't forget sweet Miss Barbara -- the first smiling face you see when you walk into the lobby! Beyond dance, my daughter and I have made everlasting friendships that truly feel like family. If you're looking for a studio that has technique, down-to-earth, is award winning, and like family, TruDance is absolutely the place to be. TRU, what?!?! TruDance!!!

We've had such a wonderful experience at TruDance. Since starting at 2 1/2 years old, my daughter…read morehas blossomed into a confident little dancer at 5 years old. The friendships she's made and the love and support from the teachers mean so much to us. Highly recommend!

Our 6yo has been going here for several months and it's been great. The kids all seem so happy to…read morebe there and our daughter loves it. They did a choreographed recital for both kids and adults in a nice little theater in Oakland and it was soooo goood. The classes are fun but also take dance seriously as an artistic skill. There's a sense of community there that we're happy to be a part of. I asked my daughter what she liked about it and here's what she said: "she teaches us the different positions and the names [she then started to show us all the positions] First, second, third... [now she's dancing for us]." Whenever she gets home from class, she keeps dancing. We went to a couple different classes in the area before starting here and this is a VERY different result and we're all very happy about it.

My toddler and I loved our dance classes with Teresa! She's a master with little people, fluidly…read moremanaging demonstrations, imitation, games, and adjustments to their sudden whims. She does everything with ease, grace, and humor. Plus, the classes are diverse and welcoming, which is a wonderful introduction to dance for all children.