My daughter has been dancing here since she was 3, and I truly can't imagine her growing up…read moreanywhere else. She is now in her third season of competitive dance, and it has been so special watching her grow not only as a dancer, but as a person. From the very beginning, the staff has always been so welcoming, encouraging, and supportive. But what I think makes this studio really special is the community they've created. My daughter has made some of her very best friendships here, and we have met so many wonderful families along the way. Everyone is genuinely supportive of one another and cheering each other on. Dance has become such a big part of her life, and I'm so grateful she gets to do something she loves surrounded by teachers, teammates, and families who feel like a second family. We are so thankful to be part of this studio and all the memories she has made here over the years.

My daughters have been dancing here for years! Both of my girls started recreational dancing at…read moreVaughn and are now dancing competitively with Innovation. The family feel at Vaughn and Innovation is one of the many reasons that keeps us coming back. My daughters have made some of their best friends here and have grown so much as dancers since they started. The variety of types of dance styles available while being very reasonably priced is a huge perk for beginning dancers and then for years to come!

I used to dance here in high school and have nothing but amazing memories and gained the talent and…read moreconfidence to go on to become the captain of my college dance team.

My three and a half year old niece loves Lady Gaga. So of course she loves to....Just Dance!…read more Every now and then I'll accompany my niece, Madelyn to her weekly Saturday morning dance class lasting about 45 minutes. About three teachers, eager teenage girls, lead this class of 3-4 year olds in basic but most importantly fun dance exercises. Teachers here are patient and truly take the time to make sure the kids are learning the proper forms while making it fun at the same time. My favorite part is to see my niece holding on to the bar bending into a plie with her frilly pink tutu. Parents are able to see their little ballerinas in action through a one sided mirror that looks in the dance studio. I definitely suggest arriving at least 5-10 minutes early so you get a good seat on the "viewing bench." Parents are typically not allowed into the class, but I've seen exceptions made for children with severe separation anxiety. As a parent, or even an aunt, it's easy to forget to bring this that or the other to class. Thankfully, both ballet and tap shoes are available at their gift shop for rental free of charge to children enrolled in classes. I cannot wait to attend the recital at the end of the class!

Incredible atmosphere, professional but still feels like home. Programming for all ages, styles and…read morelevels of interest!

Love this dance school! My daughter attended for a year from age 3-4 and loved out so much she…read morewanted to go every day. I even volunteered to help with the recital and that was a lovely experience and a great bonding time with the kids and helped me to get tip know the staff even more! Great teachers and amazing owner. A really fantastic crew all around. I can't wait to move again this fall so I can get my daughter signed up again for classes. Really lovely place.

I can't say enough about the generosity of James Dutton and the Arthur Murray Oakbrook/ Naperville…read morestudios. They are dedicated, caring and live to spread joy for those who love to dance. I had the chance to work with them for a charity event and well after taking classes they are easy to fall in love with. They have nice trainers who focus to get you results - no wonder I got the Gold in the dance. For this reason, I gave them 5 stars

I received a gift certificate for 1 lesson that we used a couple months ago. The staff is very…read morefriendly, upbeat and can really Dance!! And if you are committed they can teach you too. I loved our lessons with Adrian. The packages can be costly but if you take advantage of included group lessons and dance parties you get more bang for your buck. They weren't too pushy with signing us up, but they do need to "sell it" to keep the studio open and thriving. We did a 4 session pkg that cost around $500. and spread it out over 2 - 2 1/2 months. 3 of the 5 times we did the group lesson. There were usually 3-4 instructors with 15-20 students. I thought the way they broke the dance down was so helpful AND fun. All of the instructors we met were great! The parties after are another way to polish your moves, learn new ones, burn calories and are fun. If you have an upcoming event, want to learn how to wow your friends and family on the dance floor or simply want an active night out, I'd highly recommend.

If you are looking to engage your child in the arts, YPAC has a wide selection of options, from…read moredance, tumbling, music and theater. With two locations in Yorkville, the facilities are easily accessible to families in Yorkville and in surrounding communities. Both of my daughters have participated in the tumbling program. My older child started tumbling at an older age, and YPAC welcomed her and built both her strength and confidence. The teachers are knowledgeable in proper form and safety. My youngest started in a parent/child class, Pre-COVID. It was more of an open gym/exploratory class, which was a fun introduction to tumbling. We just started back after a break for COVID, and the facility remains impressive. My now the year old jumped right in to participate, which impressed me. The teachers are obviously experienced with younger children. The facility has a great plan on place to safely check children in without a lot of close contact and traffic through the building, and parents can still watch class via Zoom. Prices are a little high- billing is monthly, and there is also an annual membership fee. I do believe that there are some scholarships available.

My experience with YPAC is with the one week performing arts camp (Monday through Friday) designed…read morearound tryouts for a play/musical on the first day and culminating in a performance on Friday evening. Every child enrolled in the camp (which I believe cost $500) is guaranteed a role in the play. I recently attended the Friday night performance for You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. There were only 10 children enrolled in the camp. The show chosen had 6 speaking roles, and 4 non-speaking roles. The participants in non-speaking roles were infrequently on the stage singing and dancing. Didn't have so much as one line in the whole show. Which meant they spent much of the week leading up to the show sitting around watching the others practice. Not exactly what the camp offered or was paid for. It would seem to me that a better show could have been chosen to allow fuller participation for all the camp enrollees. I understand that in any play some are cast in larger roles than others. However, the secret to a good theater camp is to figure out how to utilize ALL the kids to make them feel like full participants. There are much better theater camps out there. I would recommend skipping this one.

As an educator, former dance instructor, and dancer myself for 20 years, I highly recommend Beth…read moreFowler School of Dance due to their focus on proper technique, the friendships the students develop, and the amazing performance opportunities provided for all studio dancers. Beth Fowler's 38 years of expertise as the studio owner, as well as her dedication as an instructor and as the artistic director, speak volumes of her as both a business owner and an artist! My six year old daughter has gained an incredible foundation of dance technique and performance experience in her three years at Beth Fowler School of Dance. During her first year in Creative Dance, she was taught by Miss Beth Fowler herself, whose energy and creativity abound with her students. For the past two years, Miss Allix, along with a few company dancer assistants, have been excellent teachers and role models for my daughter. My daughter has had the opportunity to participate in six stage productions in the past three years, including Cinderella, Wizard of Oz, a decade revue, as well as the Nutcracker Ballet each holiday season. This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Beth knew that traditional productions would not be possible. As a result, she chose to invest both creatively and financially, hiring a movie producer to bring their Nutcracker performance to an unprecedented level, debuting as "The Nutcracker Movie". In addition to the magical story traditionally told through dance, Beth's movie version added dialogue, green screen effects, and special effects including adding snow to a scene filmed on a 70 degree day. It was truly magical and kids felt like stars seeing themselves on the big screen at the Egyptian Theater. They even had the opportunity to walk the red carpet and be interviewed by Miss Beth as they entered the theater for their big debut. My daughter played the part of a mouse, as well as a child in the Mother Ginger dance and absolutely loved her special parts. This has truly been one of the most amazing experiences for my daughter during this unprecedented time! I have also been very impressed with the precautions implemented by Beth Fowler Studio of Dance, given the COVID-19 pandemic. The St. Charles location of Beth Fowler has two studio spaces. The one my daughter dances in this year is absolutely HUGE, which not only allows for all dancers to remain socially distant, but also provides plenty of space for parents to watch their young dancers, also socially distanced, around the perimeter of the studio if they choose. They have followed the CDC recommendations through the various pandemic phases and currently masks are worn for all rehearsals by teachers, students, and parents alike. All dancers are welcome to join the classes via Zoom, instead of coming into the studio, if this is their family's preference. Beth also worked closely with the Egyptian Theater and county health department, committing to nine Nutcracker Movie viewings so that the audience could remain socially distant, keeping the theater at under 8% capacity for each showing! It has been amazing to watch my daughter's skill and confidence grow as a performer these last three years. And it is great to know that Beth Fowler School of Dance also offers both a dance company, as well as award winning competition teams, to keep the dancers engaged and challenged as they progress.

At both sites, instructors at Beth Fowler School of Dance have not only molded my daughters into…read moregraceful dancers, but also played a pivotal role in shaping their character, dedication, and work ethic. While such activities come with a cost, witnessing the joy it brings to my daughters makes it all worthwhile.

DancEncounter was my home of dance from age 8-18. My training here propelled me to earn a college…read moredegree in dance. Several years after college, I am currently a full time professional dance artist and instructor based in Minneapolis. I always make sure to stop by the studio when I am home. The training/technique is great and the memories and friendships are what make DE special!

If I could, I would assign 10 stars to my experience here. Ms. Tracy and my girls' teacher, Ms…read more Jeni are two of the most dedicated and passionate professionals and are so good at what they do! We found DancEncounter this year after my 2.5 year old twins wanted to try ballet. From day one both Ms. Tracy and Ms. Jeni were extremely patient as they transitioned into the class -despite tears and a learning curve when it came to class time without mom. The girls always arrived excited to see them and left class with a smile. We recently participated in the end-of-year show and beyond my personal experience with the school, I saw firsthand the ripple affect of this wonderful school on dozens of girls and boys of all ages and capabilities. Not only are the instructors talented, but it was obvious by watching this entertaining show that they not only foster and nurture the talents and passions of these kids, but provide a positive environment of encouragement, camaraderie and mentoring that is hard to find. I cannot say enough about DancEncounter! I hope my girls decide to keep dancing and continue to be a part of this wonderful community of dancers.

If I could give zero stars I would in a heartbeat. This place is just out to make money and don't…read more care about their dancers well being. Our daughters hip was injured dancing rendering her unable to dance, and not one person has bothered to reach out to check on her. I reach out multiple times to the office of SCB only to not be answered. When they finally decide to respond, it's to tell me they're busy on spring break, didn't I read the email updates they send to everyone and that we weren't getting any of our money back. Mind you, our daughter got hurt at the beginning of spring session (so we paid for an entire session) and is on crutches, barely being able to walk. Disappointing doesn't even begin to cover how this place has turned out. I had hesitations from the beginning about signing up here and unfortunately was right. There aren't a lot of dance places so they have that as an advantage but this distress is not worth it. $12k a year to dance ballet?! STOP

This studio and company have so much promise! I trained here for many years and my training here…read moreset me up for more intense training later down the road. The new management promises to freshen things up and I'm really looking forward to the future of this studio.