Great pricing, staff is fantastic, studio is set up perfectly with monitors in lobby so you can…read morewatch them without distraction.

I have been dancing at dance expressions for 10 years and have absolutely loved it. Erin is super…read morenice and all of the other teachers are super nice as well! Would definitely recommend to join the DE fam! I've grown a lot and have made a lot of life long friends! It's a family affair and we love it!

My daughter almost 4 has been going to the jitter bugs class for almost a year and she loves it!…read more She goes 1 day a week for 30 minutes. The instructor is amazing at helping the little ones figure how to flip over the bars, tumble and balancing. Every time someone tells her we are going to jitter bugs her little face lights up so adorable.... such a nice place

The teachers are very dedicated to their students to their students and truly care about their…read moreprogress. Courtney is amazing!!

We love Jody Phillips Dance Company. I have a young daughter who has been taken classes there for a…read morecouple years. I grew up dancing, all the way through college, and think Jody's is a top notch studio. Parents do get to check in on their young kids in class through a window. As most parents know sometimes the distraction of parents can make it difficult to control a class, so this is a great solution. You can peak in on your child without them really seeing you. And should my daughter ever have a real problem in class I know the staff will come get me. I have attended several watch days for my daughters class as well. As far as not being allowed to take pictures or video it's for the students safety I believe and appreciate that other people cannot take pictures or video of my daughter and post them online without my permission or knowledge. It's all about privacy and how to protect children. Obviously Jody's goes way beyond little kid class they have well rounded programs for all ages and levels. This includes a highly decorated competition team.

I grew up dancing at Jody Phillips Dance company (JPDC). I am so thankful for the incredible staff…read morefor opening so many opportunities up for me in both life, and dance. By far, the best studio you will find in the area. Full of well-rounded dancers and people. I love that they not only focus on growing the dancer, but also the induvidual in each dancer at the studio. Years later, I still come back and keep in touch with the dancers and staff at JPDC. For sure something you and all of your friends should tryout.

I have 2 dancers at Perception and they absolutely love it! They started on mini company for the…read morefirst year then joined the company team. The studio is top notch and seeks out the competitions with the highest level of talent to attend. I love that my girls are in some dances where they get to shine and some dances where they are challenged to grow (they are not with the same kids in every dance). Everyone is super supportive and the kids all cheer for each other at competitions. Love it here!

An incredible dance studio for children at all skill levels. My daughter felt embraced from day…read moreone, and has learned so much in her first year. Highly recommend this dance Studio and cannot wait to see how my learns and grows as she continues to attend class this year!

We recently started my daughter in one of the classes here. It's a pretty big school. They…read moreoccupy one whole side of a building. They span over about 6 spaces in the center on that one side. The staff and volunteers are so nice. My daughter enjoys her instructor, Ms Missy. They prorate your tuition if you get in after they've begun. You can even try a class to see if you like it before you enroll. They discourage parents hanging around and potentially distracting the class (with younger kids) but our night class has been great thus far. Since it's dark out, the kids can't really see the parents outside. They start my daughter's class off with tap shoes and then change over to ballet on the latter part of the class. Price is about par with other places around town but we chose it based on longevity and experience.

As a first-time dance mom, I couldn't ask for a better studio than Catherine's. From day one, this…read morehas been a place where kindness and encouragement are truly lived out. The owners and instructors are incredible, and what's been especially meaningful to me is how supported we feel not only by the staff, but by the entire studio community. The older dancers are kind, patient, and welcoming, and they model exactly the type of culture you hope your child is learning from...confidence, respect, and empathy. Most importantly, my daughter loves coming to dance. She absolutely adores Ms. Catherine and her instructors, and I've watched her grow in ways that go far beyond technique. She's learning how to be comfortable in front of a group, how to try new things, and how to believe in herself...all in an environment that feels safe and encouraging. If you're looking for a studio where your child will be nurtured as a person, not just trained as a dancer, Catherine's is truly something special. We feel so lucky to be part of this community. Thank you Ms. Catherine and staff, for more than I can ever put into words! We love you!

My daughter has juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and instead of supporting her, this studio excluded…read moreand ignored her. Instructors and even the owner often refused to engage with her, and she was removed from dances when she couldn't participate fully -- even though she was willing to sit, watch, and learn. This environment was anything but supportive. If you want a kind, inclusive place where children are treated with respect, I recommend looking elsewhere.

I could not leave that negative review as they only review of The Pulse Performing Arts Center on…read moreYelp. The two "business partners" this previous reviewer refers to are so completely caring about their students and their families. We would not think of going to another studio. I have a daughter that has danced at The Pulse for six years. The recitals are why we joined The Pulse in the beginning. Brandon ties all the many studio routines together with a storyline. And, where he used the instructors (which I have seen other studios do, as well) as the leading roles in the past, the last 2 years it has only been the older girls in the leading roles. The Pulse is only ten years old. The dance studio has more than doubled it's students since this last review. The recital, to which the reviewer was referring to the "overly long" intermission, had a technical malfunction they were trying to fix. The finale to this recital was fabulous. So glad they took the time to fix it! The talent level of all the students from recreation to competition level is phenomenal. The young ladies and gentlemen who dance at the highest level at The Pulse win the highest awards at competition. They have brought on 3 new talented instructors who ask for only the best performances from the students. However, they always enforce the rule of "love what you're doing. It doesn't matter what you win". My daughter spends a great deal of time at the studio rehearsing. It's so nice to have a great "family" environment for her to walk into every evening. We are looking forward to another recital performance in 4 weeks. We have friends and family wanting to make sure they have tickets every year. They love the performances. If you are looking for a studio that cares about your child and has the best level of dance instruction, look no further than The Pulse Performing Arts Center.

Our child loved the pre-k hip hop class! Great teachers, amazing location and a fun atmosphere!read more

Suburbia continues to surprise! My family went tonight to a performance at the Chestnut Fine Arts…read moreCenter in Olathe for my sister's birthday. The current show is "Sentimental Journey," a revue of '40s music (with some holiday standards from that period worked into the show). My expectations weren't high, thinking it might be a bit amateurish. Well, anything but! The show was totally professional, with three of the four singers being Equity artists. The cast was very appealing, with fine Broadway-style voices, and attractive costumes (the women had great '40s hairdos!) and staging. The singers were accompanied by a piano, bass and drum trio, headed by Brad Zimmerman, who seems to have founded the Chestnut a decade or more ago. He also sang a couple of pieces. The selection of songs was excellent and representative of the period, the arrangements were perfect, and the performers were clearly enjoying themselves having an opportunity to sing such great tunes. The show was definitely on the level of those I've seen in much larger and supposedly "more sophisticated" cities, like San Francisco or New York. It's very much like the Quality Hill Theater revues downtown, just out in Olathe. We all enjoyed the show very much and will definitely return for other performances. Check out the Chestnut's website for their schedule -- subscriptions are available and probably advisable if you want to be sure of seats for their most popular shows. The space at the Chestnut is small, so it feels like you're at a cabaret. There's really no bad seat. The theater seems to be a rebuilt and expanded old house, attractively decorated, with a small stage that they've clearly learned to work with. There's plenty of free parking, on-site and across the street. Urbanites (and others) are encouraged to come check out the Chestnut! It's easy to get to on I-35: just exit at Santa Fe (135th St.) and head west to Chestnut, in downtown Olathe. There's a signal at that intersection. Turn right and you'll find the Chestnut at the next corner. Upcoming shows this season include a holiday concert by the Dickens Carolers on Dec. 18 and 19, and a New Year's show called "Memories are Made of This" featuring Dean Martin songs from the years of the Rat Pack. Other shows (see the website for details) will be "This Land is Your Land," a folk-song revival; "Godspell;" "Crooners," featuring popular songs and ballads; and "A Tribute to the Boy Bands," from the Beach Boys to the Beatles, the Osmonds, the Mills Brothers and the Ink Spots! Sounds like there will be a lot of enjoyable music to see and hear in Olathe this season!

The things one does to be able to spend the day with their Mother. Over the weekend, I attend a…read moreshow here with my mother and her Church Lady Friends called 'First Ladies of Country'. Now, I am not a Country fan, but my mother is and growing up in a household listening to Country I knew any of the songs, and acts that were performed. I will admit I do love me some Patsy Cline. I didn't really consider her a Country artist, but to each their own. The 3 main tributes were Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, and Dolly Parton. The show was performed by 3 main stage Ladies who did most of the Cover songs either as a solo or all together. They had a band that consisted of a piano, bass guitar, steel guitar, and a percussionist. They were great, they clearly practice, and put a lot of time and effort in perfecting their craft. Now I will admit I don't know how much the tickets cost for the show, my mother bought them. But I do know that she is a season ticket holder and stated they were reasonable prices. I know she enjoys doing these things with her friends. The area was somewhat small, but really there wasn't a bad seat in the house, which was mentioned many times when I was there. The parking area felt even smaller. Good thing the church ladies carpool. They recommended pulling in backwards to the parking spot, as it is easier when exiting the small lot. There is a small concession area I believe for during intermissions. I enjoyed myself, but mostly so I could spend the time with my mom while visiting. Would I go again? Only if she wanted me too, but otherwise no. I felt out of place, and it just wasn't something I would normally go see. Was it great for the majority of the age group, YES, did they have a blast, YES, will they be returning, HECK YES. Thank you to the staff and performers for a great show, even if it wasn't my cup of tea.