American Dance Academy

I honestly can see how some people would see ADA to be somewhat gossipy and clickish. It really isnt though. We are just a very close group of girls who make our main focus dancing while enjoying ourselves at the same time. :) Before ADA was opened all of us girls from there came from a previous studio so we all were very close from years ago. The technique and choreography that Michelle has herself and teaches to her students is amazing!! She knows how to be a great teacher as well as being a great friend too! I miss ADA and hope to go back soon :) Pros: Michelle, parking, choreography, competitions & closeness with other dancers Cons: none! more

This studio is for you if dance is a sideline to gossip. You sit around and talk for the first 30 minutes and never have any type of workout. One girl got made fun of because she ""sweat"" too much. Weird I thought dance was for working hard and getting better? It was fun at times but I wouldn't recommend it if you actually want to make it in the dance world because there are dance studios in Utah that can get you where you want to go. I would recommend The Dance Club, Center Stage, Dance Impressions, Pulse 31 or other ballet studios. It may be a little more pricy but you actually do something called dance! Pros: Relaxed, no pressure to get good accepts bad technique (if thats good) good social environment Cons: Relaxed, no pressure to get good, accepts bad technique ( I'd like to be pressured to get better) more

I danced at this studio a few years back and it did help me find joy of dance. The teachers are very friendly and try their hardest to make you feel welcome. The reason I left this studio is because I felt that it was a little too much about competition and not enough about technique. The girls would do there moves without pointing there feet and without certain things that are basic to a dancer's technique. I found a new studio where everyday we would have a formal warm up where we would work on the basics of technique and try to improve strength and flexibility. At ADA we would not do these crucial things ever, instead we would warm up ourselves and of course everyone just ended up talking and not actually doing anything productive. I felt this studio was fun but if you are interested in becoming a serious dancer this is not for you. Pros: Fun friendly atmosphere Cons: Doesn't concentrate on proper technique more

A few years ago I danced for ADA and had an absolutely fantastic experience. I loved the teachers (especially Michelle) THey were all great!. Unfortunatly I wasn't able to continue dancing all through High School cause I was a cheerleader and working a lot but if there was anyway I would have been able to stay I would have in a heartbeat!! Overall one of the best dance studios out there. Pros: Wounderfull experience more

I have danced at ADA sense it opened in 2001. I love this studio and I don?t have a single complaint for Michelle or Allie. They are both wonderful teachers who genuinely care for their students. They are very devoted to what they do, and I can tell that they truly love their job. It is unfortunate that a certain dancer had some personal issues, and feels a need to take it out on her former studio, and that she can?t appreciate the work that Allie and Michelle did by helping her become good enough to tour around the country with the Caravan Kids! At least we know that she cares enough to keep searching our studio!  The teachers at ADA try their very hardest to eliminate gossiping. They set up fun activities that help everyone can get to know each other better. They have very high standards and feel very strong about team unity. Being on ADA?s Company Team this year has been an amazing experience. I have become better than I?ve ever thought possible, and I know it is because Allie and Michelle try their hardest to improve our technique, rather than cheating it to make ourselves look good. Competitions are such a fun time, and I have never felt forced, but rather PRIVLIDGED to attend competitions. It helps me see other studios, and better appreciate how great my own studio is. This year, costumes will only be ordered through our catalogues, which have very reasonable prices. I also love the Automatic Payment System that Michelle has set up. My mom used to have to pin my tuition to my shirt so I wouldn?t forget to turn it in, but it is now automatically taken out of our account so we don?t have to worry about getting our payment in on time. The tuition is also very affordable. I like how we only have a few teachers. I feel very close to them, and I know that I can go to either of them when I have a problem. I love ADA and can?t wait to start dance again this fall at our new location in Riverton. It is going to be a great year! Pros: Very devoted teachers that work hard to create unity within teams and keep prices at reasonable amounts. Cons: NONE! more

I started at the studio a lot later than most of the girls I dance with. I never felt like an outsider. the girls and the teachers made me feel welcome from the day I started. I love the dance routines. They are always different from what everyone else is doing and my mom is always saying that she likes it because the music, the dance moves and costumes are ""appropriate for my age."" I also like how Michelle and Allie find activities in class and at competitions to help us become better friends with other girls at the studio. I have been able to make a lot of friends in my class and other classes. I can't wait until dance classes start again. I have really missed dancing with everyone over the summer. Pros: I made lots of friends, my dancing has really improved Cons: I wish I was there right now! :-) more

American Dance Academy is the best studio I have danced at (and I have been to 4). The instructors always focus on improving my technique and helping me become the best dancer I can be. I person commented that people are pressured to do competitions. The studio has teams that are meant to attend 2 to 4 competitions each year. However, there are some classes that do not compete. Many girls also do solos. This isn't something I enjoy doing, but I have never felt pressured to do one. I love going to watch the other girls perform at the competitions. Also, dancers are acknowledged for there hard work no matter how they place at the competitions. The focus is placed on sportsmanship and how we felt about the dance, not a number on a paper. Pros: fun positive atmosphere Cons: none! more

If you are a serious dancer then I would not recommend this studio. It looks good when you first join but it is not very welcoming and their is a lot of pressure to compete. I enjoy performing and dancing for fun and developing my talent. I felt like I was not accepted if I did not do the competitions that the studio entered into. There was a lot of pressure on that. I also heard a lot of gossip while I was there and that is just not the type of people I want to surround myself with. Some people may love the studio but I had a bad experience and I know there were a lot of people that left for the same reasons I did. Cons: Pressure to compete. Not friendly once you join. more

I would highly recommend ADA to anyone looking for a positive environment for their child. I appreciate the postivity that is reflected from the faculty at ADA. The dancers are pushed to be the best they can without any negative pressure. I'm also glad the studio has such high morals and values. I appreciate that the costumes are modest and that the dress code for classes enforces modest attire. Watching at competitions, I was very uncomfortable to see other studios putting their little girls in belly shirts and midriffs. I am also impressed with the unity the students and faculty have. The older dancers are very good examples to the younger girls on how to be friends and support each other. I also love that the faculty members are educated in their profession and I know my child is getting correct training. Pros: Friendly staff, good prices, positive atmosphere for children more

I have danced at American Dance Academy (or better known as ADA) for 6 years now...ever since it opened. I love all of the teachers, i learn so much from them and they help me progress in my dancing every single day! By being on a team at American Dance Academy, I have met so many new people and gained some of my best friends! I love dancing so much, and can't wait until my class everyday! It wasn't like that at other studios! American Dance Academy teaches all kinds of dance; Jazz, Hip Hop, Ballet, Technique, and more. The teachers are fantastic, they are easy to talk to if you have a problem and help you out when you don't understand how to do a move! American Dance Academy has a way reasonable price system! I have friends that dance other place and I am just amazed at how high some of their prices are compared to us! I LOVE dancing and LOVE American Dance Academy! Pros: Great Teams, Lower Costs, Fantastic Teachers, and Lots of Fun! more

This is the best studio I have been in. I am sad that negative comments were left. Those comments don't reflect how American Dance Academy really is. The studio is very professional. I have been able to make so many good friends. Yes, we can be competitive, but only at competitions when it is appropriate and only on the dance floor. Being good friends with those on our teams is encouraged and at competitions we have activities to help everone feel included. Pros: Great way to make friends more

As with any studio, there are a few former students that have left unhappy. Over the six years American Dance Academy has been open, only a handful have left because they were unsatisfied. Most have left due to age or because they joined their High School Teams. Pros: Professional Staff more

The owner of this studio charges too much for costumes, pictures, and fees. I also had bad experiences with gossip within the studio. I overheard the girls talking bad about someone and I asked them where they heard it. They said they heard it from the owner who is also a teacher. I was very shocked. I also noticed that there is alot of competition between the girls. Instead of supporting each other and helping each other improve, my daughter felt like everyone had to be better than the other. She is now in a studio where she feels like she is part of a group and they support each other in their trials and glory. I would never go back to this studio. Cons: Expensive and bad leaders more

Costumes too expensive, teachers are very clickish and gossip. I am now at another dance studio that is very professional and they don't mark up their prices like ADA does. As a parent I shouldn't hear gossiping from the teachers. They do it in front of the dancers, (many are teenagers) who need to have good examples on how to treat others. They do well in competitions but it is not worth it to me to be in that type of environment. There are many other dance studios in the valley that have great instruction with a positive environment. I would not recommend putting my child in this studio. Pros: Focus a lot on competition Cons: High prices, bad evironment more

American Dance Academy has a very professional and good enviornment. They mostly focus on technique for every dancer. ADA helps everyone raise their self esteem and dancing. Whenever I go to dance, I know that i will walk out of the studio as a better dancer than i wasbefore. Pros: we are moving to a bigger and better studio more