Anita's Dance Ctr

Three of my children dance at Anita's. They all love it! They are treated with respect, encouraged to work hard, and have a wonderful time. The staff are helpful and professional. The instructors are great. I am happy to recommend Anita's. more

My daughter went to Anita's for a year! Not impressed at all. Like all other bad reviews I recommend checking other dance centers. Anita's teach wrong techniques as my daughter was corrected after her first day at another dance center! She will never go back to Anita's!\r Beware...Anita's is the most expensive dance center. They are ruid and unorganized. The teachers will say your doing a good job when your doing it wrong!!!\r Other dance centers will NOT make you take all these extra classes just to take a certain class. It does not take much to figure out Anita's is a scam!!! more

Anita's is just a really fun place for all dancers, and the performing opportunities they provide are second to none. ""Anita's Dance Crew"" performs at events with Radio Disney, and their other companies perform throughout the area at local events and even across the country, including Disney parks, the Indy 500, NCAA bowl games, etc. The kids really enjoy making new friends at the studio and Anita and David bring in teachers from Hollywood for master classes several times a year (including their annual dance convention), giving students a one-of-a-kind experience in learning from the best. Anita goes out of her way to make sure each student and parent is comfortable with their placement, and the spring Recitals are phenomenal (the older dancers get to have their Recitals at the Pabst Theater), as are the costumes. What's most amazing is the number of parents that volunteer to make these shows happen (mostly backstage), and it makes the whole experience a lot of fun. The organizational issues they have had in the past (like taking a few days to respond by email/phone) seem to have been cleaned up this year. The entire staff just really loves what they do, and it shows, even if things get to be a little chaotic at times. The studios are beautiful and the amount of space allows the dance center to put on events that nobody else can! FYI, The Citysearch profile for Anita's is incorrect - they were founded in 1961 (as Muskego Dance Studio), not 1997. The celebration of their 50th Anniversary is in full-swing. more

Anita's provides a wide selection of classes and small class sizes (there are at least 10 studios on site). There is an emphasis on fun and a family-friendly atmosphere and the teachers are wonderful. Classes are paid weekly and Anita is always available to talk with parents. She even places each student individually. Students come from all over the Milwaukee area and there's a great sense of community within the Dance Center! more

My daughter just finished performing in the Nutcracker. The performances were amazing! We loved the costumes, the choreography and the music. My daughter was so excited to be part of the production. It was another opportunity for the girls to get stage experience. The pre-show was really nice too because it showcased their different capabilities. Really enjoyed the hip-hop pom routine too. It was super showy and well put together. \r \r My daughter is so thrilled with the master classes offered to those in the dance company. She is challenged and so excited to go to dance and comes home and practices nonstop. Her skill and ability have skyrocketed. Its amazing to have teachers come in from LA to teach the kids new choreography and skills. Keep it up! more

Anita's has fallen apart over the years. The business plan is not about the kids at all; is all about her ""Hollywood productions"", treating parents like garbage and taking your money.\r \r From the first day of class when they signed my daughter up for a class that didn't exist through the joke of a dance season, missing DVD videos and no answers from Anita we and other families have had enough and won't be back. more

Do not waste your money. Go somewhere else. \r I didn't even want to give it one star. \r We heard of Anita’s and knew friends of friends that danced here. So when schedules didn’t work with our original dance studio we came here. We waited 2.5 hours to register for classes because they told us we had to meet with Anita so that she could place our child in the correct class. I rolled with it……..we were there anyway. I was given a folder of information on birthday parties at Anita’s and also had a coupon for a free dance class on your birthday. Also a slip that if we referred another dancer to Anita’s we’d receive I think it was $25 or $50 dollars in gift cert. towards Anita’s. They told us we’d get this gift cert in October. After a lot of asking and then being told that Anita or “Dave” was still working on it. We didn’t get it until January!!!!! And then were told we could only use it towards classes. (I’m so embarrassed that I referred friends here in the beginning! I was trying to judge the book by the cover……..bad Idea….The studio is large and seems nice at birds eye view…..it’s the workings of it that are horrible)\r I was told that the instructors are adults. We started class and I realized all the instructors were maybe 15 or 16 years of age. \r The recital was an embarrassment to the studio. The poor kids in most of the classes had no idea what they were supposed to be doing. I’m not talking 3-5 year old kids, I’m saying children that were 8-9 years old not having a clue how to do their routine. It was a joke. Beautiful backdrops and costumes but the instruction is lacking to say the least. The studio is unorganized. No one ever has an answer to questions and most of the time they don’t answer their phone, you will get voicemail and maybe get a call back 2 days later. Same for email…..you may get an email 2 weeks later. \r They have very bad business ethics. I strongly urge you not to waste your money by going here. You’d be better off sending your child to a city rec. dance program. I am not exaggerating. What a waste of time and money………but, now we know……\r We will NOT be returning.\r \r more

I don't know one person who has left Anita's Dance Center and then later said that they ""missed it."" I'm mad I wasted so much time at this horrible dance center. Seriously. Look at other studios. more

fun, great place to dance. Pros: lots more

Dance is supposed to be fun and challanging, but most of the time it became just a chore, until you had a show to do, where you could be on stage and be free. Many of the teachers there are way too young. When I began teaching it was a rule that you had to be an assistant to an older teacher before you had the privalage to to teach. Now because of the expansive facility, anyone that can jump up and down can teach, and that is simply not fair to the students that think they are at a higher level of dance studio, and unfair to the teachers that had to put in the work to earn their right to teach...the instructors that take dance instruction seriously. \r I'm writing this review not to bash on Anita or let off some steam. I've been out the studio for nearly 3 years and I am happy teaching elswhere. I just want people to know what happens behind closed doors(and sometimes out in the open) It's a great place if your child just wants to do dance for fun and doesn't want to advance, but if your child is serious about excelling in dance, then this is not the place for them.\r It's a high price for a child to be made an example of for being in other extracurricular activities and be in a class when a teacher not much older than them is teaching it. If you should decide to place your child here or if you yourself plan on taking lessons at Anita's Dance Center and happen to make a name for yourself because of your gift of dance...don't plan on leaving smoothly. It's never that you wanted to move on or life was taking you in a different direction, It's always that you were a bad person and they will ruin your good reputation. I know this because I too was told about all the bad girls that went here and they did so many bad things that they had to be kicked out for their behavior. Come to find out that as soon as I left, the same lies were said about me. It wasn't until this that I learned that majority of the girls they made examples of were good, wholesome girls who desreved to leave with thier reputation in tact. \r Just because it seems so magical on the outside...their is way too much shadyness going on on the inside. Please don't fall into the same trap that everyone else does. Pros: friends :) Cons: empty promises more

This review is coming from a girl that danced here all her life and went through all of the companies and beyond, and also was a teacher for nearly 8 of those years. \r I will start off by saying that I had many great experiences by going to Anita's Dance Center...but at a high price. All through the years while in grade school through high school I had a blast and was in the magical Anita's land where I was at the best place for dancing and we were the best and everything was perfect. By the time I started teaching and doing a lot of work for Anita, I began to see the true colors of the place more and more. I did more than just teaching for her and I only was being paid 8 dollars and hour. Now considering that class fees were up to 7.50 per student, per hour...that is humiliating as a staff member. After doing some research, I found that the national average for a dance instructor is around 14 dollars an hour. I never got any credit for the many hours of extra work that I did for the studio, performances and recitals. Others, such has her son, who helped, but did not do nearly the amount of work that I did, did recieve credit...for my work. I did let that slide and even defended Anita when family members and people around me would shake their head in disbelief. I was told many empty promises of how I was so valuable that I would be able to make this my career, and that I was highly desired to stay and dance well beyond my highschool years, and that I would recieve financial compensation. That flew out the door.\r I finally got the nerve to leave, but when you leave it's never easy, because they have a way of making you stay or giving you more false hopes of a future there. So I left abruptly because it was the only way that I could. I thought that Anita and I were close enough that she would understand and maybe even be happy that I was spreading my wings finally at 22 yrs old. That did not happen. Instead I was ridiculed and made an example of to all of the wonderful girls that looked up to me as their instructor and mentor...including relatives of mine. I was called a quitter and a failure and that I must be under the infuence of drugs and that I was in an abusive relationship. Non of this couldn't be more farther from the truth. What happened was that I finally had the wool pulled off from over my eyes and I woke up to all the lies and really poor business conduct. I realized that I along with other teachers and students deserved to be treated better. I never recieved my final paycheck, my recital DVD and I was told that I would never get a good reference from them in the future. They did keep their promise on that one, because I was out of work for nearly 6 months at one point, because every job I was considered for let me go due to the bad and untrue refference Anita gave them.\r Pros: good dance experiences Cons: unethical business conduct, high tuition fees, cattyness. more

I danced at Anita's for 12 years. I was in the kids company, juniors, high juniors, and then dance company. All they do is take your money. When you're younger, it's all fun and games and there's not much pressure. As you get older and higher in the companies, they definitely play favorites. If you don't possess all the skills they want, you're looked down upon and never taught how to do anything correctly by the teachers. It was less bitchy after Julie left, but then Anita majorly took over. Your life had to revolve around dance. She lies to you and your family to keep you in dance just so they can empty your wallet. Everyone talks crap about Anita and the older teachers in dance company, even the captains. Anita literally screams at us if we don't do everything perfectly; it's never good enough for her. They tell the bronze level that they're not allowed to stand in the front of the room because they're not as good as everyone else. Basically, it isn't a healthy environment for kids of any age. There's way too much drama and stress which definitely isn't worth the second mortgage. Pros: Meet some good people. Cons: Waste of money, Fake people, Hypocritical teachers. more

I am a junior company and radio disney dancer. i have been with Anita's since i was two. Anita's teaches you important life skills such as discipline, patience, and respect. the teachers are very experienced and helpful. True they talk like when we are stretching but they are very much NOT inexperienced. Every year the company members get to perform at so many places like summer fest, Festa Italiana, Zoo A La Carte ect. The competition team has won many trophies. Also we take yearly trips to places like Florida, Louisiana, and California to perform on tv. I would highly recommend Anita's to anyone who wants to become a great dancer. Pros: shows, the teachers, performances more

so i came to anitas when i moved here first in 3rd grade. although i had been dancing since i was three years old, i did not realize that with this move to a new studio i would ever stop dancing. it was a great expierence at first. i went from kids company, to jounior company, to dance company. it wasnt until dance company did i start to dislike dance. i used to love the attention and the makeup and costumes. coming into high school and trying out for the mcdc was the most nerve racking year of my life. when i was a bronze( this is part of there ladders for the company going from bronze to diamond), it was the hardest year of all. this is the backstage view of anitas dance center. you are not allowed to have any sort of internet profile, if you have a boyfriend you are looked down upon, your whole life needs to be dedicated to dance for if dance is not first, they become furious with you, they say you are doing the worst as in drinking and illegal substances and sexual relationships when most of us girls have more morals then they can imagine. sure tell us that you need to live the best life possible but dont accuse us of anything until we give you a reason.\r \r this is my story: i had missed a weekend of dance, i came back and all the girls were very mean and discusting with me. then my mother needed to talk with anita about missing some shows and anita fully disrespected my mother and talked down to her like she was a two year old. at that point my mom told me that she is no longer going to allow me to go to this dance center where the owner treats and talks to us like we are nothing. as my dad quoted ""we are the customers.. we are paying them.. customers always come first!"" out of the 14 years of my dancincing carrer, i have never been this upset about dance in my life. and for those people who are looking for the truth... julie parker was the best anitas had. a lil in on the scoop...anita told julie to leave because julie stuck up for us dancers...\r \r concluding... if you are looking for a professional studio that is going to treat you like a customer and you be fully happy with yourself.. choose another studio Pros: you will never do as many shows in your life! Cons: money costs, fake, disrespectfull, disapointing more

I went to Anita's to enroll my 11 year old in a dance class. I talked with my daughter & told her that most of the students will be much younger than her, did you still want to take lessons. Of course the answer was YES. When I was at the studio I asked at the desk about classes for her, the staff was rude to me. Than Anita (at the time I didn't know who she was) told me that my daughter will NEVER become a dancer and I was not a good mom since I didn't have her at her stuido by the age of 3. Needless to say I walked out. In the parking lot another mother stopped me & told me how sorry she felt for me & my daughter. THis mom was pulling her daughter from the Anita's because of Anita's and her staff behaivor. All my daughter wanted to do was learn a few moves to be able to try out for her musical at school. We did find another studio & she is vey happy. Cons: Its a fake more

It is interesting that there are so many extremely positive and extremely negative reviews. Anita does not claim to be the best dance studio and tells all parents to explore their options and find the studio that fits their wants and needs best. She is very upfront about how strict she is (which most parents appreciate) and also about costs. Anitas is not the right studio for everyone - it is the right studio for a well rounded dance education in a safe, nurturing environment. Younger teachers (who are personally trained by Anita) do teach younger students but there are also a great number of older teachers who are well-trained by the best in the dance industry. Dancers from the studio have gone on to dance at top levels in college and beyond. The dancers compete against the best studios in the country and place, proving that the technique taught is not ""low quality"" or ""out-dated"". The studio is large, but Anita still knows every dancer and parent by first name. The size of the studio allows for some amazing performing opportunties that no other studio in the area can match. The key to a great dance expierence at Anitas (as in anything) is communication, if you are unhappy about something, tell her and she will personally fix it. As for the negative reviews, I would bet they are from dancers unhappy about their placement (which happens everywhere) or unhappy about how they were treated after breaking Anita's strict rules. Favoritism...if you commit yourself, work hard and are loyal...then sure, you are favored. Teachers are not allowed to pick on students for missing class or messing up in class. Prices have gone up over the past 3 years, but still pale in comparison to other studios. If your a parent looking for a place to take your child to dance...do your homework, ask other parents and come for a tour....it may or may not be the place for you. Pros: awesome recitals, freindly staff Cons: can get pricey if you do a company more

All these negative comments are really depressing and are actually, hilarious. For the people that dance at anitas, we all know there are fees like any other studio, MALE STAFF DOES NOT ENTER DRESSING ROOMS (first of all, in the past there has been ONE male on the dance studio staff, and staff does NOT change in a dressing room of the opposite gender (and their rooms (if needed to change) are on oppositesides of the stage) or go near dressing rooms), The studio does NOT choose favorites (instead they choose friends), not a christian studio you say? well that's kind of hard to believe considering most neighboring studios put their seven year olds in rhinestoned bras and underwear and have them dancing on stage to 'buttons by the pussycat dolls', dances and routines are classy and fun, EXPLICIT music iS NOT used, highschool students are evaluated before being addded to staff (if their skills match an appropriate class even if they are close in age, they will be put to teach that class, they are most definately appropriately evaluated before being assigned to teach a class) i dont know where else to go other than that if you are looking for strict technique, cruel teachers dont attend anita's. Anita's is for the ""performing, wanting to have fun, looking for good experience and life lessons"" person and or family. Anita and David are there to give and help, not to hurt. Anitas is a great place, HIGHLY RECCOMENDED! Pros: excellent place for dance education more

If you love beautiful costumes and recital backdrops, you will find this at Anita's. If your child is honestly interested in learning proper techniques, you will want to consider other options. My daughter took dance at Anita's for 7 years (the last two on pointe). I had been noticing that as the center grew, the instructors were becoming younger and less experienced. My daughter would tell me that her instructors would spend half of the time just talking instead of teaching. When we went to another studio, I saw my teenage daughter get very upset. She loves to dance and after experiencing 2 ballet classes and a jazz class at her new studio, she informed me that she feels that she just wasted her time at Anita's. She is now in the beginning level of ballet/jazz at her new studio. She needs to relearn the improper techniques that were never corrected at Anitas. Her current instructors are all professional dancers, not 18 year olds whose only experience has been Anitas. Please, I have nothing personally against Anita, I just want the best for my daughter and unfortunately I wish I would have had this information 7 years ago. My daughter would be much more happy. Pros: Great costumes, Puts on the Nutcracker every other year Cons: Many Inexperienced teachers, some very non professional, Not taught proper techniques more

Although there are some individuals who critisize Anita's on this website, I must say that over the past 13 years I have been completely satisfied with my dance experience. I apprieciate the helpful staff and the endless amounts of performing opportunities at hand. Here you learn more than just dance, you are taught responsibility, solid work ethic, and self apprieciation. Although it becomes much more time consuming if you dance in one of the companies, you create friendships and bonds that will last a lifetime as well as countless memories. In class, you continuously work on flexibility and performing skills including new routines approximately every 6 weeks. The facility is easy to drive to and is very well maintained. Anita's is appropriate for any age/level dancer and has a vast variety of classes to choose from. The dance center is very flexible when it comes to your families needs and is willing to make accomidations if need be. They also have a fully stocked dance store as well as a snack hut. With something new happening everytime you enter through the doors, Anita's is a great place to send your child to learn the craft of dance. I highly recomend it to any dancer or family intrested; it will definitly be worth your while. Pros: classes, shows, facilites more

Well, there is nothing good about Anita's Dance center. First of all, Anita and David Olsen claims to be christians....NOT TRUE! If you were a christian that there is no way that you would talk behind peoples back, let you staff be rude to parents and children, and when problems arise, you just ignore people. Anita and David are ver good about telling people how great THEY are and what high morals and standards they have...but when you have to continually tell people how good you are...its just a cover for how bad you really are!! I've seen Anita and well as her staff and selected parents, lie about students and other parents...the staff behind the desk are rude and lie about others in the studio....The majority of her teachers are older high shool students....how is that highly trained professional dancers. When my daughter finally left the studio and went to another studio with Highly trained teachers, they had to correct my daughters dancing...My daughters technique was wrong....As for the Radio DisneyDancers.....that was the worst performances I have ever seen or been a part of....If you are going to represent Disney...then the students should be dancing clean, and neat with a high level of technique...NO SO!! Did you know that Radio Disney PAID the studio for having the children perform....the studio had a sign contract and was paid for the dancers everytime they performed...I know for a fact the my daughter wasn't paid, and that's why theose stupid Disney t shirts were kept under such lock and key...where you couldnt take them home....I call radio disney to find out all the info. Anita and David are very bad people, if youare still in the studio, read between the lines, watch how the staff treats the customers and most of all dont let those fake smiles fool you....Anita's dance center is a business and Anita and David livelyhood...they need you and they willtell you just what you want to here...but beware!!! Pros: nothing Cons: rude staff, liars, not professional trained staff and self proclaimed christans..NOT more