Dance Productions Inc

Beware of this studio. I wish we had never set foot in Dance Productions. They like to pretend that they ""care"" about all of their students, but I know for certain they do not. My daughter worked so hard, but was treated like she didn't matter, and it negatively affected her and our entire family. Be careful with what studio you choose, because being at Dance Productions damaged my daughter's self worth. more

Wow, it is a shame to read all these negative reviews lately but they all have a common point. DP does not care to make every child a better dancer, just a few chosen ones to enable them to win at competitions. If they win at competitions, they can put all of these awards they win on their website and they get to keep some of the prize money. The development of each child is secondary to the money. I understand they are in business to make money but the child in the last row pays the same amount of tuition as the child in the front row of dances. Parents should also know that if a studio needs huge props in a dance to win, the dance is probably not that great. \r \r As for teachers, It was sad to read about a former student who teaches there being so mean because I probably know her from the days my children danced at DP. A dance teacher who is also into ""beauty pagents"" tells you something also. She probably cares little about dance technique and focuses on the dance being ""showy"".More parents should open their eyes and read the biogrpahy of teachers at DP. How many have a college degree in the arts or child education? Check out the difference between DP faculty and a non-competion studio faculty. \r \r While DP may have had former students who have dance professionally on things like cruise ships, doubt you will see alumni from DP at a major ballet company or maybe Alvin Ailey. Do seniors at DP make colleges with impressive dance credentials like Boston Conservatory, NYU or Florida State University? Check out non-competition studio's and you will see where there seniors are going to college and you will be impressed.\r \r Parents it all depends on what you want for your child at a dance studio. If you child is serious about dance in college or a career, take them out of DP and get them some real instruction and technique. If they just want to dance and be part of a team, DP will be fine as long as you can handle the treatment given to the ""stars' of DP.\r \r Finally, if teachers are constantly late and class gets out late this is just plain rude. It is also disrespectful to your family and in a way telling you that your time is not important. In this day and age with a bad economy, parents don't need to put up with this nonsense. No studio is perfect but as somebody who was a DP and have had children dance elsewhere, there is better especially after reading these recnt reviews.\r \r Pros: Studio, Choreography Cons: Ed Phelan more

We have had a horrible experience on the competition team at dance productions and my daughter hates going there. She has no positive role models to share a ""love of dance"" with her. The teachers only care about their best dancers and couldn't care less about the rest. And the kids know it. It doesn't matter if you try hard, show up on time, and never miss a class, the teachers couldn't care less about you. And they have no interest in teaching all the kids how to be better dancers. The main competition director is also the director of a pageant program and continues to show us that her pageant program takes priority and is entirely more important . The other competition teacher is not a ""teacher"" at all. She's a very young former student who has turned the studio into a high school click. While she may have talent as a choreographer, she has absolutely no training as a teacher and doesn't even seem to like kids. She often comes in late and creates so much negativity within the studio that my daughter dreads going to class. She is not a positive mentor/role model for my daughter in any way whatsoever often belittling her and making snide comments about her abilities right before she goes on stage. It's really a shame that the studio owner doesn't hold her teachers to a higher standard. These teachers truly have an opportunity to create a lasting positive experience in these young girls lives and they are choosing not to. They keep continuing not to make it enjoyable for all the kids and to just solely focus on a few. I believe that they will look back on this time with regret. This is why the competition team is dwindling in numbers and why they continue to lose good kids year after year. \r more

All you have to do is look at the homemade sign above the door (that's slapped on top of a larger sign still visible behind it) to understand what a disaster this studio is. Extremely unprofessional staff who are rarely on time, classes that start late and end even later. Many times my kid doesn't get home until after 10pm on school nights. There is no respect shown by either the teachers or students, as there is no teaching going on, only choreography. The staff doesn't appear to even like working with kids and they have no training as dance teachers. A girl severely broke her arm this year when the teacher choreographed her jumping off a table on wheels. One teacher is rarely there, and the other, who is young and a former student, only pays attention to and choreographs for her friends. It's clear that for her, it's easier to feature the ones who already know how to do tricks than to teach them all how to dance. . None of the staff will even make eye contact or say hello to the parents in the hallway. And the fees for props are outrageous. I sent my kid there to learn how to dance, not stand behind and push gigantic props that we need an 18 wheeler to haul to nationals. It doesn't matter how many times we ask for less props and more technique, we get more props and no technique. Plus we just had to endure a 4 hour recital dominated entirely by competition numbers. How can a studio that's been in business for over 25 years have less than 50 recreational students? more

We left our studio to join the competition team at dance productions and I fear we've made a huge mistake. I can easily say this is the most unorganized and chaotic studio we've ever been to. And the favoritism goes far beyond anything I've ever seen in putting 3 girls through dance. The teachers literally do not see or care about anyone other than their favorites. My child often comes home disappointed and feels she is wasting her time here and she's worried she will never improve because they aren't teaching her how to dance. I heard one parent decided to invest hundreds of dollars into ballet private lessons in order to help her daughter improve. Classes rarely begin or end on time. Sometimes I wait up to an hour after class is supposed to end before my child comes out. And there are shady characters constantly cutting through the parking lot. Cars have been broken into in broad daylight and I don't feel safe here. The lack of organization in this studio is mind boggling. We were told to buy pricey jazz shoes for a number, then we find out on the day of competition that we're wearing a different shoe. We show up to our first competition with no idea how to wear our hair or what shoes to wear for each number. The girls have practiced hard all year, and they're sent out on stage with props they've never practiced with and hairstyles that we're told at the last minute. And the props are completely out of control. We have 2 huge trucks full of props with enormous costs to the parents. And we are completely overcharged for catalog costumes and costumes that come from clothing stores. In fact, I heard one of our groups costumes came from discountstripper dot com and they were charged $250 for it. I couldn't make this stuff up folks. I was expecting so much more when we decided to join this studio. And we couldn't be more disappointed. more

My child is on the dp competition team and we are being forced to attend 6 regional competitions along with nationals in florida this year. Thats 7 competitions! In years past, we have attended 4 or 5 regionals. In this tough economy, this is causing a huge hardship on many of the families on our team! Many of us have pleaded with Lori to please drop one of the 6 regional competitions. Her response was that the Seniors want to dance as much as possible this year, and that she has her reasons. Just further proof that they only care about certain people! This is our last year dancing on the competition team because of the way we are treated here! So very sad. more

We quit dance this year after many painful years on the competition team at Dance Productions. I strongly believe that the positive reviews written below are either written by the staff or by the parents of a few of the""favorites"". In fact, we were instructed to post positive reviews on this site in order to get the studio rating up. But our experience at DP has been far from positive. I do feel that Lori and the teachers work hard and are good people. However, I believe that because of the way they run the studio and choreograph their numbers, they destroyed my daughter's love of dance and harmed her self esteem. And they're in total denial about it. My daughter used to have a spark and wanted so much to be a part of a strong group of dancers. After hoping against hope, I now believe it's not their goal at all to have a strong group. Tracy and Brittany have choreographed some great numbers, but they are so entirely focused on a handful of dancers who are their family and friends, that they've proved time and again, they could care less about the rest of the group. Yes, the ""favorites"" are talented, as they are repeatedly told how fabulous they are and get excellent choreography and stage time in which to constantly improve their abilities. Just look at any of their numbers and it's the same dancers, front and center, in every. single. number. Same dancers. Every number. It's clear who they spend all their time and energy on. While the rest of the students are merely there for back up or to push enormous props around. I can only imagine how good all of the dancers would be if they were all taught properly and choreographed like they were all an important part of the group. Any studio can have a few exceptional dancers. When you teach them all to be exceptional, then you have a truly exceptional studio. In a meeting with Tracy, she told me that it's not her job to teach a love of dance. She said she will work with the kids who show a strong talent, but feels it's not her job to teach them to strive to be the best they can be. This is why Dance Productions may win at competitions, but they will never be an exceptional studio. This year we had several students all drop out, and they didn't go to other studios, they all stopped dancing entirely. For years, I begged and begged, and then begged some more, for technique classes. There is no technique being taught at dance productions. Let me repeat. There is no technique other than ballet. I've never understood how a dance studio could forgo such an important part of dance. Their class time is spent learning their routines. The girls who get good choreography improve every time they practice the routine, and the girls who stand off stage or push props around don't. And I've heard them get yelled at for their lack of technique. Their best dancers can't even turn cleanly and in unison.Why the teachers don't properly and consistently teach all the dancers how to leap and turn with proper technique, defies logic. Either they can't be bothered, don't know how to teach them, or maybe because they have over a hundred numbers to rehearse and there simply isn't time. Don't come to Dance Productions expecting to get technique because you will be greatly disappointed. I felt the need to write about our experience, because I wish I had known all of this before we joined Dance Productions. I feel that I've wasted thousands of dollars, hundreds of hours, and most importantly, I feel I've wasted my daughter's childhood. more

I have been a DP mom for 5 years now. My daughter started as a recreation student and is now part of the competition team. Every year I am AMAZED at how much my child has grown in her technique and performance. The staff is focused on the improvement of every child with a strong focus on technique. You will not find a better holistic program in Charlotte. Students are encouraged. Some of the top choreographers from across the US are brought in to work with the students. Recital is a full production and focused all on our wonderful little kids! It is not about a few stars at DP. All students are given the opportunity to shine. Make sure you check out Dance Productions. Come give it a try. See how the teachers work with the students. We could not be happier!!! more

I have been a dance mom for over 10 years and have been with three dance studios. DP is by far the best studio! The instructors care about the kids, teach intense technique and turn out fantastic choreography. \r I would encourage you to visit the studio, check out videos online and talk to the parents. You will not be disappointed. more

We moved our daughter from another studio near Huntersville. From the moment she arrived, she was accepted into the studio with open arms. This is a family atmosphere where the dancers LEARN how to dance. By far, the communication lines are very open and we are never left guessing what is happening. more

I was a dance parent at DP for many years and knew families that still had students there as of two years ago. I was kind of curious to see if things have changed and they still appear to be the same. There still appears to be management issues with controlling their competition director/teacher even though they have changed staff. Teachers put the ""stars"" in numerous competition dances and they are always in front. If you talk to competition judges, they will tell you they try to look at the back row to see if the studio is ""hiding"" a inferior dancer. DP needs to understand that they need to showcase everyone a bit more and not the same 4-5 dancers .Checking the reviews, the ""cons"" also seem to be with management. \r \r My advice to parents is to determine what you want out of a dance studio for your child. If they are in it for just fun and exercise, this studio is fine but so are most studios in Charlotte. They key is if your child gets to the competion level. This is when you will see the difference in money, time and the staff attitude. DP is very good in teaching your child stage presence and ""tricks"" (leaps, turns etc) of a dance routine. They will not teach your child how to perform. There is more to dance then just tricks. If your child wants to pursue dance in college, take them to a non-competition studio by the time they are a sophmore in HS . DP is not going to help them with a college dance audition. I will let you know that colleges want to see a dancer perform in a ""modern"" class and I don't believe you will see this at DP. Parents should check the staff biographies of DP and non-competion studio. You will see that non-competion studio teachers usually have a college BFA degree and some teaching background. Teachers with this type of background know how to prepare yopur child for a college dance audition. DP has teachers who came up thru the ranks as students and their experience is basically limited to the competition world. There are few DP teachers with a college degree in the arts.\r \r On the positive side. DP studio is in a nice building and has safe floors. They will not put your child in any dance number that is not appropiate for their age. DP does well in competitions because they have good competition quality choreography and they will prepare your child with plenty of practice of their dance numbers.The recitals are always a nice event and usually have a theme which is different than most competition studio's who just do one number after another.\r \r DP tries to present a ""family"" image but in my experience it is a hoax. If you are not paying them the big dollars, they really don't care about you. After leaving the studio (in good graces), my daughters were forgotten when it came time for a DP reunion dance at the 20 yr recital. Management knew how to contact my family but never did it because they were not one of the ""favorites"" even though we paid the bills like anybody else IMO. My daughters were in solo and small group dances so it is not like they were just in group competition numbers. I found out months later about this from another family. I mentioned this because my daughter was honored in her senior year in HS as a outastanding dance student who was going on to study dance in college. She was recognized at a ballet performance at the Bluementhal Performing Arts Center and had her biography in the performance program. She had the class to mention she got her start at DP in her biography, too bad DP management forgot about her when it came time to have a reunion.\r \r Finally, DP is a decent studio which needs to get with the times. Dance studios should have level for recreational, competion and college prep if it truly wants to be a superior studio in Charlotte. Currently, DP is better than some but there are others just as good for a compettion studio. One final piece of advice, check your financial statements like a hawk. Don't be afraid to question every dime in your statement. more

I am not a parent but a family member of a dancer. This studio is a disaster. They have some grand teachers BUT the management has no business being in a business that involves children. They have hired a competition director that has only one thing in mind - REVENGE! This is detrimental to the children involved in her ""plot"". For some reason management has no control over her or doesn't want to control her. There is no concrete scheduling. Scheduling is done at the whim of this woman and is NEVER stuck to. Any parent considering enrolling their child in this studio needs to take a long hard look at what is happening here. more

This studio plays obvious favorites. The same girls are front and center of every dance. They are the only ones doing tricks and they do the same ones in every dance. While they are amazing dancers and this studio does a great job or training them it gets old really fast to those not the chosen few. more

Dance Productions management needs improvement . As much as I would like to say only good things about this studio in which my child has been attending over four years, this studio is slowly deteriorating due to the lack of communication and bad management. My daughter enjoys going there; however the unorganization of this studio is driving me crazy as a parent. Costumes are given at the very last minute and things are not communicated to parents in a organized manner or at the last minute. The director intentions may be good and when speaking with her she appears to be very concerned about addressing issues; however she does not follow through. This studio could truly be one of the best if there was better management. Competition students ARE the priority and I feel as though I can say that as a parent who child has competed. I do want this studio to succeed and do think that DP have outstanding dancers; however things need to be a little bit more orginized and all the focus should not be on competition students. Each student at DP deserves the same opportunity for growth. Pros: Ms Denise, Charyl, Tracy ( Good Instructors) Cons: Unorganization, Lack of Communication more

I am shocked to see negative reviews.I have nothing but GREAT things to say about Dance Productions. I can only assume the complaining parents are the parents that drop the kids at the door and are not involved with there childrens dance education. If they were to come in and take the time to see what goes on they would know this is a top quality dance studio. Our daughter has danced at other studios so I can tell you with confidence this by far is 1 of the best studio in the charlotte area. The kids are good dancers because they have good teachers who work for an outstanding owner. Why woudl so many parent share in such great fellowship at every competition? I could only guess that the folks that made the negative comments are parents that are envious of the DP staff the tallent of the kids and the togetherness of the families. I would say if you wnat your child to learn Excellent technique and great coreograpy come check out DP. They will welcome you and your child with open arms. more

It is sad to see angry people write negative comments about a place where children love to come dance and hang out with other dancers they consider family. I hope that anyone considering any studio for their child would find out for themselves what a studio has to offer. My child has been with DP for 7 years and she is very happy there. The parents are amazing, we have so much fun. Real friendships have developed at this studio for the dancers and their families and this is a testiment to how welcome you feel when you are there. There is no question that I feel truly blessed to be part of such a wonderful family! Pros: Lori Long, owner director, Sabrina, Tracy more

All of these negative reviews are on here for a reason..it's a shame when it's a business centered around children but what everyone has been saying is true. No one can deny Dance Productions produces good dancers, you can look up results and see that. But bottom line, the kids just aren't nice competitors. It goes beyond bad backstage manners--these kids will outright sabotage other studios' routines while they're on stage. It's not just something my child's studio experienced, ask parents from any studio in Charlotte and they will tell you the same thing. Tons of horror stories. The owner is downright malicious, will do whatever it takes to get what she wants. There are obvious ""favorites""-can't miss them, they are in at least 20 routines. Bottom line--there are too many other great studios in the area that promote warm, friendly, family-oriented atmospheres. Choose from those and leave this one off your list. Pros: good dancers, jazz program Cons: atmosphere, owner more

First let me start off by saying Dance Productions is not all that bad but its not that great either. This year is very unorganized. The comments about them showing favortism is TRUE. I feel like i pay a lot of money a month for my child totake multiple classes for nothin..its like if your not in competition..you dont exist. I just hope this recital turns out to be worth all this money parents are spending. a lot of parents complain about the center but no one ever speaks up. The facility bathrooms are filthy. Dance productions has a lot of potential. i just wish they would treat ALL parents and students equally. I do love Ms Cheryl she is definitely a sweet girl!!! Pros: Cheryl Cons: Management more

As a past parent of a dancer at Dance Productions I can tell you that it is as several of these people have said. Lori seems to be in it strictly for the money. They do well in competition and several of the teachers are great, I think that the quality of the coreography has suffered since Ed Phelan has left. The recitals are not nearly as nice. After some problems with the studio I have now taken my child to Rhythm Dance in Matthews and can say that my girl is now really happy. Such a change in attitude. The best thing about Dance productions was Sabrina. Pros: Sabrina and the kids. Cons: Lori, Cost and the loss of Ed more

Dance Productions is the best dance studio in the Charlotte area. The staff is wonderful, and my kids love it. The studio does very well at competitions and has some of the best dancers in the area. The building is nice and has raised dance floors to prevent injury. The recitals are well done and are family friendly. Pros: great teachers and choreography, nice building more