I read all of the other reviews from a few years ago...
My daughter has been dancing at WBDC for 3 years now, and she has progressed from a recreational dancer at the age of 3, to now a level 2 competition dancer at the age of 6. Not only does she absolutely LOVE the studio, the new owners, and all of the other dancers, she has gained so much more that I am probably the only one able to see.
Her self-confidence has exploded, seeing her perform on-stage, her face beaming, to me, means this studio is doing EXACTLY what I pay it to do.
This studio is under new ownership, and while it may have had it's issues before the new ownership, the new owners are so kid-focused, that I am willing to bet that if you brought your child here, they would love it too.
It is a bit overwhelming if you have never been in a dance studio before, and don't know how things work. There are a lot of kids moving from studio to studio, and be prepared to ask questions, because you will have them. The key here....ASK QUESTIONS. Don't assume!
I'd like to address dcharleen from 2008. The studio purchases these costumes ahead of time, usually because they need to be embellished with more stones, etc. before the June recital, and many times, costumes are ordered in a lot as to get the same material coloration, not to mention, many dancers are competition dancers, so they use their costumes long before June rolls around. Anyway, if you take, let's say, even 100 costumes, multiply that by...oh....let's say $50 to keep it simple...that's $5,000. Do you have $5,000 laying around to pre-pay for a costume, and then HOPE the kids last that long, and actually will pay for their costume if they leave? There is a reason why things are done the way they are done. I'm not all that hesitant to say that if you didn't get your money back, it's because you were too scared to call and ask them for the refund. Accidents do happen when there is such a high volume of students and there's no way I would expect any of the staff members to remember who needs a refund, who owes money, etc. Give them a break. Now, the staff has changed quite a bit since 2008, but, really, this is a dance studio. NOT A DAYCARE. I have never once felt my child was unsafe or in danger in any way, but I also don't just drop her off and leave. If she's there, I'm there as well.
Overall, this studio is an exceptional place that I don't mind bringing my 6 year old AND my 2 year old. Try it, and you won't be sorry! The creativity of the new owners is astounding, and I can't wait to see the routines this year!
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