In a word: inspiring. The studio has recently changed owners, and it's a breath of fresh air. If you're lucky enough to step inside the studio, or see one of its shows, you know immediately that everyone involved: the owner, the teachers, the students, even the parents all live and breathe the art of dance.
ADFA has always had its priorities straight, it?s right there in their slogan, ?Learn how to dance, not just a dance.? That mantra has been the studio?s guiding light for over thirty years, and it?s still burning strong. What does that mean, exactly? It means that from the moment that a student walks through the door ? whether that student is an advanced, technical dancer that consistently places very high with his or her solo (and there are many of these), or a beginning dancer who still has a lot to learn (and there are also many of these), that student is lucky enough to be presented with the actual fundamentals of dance. That student gets to learn why techniques are as they are, and how the movement takes its meaning. That student is lucky enough to be presented with an incredibly strong technical foundation upon which the teachers are able to build amazing, award-winning routines. This is a rare find in the world of competitive dancing. Having been an active member of several different studios over the years, I can honestly say that only at ADFA did I ever feel like my dancer was presented with the actual, sincere joy of dancing, not the empty, fruitless push to win a competition with a ?really fast? routine.
And what if a routine doesn?t do so well at competition? What if a student forgets his or her solo, or flubs a trick onstage? What if a student is new to the studio and isn?t as technically advanced as his or her peers? It?s all right. Every teacher, including the owner makes certain that every student knows that he or she is talented and appreciated. Each and every student at ADFA is always treated with equal kindness and respect from all of the instructors, and each student is given the attention that he or she deserves.
ADFA always does very well at competition, but that?s not ADFA?s purpose, and every student knows that. Or, I should say, every student is lucky enough to have been taught that. Every student that I?ve known to attend ADFA can?t wait to go to class, can?t wait to reach that next level of perfection. Because at ADFA, the focus is ALWAYS on the students, and ALWAYS on the joy, art, and discipline of dancing.
Everyone involved at ADFA is professional and sincere, and I can say without a shadow of a doubt that it is the absolute best studio in the area for every age and every skill level.
With regards to ADFA, my only regret is that I didn?t find it sooner.
Pros: Terrific atmosphere for dancers of all levels and ages.
Cons: Cons? What cons?
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