I have to agree with the lady who said they have an unhealthy environment.
I took my daughter there 4 years ago and she hated going every week. I thought she just needed encouragement, but when she started telling me the things the teacher (owner) told her, I was mortified. She called them lazy slobs and made fun of them in front of the other girls (very hard for an adolescent). She also kept telling them that all the other studios are bad and she would demonstrate how ""bad"" they were by sticking out her rear end and stumbling around.
I tried to talk to the owner to see if there was a misunderstanding, but she was very snippy and said ""I'm a ballet teacher and ballet is hard. If I just play with them, they'll never be good dancers""
I tried to make my daughter finish out the year since you have to pay up front, but she was in tears too many times and she wasnt learning anything anyway. I asked myself ""Is my daughter really THAT bad?"" but I realized all of the girls in the class didn't even try because they felt so bad about themselves.
I finally pulled her out and she didn't ever want to dance again. Thankfully, I found out my neighbors daughter danced at the conservatory people had been reccomending. We went to see her in a recital and my daughter was inspired to try again.
I live pretty far south of Cary and at first, I wasnt thrilled about driving to Preston twice a week at rush hour. But, I take turns carpooling with my neighbor. I'm so glad we discovered this place. My daughter is like a different person and I am actually amazed that over the past 4 years, she has turned into a very beautiful, skilled dancer. And, most importantly, she is happy and has healthy self-esteem.
Now she dances 4 days a week and can't wait to go back again and again. The staff is very loving and fun, which makes the kids WANT to learn. The level of dancing is so much higher and more professional than TAD. The atmosphere is very supportive and the kids all cheer each other on. Our family couldn't be happier!
I simply don't understand why other parents would choose the environment at TAD. They must believe it when the owner tells them all the other studios are bad. They need to take their blinders off and realize there is so much better out there.
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