LCA Performing Arts — Attraction in North Miami

We have had a wonderful experience this past year with LCA. My 5 year old daughter is enrolled in two classes and the competition team. We were previously with another local studio for about a year and the experience has been night and day. That studio charged "extra" for every single thing and paid the most attention to students who could afford multiple private classes per week. It was as if the group classes were an afterthought. Despite attending there for a year, the front desk staff still had to ask me my daughter's name at every pickup :( It felt very impersonal. Our prior studio was also extremely expensive ($550 for one recital, $50 per ticket to attend, no videotaping or photos!) and we felt like a "number". There was no opportunity to watch practices or rehearsals. LCA welcomed us with open arms and quickly got to know us. The costs are reasonable, the staff and teachers accessible and best of all my daughter feels like it's home. The facilities are spacious and super clean, professional floors and studios. You can watch your child on tvs in the lobby. The older students take an interest in the younger ones and informally "mentor" them which is so sweet and invaluable. I have to drag my daughter away from the studio every single time I pick her up! We have participated in competitions, the yearly recital and two theater productions so far and have had a great experience. The parents are also very friendly and supportive. I have noticed many of the students and families are friends beyond the school as well. During the theater shows, the children (even the youngest ones!) are outfitted with headset mics so their voices can be heard, there is ample supervision (I have always been able to drop my child off at recitals/rehearsals with plenty of staff to help prep and watch them) and they offer volunteer opportunities for parents to assist as well. At our former studio we were asked to purchase an expensive costume for one recital ($250!) that my daughter wore for 2 minutes and could not use again. LCA uses rented costumes for a lot of productions and keeps a collection to borrow to keep the costs lower. With 3 kids we have to watch our budget so this is much appreciated. There are a lot of kids and a lot to keep track of but the staff does it with patience and a smile. This is not a kiddie studio with recreation dance classes and photo ops at a recital. This is a multi-disciplinary studio (voice, acting, theater, dance, acro) plus an adult and child theater company. The students are part of an ensemble. They learn so much and the focus is on the group experience and success, which is the foundation of every professional dance/theater company. I appreciate my child is learning this early on. A special shout out to Ms. Luciana, Ms. Nichole and Jake for...

Are you looking for a studio where the director automatically casts her children in lead roles before considering other students? Perhaps you are comfortable having a private conversation on speaker phone so that everyone in the studio can hear you? What about showing up for a personal meeting, and not being escorted into private room/area, in order for  everyone to tune into your conversation? Maybe you are happy with teachers making inappropriate comments that affect students' self esteem and/or body shame them?  If money is no object, you should be content having fees automatically deducted from your account, while you wait weeks for an explanation of the charges.  Would you like your child to claim a top prize at a competition and receive no praise /congratulations for their hard work because the studio director felt that her judgement is better than those of the qualified judges?  Do you enjoy working with someone who twists the truth to make themself have the upperhand? Well then this is the studio for you! The 20/21 season was pretty good, considering alot of hurdles that had to be jumped. Not sure what happened during the 21/22 season, but the entire culture/environment of the studio has deteriorated. I was given the option to leave, and have taken my child's talents elsewhere. Best of luck to you if you decide to send your precious...

If you have younger girls (toddler) this is not the place for them. Their focus is solely on the older girls classes.

On the recital day, the younger girls were asked to be there one hour prior to the show. No staff was ever there to supervise them. We (the moms) we’re not able to drop them off as we had to stay there to make sure they were supervised by an adult. The entire show lasted 1 and a half hour. And the younger girls were on stage for 1 minute tops, 20 minutes before the show ended.

We bought tickets for 6 family member at $35 each + a dress for my daughter ($70) only to see her a second

We approached the owner at the end of the show to complain about what had happened because we believe this was disrespectful to all parents/families of this age group. We felt our time and money was use to fund the show for the other age group. The owner turn around and walk away and left us there...