South Coast Performing Arts — Attraction in Tustin

My daughter started dancing at the age of 8 in a wonderful commercial dance studio in northern Irvine but soon fell in love with ballet. Very supportive of my growing ballerina, her studio referred her to miss Carolyn Lovett who is one of the most respected and renowned ballet teachers of the county. Miss Carolyn has been sharing her passion for ballet for years now. The respect she’s earned in the profession, the love she has from generations of talented dancers is only equalled by her talent to produce beautifully unique choreographies and teach at the highest level. Miss Carolyn became so much more than just a ballet teacher to my dancer, and she is so much more to so many dance professionals as well that, when Covid hit, she had no issue finding support in the community.

Now leading the ballet program at South Coast Performing Arts in Tustin, Miss Carolyn is able to offer her students the highest level of ballet education in the most fun and supportive environment ever. SCPA is a small family-owned dance studio that offers the best in all dance styles and they do so in such a friendly way and with such a close knit community. They are remarkable. Every dancer is warmly welcome here, and supported no matter what level of dance they desire to reach. Some dancers come here just for a few recreational classes while others take all classes to reach their goal to become professional dancers. The versatility and the support given to every single dancer in this studio is unparalleled. And because they are so kind and give so much, many parents are now organized in a booster that contributes as much to this friendly environment: dancers’ birthdays are celebrated, we have big and little buddies, we even have a yearbook!

My daughter takes mostly contemporary and ballet classes at SCPA so I can talk about these. The smile she has when she goes to class, the smile (full heart and red cheeks) she has when she comes back, the results she has had in competitions these past years (Top 12 YAGP, acceptance in ballet summer intensives at San Francisco Ballet, Houston Ballet, Alonzo King Lines Ballet, multiple Crystal awards at Showstopper, etc.), and the fact that, on top of her personal training of around 10 hours/week combined with a rigorous high school education in Irvine (6 APs this year!…), she spends three hours per week assisting Miss Carolyn in her younger classes says it all! Passion, care, humility and excellence! This is what you will find if you enroll your child in ballet classes at SCPA with Miss...

Our experience at this dance class was nothing short of a disaster, and I feel compelled to share our ordeal. We enrolled our 5-year-old daughter in a trial ballet class, hoping for a positive introduction to dance. However, what we witnessed was utterly disappointing and unacceptable.

The instructor, Carolyn, was clearly not in a condition to lead a dance class. Her mobility issues were apparent, which severely hindered her ability to effectively teach the children. To make matters worse, she separated my daughter from the group for not knowing the dance moves on her first attempt. We expected patience and encouragement for beginners, not this cruel treatment.

What shocked us the most was Carolyn's decision to have our daughter sit on the ground and do nothing for a staggering 20 minutes. This not only frustrated us as parents but also deeply saddened our daughter, as her face clearly showed. Seeking an explanation, we approached the front desk, only to be met with incompetence. The staff member couldn't provide any reasonable justification, leaving us utterly bewildered.

We asked for the instructor to apologize to our daughter for her distressing experience, but our request was met with outright refusal. This level of indifference and lack of professionalism is inexcusable.

If you genuinely care for your child's well-being and development, I implore you to steer clear of this place. Our experience here was nothing short of a nightmare, and I can't emphasize enough how frustrated and disheartened we are by the overall lack of respect and competence displayed by the staff...

This is a fantastic dance studio for aspiring dancers. My daughter danced here and they focused a lot on technique and growing the child without putting too much pressure on them. The staff here are all kind, and willing to work with the parents to ensure everyone has a great experience. I definitely recommend...