Creative Dance Arts — Local services in Town of Clifton Park

I am very disappointed with the rude behavior of the management at this dance school. I am also not impressed with the school's rigid policy of the way their class schedules are never posted on their website, and with their limited classes. Students are told by the management what classes they will be in, and if they don't like it....too bad. Class schedules are not posted because dancers take classes only at the discretion of the management. My opinion is that this is an awful policy. I have never seen this rigid policy in any other dance school. The website says they are a non-competitive school, but I see this school as extremely competitive. I am very displeased with how rude the owner was to me. The observation windows were always dirty and smudgy, so when I sat in one of the chairs to observe a class from where the chair was in the corner, I could not see anything. One day I moved my chair a few feet closer to the left so that I could see my daughter in class and wouldn't have to look through the dirty smudgy window, when to my shock and dismay, I was berated by someone who appeared to be an obnoxious and arrogant person or a rude parent. I was incredulous that the bellicose person was the owner of this dance school! I was disgusted to say the least! The owner loudly reprimanded me that I was sitting too close to the window. Now mind you, we were new, with my daughter only having attended some summer drop-in classes, and I could not see a thing on their tiny TV screen in the lounge. I saw other parents sitting in chairs observing the classes through the observation windows too, and the other parents also chose to look through the observation windows and to not watch the small TV screens in the lounge. One time I had also seen a couple of parents standing directly in front of the observation window one day so that they were blocking my view from my seat on the other side of the room, and I couldn't see a thing. The parents were standing right up to the observation window and the dancers in the class could see the two parents far more easily than they could see me sitting in the chair on the day I was accosted by the owner. These other moms were not admonished by anyone, but I was scolded by the rude owner because she showed up unexpectedly to give a private dance lesson to someone. It is upsetting to recall that I met the owner of this dance school by hearing her be very cross and reprimand me in front of the other parents. Frankly, I am disappointed with not only how rude the owner was to me, but how rude the "information coordinator" was to me as well. The owner is always unavailable to speak to if you call the dance school. You have to speak to her "information coordinator", who was curt with me when I inquired about the dance classes for my daughter. In person, the "information coordinator" makes annoyed faces, slams money down on the counter when she rings you up for the drop-in classes, and does not greet anyone on a regular basis. When I asked her if my daughter should continue with dance lessons here, she refused to offer any kind of encouragement for my daughter who was a new student here. She only made some general remark about how good it is to dance. This information coordinator is a dance teacher and she did not offer a word of encouragement for my daughter to continue with classes. Her response was cold and disinterested. I am a school teacher, and I would never dream of treating any parents of my students this way. I was incredulous that the caustic owner and her bad-mannered information coordinator could be so unprofessional as they were to me. Although the dance instructor was very good, and my daughter and I both liked her, that is not enough of a reason for me to continue to send my daughter to this dance school. In my opinion, the owner and her information coordinator's rude behavior toward me was appalling. Due to the management's rudeness, we will not return to this school. Although the dance instructor was good, the behavior of the management is completely...

My daughter has been taking dance at Creative Dance Arts for the past 13 years - actually, I should say that my daughter has been a part of the Creative Dance Arts FAMILY for the past 13 years – because it truly is a FAMILY environment. She is 17 and has been dancing for 15 years in total but after two years of being at another studio that was disorganized and unprofessional, we were fortunate enough to discover Creative Dance Arts! It was truly a breath of fresh air! The immaculate, well-run studio with standards, discipline and a love for dance and children is what drew us to the studio and what has kept us coming back year after year! Classes are assigned to students based on a number of factors that promote success - students are grouped based on their ability, experience and age. In my mind, the combination of these factors, has led to students feeling positive and successful about their dance experience – not to mention building lasting friendships along the way. I will also say that the studio does its best to accommodate individual needs. My daughter is in an activity outside of dance that, in certain years has presented schedule conflicts with her “regular” class. The staff has happily worked with us to find an alternate class that worked with her schedule, yet was appropriate for her age and ability.

The CDA staff has always been supportive and encouraging and shown a true interest in the students and fostering a love for dance. The studio is not competitive in the sense that they don’t have “dance moms” running around and they don’t travel to competitions. They do, however, have STANDARDS that facilitate a professional and disciplined environment. There is a clear distinction between professionalism and educational STANDARDS vs. competitiveness. I expect standards out of a dance studio – it raises the bar and facilitates students to rise to the best of their individual abilities. The staff and teachers are kind; take an interest in the students in all aspects of their lives…not just what they do at the studio. The dance moms- and dads - for that matter - are friendly and positive as well.

I might add that my older daughter, now in college, had danced there for a few years and stopped in middle school due to conflicts with other activities. In High School, she opted to return to dance and was welcomed back with open arms.

In addition to the positive, dance-related environment, the studio promotes good citizenship through community service and charity activities - adopting families and visiting nursing homes to perform at the holidays, donating proceeds from the recital to charitable organizations and participating in charity fund raising walks and activities throughout the year.

Finally, I would be remiss not to mention the recitals. By far, the best recitals I have seen – and with several nieces and friends daughters, I have been to many from various studios! CDA students are well-prepared; they know their routines and the expectations of them as performers. They balance fun with a performance standard that produces a beautiful and entertaining experience for performers and audience alike. The recitals run like clockwork, the costumes are gorgeous and the themes of the dances are appropriate for the dancers’ ages and abilities. Recitals are a truly enjoyable experience that I look forward to each year and not just to watch my children but for the entire experience. I am sad to say that it comes to an end for me after this year as my daughter graduates but what she takes with her from her years at CDA are a treasure that cannot be duplicated. But I know it won’t be the end for her…numerous alumni from the past are ever-present throughout the year and at the recitals because no matter how far you fly from the nest, you always...

My daughter dance for CDA for 7 years and we couldn't be happier. The policies, while considered strict by some, teach self discipline and responsibility. My daughter pursued many other dance opportunities in the summer and during the year and her teachers were always impressed by how well prepared and trained she was. There is a review that states "Students are told by the management what classes they will be in, and if they don't like it....too bad. Class schedules are not posted because dancers take classes only at the discretion of the management." This is correct and not correct. Students are placed in classes that are appropriate for their level of skill. My daughter started tap in 7th grade and was put in a class with much younger children, NOT because management is mean but because that is where she belongs. If you are looking to be in a fair, caring environment that will grow your child I highly recommend...