I have been at Riley's going on our sixth year and love it!! I now have my two sons and my daughter…read morein this school. It has been a great pleasure watching my children grow as dancers and also as individuals. This school is very professional and does a great job making you feel part of an extended family. I have so many new friends and always feel welcome and comfortable. I can only say great things about the staff. They know what they are doing and have been a family of dancers and a school for over 75 years. I have always recommended this school to family and friends. The recital is a true show in the sense of Broadway and my family comes from all over to enjoy this spectacular event. I am one proud dance dad!! As for a previous comment I saw regarding the rules; it is clear every year what is expected of our children and ourselves every year when we register. It is in writing and you sign it. I think for you to say how horrible your experience was and then say you went back to register again shows that you see the quality of the school. My kids are always fed before the show and during intermission and have never been told they cannot eat. Your child is with you and is not left with the staff of the school. So if you brought your sick husband to auditorium full of people ad could not find a baby sitter for your youngest is sad and is your responsibility as an adult and parent. I also have never had an issue with my family seeing my children during the show. You are over exaggerating everything.

My daughter has been enrolled at Riley's school of dance for eight years. It is more than a dance…read morestudio, the staff there have become our friends. My daughter loves her classes and has made many friends. In my opinion, they prepare the best recital around. Riley's has shown my daughter to also care about the surrounding community, with the work they do for the local loaves and fishes. As far as the first review, I have signed the rules every year, when you make another decision you meed to own it. My daughter actually was sick at a recital when she was 7.. She vomited multiple times. They were more than helpful with the situation, allowed her to have food and drink to help the situation. We also had the option to leave if she needed to. However, my daughter did not want to, so we made the best of it. The next day she was not feeling better and we weren't able to attend to recital. The staff at Riley's wanted to make sure Catherine was feeling better. They were never mean or inappropriate. The staff and co-directors have always been respectful and wonderful.

I've been to a handful of dance schools in the area, but I had just started dating a girl who I had…read morenever danced with and wanted to start out somewhere new. I found a Groupon for Arthur Murray Dance Studio and decided to give it a shot. I thought it was strange that they didn't care to see the Groupon (which cost me actual money) when I showed up for my scheduled appointment. We discussed what I was looking for and got a tour of the facility. All the while my feeling of unease was steadily increasing. This didn't feel like a fun date... if felt like buying a used car. Finally we came to the lesson itself and my opinion was sealed. Despite my practically pleading that we do some actual introductory dance (both I and my girlfriend had some experience), we were forced to go through this canned line-dancing-slash-walking procedure that was so bland and unhelpful as to be insulting. This lasted for what felt like an eternity and finally, once we were both thoroughly mortified, we were allowed to do a bit of dance. A tiny bit. Almost as quickly as we had begun, I was then whisked away to a mandatory sit down session with another of their salesmen, where they tried to pressure me into buying a huge, expensive learning package. If she could read minds, she would know how hilariously wrong she had been to try. This was a few months ago and - needless to say - I never returned for my second lesson. So essentially I paid full price for a single session and what I got was little more than a sales pitch. The silver lining is that my girlfriend and I still make jokes about that awful experience months after the class. A very memorable second date. I've only had the one experience, so maybe this is the school for you... but I've had great luck in this area, so I encourage you to look around.

I've been taking lessons for about 7 years. I was first at the Glastonbury then followed Todd when…read morehe opened the Vernon studio. When I first started, I filled out a form to indicate my expectations. They were and still are. 1) exercise. 2) have fun. 3) learn to dance. Todd has been great to ensure that all 3 are met. At first there was some pressure to learn many dances. This was to introduce me to each. However, I got confused and requested to concentrate on a couple at a time. Todd has been very accommodating and listens to my wishes. I am now testing out of the Waltz Silver 2 level. I've worked on Swing, Fox Trot, and Samba, but still at Bronze 1 level. I also take lessons from the other instructors, and they are all very good. During the week are group lesson that I enjoy. The instructor tried to make sure everyone is engaged and gives individual help when needed. There are also practice party sessions on Fridays, that are fun and a chance to try different dances The lessons are expensive, but I feel that I'm getting good value. We don't bother with the sales conversation. I just pick what I want to do for the year. It's a great place to learn to dance, get a work out , have fun, and meet others that share the love of ballroom dancing.

Very professional ballet instructor who provides her dancers with strong ballet technique.read more

My daughter danced at Newington Dance Center for two years. Jane is an excellent ballet teacher and…read moremy daughter improved in her dancing while with Jane. Unfortunately, Jane's emotional abuse and torment caused us to have no other choice but to leave the studio. Jane is a vicious and petty woman that attacks children's emotional well being during every class. Her verbal abuse and passive aggressive behaviors were so hurtful to my daughter. Jane allowed other students to use foul language towards the younger students and meltdowns were a frequent occurrence from students during class. Janes interactions with me were totally inappropriate and unexeceptable but I tolerated it to give my daughter the opportunity for a first rate dance education. I have debated for months about writing a review because we are so happy to be gone from the studio but I want others to know what an ugly person Jane is and protect other young innocent girls from becoming victims of the owner of Newington Dance Center.

Deb Loomis is a very talented teacher. Her energetic classes have the perfect balance of technique…read moreand fun.

I got a Groupon for Zumba classes at Dance Amore - I had resisted Zumba though others love it, but…read moreI figured I'd give this a shot - it was a great deal. I'll try to keep this as objective as possible not try to judge Zumba itself too much. Pros: You sweat a lot, you can be as simple or advanced as you want, it's not terribly expensive and the instructor was very nice. If you don't like guys in your class you're in luck. Cons: You sweat because there is no air conditioning and it's in a gymnastics gym (like an airplane hangar) and it's hot as hell. There is one big fan but if you stand near that, you're near the huge window that looks out into the gymnastics area's parental waiting area. So, you have an audience. I was the only guy. That sucks if you're a guy. I was generally too embarrassed to do much more than the footwork (the choreography is clearly geared to women) and even more embarrassed to glance back and see gym kids and parents starting blankly at us. As an instructor she was OK - her moves were clear (there's no vocal instructions in Zumba) but she seemed, well, a bit tired. Maybe she was, I don't know. I ended up leaving the class early. Bottom line - try a class first but give it a shot. You might love it. No one laughed at me, so maybe my embarrassment is all on me, but it's just not my thing. My experience was a two star experience but didn't want to rate so low that others might not want to try it at least.

Amazing studio. I've been taking lessons and performing for the last 5 years, and my experience has…read morebeen nothing but amazing. The instructors are more then teachers they are family. They want you to feel and look your best on the dance floor. They helped me build my confidence that I never had before. Love this studio

This studio is great. the instructers are more than teachers, and every lesson is so much fun…read more everyone here is so nice and the enviroment is so positive.

recapped and upped to 5 stars!…read more so long short, diva still dances and while her time was split between GDC and another one, well the other one was a strict money grab and ms shari has PROVEN she is a world class individual and GDC is a world class establishment. yea, i know, seems extreme to go that far out, but in the day we are in now, i know we are sending our child to the right place. parking lot is still tricky though ;)

GDC truly is the happiest dance studio! The dance instruction is great with lots of different…read morestyles (jazz, tap, ballet, hip hop, musical theater, lyrical, etc.) offered across all ages (primarily kids but also some adult classes) and levels. They focus on technique as well as performance, doing so in a fun, positive way that allows the kids to grow and improve at their own pace. Miss Shari is super organized and keeps dancers and parents well informed so that things flow smoothly. But what we love most of all is the culture at GDC. The teachers genuinely care about the kids as whole people. They are kind, caring, and inclusive with a desire for every kid to shine, work hard, and be their best. Good sportsmanship and positivity are modeled from the top and expected from all. We could not ask for a better dance family. I highly recommend GDC!

Fabulous technique and choreography....a real family-friendly studio with true team players!read more

We came to the Dance Project after my daughter spent many years at another studio in the…read moresurrounding area. The change to The Dance Project was the absolute best decision that we made for her. We wanted a studio that our daughter could thrive in. Where she would come home in excitement instead of tears. A studio that gave her a support system, was a positive learning environment and could offer her a community of fellow dancers to grow in. The Dance Project has exceeded all of our expectations when it comes to these hopes and wishes of such a studio. I can't truly capture how excited my daughter is to go to dance classes every day and she has been more motivated to be her personal best, than I've seen her. The teaching staff are all veterans of the trade with formal education in performing arts. Collectively, they come with decades of experience in teaching kids from toddlers to teens. My daughter squeezed right in the middle of that age range . They are passionate about ensuring that my daughter continues to hone her core skills in so many different dance styles while offering her more challenging routines. Did I mention how inclusive my daughter feels around the rest of students. The staff's positive approach to dance education and competitions are admirable, a breath of fresh air and something that I'm very grateful for. My daughter talks about her dance practices to me as soon as I pick her up. Beaming from ear to ear. I've never seen her this happy before and it's renewed her love for dance. The studio is easy to get to for those who live in Bristol, Wolcott and Southington as the studio is right of Route 72 which isn't to far from Route 6. I would highly recommend this studio if you are looking for somewhere to start your son or daughter (no matter the age) or looking for a change of scenery from current studio.

I have been tapping with Darleen for two years now. She is a marvelous teacher who can engage with…read moreall levels in a class. I come out of class feeling energized and happy.

Whether you're a beginner, intermediate or advanced adult dancer, Playhouse on Park's Theater…read moreAcademy has professional lessons available. Healthy workout and a fun way to learn a new skill or expand upon what you already know. Instructor Darlene Zoller, Creative Director for Playhouse on Park, has been teaching dance for 30+ years.