We have been with LDT/CSB for nine years now with three daughters and have loved being a part of this family. And that's really what it feels like. These kids love and support each other. I have been back stage for many, many performances over the years, and there is so much mutual respect and comraderie. It's beautiful to watch them working together, encouraging each other. We have always felt that the staff of LDT/CSB nailed the balance between letting kids be kids and setting expectations for them to develop as dancers. Our kids feel safe to push themselves and safe to fail here. It's been amazing to watch them grow in their love of dance. As a physician in the community, I have been more than impressed with how they have handled their operations during COVID. They quickly got classes up virtually this spring. When they were able to open this summer, they did so using guidelines that were even more strict than required. I felt totally safe sending my kids to dance there knowing the measures they were taking. Instead of taking the easy road and cancelling their 2020/2021 dance performance season, they went way outside the box and converted to fully filmed performances, including the full Nutcracker. The fact that they are willing to do all this shows how much they love their dancers and the arts and Longmont. read more

This is not a place I could recommend to other dance families, particularly, of teens. Laura, is a wonderful, warm, kind instructor but unfortunately, she only teachers teens on Friday. The ballet and company instructor was shockingly rude, unkind and controlling. She called out dancers in front of their peers for wearing skin toned tights even though they had been told this was a perfectly acceptable and welcome practice. She forced a very clearly uncomfortable dancer to remove her skirt for ballet class, even though in the past skirts were apparently always ok. It would have been reasonable, if this was a new expectation, to tell the class that in the future, ballet without skirts would be the new expectation. There are a million reasons a young teenaged girl might not be prepared to remove her skirt for class without any warning. She also criticized my daughter's preference elastics on her pointe shoes. My daughter came out of class tearful after being embarrassed in front of her peers at a new school, in a new class. I went in to get clarification on what had taken place. The teacher was extremely defensive, terse and rude. When I asked about my daughter's pointe shoes she basically told me it didn't matter why they chose to wear the elastics. She didn't like it and wanted them to wear ribbons the way SHE wanted. My daughter has been en pointe for 3 years and knows what feels most supportive for her but this teacher did not care, nor did she even ask. We dropped the ballet class after this and also withdrew from company. In the 11 years we've been involved in dance we've rarely come across such a difficult and abrasive instructor. The second reason I would not recommend this school is the exorbitant cost. Most families are very mindful of the cost of dance, particularly with more than one dancer to support. The last reason I would caution others about Centennial is that our family went through a very drastic life change requiring us to possibly relocate to an area of the state that would simply be too far to make the drive. I had paid approx. $1600 dollars up front (a requirement) . We were only there for almost one month. When I learned about our predicament I asked for the tuition we hadn't used (2 months worth) to be refunded to us. They refused. I explained that it was a hardship to lose nearly $1000 for 2 months we didn't dance. No one returned my subsequent messages and we did not ever receive any of that money back. They claim it is their "policy". I have never come across this in 11 years of dance and moving to different states. Life happens! No one plans these things and we certainly didn't. It was upsetting to be treated so callously. There are many schools in the front range area... please do yourself a favor and pass on this one. Shiny brochures and head shots are not an indicator of a high quality program. Our experience has led us to caution other families who want a kind, supportive, inclusive environment, AND one that honors and respects how hard families work to provide their children with a dance education. read more

I have been attending Centennial State Ballet (formerly LDT) performances for more than 10 years. Attending these amazing performances is what inspired my son to want to dance and discover his dream of dancing in The Nutcracker. I am wowed by the quality of the dancing and the live music at every performance. I highly recommend Centennial State Ballet and encourage you to visit a performance. Besides, you can't beat the price of admission! read more

WARNING!!!May seem warm and fuzzy for little kids but stick around for the tween/teen years and watch the dysfunction unfold. My three daughters attended for many years and the two oldest were traumatized by the studio owner and need therapy to recover from the emotional abuse of her and the ballet mistress. Most parents agree the owner is emotionally unfit to be teaching girls especially those needing a healthy, stable loving environment in an industry that is rich for backstabbing and disorders. There are several studios that are a better choice with similar performance opportunities. read more

My child took classes over the summer, and it was a first dance experience. Everyone was wonderful. The teachers were extremely positive and professional. read more

I just had the pleasure of performing a walk-on role in Giselle with the talented students of this studio. Everyone was so supportive and encouraging to each other. They had an amazing performance; it really is amazing what these young people are capable of. I am always so impressed by the talent and hard work of the pre-professional company and the many young dancers. I love how inclusive they are as everyone who wants to perform will have the opportunity. This studio not only has top notch instruction but it has great performance opportunities and feels so welcoming. I can't recommend it enough. read more

Unprofessional and sometimes cruel to children. Schedule changes at a moments notice. Very unorganized. read more

I have 3 children currently attending LDTA. They enjoy their time there and have experienced a very supportive and nurturing environment. If you are looking for capable instructors and a top notch program that has integrity and values then this is a great place to be. I have watched Kristin (the owner) interact with the students for many years now and she has a very special gift in the way that she encourages and interacts with all of her students. This past year I saw first hand how the instructors work so hard with the students and how much they care about the art that they teach. In December of 2016 4 students were expelled from the studio due to cyber-bullying. It happened just prior to the annual Nutcracker show and vacated some very large roles. It was amazing to watch the understudies step up to the plate and take on those more advanced roles. The studio handled the situation with grace and I applaud them in this day and age for taking a stand against bullying, even to the point that they chose to let some of their most experienced and beautiful dancers go. Unsurprisingly there have been reviews that are trashing the studio by those that were close to the incident and it is unfortunate that a few of the students took part in bullying. To be honest 2 of the dancers were my favorite to watch and it was disappointing not to see them perform in the Nutcracker. On the other hand I think it demonstrates the commitment that the studio has to providing a safe and nurturing environment. Considering what happened I feel better knowing that my children are attending a program that has taken a very strong and visible stance against bullying and I also think it serves as a learning opportunity to everyone in attendance regarding the proper way to treat those around us. read more

As a former student, writing under a pseudonym , I can assure you that this is not the place to send your children for dance classes. For younger children it may see like a nice place, but as you reach the teenage years you face unbelievable drama not worth the impersonal, mediocre at best training. The instructors treat their students, who are so dedicated to dance, so poorly. There are many cases of bullying coming from the ADULTS that have occurred in this studio, and no parent or student can speak up because they are afraid of a passive aggressive grudge being held against them. Even if the performances look nice, know that large amounts of drama and questionable direction went into them. Please save yourself the years worth of drama and poor training and find another studio for your dancer of any age. read more

This school is outstanding. Our family loves it here! My children have grown and developed beautifully with the guidance of wonderful teachers that instill discipline, values, joyfulness, and a passion for dance. The performances, classes, and study is second to none. I highly recommend this institution for children, adults, and performances. read more