From the beginning, Nicole was short and sharp with my wife and I, and it was noticeable to my young 3 year old daughter. She clearly had favorites (we weren't one), and we observed her not even address my daughter despite her running toward her yelling her name out of excitement in class. Sure, you might have a couple favorite kids, but never show it. It got to the point that my daughter made comments to my wife and I at home that "Ms. Nicole won't say hi to me." For anyone with young kids or had young kids, for a 3 year old to say this, it must be a pattern of behavior. It broke our hearts. And to cap off the experience, the night of the recital, my wife and I admit we forgot to pay the remaining balance with everything else going on in our lives (expecting baby #2 in 3 weeks to name the biggest). Nicole greeted my wife and mother-in-law in quite possibly the rudest and most disrespectful way imaginable...."I don't have time for this tonight. She can't come in until you pay!" Thankfully we had enough cash to pay, but she released our tickets the day before and would have sent us home for an oversight we clearly were willing to pay. She caused a scene, and it was completely out of line. Her tone, demeanor, attitude, and overall treatment of people she doesn't care for is unbelievably disappointing and unfortunate. Not to mention, the lack of organization at the recital, the lack of food and drinks for young kids, etc. was all shocking (it was from 4-7p). Wouldn't recommend it to anyone. read more

I met the teacher from Collective Dance at a dance competition and she was condescending, dismissive, and rude to the people around her. I am disappointed in her professionalism and will never consider sending any of my daughters to her studio. This sets an unfortunate example for young dancers and does not reflect the qualities of a role model or leader. She created an unnecessarily negative environment. read more

Collective Dance - Dance Studios Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My daughter has been dancing her for over a year and she LOVES it! I couldn't be happier with the experience - from her perspective, or mine! She started at 3 years and has been with the same group of girls since starting. They are now her pals! The atmosphere is welcoming, kind and supportive. Miss Nicole (her teacher and owner) is a savant with the kids. They love her and are always so excited to see her. She teaches a well organized class that covers dance basics in a fun and creative way. The location is super convenient - big parking lot with a Dominics, Old Navy, Marshalls and Starbucks in easy walking distance! The facilities are great and well kept. The business is run smoothly, efficiently, and the communication is fantastic! I never feel like I wasn't notified about something or that I'm out of the loop! I would highly recommend Collective Dance to anyone wanting to put their child into a dance class. What a positive, nurturing and loving place for a little one to learn to creatively express themselves! read more

I brought my 4 year old (1st timer) in for a free trial after receiving a LOVLY email from Nicole. Walked in and saw pretty pink ,cute , girly décor. My daughter loved it! It really looks cute. I looked around for some one to help me when I finally saw Nicole. She was nice and helpful but kept it short with me as she was running around attend others. But not one person to talk to and learn about the school (how cold) (only the web site ??). I watched my daughter join the tap class (smiling the whole time from a window). I could not help notice how fast the instructor was moving . I was looking back at the girls and the instructor and wanted to yell SLOW DOWN PLEASE! the girls could NOT keep up and just kind of did whatever to get it done. My daughter had fun . But I would like for her to learn and understand what she is doing. After the free trial, Nicole said to me "just go on our web site and do everything there". I e-mailed Nicole (TWICE)some concerns and have yet to receive a reply. I also e-mail there accounting department and nothing from them as well. WOW.. REALLY!! Please DO NOT waste you time or money. You child deserves only the best. Bad customer service. Shame on you Nicole. read more

I did not have good experience with this place either. My daughter took the class while ago and i should say quality of the class was not too bad and that's why a lot of regulars are there and reviews are totally one way or the other. First, they were not so organized and I could not quit when we wanted because they continued to charge on my credit card even after I requested to stop. I didn't want to deal with the refund so we went extra month and really had to tell the owner she has to stop charging. I read few reviews and we had a similar experience. We did not get informed when class was off or schedule was changed. No apologies. Overall, it was a really bad experience. read more

My daughter is 3 and takes dance here. I love that its a combination tap, ballet and tumbling. For my daughter this is great because when we tried classes that just focus on tap or ballet for the whole hours she lost interest. Her dance teacher Ms Nicole is super nice, she is also the owner! I would recommend this place in a heart beat. And as a Mom living in the city what better than a parking lot and not having to pay for parking! This is the 1st dance studio my child was so comfortable to let go of my hand. She loves her class and cant wait until the next class. A happy child makes a happy Mommy! read more

My 4 year old daughter has been taking dance for over 2 years at Collective Dance. Miss Nicole is fantastic with younger children. My daughter loves her and all of the other instructors too. My wife and I, as well as, other family members really love the summer recital that Collective Dance produces each year. They put together a fantastic show and my daughter loves performing for the crowd on stage in a grand auditorium. I would recommend Collective Dance for any kids from ages 2 all the way through high school. they do a great job! read more

My two daughters have been dancing here for the last 3 years! And they LOVE IT!!! Miss Nicole is amazing with the kids! She is patient and kind, yet stern and focused. They have classes for all ages in all types of dance. I would recommend this dance studio to ALL!! read more

I don't understand the negative comments. Ms. Nicole has been in business for at least 7 years. The kids love her and she's great with them. I have my two grandkids enrolled in the dance programs. One is now 7 going on 8 and the other is 4. They love it and have learned so much during the last two years that they have been enrolled. I guess there will always be people that will complain about anything. The kid's respect Ms. Nicole and respect each other which is most important. I have meet some of the parents that there kids have been going there since the studio opened. She must be doing something right....... The studio was just moved to a new location. I can't wait for my grandkids reaction. read more

I express the following as an OPINION BASED SOLELY ON MY OWN EXPERIENCE: This place seemed ok untill the instructor/owner (Miss Nicole) showed her true colors... This place is nothing more than a business with a fake positive attitude to parents when they seem to be in agreement with all the random overcharging and constantly changing methods of pricing, ofcourse all this dynamic serves none other than the school and owner herself... She has been heard by several parents mis-treating kids and forcing them to supress their natural bathroom urges during class, by kids I mean 4 year old children. For the sake of our children and 4 others that we've turned on to this school we finalized a few extra months worth of lessons ofcourse fully paid even with all the extra fees and such, but will not return nor ever recommend such a disgraceful place that is after all meant for children to enjoy. For those who might think that price is an issue let me be clear, IT DID NOT PLAY INTO our overall disgust with how this place "functions"... If you still have doubts ask any of the parents that have been around long enough to witness... Oh, there are many other options available in the city of Chicago.... Zero stars! read more

Love this place. My son takes hip hop and he really likes it. Fun teachers and a nice environment. Thanks.

Couldn't ask for a more welcoming positive dance studio for my daughter, who has been taking the tap/ballet/gymnastic "collective class" for a year now! We love Ms. Nicole and all the teachers at this wonderful place. You will be amazed how much your little dancer will learn here (and how much fun she'll have at the recital) and how enjoyable it will be to get to know the other families. My 15 month old has a little play group at the Thursday morning class. Finally, PARKING is a BREEZE. And you can run into Dominicks, Old Navy, Starbucks, etc while you wait. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Collective Dance. read more

Our daughter has been attending dance here for over a year. She is on the shy side so we thought this would help her blossom and be more comfortable in front of others. She seems to really enjoy this class. Many times I find her standing and watching the teacher so I get frustrated but then she comes home and whips out the moves. I guess she learns in a different way. The teachers do a great job especially getting the girls to learn the dances for the dance recitals. My only issue is class size. I think it is too big for our daughter to feel comfortable and for the teachers to give any one child any particular attention. I feel that if there were only 10 or less per class, then our daughters dance ability would really take off. If your child is very outgoing, I don't think the class size would matter. read more

Compared to other dance studios that cater to begging and children, Collective has a much larger and modern studio; the schedule is varied and there are many registration options; the instructors are very friendly and patient; there are different levels for all children; it's reasonably priced; it's also a great place for your child to meet new friends. read more

So disappointed. My daughter started the tap/ballet/gymnastics class there when she was a little over 2. They do the EXACT same thing every class. My daughter just turned 3 and still has yet to learn one single ballet position. I have called multiple times and left multiple messages without a call back. I am now dropping her from the class to take her to a studio where she can actually learn something. I have sent several emails through "the porthole" saying that I wanted to drop her from the class. Still no return confirmation email from the studio. I finally just spoke to "Miss Nicole" on the phone and she said she has nothing to do with the website porthole ( even though she is the owner of the studio) and that my daughter will be dropped from the class next month. Owning a business herself, she should understand the importance of a written confirmation that they received the drop notice for my daughter so I don't get charged for another month. Also, don't bother buying a leotard or tutu for your child, you HAVE to purchase one of the studios ( that has the studios name written across the front of it) in order to attend classes. With so many other dance studio options in the city, I say, go elsewhere! read more

Stay away! Stay far far away! My credit card continues to be charged monthly after informing the owner that we no longer would be attending classes. I went through all measures possible (telling her in person, through multiple emails, voicemails, text messages, and drop request through the website) to get her to stop the monthly reoccurring charges, yet she has failed to respond! The owner, Ms. Nicole, is by far the worst business owner I have ever dealt with! Now I have to deal with calling my credit card company monthly to dispute each charge. She has also failed to show up for scheduled classes, leaving multiple parents & children waiting with no response from her. The studio door was unlocked (for the entire hour we waited for her & after we left) with no staff in sight while parents' personal information (bank checks, names, addresses, child's name) were just left on the front table for anyone to walk off with! Her business practices are completely appalling and I would warn everyone to find a more reputable place to trust with your children and your MONEY! read more

DO NOT GO HERE EVER. This company is one of the most unprofessional, shoddy businesses that I have ever encountered and I would not give them my business let alone trust my kids with anyone that works there. I signed my daughter up for dance class in January. The first day we turned up no one was there and there was clearly no class. Apparently the owner Nicole had forgotten to let me know that she changed my daughter into a different class without even letting me know!!! From then on everything quickly went down hill and got more and more strange. Turned up again on the new day.... No one there, front door boarded up. No notice no nothing. After numerous calls, texts and emails Nicole again got back to me-all correspondence was always after midnight with some rambling email that never said what happened or what was going on!. After 3 weeks of little information, only finding out information from others who had heard there was still no class.... We gave up, it was all way too bizarre. I asked for my money back as we had not even stepped foot in the place. It has been over 6 weeks and still no money and no correspondence from Nicole. Such a distrustful and dishonest woman should not be in business let alone teaching young children. read more