First, let me make this clear: I am a former student and I took lessons at Bev's for over a decade…read more
Bev is very well trained and knowledgable, but that's about it. Bev is a controlling and degrading woman, and she expects that you will do nothing else than dance at her studio. If you play sports, participate in other school activities, or have anything else going on it better not interfere with her dance schedule, or you'll be yelled at for it. She actually passed out forms that were to be signed saying that homework was not an excuse and would not be tolerated as an excuse to miss class!
Let's be real here: 99% of girls dancing do not plan to do it professionally; they are doing it for fun, like myself. And, if you do plan to dance professionally, you are sure not going to stay at a place like Bev's - you'll be studying at the Joffrey, or the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, etc. Missing a class here and there is not a big deal.
I personally witnessed Bev demean students, calling them fat, and if she didn't like you, everyone knew it. If she likes you, and you massage her ego enough, she will shower you in preferential treatment. One example is skipping levels in ballet - I know of several girls who were in Grade V one year and, magically, jumped to Grade VIII/Elementary the very next year!
And let's not forget her "recitals" - oh, excuse me, "productions". I have never seen a studio owner so in love with herself. The recitals are always themed: Wizard of Oz, Beauty and the Beast, etc. Therefore, not only do you watch the dances, but you're forced to watch the "scenes" from the stories - acted out, of course, by her favorite students and the teachers. This makes her recitals unnecessarily long and drawn out. And Bev ALWAYS plays the lead role. See, Bev didn't make it as a professional dancer, so this is her way of pretending that she did. Why not have the students shine and have auditions for the character parts?? Because that takes away from Bev!
All of the recitals are at the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts, so ticket prices are high. Bev refuses to have her recital anywhere else. There's absolutely no reason why she couldn't bring prices down by choosing a high school auditorium - lots of studios do it! - but then Bev wouldn't have her private dressing room.
And if you ever leave her studio and switch to a different one? Better not let Bev find out where you went. She will personally call up that studio and bad-mouth you. Don't believe me? I personally know who she did it to!
So, you're probably asking yourself, why the hell did I stay if it was so bad? Well, I made some really good friends, and the other teachers are good. I certainly wasn't Bev's favorite (I needed to lose a good 30 pounds for that), but she didn't hate me either. It wasn't all bad, and I knew I wasn't dancing professionally, so I overlooked the bad stuff until I graduated high school and left.
I don't regret my time there, but I will NOT send my two daughters there. I know of many other studios that are much better. I hope Bev has gotten better in the years since I've left, but somehow, I doubt it.