Stage Door IS THE PINNACLE of dance in Sarasota. The word that comes to mind is "EXCELLENCE." My…read morechildren attend hip hop and mini flip hop classes at Stage Door. Their teachers are kind and patient. The staff in the front office is very helpful l, courteous and welcoming. The staff's professionalism is unparalleled. Upon spending any time at the facility, it will be evident that Stage Door Studios is a well-oiled machine. The viewing area is perfect for parents & families wanting to spectate. It is ample space with comfortable seating and screens for viewing dancers working hard and having fun in each studio. There is also a thoughtful children's area with child-friendly furniture and a tv showing children's programs. Every aspect of our experience thus far seems to have been carefully curated to cater to the comfort and enhance the enjoyment of the entire family. We LOVE Stage Door!

My children danced at Stage Door for 6 years (first recreationally and then competitively) and…read moreloved it for a long time. But 3 years into dancing for one of their competitive teams, my children were kicked out of the studio with just a month left to go in the season. They were unable to perform at recital, or at their final competition, and 3 months later the studio has still not refunded the money I paid for services unrendered (summer classes, a convention, unused recital costumes etc) and they will not respond to my emails. The reason for dismissing my 1st and 4th graders? I took them to a private lesson at another studio for additional training and the owner didn't like that. Dancers as young as 5-6 years old are made to sign a contract if they want to dance at competitions with the team. Initially I didn't think much of this but by the third year (and as my second daughter was entering the youngest competition team) I started to have concerns about the stifling nature of it. Essentially, I walked into Stage Door with a 4 year old child in 2016, and before I knew it I was locked into some kind of situation where they would be penalized for even looking at other studios . (By the way, I didn't sign the contract last year but they held me to it anyway.) We stayed a couple years longer than we should have because the kids made friends and didn't want to leave them. If it weren't for that we would have left sooner. As things often do, it all worked out for the best. My girls and some of their previous teammates have found a new studio which they absolutely love and I'm confident that this new studio has their best interests at heart. I'm so excited for their future in dance and it's a relief to know they're training with adults who care about them. Stage Door is a large studio that shows well. It's big, offers a lot of class times for young kids and when you aren't yet enmeshed in the dance world you don't see the red flags. I certainly didn't. My advice, if you're looking for a dance studio, is to sit down with the studio owner and really find out what they're all about. Ask questions. Talk to parents of older kids. Talk to the studio owner at length. I probably talked to the studio owner at Stage Door for less than 20 minutes combined in 6 years. At our new studio, I've talked to the studio owner for hours on end and we've only been there a few months. It's night and day. Just do your homework.

The great part for us, the audience, is our chance to see and experience performances from a world…read moreclass ballet school in our own back yard. The joy of live dance performances is both uplifting and energizing. The Sarasota Cuban Ballet (SBC) in the Cuban style, for me, is the next positive step in the evolution of the ballet genre: diverse, graceful, emotive and powerful! As a school to send your child.....So to qualify myself first because everyone's opinion, like flavors, is 1 of 3: sweet, savory or tart and all have their place which is why our world is such a wonderfully creative combination of flavors. I am an active dance dad. I have tried and thoroughly and personally love tap and ballet....noting that my lack of skills drops the grace/ability bar so low it is but a "mark" on the floor. I have been watching and supporting my daughter along her( to date 10 year ) dance journey. I have been learning and growing along the way in areas of technique, presentation, physical injury & recovery, mental/ psychological strength .....from a parent's perspective of course. My daughter has trained at several good and some fantastic studios...I have been witness to a small part of the behind the scenes issues and joys of this HUGELY creative & GINORMOUSLY physical art form.... She attended the Sarasota Cuban Ballet summer intensive on recommendation from another wonderful ballet conservatory and decided stay and continue her training towards becoming a professional ballerina. That said.... I make the first entry of my impression to date: This team of teachers knows how to train without over training, cares about their students and can provide a clear (and proven) path to a professional ballet company contract. Because a dancer typically discovers their passion for dance arts at a young age, parents typically take a more active role in their journey. As a parent still learning about this profession and seeing lots of haze and ambiguity in the path ahead there is a greater sense of calm that at least we have found a clearer path with a "knock-able" doors of opportunity. We all know there are no guarantees for a job: skill level, injuries, health and mental disposition are all obstacles of opportunity for every dancer wanting a professional career. Sarasota Cuban Ballet (SCB) impresses me to have the experience, empathy and teaching skills to give every dancer a real shot at their dream. Over the last decade of working with various studios, this is both rare and precious. Now, mind you, I am sure and am familiar with several other schools around the world and in this area who also excel in the same and for different dance genres. Kudos to them. I have learned that everyone is uniquely similar... we all excel or languish in different environments. There is no single school of any type that is a perfect fit for all or for all time. I believe in SCB we have found the three (3) "E's" we are seeking: Empathy, Excellence and Experience

From the owner: Our award-winning school provides world-class ballet instruction in the tradition of the Cuban…read moremethod. We impart a comprehensive program that builds up both the skills and confidence of our students, whether they are interested in following a professional dance career or just enjoy dancing recreationally. Our faculty members are all former professional dancers and qualified educators, who are passionate about sharing their knowledge and experiences with the next generation of Ballet stars.

Welcoming atmosphere. Our son LOVES going to dance class. The instructions are fantastic. Flexible…read moreprogramming that fits any schedule. Adult and kid classes. We are so happy to have discovered this gem in Lakewood Ranch.

My husband got us 3 private classes for my birthday. We enjoyed our sessions and plan on continuing…read moreto the next package. The instructor was very patient with us and really took the time to explain the steps since we are very new to this. We really enjoyed ourselves and everyone is very professional.

Such an unprofessional atmosphere created by the director and her mother that we left voluntarily…read moreduring a competition and subsequently walked away from over $2000 as we had paid in full because of of the verbal lashing given to us by the director in front of the hotel staff and dancers. We were guven our hotel $ back which was greatly appreciated as they witnessed this horrible event. If I could give a "zero" score I would....too many other wonderful studios to consider in our town.

We have been at this studio from the time my daughter was 4 years old. She is going to be "10" and…read moreshe has learned such wonderful things here. More than just dance she has learned how to love and respect her body, how to be dedicated to what you love. How to work hard for the things you want and how to be an athlete. How when you work hard it will show and it might take longer. When the girls compete they are all SUPER encouraging to each other as well as the parents. This studio is for all kinds of students.... Beginner, intermediate, and advance.

We started here with my two daughters in January and they have loved it. This is our first time…read moredoing dance and both girls love their teachers and have learned so much. The studio is so cute. Highly recommend for all beginners.

We have had a wonderful time at All That Dance and recommend this studio! Our daughter began her…read morefourth year dancing here this fall. The teachers are wonderful and I also highly respect the owner, Lindsey, who has always been helpful and kind. In addition to dance classes for kids, All That Dance also offers adult dance classes which I have found to be very accommodating regardless of previous dance experience - which is ideal because you get a great workout in a fun environment. I am grateful that All That Dance has created such welcoming classes for their students, both kids and adults. Parent communication has been great and if I ever have questions there are multiple avenues to chat with someone.

We were both "wallflowers" in school, and never learned to dance…read more Finally, in our 60s, we took a dance class with Dave. We have discovered a whole new life through dancing. Dave is an excellent instructor, and we look forward to learning something new each week with him.

This dance school is horrible and I don't recommend anyone enroll here or their children here. The…read moredance director just ignores me, all I requested is that she upload the video of my performance from the 2001 dance recital because it would mean a lot to me since I don't have any videos of myself as a child. She ignored me entirely even though I'm sure she saw my comments on YouTube since she's uploading videos of the current recital. She shouldn't even be a director since she treats people so horribly.

Tonight was my first night back at this studio in a couple of years. I went to try out some of the…read moresummer classes, and was pleasantly surprised at the updated look. Talk about a facelift! My favorite part is the new, custom floors they made to absorb the shock on your knees and hips from leaping and jumping. The instructors are bubbly and fun. As for COVID, everyone was required to wear a mask when they entered and had their temperature checked at the door. The dancers are spaced out during the lesson and are instructed to like up at the bathroom to wash their hands after each class. I watched the barres being sanitized after every class. I never felt unsafe. 10/10