This studio is a gem! Ms. Vernetta is amazing and she teaches more than dance. Her students learn listening skills, accountability, rhythm, turn-taking, following instructions, and more. The studio graciously allows children to borrow everything needed to participate (ballet shoes, tap shoes, leotards all in various sizes). Young children receive "ballet bucks" for class participation and doing/bringing back "homework" (a coloring page). She has older students help teach the younger classes. This allows for a much larger teacher/student ratio needed for the "littles" to have a successful class. This strategy also provides older students with leadership skills and practice with asserting themselves and directing others! I am thrilled to have found this sweet little neighborhood studio. PS the music is darling! read more

Vernetta is a wonderful dance teacher. She is so talented and is able to help every level of teacher. I came to her studio wanting to learn partner and ballroom dances. She was able to break down the steps for me in bite-sized chunks and in very few lessons I was ready to dance. read more

I've been taking my daughter for about 4 months now and she totally loves it. Mrs. Vernetta's is amazing and so is her staff! They are very patient with my daughter and very caring. Thank you Mrs. Vernetta! you guys are the best!!! Thanks for making my daughter Andrea enjoy dancing. read more

Both of my daughters have done the little girls ballet/tap/tumbling over the years and Vernetta's is truly involved and such a pro with little kids. The studio is always decorated for the latest holiday, the kids love all the songs, it's truly a little happy place for an hour a week! My daughter can't wait to come every Saturday. You just can't find this type of place anywhere! We drive from Mission Hills and it's worth the drive! Fun fact: Vernetta used to be Shirley Temples double! read more

Vernetta's Dance Studio - Dance Studios Near Me - San Diego, California

My favorite dance studio in SD! The main reason being my daughter attends. Lol. All jokes aside, I've noticed a significant improvement in her dance skills since attending this dance studio. She has improved in her dancing confidence & her dance teacher is very good in dealing with children. She is firm but also cares about the children's experience. All in all, I will continue to bring my daughter to this dance studio because I hope she will be a dance star one day. :) read more

Vernetta's Dance Studio - 'We got the beat!' - Dance Studios Near Me - San Diego, California

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My daughter has been dancing at Vernetta's for about a year now and let me tell you, we absolutely love it! We have watched our daughter grow and get better and better everyday. Vernetta treats everyone like family! They have a one big annual recital and a bunch of little ones (north park festival of arts and SD fair to name a few) so you get your money's worth for the costumes you purchase. I highly recommend Vernetta's Dance studio, your kids will have lots of fun and you will love it! read more

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My daughter has been with Vernetta for 13 years having only taken a two year break for medical reasons. Vernetta is amazing!! Most dance teachers won't correct mistakes but Vernetta makes sure she gives every student the attention they need to correct mistakes, praise a job well done and more. This is a great place to send any new dancer or to join if you're an existing dancer. read more

I've been taking my 4 yr old daughter to Vernetta's since March of this year. I can say she runs a great program, great with kids, and events are often. She and her staff have plenty of patience for beginners and expect more from the more challenging classes. I'm proud of my child's progress, and notice other kids' progression as the months roll by. I would not hesitate to recommend this studio to any parent searching for a place start their child. read more

I have not taken lessons from Vernetta, but I've talked with her several times and she is sweet. She REALLY knows her stuff, the studio is always clean and cozy, and it feels like home. I dig it. :) Her classes are much less expensive than others in town, and probably just as good. I take classes from Jim Boz (look up Bellydance With Jim Boz), and that's *really* what I came to review, but Vernetta is pretty nice as well. read more

Vernetta's is your first stop for dancing when it comes to teaching children & wedding dances. She is fun, firm and consistent. Her cozy studio has an old-school vibe, and she always has coffee brewed ready for the adult classes, as well as snacks & candy for the children (and all the other ages :) She has many years of experience that the other studios don't offer. She's a great gal! read more

My (now grown) daughter took dance lessons for years at Vernetta's Dance Studio. My son and I were just talking about my daughter's performances and how fabulous Miss Vernetta was. I went online to see if the Studio was still going strong and was very happy to see that Miss Vernetta is still doing a fabulous job. Thank you, Vernetta, for all of your hard work, we will never forget you. I strongly recommend this studio for all of those who love to dance. read more

I can't say enough good things about Vernetta's! My husband and I took dance lessons for our wedding dance, and Vernetta and her husband Fred were our teachers. We had a blast, and the lessons were very reasonably priced for the amount of attention we received and the high quality of the instruction. They choreographed a unique dance and even incorporated our suggestions to make it really personalized. We have referred several of our friends, and they have had a great experience as well. Oh, and Vernetta and Fred are a riot! read more

My daughter is been coming to this dance studio for 6 years since she was 3 years old and she loves coming to dance classes, as she grows also the difficulty of the classes and skills. She went from playing and learning with toddlers to a more challenging and demanding discipline. She has developed a lot of character from being a student of Vernetta during this period. Great place for the kids to make friends and to develop their social skills. read more

Vernetta is an awesome teacher. She is motivating for all ages of dancers. She is an old time pro and for being the longest running dance studio in San Diego, that in itself is something to say about the professionality and likeabily of her classes. Go for it and take a class! read more

this is my first review of Vernettas dance studio. My wife and i are taking lessons for a choreographed dance for our wedding and to learn some other ballroom dances... my first impression was okay this is a small place, but after my first lesson Vernetta is a good teacher and really gave us some great personal instruction while being firm.... i feel good about taking dance lessons and that i will come away with a better dancing skills.....more to come as the weeks come... read more

When meeting her Vernetta is warm and welcoming. She comes across as personable and caring. Her teaching style is one of self-assurance that comes from many years of experience. Her music choice, which is crucial to a good lesson, is top notch. This lady knows her stuff! Coming from a latin-Caribbean background, I know an experienced dancer when I see her. Good job, Vernetta! Emmy read more

The City of San Diego did not officially declare August 19, 2012 as "Miss Vernetta Day" in honor of her 50 years of quality service to the San Diego Community for nothing. Vernetta opened her studio in San Diego in 1962, and despite her star-studded career and mastery of a wide range of styles, she remains one of the coolest, most down-to-Earth, and gregarious people in North Park. Look no further in your search for dance classes of any style or for any age. read more

I studied with Miss Vernetta for several years until I hurt my back and had to stop. Cannot wait to get back to her class. She is a real teacher and knows what she is doing. Many of her students are top notch dancers. She might be a little rough now and then but she is a good teacher and wants her students to be the best they can be. She has a knack for knowing the level of students and she challenged me on a regular basis. Can't wait to get back to class.....love Miss Vernetta! read more

i did not have the warm and fuzzy experience with my daughter at Vernatta's class. she is my opinion far from patient or kind - she was mean. we went for the free class to check and see what the class would be like for my little girl. i had explained that this was her first experience. Vernatta was initially nice enough but once the class started and not knowing what we were supposed to do. - we were made to feel uncomfortable. Vernatta actually steered us completely away from ballet - my thought if the rules for ballet are this strict for a 3 year old then i want no parts of it. read more

We wanted to like this studio because we live close to it. However, Vernetta is not good with children or very nice to adults. She is very 'old school' both good and bad. Good-the studio is cute and music tolerable. The bad---she is like a mean school marm yelling at kids, criticizing people and down right being rude. Do not spend your money here. She also treats her employees poorly. Bummed bout Vernetta in North Park. read more

Vernetta is an amazing teacher! She teaches everything--ballroom dancing, tap, jazz, ballet, belly dance, etc.--and is fun, an excellent technician, and a wonderful human being who does TONS for the community. She cares a lot about the kids and adults that she teaches and has created a real feeling of community among her students and their families. This is definitely my favorite dance studio in San Diego. read more

My wife and I have been taking Ballroom Dancing for several years at Vernetta's Dance Studio. We have received the best dance instruction from this instructor. We just recently completed our first dance competition. Given the high degree of professional dance instruction received; we placed very well in the contest. My wife and I look forward to many more years of instruction from Vernitta. We are preparing for a summer competition. I am sure we will perform at a high level thanks to Vernitta. I cannot more highly recommend this dance studio for Ballroom Dance instruction. read more

Vernetta is an amazing teacher: she is is very knowledgeable, patient, and a very nice person overall. She teaches ballet, jazz, modern dance; besides, children learn rhythms and gymnastics. Children get to perform throughout the year, which teaches them stage presence. My daughter took group and private classes with Ms. Vernetta and I was very pleased with the results: she became coordinated and athletic which helps her with sports. Thank you, Ms. Vernetta! read more

I had my 6yr old daughter taking classes for about 3mths with Vernetta. She's cordial but not to friendly. Recital time came about and my daughter had not received a costume so I asked Vernetta. She explained only the girls that had attended throughout the year were in it. She said it would be their end of the year performance. Ok that sounded fair. The following week a girl newer to the classes was in a dance costume along with an even newer girl not in costume but wearing the same dance ribbons on her shoes. Puzzled I sat watching. Then a parent offered to loan a costume for one more girl. Thinking my Leilani would get it, Vernetta offered it to another girl that hadn't been attending as long also. I complained to Vernetta and said Leilani has been attending longer than some of the girls you have performing and I left. I went back in to ask for a refund of my tuition and she just repied "ok". Waited all day for her to call with an explanation and or apology but no calls. I'm wondering if she has some prejudistic tendencies. All the new girls are caucasian and hispanic. I'm Hispanic/Cacasian but my adopted daughter is blk/philipino. Ms Vernetta you owe my daughter an apology and a full tuition refund. I hope a lot of people read this to find out what you are really like and keep you from hurting other children as you have hurt my Leilani and all of us who were looking forward to seeing her perform with her classmates read more

My 11-year old daughter has been taking lessons from Vernetta for 8 years. She's taken group lessons and private lessons, and I can assure you: if you're looking for someone to teach your child how to dance, I mean truly dance, then Vernetta's is the place to go. The dances the children learn are appropriate for their ages and abilities. Tuition is reasonable. The costumes are modest, the songs clean and wholesome, (a welcome change from what I've seen other studios doing.) Her students have the opportunity to perform at several venues throughout the year. Vernetta is old school, as some of the other reviews have claimed. She demands a lot from her students but they learn to dance and they learn how to behave on stage and backstage as well. She is direct with her students, particularly the older ones; if they aren't listening to her she calls them on it. If they don't make corrections, she calls them on it. I'll be honest - in the past I had some of the same concerns expressed in the negative reviews. And in fact I have spoken with her about them. And every single time she has explained what she's doing, why she's doing it and what her goals are. As she says, everything she does in the studio has a purpose. If you ask her, she'll tell you what it is. I highly recommend this studio. read more