I took lessons from the founder, Phyllis DeWeese, for 13 years, and was in classes with the new owner, Julie Gibson, for many of those years. It was one of the best experiences of my life, and I not only learned a tremendous amount about classical dance, but also, how to be a good person. The life lessons that I learned from Mrs. DeWeese were invaluable, and have served me well in my life on and off the dance floor. She is the classiest lady I have ever met, and treats her students like family. I know that Julie will carry on that tradition, and know that if I ever have a child who is interested in dance, I will take them here. \r
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If you are looking for a place where your kids will develop good foundations in dance, there is no place around that compares to the Academy. I have sat through many recitals of other dance schools in the area, and have never seen one that had the quality and technique that the Academy recitals have. I even took some dance courses in college with girls who were in the dance company who had much less technical knowledge than I had because of the teachers that I had here. The professor would rattle off a combination in the proper French terminology and many of the company girls would have to watch me to see what they were supposed to be doing. And while I didn't pursue dance, (I didn't have the right body for it) that was never a concern to the staff at the academy. They just wanted to make sure that we all had the proper technique and terminology to be the best we could be. I would not trade the experience for anything in the world. The truly are simply the best.
Pros: Staff treats you like family
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