I have read all of the reviews to date on this site and find that all of them seem to have some truth to them and all of them seem to have some exaggeration. Personally, I was a student there for many years and was involved in all three of the companies. In agreement with another review I would say you do not find out what you are really getting into until you are in the Dance Company. I did end up quitting because of some upsetting personal issues I had with the place, but I don't think it's all bad. I want to be as objective as I can be because I think biased reviews are little more than worthless. I think the younger classes are taught by most teachers with care and patience by people who really enjoy what they are doing. I was a teacher for several years and it was by far my favorite aspect of participating in the group. Anita's also provided a lot of opportunities for performing which is was something I really loved doing. Although I would definitely say after viewing a few other studios performances and joining high school poms, the dancing is outdated and lacking in technique. I have very mixed feelings about the way people are treated there-having met wonderful people and hateful people. I would personally never bash Julie Parker because to me she was always wonderful and I always sensed that she and I had something deeply in common. Yet, I would agree with the fact that they absolutely play favorites often to the point of being extremely unfair. I think a lot of the way they do things is unfair and the time commitment they expect from high school girls with lives is often ridiculous. I also feel that they have unnecessarily strict rules about hanging out with friends which is really none of their business at all. On a more positive note, I would not exchange the years I danced there for anything because I had a great time and met some amazing girls that I still talk to. I would be wary, but I wouldn't believe everything you read.
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