Washington School of Dance

My 5 year old daughter did creative dance here last year. Sadly, we won’t be returning this year.
Pros: Her teacher, Miss Jessie, was fantastic. She was great about keeping the class fun for kids while still teaching the fundamentals of ballet. She also did a fantastic job preparing the kids for the recital.
Cons: The studio owner is very unprofessional. For the spring recital, they open up all tickets to everyone — meaning, shows get sold out before parents get first dibs to buy tickets to watch their child perform. Last year my daughter’s performance sold out over a week ahead of the performance. We had not bought our tickets yet. I was upset and my husband was furious — he had cancelled a competitive cycling event that he had been training for so he could attend the recital. Somehow the studio «found» tickets for us after we called and complained. I was willing to forgive them for that experience, and even offered to help them figure out a way to make sure all the parents could get tickets next year.
However, the final straw for me was a letter sent by the owner, returning my registration forms and informing me that my child would not be enrolled there this year and best of luck in finding another studio. I called and left a message asking them to clarify what that meant, and called again in a few days when I hadn’t heard anything back. Still they chose not to respond.

My daughter has danced with this school for 3 years now! I’m very pleased with the staff and how the school is ran. Anytime, I’ve ever had a concern, they have quickly responded and addressed the issue. I appreciate that they take the parents’ feedback. Also, for the other person who didn’t know when the parent observation days were… they post them on their website!

I’m not sure what the two negative reviewers experienced at WSD, but it sounds like one is a disgruntled employee and the other has unrealistic expectations of what goes on in children’s activities. Sure it’s a little chaotic getting the girls dressed and into class on time. After 6 years of shuttling my kids to swimming lessons, baseball practice, football, lacrosse, gymnastics, and ballet, I have yet to stumble across that elusive activity that’s relaxing and zen-​like from start to finish. Also, WSD’s parent viewing policies can be a shock to the system of «helicopter parents» who are accustomed to hovering over their children and videotaping their every move, but there are 3 parent observation days each semester that allow parents/​siblings to sit in during the class. The dates are clearly posted on the WSD website.
My daughter has been going to WSD for 3 years. She has clicked with some instructors more than others, but in general, the school does a great job of offering great dance instruction in a fun atmosphere. The annual Nutcracker performance is really well done and the Spring Recital is a huge event for my eight year old daughter and one of the few times each year that she gets to wear makeup and feel like a glamorous star on the stage in front of hundreds of fans.
If I have one complaint, it would be the registration costs. It cost $ 300 per semester and there are 18 or 19 one-​hour classes per semester. It comes out to about $ 16 per hour of instruction. On the other hand, I see people in line at Starbucks spending nearly that much on a latte and panini. I’d rather skip the overpriced snack and spend the money on my daughter.

Overall, this dance studio is a wonderful place to have your young dancer start dancing. My son takes tap here and he enjoys it!
The studio is sandwiched between PC Restaurant and Five Guys with ample parking space where it is easy to get in and out. They provide a free trial class when you are unsure if the class is going to workout for your child. The school offers ballet, jazz, hip hop, tap, musical theater and adult classes too. Their registration fee is minimal per family and class rates are competitive too.
They welcome families every six weeks into the classroom for observation which is a great way to ask questions and connect with your child’s teacher. Although, they do not have large observation windows, instructors often keep doors open (if it’s not too loud in the waiting area) or are also open to have visitors upon request when families are concern about their child’s class. Their website, quarterly newsletters and Facebook page keeps us informed with pertinent details about the studio and upcoming events. If your child loves to perform, this studio is the place to be as they give ample opportunities for your young dancer to perform in the community in their school’s companies.
One of the factors that I appreciate most at this school is that they seem to keep their faculty constant. Unlike other studios I have experienced in the past, turnovers were high and the staff seemed young and lack on teaching experience. Their faculty genuinely care about their students as individuals. The teachers are well versed in their craft and are educated both with higher education degrees and industry experience in national and international companies.
If you have a budding dancer, Washington School of Dance starts as young as 18 months through adults.

Sadly, I never know when parents are allowed to watch their kiddos dance for parent observation days. Worse, parents and kids are never allowed to watch unless invited. It is a catch 22. There seems to be a disconnect with parents and community! Sadly (again), the teachers do not interact with parents. Sadly (again and again) the front desk does not interact with parents. Teachers are never available to meet and greet — it is a rush to get kids in and out of classes — parents escorting kids in and out of classes… there is a lack of feel of warmth, customer service, and care.

An AMAZING dance school. I take hip hop here and the teacher’s are very welcoming. I registered and there was only 1 class left in Dec so I asked if instead of the monthly tuition I could just pay the drop in and the girl said, «oh yeah, that would totally work.» So kind. I also seem to get dances better at this school. Maybe it has something to do with the environment but at my last school (Backstage in Bellevue) which was an awesome place (don’t want to go dissing them) but I just understand more here. Great school. Love the place! If they keep the class schedule like this, it would be awesome!