D'Ann Danse Studios 1714 North Salisbury Boulevard, Salisbury, MD 21801

"If I could give this studio zero stars, I would! Another review mentioned accounting practices and hit the mail on the head! I paid for an entire year, in advance, and at the end of the year I was told my daughter couldn’t participate in recital because I hadn’t paid. After reminding them I paid on my CC and could provide statements, I was told there were “other” charges. I hesitantly took my daughter back a second year. She only made it part way through. She had been body shamed by being required to have certain outfits, and constantly complained about how mean the owner was. At the beginning of the year she wanted to participate in the “non-profit” division of the studio. At registration there were multiple things not disclosed about the requirements. Mid-way through the year I received a Handbook that was highlighted in certain areas. I asked to withdraw her and receive a refund for the remainder of ONE CLASS out of multiple classes. The owner said to me, “So your daughter won’t be participating in recital since you are asking for a refund?” I had paid all tuition for all classes for the entire year and was there to pay the fees for recital. The owner is a crook as far as I am concerned and the government should really look in to her accounting practices and “non-profit”! I never received my refund and my daughter had absolutely had enough of the treatment from the owner. We left mid way through the dance year and I just cut my losses on the pre-paid tuition. Luckily, we found a new studio and my daughter has fallen in love with dance again and I am confident she won’t be body shamed or mistreated by the owner of our new studio. If you have to rip off your customers to stay in business, you are not living by the values and principles you hide behind, in my opinion."

"My daughter started dancing at DDS 11 years ago. Not only has she gained the knowledge and love of dance, but she has gained an extra family, friends, and confidence that I am very grateful for. She knows that her teachers care for her and want her to do her best. The teachers know the levels of their students and will work to make the dancers reach the goals they have set for themselves. Debbie and her team strive for a personal approach. The smaller class sizes allow students to "be seen" and to have their own moments to shine. If you are looking for a dance family, come and visit DDS."

"My daughter Alice started classes in Jan. She had only taken one dance class and was in a class with 30 people at another studio. She came into this studio in January and learned a ton. Her end of the year show was really good. I have been to many with my other two children but never have a been so entertained. Debbie does a nice job. I would highly recommend this studio."

"My daughter wanted to try dancing but at age 11 I was afraid we were too late to get her started. Fortunately we found D'Ann Danse and she had a wonderful experience. The small class sizes and patience of the teachers was just what she needed to build her confidence. Now she can't wait to get signed up for next year. The staff is amazing and the other parents are very welcoming. I would definitely recommend this studio to anyone looking for a fun place to learn dance.."

"To be fair, the instructors are wonderful and the students really do learn. My daughter enjoyed her teacher. But the studio's accounting and customer service leave much to be desired. I gave the studio my credit card number so they could charge it every month. Supposedly they missed a month, so charged me twice in December ( with no notice). Then I had a new card issued and used it to pay March's tuition, but apparently they forgot to record my payment and sent me a bill. When I checked the CC records I discovered I had been charged for the missed month, as well as March. Some how the studio lost track of two months of tuition. I sent a detailed email with an attachment showing the CC records for every month. The lady in charge never responded to my email, I was forced to deal with her receptionist who kept asking for more verification, and in May I received another bill reflecting the same mistakes I've been trying to get corrected since March. The owner/director has never called, emailed or made any indication that she was sorry for the accounting error. She refuses to take the time to personally attend to this matter, and I am jumping through hoops to get the studio to stop charging me for a month I've already paid for. It seems counter intuitive to treat a customer this way, especially when you made the mistake. D'Ann Danse Studio requires all students to sign-up for a full year of lessons. If you move or decide you don't want to dance there anymore, you are still required to pay for the remainder of the year. Parents have to buy all shoes, tights, etc through the studio. The required items are quite expensive. I paid $14 for a pair of tights for the recital. Also, besides paying for lessons, costumes, and shoes, parents are required to buy a certain number of tickets to the recital ( whether you need them or not!) I am required to buy 4 adult tickets at $15 a piece. Cash or CC only, no checks, and if you pay with a CC be prepared for a 2% surcharge. The recitals are professional affairs, but I kept feeling like the studio was using every opportunity to get more money from me. Bottom line, great dancers -terrible accounting and customer service with inflated costs. We won't be back."