Miss Sara's On Pointe Dance, inc.

"I initially registered my daughter for the Fall 2023 - Spring 2024 Toddler Ballet/Tap classes geared for ages 2-3 years old at Miss Sara’s On Pointe Dance studio with the excitement and anticipation that she participates in the Dance Recital. The Owner Miss Sara took me by total surprise when she communicated to me that she was not sure if my daughter who is 2.5 years old would be able to participate in the dance recital because according to her, “My daughter tends to run off to the front of the class” and for safety reasons she felt that she may “jump off the stage” during the dance recital. She then proceeded to say that my daughter “doesn’t always follow the dance routine in class and she didn’t want her to distract the other girls from following the dance routine on stage” As shocked as I was by her remark, I respectfully responded to her that my daughter would not jump off the stage and that my daughter has safety awareness. It’s disheartening as a parent who was very excited and truly looking forward to my daughter participating in her very first dance recital, being told that my daughter may not have a chance to participate in the dance recital made me feel disappointed, baffled and upset. I felt the owner was being passive aggressive when she bought this to my attention, and what truly bothered me and did not sit well with me was her willingness to exclude and alienate my daughter from the dance recital which I perceived as a form of her bullying and discriminating my daughter. To make matters worse, she even suggested to put her on a “Ballet/Tap trail” for the month of January to ensure that she is following the “dance routine”. It’s shameful and disgraceful of her to confidently have this approach in mind when I am a parent and a customer who was paying money to bring my daughter to her dance studio. I think it’s very ridiculous and bizarre to exclude any child from a dance recital because they’re kids not professional adult dancers. This is a child recital and the girls are not competing against another dance group. Like that's the point of a child recital. Some kids may miss a step or get lost in the routine. They're learning. It’s wrong of her for not informing parents upfront about the criteria before registration. If she wanted a perfect performance she shouldn't allow any child under 5 years old to participate. I will be looking for another dance studio to sign up my daughter that stand by the core values of treating their customers with respect, empathy and kindness."