Carmichael Academy of Dance

"I've waited a few months to post a review on this absolutely horrible studio, mostly because the emotional pain the owner caused my daughter and family has taken some time for us to process. If I could give negative stars, I would. In April this year, my 11 yr old daughter was kicked out of the studio without notice or reason right in the midst of competition season and only weeks before Spring recital. My daughter had been dancing at this studio every Saturday for close to 7 years and had built what she thought was a trusting bond with the owner. She participated in numerous recitals and competitions. Up until early this year, the studio was adequate and provided my daughter with a place to learn basic skills and be part of something we thought was positive for her. Things began to change when the politics of the "dance moms" and their misbehaved children took over. I wasn't happy with the negative environment and lack of control the owner displayed over keeping these kids in line but bit my tongue for the sake of friendships my daughter felt she had built. The owner, Michelle, has zero ability to maintain control of her studio and children that attend. After the first competition this year, where my daughter stood up for another child being picked on, the owner manipulated us into bringing her costume to the studio "for cleaning" before the next event. She never once mentioned there were any problems with my daughter or anything of that nature...EVER. The following we day we received a cold hearted email letting us know that after much thought that my daughter was no longer welcome there effective immediately. If there had been a problem with my daughters behavior then why on earth would this person who we had spent 7 years with not tell the parents immediately? I can only speculate the catty dance moms gave her an ultimatum to let my daughter go or they wouldn't bring their kids back all because she didn't put up with those kids picking on another girl. Truth be told, these moms paid more than us as their children spent more hours at the studio, so I think this was all politics. Who knows though as we were never given any reasons. The complete lack of integrity, morals, and values the owner chose to display and refusal to give us a reason or respond in any fashion to our attempts to reach out after this is unacceptable on every level. I would encourage anyone interested in attending this studio to really consider if you want your child to potentially go through the emotional damage that my daughter did. This is not the type of place that children should be exposed to and the owner most certainly does not deserve to be in business when she lacks any ethics. We have since found a studio that is run effectively and creates a place of love and value for the children. Don't trust Facebook reviews on this one. The owner has managed to have many negative reviews removed and you will not get an accurate depiction of what this place is about. She will block anyone from being able to post a review on FB after her bad business practices. New update: Salena, you unfortunately have not had your child at this studio long enough to understand how deceptive and vengeful the owner truly is. My daughter still to this day has emotional effects from the pain and suffering the owner put her through AFTER we had been there for 7 years with no regard for the lasting effects this would cause. Wait until there's another parent there who wants their child to be the star over yours and stops at nothing to get the owner to destroy your child, which she will if it means more money in her pocket. I have not forgotten and will never forget what this person is capable of. Best of luck to you though!"

"My daughter started dancing at Carmichael Academy of dance when she was 3, almost 4 years old. My daughter has enjoyed learning dance with Ms. Michelle. She has grown more patient and is learning to work within a group. I was worried when she started that it wouldn't go well. My daughter has a sensory processing disorder and can act unpredictably at times. Ms. Michelle has been very patient and loving to my daughter. She makes changes to help my child fit within the class environment. My daughter holds her in high regards. It has given me faith that there will be people who can treat my child with respect and kindness when they encounter the difficult behaviors. We are always treated with courtesy and respect. When people ask where my daughter dances, I always recommend Ms. Michelle. If you are looking for a creative and positive environment for your child, this is a wonderful place."

"We love Carmichael Academy of Dance!!!! My first daughter started dancing there just under 4 years ago, she has since joined the competition team. My second daughter started last year. The owner Mrs. Michelle has the patience of a saint with the small ones. She has been very accommodating and has even created additional classes that worked better for our schedules in the past. If you would like quality dance instruction from a former professional dancer, this is the place for you."

"Full disclosure: I am not a student nor the parent of a student at this dance studio. I am, however, the aunt of a now former student, have been to this studio on numerous occasions at all of their last three locations, and have been backstage at several recitals over the last 5 years. I am not writing on anyone’s behalf other than my own and am writing this review based exclusively and solely on my own personal observations of the studio itself and the owner's business practices. BEWARE! If it was possible to give a negative star rating to Carmichael Academy of Dance, I would. When this studio was in Brighton and then on 120th, it was clearly not a serious dance “academy” but it was a decent enough school for parents to take kids for fun. Unfortunately, since moving to the 129th location the school has become shockingly horrendous and exposed the owner as profoundly lacking in ethics and leadership. The culture at Carmichael has made a palatable shift and seems to center around a group of wannabe “Dance Moms” and their wretched brats. This studio is completely open; not much more than an empty retail space, time and time again these women blatantly show up unreasonably early (15 or more minutes) for group dance classes, encroaching on private dance classes which are still in session, oblivious to their daughters running around the studio often creating drama and chaos with the other students. Predictably other students are blamed, and the owner does absolutely nothing but placate these people at the expense of long-time clients. Additionally, I've personally witnessed the owner speak poorly of and complain about many students (which are mostly little kids) and parents. The owner, Michelle, has absolutely no control of her studio, takes no responsibility for the negative culture, treats loyal clients like garbage, and has sadly created an environment that is petty, stressful, and the last place on earth I would consider a healthy environment to take a child."

"If you want a very unorganized place for your child come here. The communication here is awful! It's unfriendly and unorganized I don't know how else to explain it. You show up and there's a note on the door saying this studio is closed and giving the address to the other studio. No warning or anything. There was a change in recital location and one mom didn't even get any communication about the change and her daughter missed the recital because of it. No remorse no sincere apology or anything. The older girls are taught to dance like strippers with their underwear hanging out at every show it's disgusting. I've been in dance personally and I have watched my performances and the performances my daughter has been in with this company were awful. The little ones look great because they are cute but to look at the future of what the little ones would be learning is nothing close to being a dancer. The owner is very bad at communicating and doesn't make you feel welcome at all. The DVD's you pay for take months and months to come in and honestly they are videotaped horribly!! You can find better out there!! I highly recommend you look elsewhere!"