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Dan Aclandvia Google

4 months ago

Consistently great experiences. We've done aerial silks for a couple of years. The teacher is really excellent. Great with kids. We did hip hop dance too and it was also great. Affordable too, and excellent responsiveness.

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Christine Nicholasvia Google

8 months ago

My daughter expressed interest in learning aerial silks so we were on the hunt for a class and she so happy we came across this place! The camp during the summer was great to get her feet wer and my daughter is always happy for her sessions we put her into following the camp. There is always something new and exciting she has to tell me about from her lessons. Moca Rae has been especially fabulous, my daughter really enjoys learning from her.

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Katy Geisertvia Google

9 months ago

Our daughter has taken classes at Kids n Dance (owned & managed by same persons who own & manage Expression Arts). Later she joined Expression Arts & was part of the troupe for 3 years. Circus was a haven for our child who built a community w/the peer troupers & truly enjoyed the art of circus. Over the past two years, we have increasingly heard of concerns by our daughter. While we were receptive, we initially tried to ask that she to trust the program, embrace challenges as opportunities to learn, & to believe in the positive intent of management. But over the past season the concerns and experiences have escalated. Troupers have come forward to raise awareness of troubling experiences. Some concerns raised by troupe members & our daughter: Unsafe Physical Environment: Inadequate warm-up, inadequate breaks, extended time upside-down, & a persistent culture of pushing through pain & injury. During the lead up to performances, the children are often at practice for 6+ hours. Practice increases in frequency until the final few weeks preceding shows, where practice is nearly every day. During the two weeks of performances, troupers were asked to do 1 show on Friday, 2 shows on Saturday, & 3 shows on Sunday. Each show is ~2.25 hours. It was only after there were serious concerns raised in a parent conference with Kris and Marielle, that the 3rd performance on Sunday was cancelled. The standards, rigorous schedule, & high-risk performance are a dangerous recipe for the safety of the troupe. Emotional Manipulation & Inappropriate Behavior: Esme drifts between friend & coach w/ the troupe. The relationship is confusing, w/Esme using this bond to instill her values on the children & also playing favorites. Multiple troupe members have noted that Esme can be erratic in her behavior, switching between positive behavior & disparaging & belittling language. In one incident, Esme told our daughter that she must have “ADD” after our daughter offered to help with transitions. Another time, Esme commented on the body figure of a trouper. Also, she told a group that their act was “stupid”. In isolation these incidents may be explainable (Kris & Marielle have attempted to rationalize all of the incidents), but what can’t be explained or rationalized is how widespread & consistent the experiences are amongst the troupe. After a senior troupe member sent a note to the parents about her own traumatic experiences, numerous troupe members came forward & shared consistent & repeated experiences. What is most concerning is the complete lack of accountability & curiosity to do something about the numerous concerns raised by the troupe & families. We believe Esme, Kris, and Marielle have the best of intent and they want to provide a safe place for children & to cultivate a thriving community. We also believe they are wholly incompetent & untrained in how to create this place. The incompetence can be addressed, there are programs like SafeSport which, coupled with Esme’s passion for the art, could transform the space. But Esme, Kris, & Marielle first need to face the root of the issue & take concerns seriously. After a senior troupe member raised concerns about her own experiences, she was abruptly removed from the troupe & essentially called a liar. Parents then demanded a conference w/management. Esme did not attend. Kris & Marielle spent the bulk of 90 min. deflecting & taking no ownership or corrective measures. Despite her initial love & passion for circus arts, our daughter has decided to move on. Despite everything we note above, our hope is that Expression Arts & Kids n Dance thrives & can be a safe place for youth to grow & express themselves. For this to happen, two things are needed: 1) Management needs to be curious, vulnerable, & accountable for the harm they are causing to the children. No more deflection. 2) They need to pursue ongoing training to equip themselves to appropriately & safely engage with children & young adults.

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Geneva Kearnsvia Google

over 1 year ago

So much more than a dance studio! Over the past 3 years, this has been a wonderful place for both of my kids to experience the joys of acting, singing, dancing, gymnastics, and building confidence that will serve them throughout their lives. The dedicated and delightful staff are warm and fun and create such a positive experience for kids at all levels. The camps are also fantastic and our kids ask to go back every summer. I cannot say enough wonderful things about this place. Thank you, Kids n’ Dance!!

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J. R.via Google

almost 4 years ago

This studio teaches more than dancing, Silking and acting; teaches school lessons too. I joined there adult acting class and had fun learning the musical, The Addams Family. Special shout out to Kris Mueller who is an owner and Director at Kids N Dance. Highly recommend this studio for kids and, adults for acting lessons.