Elevate Apparel

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Charlie Martinez

vía Google

Staff and teachers have always been professional, friendly, and cordial. There are a variety of dance genres for students to take, which has always been neat. Our children have recently performed in the recital hosted by EDC, and we had a great experience. Parents were given the opportunity to volunteer backstage if they wanted to stay close to their children and watch the dress rehearsal, so I felt like the treatment of our kids was pretty transparent. From what we know, the $80 costume fee is about industry standard, and so is having the performers stay backstage (my understanding is that so parents don’t leave as soon as their kids are done). My wife has grown up taking dance classes and performing until adulthood, and this seems to have been her experience as well. Evidently other parents have fussed over the costume fees, but a quick google search will show that the prices are competitive with the industry standard (yes even for simple costumes) and that the money goes into more than just the cloth. I recommend looking into that, because you’ll find other studios will have a similar fee for similar costumes. Also, just because I saw a review that was so pretentious: just because you use ChatGPT to turn your selfie into a headshot doesn’t make you a legal professional, whatever you’re citing won’t hold up in court. And it’s “clique,” not “click.” Throwing a tantrum over a standard costume fee is embarrassing. The showcase was optional and if money was a concern, maybe ask about it ahead of time? Regardless, our children have enjoyed the friends and memories they made at EDC. It’s always been such a joy to watch them perform.

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JoAnne Cochran

vía Google

My daughter just finished her second season with Elevate and I cannot say enough positive things about this studio. The different genres of classes offered are plentiful. Every instructor is phenomenal and their passion for dance is apparent through the way they teach their students. My dancer has seen remarkable improvement since she started dancing here. Elevate provides special attention to technique during classes to help grow their dancers and help break any bad habits they may form while dancing. Most importantly, Elevate’s core values make me proud to have my daughter represent them as part of their competitive team. As a parent, I appreciate the steps taken to not only provide a positive dance experience for our children, but to also help dance families feel welcome and confident in our dance studio choice. Everything at Elevate is optional, such as their annual recital, which helps a great deal when faced with financial hardships, family vacations, or anything else that may come as a priority. It also helps knowing that you, as a parent, have control over your child’s dance journey. We are incredibly lucky to have found Elevate Dance Company and we look forward to watching our daughter grow up with them.

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Ashley Elliott

vía Google

Our children were enrolled at Elevate Dance Company from November through June. While they genuinely enjoyed their weekly class time and had a positive relationship with their instructor, our overall experience was marred by poor communication and a concerning lack of financial transparency. We were charged an $80 costume fee per child, which we accepted under the belief that the students would receive custom, high-quality costumes—especially since measurements were taken for each child. Unfortunately, what we received was a basic blue leotard, easily found online for approximately $16 on Amazon. When we approached the owner, Edith, to request an itemized cost breakdown, she deflected our inquiry and declined to provide any transparency, which only deepened our concerns. In addition to the tuition and costume fee, showcase recital tickets were $55 per person, including for children as young as 2. These additional fees were not communicated up front when we were initially asked if we wanted our children to participate in the performance, leaving us feeling misled and financially strained. The recital itself further highlighted the disparity in how different age groups were treated. The younger dancers, including our 5-year-olds, seemed to be an afterthought. Despite having only one dance, they were required to be backstage for hours—from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM for rehearsal and again from 2:30 PM to 5:45 PM. Their teacher was unavailable, and no clear communication was given about who would assist them with basic needs like using the restroom or changing clothes—things they normally need help with when in full dance leotards. After speaking with our children afterward, we learned that they used the restroom multiple times during the long backstage hours. We still have no idea who helped them undress or assisted them, something they have never done alone, again in a new place in full dance uniform. This raises serious safety concerns, particularly in light of California Health and Safety Code Title 22, which outlines requirements for supervision and toileting support for young children in structured settings. The absence of clear supervision or assigned caretakers in this context is troubling. Furthermore, the financial practices of the company raise questions. The $80 costume fee was charged uniformly, even though many older students had multiple and more elaborate costumes. The use of a flat fee for vastly different costume types and quantities, combined with the refusal to provide an itemized cost breakdown, creates the appearance of inconsistent and opaque billing practices. This may raise concerns under California Business and Professions Code § 17500 and Civil Code § 1770, both of which prohibit false or misleading representations in business practices, including the failure to disclose material facts or the misrepresentation of the quality of goods. After their brief performance during the evening show, we were not allowed to retrieve our children to sit with us, despite there being ample seating. They were held backstage until the finale, which consisted of them being brought on stage, obscured behind taller students, and then quickly ushered off—serving no meaningful purpose after sitting backstage for hours. In summary, Elevate Dance Company gave the impression that the youngest dancers are treated as an afterthought—a source of supplemental income rather than students receiving equitable attention. It was reassuring to discuss with other parents who shared similar sentiments following their experience with EDC. While our children enjoyed dancing, we left this experience feeling frustrated, disappointed, and deeply concerned about both financial and safety standards.

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Lena Foronda

vía Google

Our 13-year-old daughter joined in February with little prior dance experience. She was welcomed with open arms by her instructors, especially Miss Edith, who shows up weekly for morning classes, even when my daughter was the only student there. The dedication from Edith and her team is remarkable. Costume fees were only $80, which seemed extremely reasonable. We know this fee covers not only the costume but also admin time (fittings, ordering, quality checks, handling, and delivery). In gymnastics, we've never received an itemized invoice and it seems unreasonable to expect one. We don’t ask for a breakdown of restaurant ingredient costs, nor do we ask a private school for a line-by-line tuition report or expect a teacher to log every minute of their day to justify compensation. The same principle applies here. Recital experience was also great! It was held at the Bob Hope Theater downtown, with a same-day dress rehearsal. We were able to find street parking but there was also a parking garage adjacent to the venue. Parents could volunteer backstage, which was perfect for parents with younger children who may have been concerned about their young children being backstage for the duration of the entire recital. From what we observed, all dancers, including the younger ones, were treated with care and respect. Tickets were clearly offered with two options: Ticketmaster (with known fees) or $40 at the box office. It was fair and transparent. We chose the Ticketmaster option for the convenience, even though there were additional fees. Finally, our daughter was never treated as an afterthought, despite being new. In fact, her experience has been incredibly positive thanks to consistent, caring instructors who clearly model their dedication after Edith.

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Karin Shirk

vía Google

Our daughter has been dancing at EDC for almost two years and loves every minute of it! The staff is friendly and knowledgeable and the studio provides an enormous array of dance classes, showcasing so many different styles exposing them to anything they could ever want to try! She also participated in the studio’s competition program and had an amazing experience! She has grown so much as a dancer these past months. We love that she has many opportunities at EDC!