I am writing this review in hopes that it will prevent someone else's child from being hurt or discouraged from pursuing their artistic dreams.
I enrolled my now 4yr old daughter (3yrs old in the beginning of the fall session) in her very first ballet class. I chose Studio Dionne based on convenient location and some good reviews that I read online. However, I am definitely now regretting this choice!
My daughter is the only African American enrolled in her class and I can honestly say that I have never felt welcomed by the school. When going to pre-register my daughter for the next fall session for the 4 yr old aged class last Saturday I was told that my daughter was the only child in the class that would not be allowed to move forward to the next class. When questioning why, I was told that they feel my child is not "emotionally" ready and does not have the attention span to last the additional 15 minutes that the next class requires (btw none of these "concerns" were ever brought to my attention prior and my daughter has been in this class since August). Also, here is the icing on the cake...If someone walked into studio Dionne today with their 4 yr old child that child would automatically be enrolled in the class they say my daughter isn't ready for just based on age....but my daughter who has been at the school for 10mo and is 4 yrs old is not allowed to be enrolled into that same class.
I know most parents are going to speak highly of their child (in which they should), but my child is exceptionally smart and ahead of most 3-4 yr olds in many areas (socially, emotionally, and academically). This has been proven via the state test and assessment given at my daughters school and to say that my child is not "emotionally" ready and does not have the attention span in my opinion is a load of crap! I can't stand when individuals play the race card, but in this situation race was the only difference of my child and every other child in that class. It's kills me when individuals of the opposite race try their hardest to "label" an African American child at a young age.
At this age introducing a child to the arts should be fun and exciting, not trying to discourage and humiliate a child. In this day and age when the arts are starting to diminish you would think that a kids dance school would do everything in their power to encourage children to enjoy and embrace the arts. Dancing may not end up being my daughters "claim to fame" but at this age I want to expose my child to every opportunity and as she gets older see what she enjoys most.
My child has 2 more weeks left in the session and I am seriously considering not letting her attend. I DO NOT STAND BY ANY COMPANY OR ORGANIZATION THAT TRIES TO KILL AND DESTROY MINORITY CHILDREN DREAMS.
I do not recommend Studio Dionne to anyone! Especially minorities!