★ 5

Academy of Dance Arts has exceeded our expectations in every way! The owners and instructors go above and beyond to create a family-like atmosphere that is inclusive, kind, and fosters personal growth while learning dance. We are so grateful we found Academy of Dance Arts and highly recommend!

Source: Google

★ 1

Last year, I brought my granddaughter there to have that free class, she was 3 at that time , so I wanted to see if she would like it. We were never greeted at the front desk, and nobody ever spoke a word to us. They did not try to include my granddaughter, matter of fact they did not speak one word to her. It was obvious that the other girls had been attending for a while. I felt very embarrassed and not Included in any way, and definitely not valued as a possible student

Source: Google

★ 5

My daughter has danced at Academy since she was 3 and is now a graduating senior. Not only has she learned good technique across all styles from ballet to tap, modern, jazz, hip hop and contemporary her fellow dancers and teachers are a second family. She has learned skills far beyond dance that she will take with her as she moves into adulthood. Rather you want to dance professionally or are dancing for the joy of dance Academy meets dancers where they are at and helps them achieve their goals.

Source: Google

★ 5

The Academy has afforded my daughter the best dance experience since we moved to the studio 5 years. Not only has her training been customized to her readiness, but it has been body positive, with a focus on doing things the right way to prevent injury. They have helped my daughter not only reach her dance goals, but support her in life.

Source: Google

★ 5

I'm learning ballet as an adult, Ms. Claire is very accommodating, helpful and gives the corrections I need. Rates are affordable too.

Edit: I just wanted to come back to say how much I've enjoyed the classes! I feel challenged and motivated with each lesson, and the private instruction was exactly what I needed to improve my technique. Love love love this studio!

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google

★ 5

We appreciated the trial classes! Loved watching my daughter and son having so much fun. Their beaming faces said it all! Teacher (Miss Anna) and staff (Miss Lily) were warm and helpful, too, making the process and sign-up for summer classes a breeze.

Source: Google

★ 5

Our daughter just started in the kinder dance class and she absolutely loved it! The teachers were awesome! Miss Lily in the front was so helpful with getting her registered. We are looking forward to more fun classes!

Source: Google

★ 5

My daughter had her first dance class the other day, and she was very shy and didn’t do a lot of the things Miss Anna was teaching, but Miss Anna was patient with her and still tried to make her feel included. We signed our daughter up for dance classes through the summer and she is so excited!

I also really appreciate the ease of getting my daughters trial class set up, they were flexible with me when I needed to reschedule and still made it happen for my daughter.

We’re currently in the process of finding a preschool for my daughter, and I wish it could be as easy as setting this dance class up, was.

Source: Google

★ 5

This has been such a fun and exciting new adventure for my daughter. She had her first class at 11, and was VERY nervous, but everyone there was so kind, encouraging and engaging with her, her confidence is through the roof since then.

Source: Google

★ 5

I attended an adult beginner ballet class and had the best time!

Source: Google

★ 5

Academy of Dance is perfect. Claire is so welcoming with the parents and kiddos as well as the dance instructors. My little is just starting and the "trial" class was a little overwhelming for her, but they were all so kind and just let her participate at her own pace. Looking forward to her next class and seeing her grow in confidence and build friendships along the way.

Source: Google

★ 5

I just had my trial for adult intermediate ballet at Academy of Dance Arts with Miss. Claire, and I had a wonderful experience! It was such a fun class and I felt very comfortable right away- which is difficult for me as I’m a bit shy! Everyone was so welcoming and helpful- I ended up registering for the class! I would definitely recommend Academy of Dance Arts for any dance needs :)

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google

★ 5

We signed up for KinderDance and got to do a free lesson. Needless to say my daughter loved it and he teachers as well as the other staff working were amazing and very welcoming! We felt at home. We are now signed up for classes! We are excited to be a part of the Academy of Dance Art

Source: Google

★ 5

My daughter is just finishing up the Fine Arts Club at the Academy of Dance Arts. This 12 week program is just what we were looking for. It offers yoga, dance, drama and time with friends!! The teachers are so professional and respectful!!

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google

★ 5

My daughter has grown up in this studio. The owner and teachers are amazing. They support dancers with whatever their goals might be, big and small. It's truly like having another family. Their end of the year recitals are amazing.

Source: Google

★ 5

After just 1 year of enrollment, we have fallen in love with Academy. We have 5 dancers currently enrolled in classes, ranging in age from a very shy 6 year old girl to a first time dancer that is our 16 year old son. These and everyone in between has been welcomed with open arms and made to feel like they belong. They are consistently challenged, encouraged and inspired. The staff is friendly and helpful, greeting each person with a smile and making it clear they are truly happy to be doing what they are doing. Especially with older dancers, we have been impressed by the way they have been welcomed and met at their level. Our family has been greatly blessed by our joining the Academy family!

Source: Google

★ 5

Ms. Grace has been so patient with my daughters and so kind. She really has worked a miracle with them. They love to dance, and because of her they love it even more. Thank you for letting me daughters look up to you! All of academy of dance arts have been so helpful and kind. I’ll drive 30 min every week to come here and not complain at all. Love it!

Source: Google

★ 5

My daughter has attended the Academy for years and I have been most impressed with the positive values and affirmative words that are impressed on the dancers. The staff are consistently kind hearted, encouraging and fun loving...all while being motivating and firm. The Academy is a great place for dancers of all ages and skill levels to grow and achieve milestones...both emotionally and physically!

Source: Google

★ 5

All three of my children attend this studio and we love it! The Amazing teachers and positive environment Are what make the academy of dance arts special!

Source: Google

★ 5

The dance teachers and the staff are great to work with and such a great atmosphere for the dancers. My daughter can stop talking about dance since she started. She practices all the time and is always so focused and engaged.

Source: Google

★ 5

The Academy Canyon Lake Studio will always hold a special place in our hearts. This is where our daughters learned to dance. The Academy instructors they met here have become valuable mentors. We love this space for the early childhood program.

Source: Google

★ 5

Our 5-year old has been enjoying ballet lessons here for the last 6 months. The environment is wonderfully positive and the staff are remarkably kind and patient with young kids. We've forgotten our slippers a few times when life got hectic and there was no judgement, she was able to use their spare pairs. It feels like a community not just for creating elegant dancers, but healthy happy young people. Highly recommend!

Source: Google

★ 5

The teachers are kind, the atmosphere is positive, and the quality of dance training is excellent. We highly recommend Academy of dance arts. They exceed our expectations in all ways!

Source: Google

★ 5

Several years later update: We still love the Canyon Lake Studio! My dancer has taken several different classes and all the teachers are so friendly and very experienced! I feel my little dancer is learning so much and really enjoys the classes. We have been with Academy of Dance arts for over 2 years. I was very hesitant to join any dance place for fear of drama like you see on the tv shows. Since I was so new to the dance scene I was very amazed to find out that this studio has very little to no drama in every area (teachers, parents, ect.) I am amazed at how well the teachers cater to the age group and how much the children learn. The classes are small so they are able to learn so much. I love the caring staff members and the quality they expect and teach. I would highly recommend Academy of Dance Arts to any age.

Source: Google

★ 5

We enjoyed bringing our granddaughter to Academy of Dance Arts starting when she was just 4. She loved it! We have continued to watch her over the years grow into a delightful young lady. Her years at the Academy have enhanced her poise, confidence and self esteem. This will do her well throughout her life. I highly recommend this program for your family members.

Source: Google

★ 5

I love dancing here and all of the teachers make you feel like you're their family. I would recommend this place 100%

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google

★ 5

Academy of Dance Arts is an incredible place to be for learning and growing in both dance and as a person! The moment you walk through the door, you can feel the positive energy! The faculty is amazing and will do whatever is necessary to help each person! Overall, Academy of Dance Arts is a phenomenal studio for both students and their families and is nothing short of incredible!

Source: Google

★ 5

My daughter has been attending Academy of Dance arts for a little over a year and she absolutely loves it. The staff and teachers are outstanding, you can see that Dance Arts are their passion and it shows in every one of their classes.

Source: Google

★ 5

Feels like a second home with lots of positivity and kind people all around!

Source: Google

★ 5

My daughter was dancing at this studio last year. The staff, teachers and facility are amazing! Looking forward to see my daughter grow with Academy.

Source: Google

★ 1

Most staff were great, but children’s instructor was inexcusably rude to my 3 year old child.

Source: Google

★ 5

As a family, we have lived in several states across the US. We originally moved to Rapid City in 1999, and our oldest daughter started dance that year. After trying two other disappointing dance studios, we listened to the advice of several friends and finally decided to switch our oldest daughter to yet another dance studio, the Academy of Dance Arts. With this move, both our daughters were fortunate to start their dance experiences in a wonderful and encouraging environment. Unfortunately, we had to move away in 2007. Only then did we fully appreciate the dance opportunities and inclusive environment the Academy offered to students. After moving, our next couple dance studio experiences were focused on making money, and one of the dance instructors really had no business working with young children. During this time, our daughters repeatedly talked fondly about their time at the Academy and would discuss how much they missed this studio. In 2011, we returned to Rapid City and our daughters were ecstatic that they would again be dancing at the Academy. To summarize, after experiencing two other studios in Rapid City, and two studios in other states, the Academy has been the most positive dancing experience our daughters have ever experienced. The focus at the Academy is about the student versus how to milk every penny from their parents. More importantly, they work hard to make dance accessible to everyone, and their dance productions are beyond amazing. Through my family’s travels, I have never seen dance productions at any other studio of the same caliber. If you want your child to attend a dance studio focused on the student, with a warm and welcoming environment, then I highly recommend you consider this studio. We are so grateful to have been a part of their family.

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google

★ 5

Fabulous studio!! Would highly recommend. Great instructors and philosophy.

Source: Google

★ 5

We have been a part of the Academy family for over 6 years now and have been impressed and inspired by the quality dance education and the commitment to developing each dancer as a whole. Kindness, positivity, and encouragement are values that are seen, felt, and shared at every lesson by instructors and dancers alike. I also appreciate that the music, costumes, and choreography are always age appropriate and respectful. All around, it is a wonderful environment and my daughters love being there and learning to dance.

Source: Google

★ 5

Academy faculty treat all dancers as individuals. Everyone is important. Personal strengths are recognized and celebrated. Teachers equip the dancers with a strong foundation in technique, which gives students the tools they need to develop higher skills. In fact, when my daughter went to a dance intensive in Salt Lake City, her technique and overall skill was comparable if not better than dancers who attended performing arts schools in that area. We have found the Academy of Dance Arts to be a welcoming and caring place for all students to express themselves through dance. I highly recommend the Academy.

Source: Google

★ 5

I have danced with Academy since I was four-years-old. In my 13 years at Academy I have not only grown as a dancer but as a person as well. The faculty and fellow dancers are among some of the nicest, most nurturing, and humble people I've ever met. Upon traveling over the past few summers to other dance programs in other states I have noticed how remarkable the instruction is at this studio. Dancers are taught to uphold their technique while also embracing their own personality, in these other cities, while dancing with young folks from Chicago, Denver, Milwaukee, etc. I found that the instruction I received allowed me to feel incredibly comfortable while dancing alongside others from larger cities. In summation, Academy provides a fantastic technique base while allowing each dancer to embrace what makes them special. The Academy of Dance Arts has become a safe, neutral, happy place for me to call my second home.

Source: Google

★ 5

I cannot put into words the profound effect learning dance from the Academy teachers has had on me. As a high schooler and throughout my life, I have found guidance and always, always acceptance here. I can't believe how lucky I have been to work with Julie McFarland, Sara Olivier, and more! I love that I am challenged to push myself further than I did in the last class. I have learned not only to dance using its proper technique, but to be compassionate, to develop my work ethic, and to exude a positive attitude. The Academy of Dance Arts is a family that is loving and supportive through it all. I highly recommend experiencing dance here.

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google