Review: United Dance Arts-Valparaiso

Dance recital completely disorganized.
1. Recital completely sold out--each family was issued 2 complimentary tickets but there were not any seats available for the complimentary tickets.
2. New Recital with split show scheduled in place of first sold out show--now there is double booking of tickets.
3. Dress rehearsals in disarray--girls getting yelled at(many leaving in tears--no this was not the dance team but the students of the studio)due to not having their stage makeup ready for the dress rehearsal but the dress rehearsal was not scheduled for this group for another hour.
4. Owner yells at the parents rather than speaking in a polite manner. If a question is asked, her response is,"Didn't you get a packet?" but items in the packet have changed and that is why a question is being asked for clarification.
My daughter just asked me,"Isn't dance supposed to be fun?"
I truly hope other dance studios are not like this.
On another note, the studio is filthy--from overflowing garbage cans, dirty bathrooms, floors are filthy etc. Some may read this and think that now I am being nitpicky but just clean up a couple times a week at least. I'm not expecting sterilization but this just kept getting worse every week. It is not a clean nor organized facility, nothing against any of the teachers just the owner.

My sister and i totally agree with you because they had no music for one of my classes and oh ican't even believe how the team girls got to do their dances and change in 1 song it was ridicoulos!!!!!!!!!!

I just attended my child’s first dance recital put on by United Dance Arts (UDA) out of Valparaiso, Indiana. As I understand it, the dance recital is an annual event to allow the students to show off to their family and friends what they have learned throughout their lessons at the dance studio. United Dance Arts (UDA) has a dance team. The students that were not on the dance team were treated like second rate citizens. The dance teams, who get to perform all year round at numerous competitions, were given the dressing rooms and makeup room to prepare for their numerous numbers. As my daughter said, “It was like you see on television with real makeup tables and light bulbs and dressing areas.” The dance team was provided with snacks and drinks in coolers in their rooms. The students that took the classes to prepare for the dance recital were kept in the cafeteria and changed in the storage room. The students were made to sit at the cafeteria tables some even sharing chairs because they kept them in tight quarters. I felt very bad for the children, many of whom were first time dancers; they were treated so poorly on what was supposed to be their “big day”. The student’s numbers were crammed into the show doing only portions of the songs. I had thought they were doing only portions of the songs due to a time constraint for the recital. The dance team performed approximately 33 numbers and the students performed approximately 13 numbers. Many parents were upset at how “special” the dance team was treated and it was unfair to the children taking classes at this studio just to be part of this one day performance. Don’t get me wrong, I understand the dance team works hard but they get to show off their skills at numerous competitions throughout the year, not just one time. The dance team could have performed a few numbers but this recital was all about UDA’s dance team. I saved the recital program and was disappointed there were no pictures of the student’s only pictures and announcements regarding the team dancers. If the owner of this dance studio had any sense, she would have made this day special for these first time dance students. I guess I need to start my own dance studio so my daughter can perform in 21 numbers at the dance recital. The UDA staff, in my opinion, is misrepresented in the program; i.e. one dance instructor is listed as having 17 years dance experience and she is only 21 years old. If I didn’t know better when reading the short bios on each staff member you would think they are pretty seasoned dancers. The recital was completely disorganized. I am on the lookout for a more professional studio for my daughter to dance.

I completely agree the recital was shameful. Shame on UDA for promoting their dance team with no courtesy to the students or their families.

I have two daughters enrolled in dance classes at UDA. On of my daughters is on the dance team and one is not.
There have been some inaccurate statements.
- First, there were 3 dressing rooms available to use for changes. Any non-team member with a costume change was assigned a dressing room for changing. My youngest daughter had a costume change in a dressing room without any problems. No dancer dressed in a storage room.
- Snacks and drinks were not provided for the team girls. Parents of these girls brought snacks and drinks for them. I also sent snacks and drinks with my youngest daughter who is not on team. Parents were encouraged to send water and non-messy snacks for their children.
- The cafeteria where the children were kept is enormous. There was no shortage of chairs. If children were sharing chairs, it was by choice.
- No songs were cut short in anyway. The music was just as students had rehearsed.
- The dance team only has a total of 22 numbers. If it seemed like more, it is because our children our also enrolled in classes at UDA. My oldest daughter was in 8 numbers total: 4 were team numbers and 4 were because she is enrolled in 4 performance classes (ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop).
My daughters have danced at other studios. Recitals are handled in a similar manner.
I am very proud of how hard both of my daughters have worked to prepare for the recital. At UDA, they have grown immensely as dancers.
People need to understand that the studio is fairly new - the owners and employees are learning and growing too. Overall, it was a successful year and a beautiful show.

Actually, the above comments were pretty accurate for my daughter that is not on team. Each table in the cafeteria had sheets of paper on them designating which numbers were supposed to be at the table and the children were crammed around the tables. There were other tables but the adults in charge said to leave them folded and we were not allowed to use those tables. All in all, the dance recital was about dance team and not the students. I heard many parents around me complaining. My daughter's number was combined with another class where some of the girls were behind the stage curtain. The reviews on this forum regarding the "special" team treatment are accurate according to what I observed at the recital. My daughter is no longer in dance because of our experience at UDA...she is now taking swim classes!

The statement above saying the recital was about the dance team not the students, doesn't make sense. The girls on the dance team are students at the studio as well. Trust me; we pay for every class that our daughters take. It would be unfair to the students on the team to not allow them to perform the numbers they have rehearsed. I think that it is reasonable for the amount of time and money spent dancing at the studio to be proportional to the amount of time they are featured in the recital. The recital is supposed to be a year end showcase of the studio and it was. As for combining classes, all studios that I am familiar with do this. My youngest daughter was in a number like this as well this year. Also, even the dance team numbers feature students coming on and off stage. It is unfortunate that your daughter is no longer in dance - it is an excellent form of exercise and helps develop a good self image. The discipline that is learned through dance instruction will help girls excel in many types of athletic activities as they get older. I would hope that those reading this would give UDA a chance. There is not a better dance studio in our area - I have visited many of them. The studio owners are kind people who really care about the welfare of their students.

United Dance Arts does a phenomenal job at their dancing and teachings to students. My granddaughter was in the recital and i was so proud of her. I was in tears beyond belief of her dance skills. She improved remarkably, without a doubt. I do not understand why these commenters are writing such bad reviews,its all a joke, they're lying. Out of all of the 4 studios my grandaughter has been to, this one for sure, was the most remarkable and professional. Her dance skills have visibly improved, and all of the instructors have high skill levels. UDA treats their students like family. I enjoyed the recital because it was professional and showed the skills of the dancers. I understand that two shows might of upset some people, but the skills of the dancers, and more importantly, the love of dance made it the best dance recital I have ever been to. I am suprised to seee commenters reflect such disapproved remarks; I don't understand. UDA is a keeper and I am proud to have my daughter in their classes. I love United Dance Arts.

Please explain how UDA favors their dance team over the students. Everyone at United Dance Arts is treated equally, and if you think the recital was shameful, you try doing a better job!

I have two girls that have danced at United Dance Arts for two years and I find the comments somewhere in the range from hateful and untrue to ignorant and uneducated. This is our 7th recital and third studio. There simply is not a better studio in this area. The instruction package for the recital was detailed and clear and it looks like most of the comments above came from people who either can't read or didn't take the time to prepare their child for a fully staged production. No other studio gives you two free tickets. Those of us who read the package knew to go in and reserve our seats. I personally saw some of the ignorant behavior at the recital from parents who showed up demanding seats when they hadn't made reservations, bringing children late and forcing the organizers to deal with their lack of punctuality and unpreparedness. Some parents didn't provide food for their own children although the package clearly stated to this was needed - The team at UDA simply had parents that chose to plan ahead and take care of their children instead of playing the entitlement card and expexting everyone else to do their parenting for them. I am thankful and amazed that the owners and instructors pulled off a first-class show under the situation some of the students and parents put them in. Best advise I can give to those making the hateful comments above - go somewhere else. All of the parents and students I talked to are excited and thankful to have such a professional and healthy activity for their children in our area. Thank you UDA !!!

The recital was June 20th and it was great !! Don't really understand the wicked and hateful tone below - before the event happened ??????

Student parent wrote:

Dance recital completely disorganized.
1. Recital completely sold out--each family was issued 2 complimentary tickets but there were not any seats available for the complimentary tickets.
2. New Recital with split show scheduled in place of first sold out show--now there is double booking of tickets.
3. Dress rehearsals in disarray--girls getting yelled at(many leaving in tears--no this was not the dance team but the students of the studio)due to not having their stage makeup ready for the dress rehearsal but the dress rehearsal was not scheduled for this group for another hour.
4. Owner yells at the parents rather than speaking in a polite manner. If a question is asked, her response is,"Didn't you get a packet?" but items in the packet have changed and that is why a question is being asked for clarification.
My daughter just asked me,"Isn't dance supposed to be fun?"
I truly hope other dance studios are not like this.
On another note, the studio is filthy--from overflowing garbage cans, dirty bathrooms, floors are filthy etc. Some may read this and think that now I am being nitpicky but just clean up a couple times a week at least. I'm not expecting sterilization but this just kept getting worse every week. It is not a clean nor organized facility, nothing against any of the teachers just the owner.

I guess everyone is entitled to their opinion - my kids were entirely motivated by the skill and effort the team girls put forth. But we've been doing this for a while and UDA is a competitive studio - maybe not for you.

Liz wrote:

I completely agree the recital was shameful. Shame on UDA for promoting their dance team with no courtesy to the students or their families.

My daughter used to attend classes at the United Dance Arts (UDA) but now attends:
Indiana Ballet Theatre NW Inc.
8888 Louisiana
Merrillville, IN 46410

After observing a few different studios, we settled on IBT (Indiana Ballet Theater). Classes in ballet, jazz, hip-hop, tap, modern, lyrical, character, pointe, and musical theatre dance are offered at beginning through advanced levels.
Our daughter is interested in ballet and although she had fun and got some exercise in the classes at UDA she didn't appear to be learning the proper technique. On the other hand, we thought the disciplined environment of IBT might intimidate her. She has loved attending the classes at IBT and it makes me feel good she is learning proper technique. The director is Gloria Tuohy otherwise known to the children as Mrs. T. Gloria Tuohy’s career has spanned over forty years of professional dance, teaching, choreography and costume design in experience in England, Europe and the United States.
As for the UDA dance recital...well, I'll just say no comment.
Good luck to all in search of the dance studio that fits your needs.

I completely agree. I brought my 7- year old daughter to the recital, and she thoroughly enjoyed it. She is now an aspiring danceteam member! UDA is a competitive studio, and maybe that just isn't for you. However, if you are looking for a top notch facility and teaching staff, and you want your child to progress at a rapid pace, I would highly recommend United Dance Arts for you.

Lisa wrote:

I guess everyone is entitled to their opinion - my kids were entirely motivated by the skill and effort the team girls put forth. But we've been doing this for a while and UDA is a competitive studio - maybe not for you.
<quoted text>

I am completely unbiased. I came across this website in search of some ballroom dancing for my husband and I. But honestly, is anyone going to take advice for someone who misspells "RIDICULOUS"? That is my only comment: consider the intelligence level from which these negative comments are coming from.

Kel wrote:

My sister and i totally agree with you because they had no music for one of my classes and oh ican't even believe how the team girls got to do their dances and change in 1 song it was ridicoulos!!!!!!!!!!

I was browsing some of the discussions on Topix.com and this is a place people go to get some feedback or provide feedback. Obviously, this comment is from siblings that take classes at the facility. So, basically, you are being cruel and bashing a child for giving their opinion.

I am completely unbiased. I came across this website in search of some ballroom dancing for my husband and I. But honestly, is anyone going to take advice for someone who misspells "RIDICULOUS"? That is my only comment: consider the intelligence level from which these negative comments are coming from.

I find it interesting that most of the negative comments are from people from Connersville. That seems like an awful long way to travel for dance instruction . . .

Actually, I am from Merrillville but for some reason it came up Connersville. It never asked me where I was from. I was wondering why that came up, also. Maybe it is because I am not registered or a member. I don't know.

BNA wrote:

I find it interesting that most of the negative comments are from people from Connersville. That seems like an awful long way to travel for dance instruction ...

As a dance team member all you parents and dancers need to shut your mouth bc at recital us dance girls all decided to bring food for us we had to pitch money in it was pervided for us we all had to pay for t second the dance girls are there dedicated and are ther five days ot of the week sometimes more never missing classes. I think uda is very perfesonal ive been to three other dance studios and they were all crazy. United dance arts treats everyone with care and respect also at the dance recital the owner was repeatedly yelled out screamed at and she stood there and took it talking to them calmly. Third dress rehercal was all in the packet you all should have been more Responsible and picked it up. Don't bash unirted dance arts. On another note the dancers had to clean ip the studo after practice there's just so many people there it doesn't take long to fill up the trash cans if you don't like it clean it your self. Bc the dance team already cleans it ip at the end of practice. Find somethig better to do than make shit up about the dance team thak you

you are rude.

Liz wrote:

I completely agree the recital was shameful. Shame on UDA for promoting their dance team with no courtesy to the students or their families.