Our daughter’s experience at Dancing For A Difference has truly transformed our lives.
In just two years, we’ve witnessed not only her growth as a dancer but also her development into a confident young lady and leader.
The director’s heart for all-inclusive dance is truly inspiring, and it’s clear that this is more than just a studio – it’s a community. The sense of belonging and support we feel here has forever touched our hearts.
The teachers are amazing and incredibly talented, and their dedication to each student is evident in everything they do.
We are so grateful for the positive impact this dance studio has had on our daughter and on our family!!!
We have been with D4D for 4 years now, it’s where our love for dance began. They have an amazing and affordable tiny twirlers starter class for ages 3 and up. We are now apart of the performance team & have had the opportunity to dance at the state fair, strawberry festival, local senior living facilities as well as at universal studios and so many other local events! The teachers are dedicated to their students, teaching them not just dance techniques but how to build good character. We love how this all inclusive studio accepts children of all abilities too! D4D is like family to us, we love it there!
The owner is unhinged, and insane. Stay away. If you scroll through you’ll find consistent negative reviews of the owner being a psycho, coming from not just me, other people’s experience too. I’m sure she will try to counter clock with the good reviews she has, no your good doesn’t outweigh the bad, you’re a psycho. She bashes kids and parents on Facebook, and her staff contributes. she exhibits no sense of professionalism. the owner has a pattern of commenting generic answers on these reviews, and pinning any issue on parents/students. So I expect nothing less from her on this review. Do yourself and your family a favor, save your money and just stay away from this prejudice psycho. 0/10 would not recommend.
My personal experience is that I tried to come to her professionally with an issue I observed in my daughters class, and she literally argued with me, and took it to Facebook. She decided to go back and forth with me like a child, instead of take accountability and problem solve. You should be embarrassed on how you handled this situation with my daughter, you are too immature to run a business.
Per google reviews:
One family’s experience was that she harassed their 6 year old son, and exploited him on Facebook just like she did me and my daughter, scroll down and read the story
Another family complained of of her daughter begging her to never bring her back because her experience was so terrible, scroll down and read it.
Another family complains of her being money hungry and not friendly at all, scroll down and read it, it’s all right there.
This is a constant pattern of the owners , this lady is a joke. Keep your kids away from here
Dancing for a difference has been our dance home for a few years now and we all just love it so much. We love their mission being an all inclusive dance school and providing foster kids and children with disabilities a chance to find their passion through music and dance. It’s also a nonprofit making it affordable for large families like ours to be able to afford dance lessons. we love that they offer theater/music/and dance lessons all at the same place! It’s truly a wonderful place to be a part of. Thank you so much Dancing for a Difference!!
My daughter has been dancing at Dancing for a Difference for almost 4 years and we could not be more impressed by this studio! My daughter, now 7, is a part of the peformance team and musical theatre program along with taking acro, ballet, lyrical, tap and jazz. Sara, the owner/director has such an amazing vision and continues to better her own knowledge base along with the studio's community presence. We would never be able to afford all these classes/programs at another studio- Sara keeps the costs low to help keep the arts more accessible for all. We love how inclusive the studio is and how diverse it is as well. We are honored to be part of a program that, even though a non profit itself,continues to give back to other community organizations. My now college son has also loved volunteering with the studio for the last few years. He is pursuing a musical theatre degree and Sara's mission to increase inclusion and accessibility to arts programs has become central to my son's future goals (and even became a central point in his college application essays). The teachers at the studio are seriously so amazing, nurturing, kind and just so much more! We appreciate Sara, Maggie, Tedra, Amanda and the rest of the D4D staff more than words could express!
As a special needs parent it can be difficult to find a place to feel welcomed and safe. If this isn’t a life you lead, it might not be something you have thought about. When your child is different, the world is scary. Every time you leave the house you have to worry that your child will be treated like they don’t belong, like they make people uncomfortable. You fear the reactions of others or the situations that may put your child in danger. Some days, no matter what you do, your child will get upset because they are trying to find their way in a world that doesn’t fit them. As parents we’re trying to find the balance between letting them be the way they are happy, the way they are comfortable, and trying to help them fit into the world and society that exists around them. There are many times I wish we didn’t have to leave our house where my daughter knows how to cope and have her needs met.
In Dancing for a Difference we found a safe place. When we walk into the lobby kids and parents greet my daughter with a hello and a smile, even though she usually can’t respond to them verbally. Sometimes she sits and smiles and bounces or snacks while we wait for her class to start or for her siblings to finish their class. Sometimes she walks loops around the lobby or crawls under benches. The other families smile and chat with me or each other. Someone may put a hand on a bench so it doesn’t tip over as my eleven-year-old, who is almost as tall as I am, crawls beneath. No one tells her to sit and behave. Not all understand why she moves the way she does but they don’t judge, they let her be who she is. When she goes to class she has teachers who welcome her. I am often in contact with her teachers as she changes often. Her sensory needs and coping mechanisms evolve as she develops and we try new therapies or ways of doing things. Sometimes she has a teenage helper with her in class and sometimes I’m there with her. As much as her teachers and helpers strive to learn and work with her, I am her communication and regulation partner, I am the most able to interpret what she’s trying to communicate and help her adapt to environments. One day, she might be able to take classes without me nearby, but for now, I appreciate our dance studio’s flexibility in letting me be there for her. Sometimes she dances, often she just wants to watch other dancers. For a child like mine, groups of kids can be frightening. Their behavior is less predictable than that of adults so she studies them trying to understand them in the same way that they watch her seeking an understanding of the way she moves and the sounds she makes. Her dance teachers have helped the other children understand and have been open to letting me explain as it is okay to acknowledge that she is different and may have different needs and reactions. Not everyday is perfect. Sometimes, despite everyone’s efforts, for reasons my daughter cannot communicate, she melts down. Sometimes we have to leave class and find a quiet place. Sometimes she sheds tears, sometimes I do. But at our dance studio we have people who offer their support, their lack of judgment, their flexibility, and their thoughtfulness. There is no environment that fits my daughter perfectly, and if there was, it might not fit her the next day as sometimes she changes in the blink of an eye. No two special needs children are the same as no two children are the same. What this studio gives us is the willingness to accept and adapt and to parter with myself and my daughter to give her the opportunity to learn, dance, socialize, and grow surrounded by people I can trust where she can feel she belongs. This is what inclusion means to me.
If you are looking for a happy, professional place for your kids , Dancing4adifference is what you looking for . My daughter just loveeeee it .
My daughter gets to experience inclusion of all abilities in her dance classes! This studio is always finding ways to support our community! They even offer free classes for fostercare kids. We love Dancing for Donations!
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Every one teaching has been so kind and helpful with my little guy who has Down Syndrome. Working with me to find a right class and structure to help him learn. The BEST teachers/owner ever! Blessed to have found them. Patience, understanding, fun, and supportive.
Dancing for donations is amazing. We just started a few weeks ago and everyone is so welcoming and nice.
They’re so wonderful! Ms. Sara and Ms. Amanda are so loving and sweet with their students; we can’t say enough about how much we love this studio!
My daughters have really come to love ballet because of the gentleness and patience of the teachers at Dancing for Donations. Academicly , the girls have learned so many things during our time that we see DfD as a true investment in their lives. Learning patience, tolerance and gentleness by example is a very difficult gem to find let alone the vast knowledge and skill these ladies have.
This nonprofit is a gem. The teachers are all lovingly dedicated to teaching their craft to all children. You can see the impact they make by the joy that's felt in the community.
Dancing for Donations is an amazing non profit. My daughter enjoys every minute if the experience of dance class. Our whole family loves our dance family. An amazing group of dancers and their families have all come together because of Ms Sara's dream.
All students are dancers at Dancing for Donations. Much is given back to the community. We love this amazing non-profit.
A wonderful place and a wonderful idea. My daughter just recently started classes there and we love it and think that it is so great and special that they teach students of all abilities. We're looking forward to being with Dancing for Donations for a nice long time and will love watching them grow.
They are great! I love how good they are with the kids, they are really patient, and work hard on integrating them. I love they give low income families like us the opportunity to participate in this kind of activities that are usually too expensive for us to afford. My 3-years-old really likes going and she says: "Mom, I love it dance".
We love Dancing for Donations! The teachers are wonderful and so accepting. They are always finding ways to give back to the community as well. My daughter loves going to class and is learning so much!
I can’t say enough great things about Sarah, her staff, and this studio! My daughter loves it and I love the adult classes as well. Such a positive environment to foster a love for dance!! Highly recommend!
We love Dancing for Donations! Miss Sara and Miss Amanda are so patient and kind, and truly are passionate about what they do. Not only are the great leaders and role models but they're helping these kids to build confidence in themselves. I would recommend their classes to anyone! This is my daughters second year with them and she loves every minute with them. Next year she wants to take even more classes.
Our daughter has been dancing at dancing for donations for over a year now. I can not say enough good things about this place, Its truly amazing! The teachers are wonderful. I would reccomend this place to anyine looking for a studio! They have tap,jazz, ballet, acro, hiphop and more! Classes are all abilities which I love!
My daughter has been dancing since she was 1 1/2 years old. In January, she started with Dancing for Donations so she could get extra practice with some of her dance skills and even learn some new ones. The classes are affordable and we love that there are dancers with all abilities in the classes. It has taught my daughter that she should not only strive to do her best but help her fellow dancers to do their best and to encourage them along the way. She has learned that dancers with different abilities may not dance exactly like she does but that they can make their own progress in their own way and that should be celebrated every step of the way. We tell everyone that Miss Sara and Miss Amanda are wonderful dance teachers and the dancers get a great dance education!!!!
My daughter Abigail (4yrs) has been in the Dancing for Donations program for a year now! In the beginning, she was extremely shy and terrified of leaving my side. Ms. Sara amd Ms. Amanda worked with her to get her more comfortable in the class. Abby began to come out of her shell, and soon was one of the most outgoing and friendly ballerinas in the class! This program really helped her gain confidence, learn that making mistakes is okay as long as you try again, and the ability to patiently wait her turn! Now I feel confident that she's ready for preschool and will quickly make friends.
We love Dancing for Donations. Miss Sara and Miss Amanda are great teachers and do so much for the community. My daughter really enjoys coming to class and learns so much. They are all inclusive which makes them extra special because they have dancers of all abilities.
I can not say enough about this program. It makes dance affordable for any one and lets every child feel like there is nothing he or she can not achieve. My daughter started with the program in late March and she has already grown by leaps and bounds. The teachers are amazing and make every child feel like they are the only one in the class. Every day my daughter asks me if she gets to go to dance class that day!