Reviews of Oakville Academy For The Arts (Dance School)

Paige Rutledge

This will be my 5th year working at The Oakville Academy for the Arts and I am so grateful that I get to work with the most educated, professional, and knowledgeable staff. Each teacher provides a unique take on the Arts and brings forward their own individuality, and really takes the time to get to know students, as well as help them succeed at what ever they are doing. If you are looking to sign your child up for dance, music, art, musical theatre, or acting classes, I would definitely recommend The Oakville Academy for the Arts.

Tim

Wow. Such a ripoff. Apparently they do not want repeated business. First off. Lets be clear. The instructors are probably great. But the management is unscrupulous. They did not tell you up front how much they are going to charge you later for the student performance event. $40 per person for ticket and 160 for the costume. It is not so much about the amount but the way they exploit your kids' passion - get them anticipate the performance so that parents do not have an option. What a manipulative strategy! And for that costume price there was not even a superficial measurement session and the fitting was poor. I know costume costs money and the school markup is all fair game, but way they conduct business is utterly unprofessional.

Roberto Sakura

I am appalled by the complete lack of morals of the administration of this school. I've paid more than 2 thousand dollars in advance for both my kids to attend dance classes and the school refuses to refund the portion of the classes not rendered due to the lockdown. The justifications used by Heidi either show a complete lack of knowledge of consumer law, or most likely, just a complete lack of morals. Do not enroll your kids here.

Miguel Tejeda

Almost 3 months without after school class and they haven't respond emails and calls because they dont want to return the funds paid in advance. Very unprofessional aptitude and lack of transparency.

Jackie Marchildon

The teachers at this studio are amazing. They care so much about their students and they are incredibly talented — each teacher is an expert in their own specific field and it really shows.

Marica Pejakovic

Wonderful dance and music programs for all ages! My child has been attending OAA for the past 5 years taking piano/vocal and recreational dance. The staff members are very friendly, caring and knowledgeable; they really make you feel like you are family. If you have a child interested in the arts, I would highly recommend enrolling them at OAA.

Cissy Zhu

OAA is ridiculous and keep charging me since school closed. and i try to withdrawal class since April and keep asking for refund with no success. i paid summer camp fee+ deposit of 2021 + costume deposit, total over $1000 but the owner said it is non-refundable??? It is wrong and completely inappropriate for them to continue to take our money when there are no classes. very very bad customer service and lack of communication! be aware of this place! ???? do not go to this place anymore!

Caz D

Literally, Oakville's best in Dance, Music, Art, Musical Theatre, Preschool, and so much more! A truly amazing place where students develop BOTH artistic AND LIFE SKILLS. The Oakville Academy for the Arts is shaping the future of our youth through artistic excellence.

Aman Johal

My daughter has danced at the academy for the past 7 years and has enjoyed every moment of being there. The Teaching staff and the admin staff have consistently been fantastic. Teachers are skilled in their teaching techniques as they all have such strong backgrounds and are extremely supportive in helping the girls discover their capabilities and pushing them beyond there comfort zones. The skills and friendships they have developed extend far beyond dance class and we are so grateful. Three words to describe the academy would be Professional, Friendly and always a Positive Place. We love being apart of the OAA family!

Louise Gleeson

Ten years ago, I found this studio in the yellow pages and enrolled my oldest daughter in a ballet class. Since then all four of my children have participated in the preschool program, the recreational dance program, the music program and the competitive dance team. We have had positive experiences across all facets, and I've seen my children grow in self-esteem and come away with incredible friendships. Not only have we been on the receiving end of caring teachers and support staff (we love the front desk ladies, too), we have been made to feel like we are part of a bigger family.

Mike Belobradic

My daughter has been attending dance classes here for several years and really loves it. The instructors are professional, the programs are well constructed and most importantly my daughter has fun, enjoys herself and is really improving with each passing year. They Academy offers a great range of programs across many styles. Worth exploring.

Marina Michaelov

Parents always worry and wonder if their kid is ok, but you eased the parents’ anxiety right away. Thank you for your professionalism and positive attitude. See you tomorrow!

Marie Korczak

If you are looking for a dance studio or arts program I would 100% recommend OAA. My daughter was in the arts camp with OAA all summer and she loved every single second of it. The communication from Miss Julia every week was incredible. Whenever I had a question, I would receive a response promptly. In regards to their programs, my daughter developed such a love and passion for dance. She would come home every day with new skills that she loved showing off. The progress she made over the summer months was awesome to see. The teachers at the school are really talented and great with the young kids.

A D

My daughter attended during the summer (age 3), She will be 4 come November, I wanted to wait to see how she would do at JK at public school to make a review. I first signed her up for ballet, which went ok, it was more for socializing. I was told there is a summer pre-school weekly program, so I signed her up as the weeks went by. I noticed most days I would pick her up and she would be crying. At one point I told the ECE this cannot be my child as they expressed she threw a chair, won't listen and I was called to pick her up as the behavior was unacceptable. I tried speaking to my daughter asking why she did these things because my daughter is NOT aggressive in anyway. She is very affectionate and loves other children. She has not been around children due to the pandemic so it was a learning curve for her. The ECE expressed come September NO school will tolerate her behavior and they would be calling me everyday to pick her up. They mentioned a few times how tall she is. I had to remind them she is only 3 and although she may look 5, she is not and she's learning to communicate and express her feelings. If a smaller size 3 year old threw a chair, they would not call me saying her behavior is unacceptable and to pick her up. I understand young children get frustrated. My daughter used words that I do not use in my home such as "hate", "bad girl". I expressed she is reacting to her environment. I kept sending her thinking its just a learning curve which was my mistake because I still picked her up most days crying. I was told what I should not do as a parent such as "give her everything she wants." and she has to learn the word "no." I expressed that my daughter does not get her way every time and she does not get what she wants, especially if its a toy etc. She understands the word no. And never fights me on it or throws a tantrum. So far she has attended JK at public school, I have not been called once by the school. I have not picked her up crying. She is always happy and expresses she loves school and her teachers. I most likely will not send my daughter here again due to the fact that something was very wrong with the environment and I ignored my gut. I wanted to send her for JK because I was very worried about covid and the large classroom, but after her first week I noticed she is the child I know her to be and always happy when I picked her up. They also do assessment so I felt a bit better. I noticed the teachers to are soft spoken and gentle. I know my child best and I knew something was wrong as I know her not to be the way the academy is expressing she is. I came to realize just because you pay for an expensive school or private school, does not make it better. It is unfortunate my daughter did not thrive here as I liked the location and it having smaller size classrooms etc. The 3 stars is for the location, class size and meals.

Pavel Grinshtein

Great dance teachers team at all times and excellent place for kids to learn to dance . ????

Maja Moldenhauer

Our 6 year-old daughter has been dancing at this school for a few years. Having been a dancer my whole life between a few different studios, I can attest to the fact that this is a solid school, with extremely talented faculty. We have been exponentially more impressed with the school following their response to COVID-19. Not only did they come up with a concrete plan to ensure everyone's safety, they are following through with it (many other places have a "plan" and it goes out the window once you're behind those closed doors). Both of my kids absolutely adore their summer camp (PT Competitive and Art Integration) and beg to go back during their 'off' weeks. Thank you OAA for giving our family peace of mind in KNOWING that you are taking appropriate measures to keep kids safe in these times in addition to maintaining superior instruction!

K B

Possibly one of the biggest rip off dance studios around. The owner is money hungry and that's all she cares about. When you have a complete change of teaching staff every 2 - 3 years, you have to wonder about the ethics of people. Since leaving this studio (along with the mass exodus of lovely teachers) i have learnt that there are far better, more caring studios out there, that pass on discounts from conventions etc, as they get them. My daughter is currently doing over double the hours she was doing at this studio and the cost to me is just over half what I was paying at OAA. Well done you fooled me for two years, but no more. My daughter is now happy at her new studio, where she has been for the last two years and you know the teachers and owners are caring. I was definitely robbed while here. AVOID AT ALL COSTS IF YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR DANCER!

slawomir

This school is one of the greatest art/dance studios out there. What I love about this place is that they really care about their recreational students thanks to amazing teachers! not like other studios where rec kids are unfortunately secondary. Also the recitals are such a treat!

Sharon Guger

Our daughters have been involved in a variety of different dance classes over the last 7 years. Teachers have consistently been excellent - skilled in teaching technique and supportive in helping the girls discover their capabilities and artistic voices. The skills and friendships they have developed extend far beyond dance class...

Randy Smith

As a parent of 2 students of OAA I can't not say enough positive things about OAA. My Daughter loves it so much and can't get enough of the OAA dance experience that she is joining the Part Time competitive team this coming fall!! The team of OAA is professional and enthusiastic and can always be found with smiles on their faces. Because they teach multiple disciples we can fit in her piano lessons and voice lessons easily around her dance classes. Our son is also an OAA student loving the guitar and garage band program. This is not only convenient for the family schedule but it also means that we do not have to worry about recital conflicts, as OAA manages it all with kids with multi disciplines in mind. Thanks OAA Team!!!

Beth

Horrible management, horrible teachers! I am so disgusted that I paid a great deal of money for many years for my daughter to be surrounded by bullies - management, teachers and other dancers. The teachers don't care about the dancers, and are often not even in the room teaching if they are they are on their phone, or gossiping about the dancers. Teachers have belittled, embarrassed, and been flat out rude to my daughter and from what other families tell me we are not the only ones. Overall a very unprofessional and negative environment only concerned with the bottom buck. Level of instruction is below par and fees above.

Keri A

Amazing! My daughter is almost 3 and is obsessed with Miss Rose. For her 2nd class my daughter told me to stay outside the door. Lol Best thing I ever done for her!

Kevin Lu

My daughter is learning dance over there. they charged six tickets for my daughter's rehearsal. but we only have four family members. so it seems they are doing very good business and they are handling money matter very well for themself.

k gal

My daughters have been dancing recreationally at OAA for more than 6 years. They have always loved their classes and we have loved every teacher that they have had there. Ballet, tap, jazz, Hip Hop and lyrical. They have loved each class and taken away a different experience from each. The kids have made many close friends at the studio and also become very close with many teachers and staff. There is a wonderful family feeling at the studio. The recitals are superior and we have always been very impressed with the calibre of dance that our daughters have performed, as well as the entire show!

Morag Cowie

Well hopefully people will look here before being ripped off by the dance school. They don't care AT ALL about issues to find what works best for the student WHILE thinking of what is ALSO best for the other students in the class. Its all about the money and the policies. They don't even want to know why changes are requested, money paid (including OVERPAID) is gone forever! BE WARE

Natasha Cummings

My daughter attended the preschool program during COVID. Despite the obvious challenges this year bought us she had such a positive experience there. She made lots of friends and always came home smiling and happy. The teachers are very kind and I felt that they truly cared about my daughter and welcomed her to the centre. She has grown so much socially and academically this year. Thank you OAA!

amanda custodio

My daughter has danced at OAA for the past eight years and her experience there has truly shaped the young person she is. The staff and teachers are amazing and always professional. During the pandemic, the zoom classes helped my daughter maintain some sense of normalcy. Since then, she has returned to the studio and the protocols have made her and I both feel completely safe. The studio is clean and the social distancing and screening process required to enter provide extra peace of mind. Thank you OAA!

Annie

Terrible customer service and communication during the pandemic shutdown. Continuing to take money from families when no in person classes taking place is wrong. Will be finding another dance school for my child.

Laura Martinez

My daughter takes a dance class for infant-toddler and she just loves it.

Zsuzsanna Nucara

OAA is very unprofessional. They are not responding to any calls or emails and even continuing to charge people's credit cards when they are not even offering decent class alternatives! They are also refusing to provide refunds, only offering credits(a tiny fraction) towards next year - who would ever go back to their school after they completely unprofessional way they have behaved?!

zarincha

Do not support a business that is ripping families off during a pandemic. How can you continue taking money from families when your school is closed? The poor quality Instagram classes are not what we agreed to and never given a choice in the matter. Nor do you offer credits to be applied for future classes. And you are pocketing the fees for the recital which will not take place. You will be held accountable. I am filing a formal complaint with the Ontario government for violating the Consumer Protection Act. I urge other families who have been ripped off during this devastating time to do the same.

Robert Toscani

Our daughter has been at OAA for 3-4 years now, after we moved her from another dance school with which we were dissatisfied. As she was at the other school for several years, we were afraid to move her and possibly disrupt her development. If we had known what a great school OAA is, we would have made the move sooner. Since being at OAA, our daughter's interest in dance has increased ten-fold, and her skills have improved equally as much. Also, their professionalism is unprecedented. They take great pride in everything they do, and spare no expense in doing so.

Ada Cheng

I see that I am not the only one with the same experience: when the lockdown happened, first they continued to charge for the month of April without getting consent from us parents and no communication. Then charging for the month of May where we already gave notice that we do not want our daughter to proceed. Being patient as our daughter does enjoy the teacher and class - now, the recital dress deposit will not be returned, even though there is no recital. To top it off, when we first registered we paid first and last month for this term (January to June) - they say deposits are not refundable - but if you count the last month as June, this place (like pretty much everywhere else) were not even open. This is now just outright stealing. The multiple emails and phone messages going unanswered is just not acceptable.

Karen Belliveau

My daughter has been dancing at OAA for over 6 years and loves it! She has enrolled in many different styles of dance and has enjoyed them all. The teachers make it a fun, learning environment. Katie Watson, the Dance Director, is extremely supportive and encouraging and is always available to answer any questions and give feedback - she really cares about our kids. Also, the Year End Recital is truly a spectatular show that the kids are so proud to be a part of!

Alex Sawras

(Translated) Amazing experience year after year! Thanks OAA team! (Original) Amazing experience year after year! Thanks OAA team!

Joanne Pereira

My son and daughter have been at OAA for 5 years. I cannot say enough about the programs and the faculty at OAA. Our kids love going there. Every year my daughter wanted to do more and more at the academy. She showed an interest in joining the competitive team and everyone at OAA was so helpful and nurturing with my daughter to help her in any way they could to achieve her goal. They are very professional and also very committed to developing great dancers. My son and daughter have met so many amazing dancers and singers and have had great exposure to the arts. We are very happy with the studio and plan on being there a long time.

Jade Shyback

As newcomers to Oakville OAA has not only become a place for my children to nurture their love of dance, it has become a community of good friends; our second home. The faculty are extremely talented and caring. The senior recital is testimony to the high level of effort and attention given to students, both recreational and competitve alike. We couldn't be happier. Thank you OAA.

Sally Smith

This is purely a profit-driven business with little care for the development of the children. Enrolled my 3 year-old in ballet class and 5 months later we've dropped $480 for the classes, $115 for a costume, $120 for recital tickets (4), plus we apparently aren't allowed to take pictures at the recital - have to buy a DVD for who knows how much. Need more focus on helping the kids have fun and less on sucking as much money out of people as you can.

Audrey Rocha

Great dance school with plenty of classes. Would recommend for the younger classes more assistants as the younger children get easily distracted and are often staring out of the window looking for their parent. Or perhaps a reflective tint on the inside of the main classroom so that the children cant see out.

Raj Singh

Understand that we are in dire situation and health crisis. Either the institute must CLOSE the door and NOT charge any fees OR provide students with online Live sessions. The offline classes are useless.

helloamyok

Do not sign up your children !! I signed up my 2 children on August 15 to start classes 1 month later in September. The next day (less than 24 hours) I had to cancel due to a scheduling error on my part. When I called I was told the first and last months deposit were non-refundable and were already charged to my credit card. (Almost 300.00) Also I would need to speak to “Heidi” to have them refunded. Good luck getting ahold of Heidi! All of my calls and emails went unanswered. Very shady place and only concerning with money to take fees that won’t be used. Basically stealing . There are many other dance companies in Oakville - sign up elsewhere.

Genna Kapoor

Awesome ????????

s stalteri

This dance school is amazing! My daughter has been going here for 3 years and we absoutely love it! She has done acro and ballet and loves all the teachers! The final show at the end of the year is so well put together with live music and beautiful dancing!

Trinity Platt

Would not recommend this place to anyone . Teaching staff are very toxic and this place is crazy overpriced . Costumes were often arrived very last minute and were a minimum of 300$ for horrible pieces that dont even fit, somehow all the people they didnt like ended up getting a costume no where near there size and had to pay extra to get it altered. after i left the studio due to the horrible environment , the teachers had the audacity to tell everyone i got kicked out? Very disorganized and not ran well, this place ruined my passion for dance . Also found out the teachers were body shaming and talking bad about students who left , unless you want to ruin your kids confidence. Do not send your child here.

Krupa Thakrar

While my daughter really enjoyed the classes and the teacher she had was great with the girls, the recital was a whole different story! Bad organization, really bad communication and really really bad manners!! On top of that I wasn't even allowed to take pictures of my own daughters performance and have to buy the DVD.

Marilyn Brown

Avoid this Dance Studio like the Plague! Owner is rude and only in it for money, Getting back a first and last month deposit is like trying to rob a bank She refers you to a Heidi - to resolve a simple refund Cannot ever connect with this Heidi , who I think still lives with Grandfather in the Alps! I’ve never heard of first and last month prepayment for dance or music lessons How does a little child know whether they like it or not it’s my child that’s getting lessons not a down payment on an apartment! It was only less than 24 hrs when she was contacted to return my money as my schedule changed She must be hard pressed to get students due to her previous complaints and clearly her aggressive attitude towards money needing returned before any class started Stay clear Much better Dance studios that are reputable than this money grabber

KK

Worst Place ever.... I would highly recommend all parents to look into this place before registering their children here not safe at all. The Owner of this place is even worse she only cares about making Profit and does not care about the children at all. The dance and art teachers are heard screaming at the children and scolding them, there is absolutely no quality in their programs offered here,beware of the white skinny girl who teaches dance she will treat your children like some kind of toys and yell at them for no reason and dont know what other type of abuse that might be happening here. Personal Advice to all parents to watch out before enrolling your children for any kind of programs here. The ministry of education needs to look into this horrible place and take ACTION!!!!!!!!Will never put my children here.

Xnono118

The worst communication experience ever! Be aware of this place. My daughter goes there for toddler ballet classes since early last year. The teachers are nice and kind. However, the management would take every possible penny from parents to reduce their own loses. When you ask for a refund (yes you have to ASK for it, otherwise it's not going to happen), they won't refund the HST which you have already paid along with the tuition. Also, they will charge a processing fee and an extra legal fee?? The owner Heidi didn't even want to refund the tuition for June at the first place, because there are only 2 classes. Excuse me?? There is a reason that you are getting incredible low reviews within such a short time. You are losing clients and also your CREDITS by the way you deal with money!! Good luck!

Antonella Fong

ETA: after posting this review the school reached out to me to process a refund. They tried to claim that the reason why it hadn't gone through yet was because my credit card on file had expired. This is true. However, my credit card expired in December of 2020. My first request for a refund was March of 2020. With failed attempts at communication btwn March 2020 until January 2021. It was not until I posted this review did they find it necessary to reach out and attempt to rectify the situation. Take from that what you will, but I find it very telling. I will not be changing my one star rating. _________ The 1 star that I am giving is for the young teachers who led the baby ballet/intro to ballet classes. Our experience with this school doesn't even deserve the 1 star it's getting riding on the good graces of those young teachers. It has taken a year for me to write this review following the shutdown during the province wide lockdown that effectively ended our 2019/2020 term. During the past year I have reached out to the school on countless occasions; I have written numerous emails and called Heidi, Lucy, Paige and whomever else I could try and get on the phone to answer my calls. All asking when I could anticipate a refund for the classes not attended after I withdrew my daughter from the school. At the time of the shutdown their lack of communication was insulting. Their version of offering a virtual dance lesson via instagram was a joke. I tried to see if we could go along with it, and when it became clear that random Instagram live videos was not engaging for my 3 yr old daughter I following the protocol of giving notice and withdrew my child. This should have prompted the refund of the remainder of the (prepaid) season. Yet, to this day, they are WITHHOLDING MY MONEY. At this point it is the principle of the matter. I have given ample opportunity for the school to remedy their actions and at the absolute bare minimum COMMUNICATE WITH ME. Every email has been ignored. Not one telephone message has been returned. The ONE time I got poor Lucy on the phone to enquire - she was clearly overwhelmed and at a loss of words to describe the poor business practices to date. I get it, it's not her business. However, even she promised that she personally would process the refund during the next couple weeks as she was behind...that was a lie. I am owed months of dance classes and a refund on the costume - which was automatically charged to my credit card. At this point I hope this review serves as a warning for other parents trying to support a local business to STAY AWAY. The teachers may be the only silver lining to this place, but there are several other dance schools with wonderful, dedicated, and caring instructors in this small town. And even the great teachers is not enough to make up for the deceitful, greedy, and deplorable administration, management, and owner. Such a TERRIBLE shame. If you are considering this school and after reading this review you reconsider sending your child here, I will consider this review successful; saving someone else from being treated unfairly and being drained of their money, I can make peace that I've lost a significant chunk of my own money.

John Cochrane

The kids loved coming to the after class dance programs. The teachers were great - very friendly, approachable and well natured. We have enrolled our 2 daughters and will continue to do so. We have done a lot of research of other dance studios and extra curricular activities, however we decided to go with Oakville Academy, and are very happy we did.

Pina Marcone

I enrolled my daughter in the Toddler Class this month and it has been the most amazing experience! My daughter is very shy and the teachers there are extremely welcoming and warm. Since she has started she is now excited to go to her Toddler Class versus being very shy and hesitant. She has already learned so much from the teachers and there is so much for them to do from painting, to building blocks or learning the ABC's. I cannot wait for her to continue to grow in this class and continue onto the Kinder School they offer. Thank you all again so much for making this experience so amazing!!!

Agata Maria

My daughter is attending their pre school program during the day and it is amazing! I love how professional, caring and loving her teachers are.

Abdulhamed Alhaffar

Tough time reveals the real nature of the businesses! Horrible and inexperienced management who failed miserably to manage its customer experience and satisfaction in the past few days! They don't reply to our phone calls and emails and show no intention to reimburse us for the months we paid in advance after we informed them to cancel my daughter’s registration! They did not even bother to acknowledge our emails, total rip-off! Big disappointment!

Haritha Sharma

My son went to Oakville academy last year and enrolled him online again this year. They did not call me to confirm the price increase or that they are taking the deposit. A payment for 216.50 was charged for two months of class on August 23rd (Class doesn't start until Sep 13th) without my authorization or confirmation. I noticed the charge and called them on August 27th and they said price went up. I thought108.25 bit steep for a dance class and my son has a busy schedule with music and hockey. So I asked my husband to talk to them in person about withdrawing. My husband told me we need to write to them to cancel so I sent an email on August 29th to cancel the membership and refund the charge. I did not hear from them and emailed them again Sep 13th (the day of the first class). I got a reply today Sep 14th saying that their policy is that they don't refund the deposit and need a 30 day written letter for cancellation. I also got charged twice for an after hours program for summer camp. This place is looking for money. It is a turn off for me. We all work and run businesses to earn money but that shouldn't be main focus of any business. I was going to send my daughter here for ballet but I will look for another place that is more geared to customer service and caring about their customers than money.