Polaris Dance Institute

★★Mark Fila

After four years at Polaris Dance, I'm relieved that our time there has come to an end. Over those four years, I found Polaris to be a very cliquish environment among both students and parents, particularly surrounding the company families. The atmosphere often felt divided between company dancers and everyone else. Unfortunately, many of the non-company students seemed to be treated as outsiders, and that attitude appeared to be tolerated, if not reinforced, by instructors and owner. For example, during one class, an instructor asked a question. My daughter answered and was told to by another girl to leave the answering to the company girls. On another occasion, she was told that she "didn't belong here" because she wasn't part of the company. Full disclosure, I did not witness these events firsthand, but she was disappointed enough to fill me in on the car ride home and these experiences had a significant impact on her. Eventually, she told us she no longer wanted to dance because the other girls were so unwelcoming. The favoritism was noticeable in other ways as well. Company dancers were consistently placed at the front, while everyone else was pushed to the back. That might be understandable if placement were based strictly on skill and performance, but it often appeared to be based on company status rather than actual ability because some of these kids can’t hold a beat with a backpack and a roll of duct-tape (not to put them down, everyone has their own skill set), but rather point out that there’s an ‘A’ class and an ‘Everyone else' class. When new neighbors moved into the area, I recommended Polaris telling them that it seemed best suited for families heavily involved in the company program. Their daughter had danced competitively for years, yet they left within a month and enrolled elsewhere. Communication was often lacking. The choreography felt repetitive from year to year, and recital organization was consistently disappointing. The program seems to be running on autopilot, with little interest in adapting, improving, or addressing concerns. I also question whether the program provides good value for the cost. Students spend a significant amount of time preparing for the recital, yet some routines appeared unfinished, overly simple for the age group, or lacking the polish one would expect after months of practice. Some appeared unrehearsed. Obviously, some performances were very good. Some were excellent. However, the overall quality was inconsistent (leaning towards subpar), and I expected more given the amount of time and money invested. My children have participated in activities such as Taekwondo, soccer, and field hockey. In those environments, we've seen an emphasis on inclusion, teamwork, mentorship, and helping others succeed. Unfortunately, that was not the culture we experienced at Polaris. Instead, it often felt as though students were expected to stay out of the way of the company dancers rather than be encouraged to grow alongside them. If you're looking to immerse your family deeply in the company dance culture, Polaris may be a good fit. However, if you're simply looking for a welcoming environment where your child can learn, grow, and enjoy dance, I would encourage you to explore other options.

★Heather Crowley

I was never planning to write a review. In fact, this reflection was written two years ago, but I hesitated to post it out of fear of reprisal against my daughter. I am choosing to share it now only after Polaris Dance Institute publicly disparaged another local dance studio for using Hunger for a Line routine—one that Polaris themselves performed three years ago. That behavior demonstrates poor sportsmanship, bullying, and deeply inappropriate modeling for teenage girls. Adults publicly targeting youth is deplorable. It is also important to note that when we joined Polaris, the Company team was approximately 40 dancers strong. It has since dwindled to 13 members. Rather than celebrating the talent they still have, the studio continues to post negative and passive-aggressive content on social media. If you read only the positive reviews, you will not see what actually goes on behind the scenes or the underlying culture of favoritism. Reflections on our time at Polaris: I’ll start with the positive. The studio features large dance rooms that give dancers the space to spread out and dance full out. Beyond that, I have read Bryanna Sapp’s review and can only echo her comments—she absolutely nailed it. • Inappropriate communication from the owner. If parents raise questions or concerns, be prepared to receive emotionally charged and inappropriate emails. The owner often responds out of anger rather than professionalism and seems to forget that families are paying customers who are allowed to ask questions and voice concerns. • Poor communication. This season included a major upheaval in Senior Company, with two dancers leaving mid-season. Despite this, there was zero communication to Senior Company parents about how the team would move forward. Parents learned information from their dancers or other families instead of from studio leadership. • Favoritism and unprofessional commentary. We have experienced placing above a “favorite” dancer or group, only to hear that the judging “must have been off.” A director should celebrate all students. Dance is subjective—some dancers have better days than others—and performances reflect coaching and choreography as much as the dancer herself. Those who earn the director’s favor clearly have a very different experience than those who do not. • Fear-based coaching and inappropriate feedback. I fully support Bryanna Sapp’s description of the director’s inappropriate feedback and participation in gossip. At times, students feared her response if they didn’t meet her expectations. She is highly critical and often seems incapable of providing constructive or positive feedback. For example, my child was yelled at in front of her peers and told she “dances like a piece of paper” and that she “isn’t five years old anymore.” On another occasion, she was required to dance a portion of a routine alone in front of the group as a means of humiliation after the director believed she performed a combination incorrectly. • High staff turnover. Teacher turnover is an ongoing issue. Recently, a favored teacher was let go without notice to families. Additionally, the faculty listed on the studio’s website is not accurate. • Social media behavior. After Bryanna Sapp publicly addressed Polaris’ inappropriate social media content, the passive-aggressive posts stopped. However, there remains a pattern of highlighting only select dancers and groups, despite having talented students at all levels who deserve recognition. We ultimately left Polaris due to the issues raised in Bryanna Sapp’s review, combined with our own firsthand experiences outlined above.

★layla

I'm going to start off by saying, if you value your child's mental health, do not send them to this studio. Polaris claims to be a supportive studio that welcomes everyone with open arms; however, this does not show when they use social media to be negative towards those who have not only left the studio, but also those at other studios. In one photo they are coming at a studio for using a song that Polaris used for a group dance 4 years ago. In another, a review of a past member is being shown around the studio, and is reposted on the main Polaris instagram page mocking the negative review. Humiliation tactics are highly used in this studio. The company director not only yells humiliating comments at dancers, but also goes behind backs often talking poorly about the girls to their peers. In just 3 years, Polaris's performance company went from 40 girls to 13. This has much to do with the "company director". Favoritism plays a huge role in why so many dancers leave this studio. If you are not a favorite, just know you will not have a good experience.

★★★★★Crystal Griego

My daughter (age 12) started at Polaris just to “try dance”. It took only a few lessons with Kasey and she was hooked. One year later (age 13) she tried out and made the Apprentice Company. She absolutely loves Polaris and every dance teacher she has had there. They are all so patient, kind and encouraging. They are not only incredibly patient with her, but also with me. I am new to the dance world so it took lots of “hand holding” in the beginning, and they never seemed to be bothered with all of my questions. I am grateful that we found a dance studio that is so welcoming, encouraging, and have helped my daughter find her true passion.

★★★★★Tyler Clarke

My daughter has taken classes at Polaris in both a recreational capacity as well as a company member for the last 5 years. Dancing at Polaris has been an incredible experience with challenging choreography for competitions and recital, and an emphasis on skill and technique in regular classes. Both myself and my daughter have thoroughly enjoyed our experience with Polaris Dance Institute and would recommend it to any one seeking professional dance instruction no matter your level of experience or commitment.