The Music Box

★Kyley Herrell

Horrible accountability by Amanda. Should never publicly shame a child.

★Megan Ahn

My child has attended Music Box for over 2 years, and until this, we had a pretty positive experience. At recital, I briefly recorded my preschooler performing. Yes, recording was against the rules, and yes, I broke that rule. I also never posted the video anywhere. This review is not about the rule itself. They absolutely have the right to enforce it. My issue is with how it was handled. Instead of pulling me aside or having a staff member quietly ask me to stop, Amanda got on stage in front of 200+ people and called out my daughter by name, saying her “mom was breaking the rules.” My daughter is a preschooler. She also has a very unique name, so everyone knew exactly who Amanda was talking about. I cannot understand why an adult would think it is appropriate to use a child to publicly shame a parent. Using an innocent young child as a prop to make a point to another adult is deeply concerning and shows extremely poor judgment. If Amanda had an issue with me, she should have addressed me directly. She should not have dragged my child into it in front of an entire audience. What makes it worse is that multiple parents around me were also recording, yet my child was the one singled out. I stayed after recital to speak with Amanda directly and ask why she felt calling out my daughter by name was appropriate. She told me that my daughter’s name was simply the child she chose to mention this recital, implying she has mentioned other children by name at prior recitals. That was a lie. I have not missed a single recital in over two years, and I can say with complete confidence that this was the first time any child had ever been publicly singled out by name. My daughter was the only child ever mentioned in this way. Instead of taking accountability, Amanda chose to justify her actions with dishonesty, which only made an already appalling situation worse. I’ve had several parents message me afterward saying they were shocked by how inappropriate it was. Music Box prides itself on bringing people together and building community, but what I witnessed felt like the opposite. I saw public shaming, poor judgment, and dishonesty. There are many dance schools that truly take a child-first approach and know how to handle difficult situations without embarrassing young children. Rules are rules. I understand that. But there were countless better ways to handle this. Publicly involving a preschooler was not one of them. Children deserve better from the adults entrusted with them. This experience completely changed how I view this studio, and we will not be returning.

★★★★★Maria Tate

My daughter finished her first season with the music box. She did a hip hop trial but just wasn’t ready for it. We ended up enrolling her in tap and tumble and pre ballet. We were hesitant at first because you can’t go in to watch the kids during the sessions but now that we’ve been through a season we have signed up again for winter and we are so thrilled! We’ve watched her love of dance grow and her teacher Ms. Kate has been SO patient with her. She truly gets excited to go every week even though it’s hard. They finished their first night of production last night and it was incredible. It was a little over 3 hours of pure MAGIC. I love the philosophy that everyone can dance and be creative no matter how they look or their size. My daughter was encouraged that there were dancers of all sizes as well! We can’t wait to continue being part of the music box family! Ms. Amanda and her family are very welcoming as well. Definitely recommend this studio for anyone interested in dance, acting, art or other creative activities!

★★★★★Trisha Whitman

My kids have been going here for years. Amazing place for all kinds of kids. Kind and accepting. Great for boys and girls!

★★★★★Catherine Hockett

The Music Box and Ms. Amanda have been a part of our lives for several years now. She is a wonderful teacher and studio owner. Highly recommend this studio!