Graceful Moves Dance Inc

My daughter has been dancing at Graceful Moves Dance since it opened . The atmosphere at GMD is inviting, friendly, organized and clean.The staff is professional and friendly.The teachers are well trained and very professional. Neither my daughter or myself have had any problem with being treated rudely.I have been around the dance world for more than forty years and can honestly say you will never find anyone more committed to her students or more passionate about dance than Grace-Anne. The recitals GMD puts on are fabulous, they are entertaining, and super organized. The costumes are always tastful not trashy like I have seen at some competetions.



The competition team has won countless awards including Diamonds, Platinum's,1st place overalls, several highest score of the entire competition, best choreography, best costumes, and many more.



I would HIGHLY recommend Graceful Moves Dance it truly is more than a studio it IS a family.

When I first arrived at graceful moves, I was impressed by how nice it looked. It wasn't until much later that I realized the truth behind the statement "don't judge a book by it's cover". While several of the teachers are friendly, they are constantly changing. My daughter started with one teacher at the beginning of the year, had another towards the middle, and a completely different one for recital! The dance was a MESS and I'm sure it was because of this. They have 3 or 4 rooms, and only ONE of them has suitable dance material on the floor. I often hear the older girls especially complaining about being injured from being forced to dance on TILE floor. Yes...TILE. I wouldn't even go jogging on tile floor; let alone dancing in slippery shoes or jumping and falling on the floor! They allow you to watch your student once a month-other than that they close the door and you are forced to stay out of the room. When I WAS able to watch my daughter dance, the teachers did NOT seem professional. Many of them were on their cellular phones or doing odd things with their shirts..lifting them over their bellybuttons or goofing around with the MUCH younger 13-17 year olds. I have heard both the owner AND the lady who runs the front desk scream at children for being late---these girls are young and can't even drive!! I think it's extremely rude and inappropriate. I'm not the only one who has left or is in the process of leaving. I know she has some sort of cheer class where the girls are doing flips, and i'm almost positive the girl who runs the class has had no training what so ever when it comes to teaching gymnastics. I've seen girls hurt, crying, and refuse to go into class. There are so many other dance centers with people who truly care! I would suggest another one.

I first brought my oldest daughter here for dance classes about 4 years ago after seeing a listing in the Utica Community Education booklet. My daughter was having a little trouble with potty training, and this was the only place that didn't specify that she needed to be out of pull ups in order to still dance. I was so impressed with the atmosphere and treatment of my oldest, that I also put in my youngest, who was just barely a year and a half at the time I think.



The owner, and her Mom, who usually are running things from day to day, were always very friendly and started to know us by name after just a few weeks. I started taking fitness classes there as well, and I really couldn't beat the price for the variety of classes offered. The costs seem fair for a dance studio, and I've never had a problem with any rudeness. The recitals are always phenomenal, and better than 2 others I have seen from other Utica area instructors. They do very well at all their competitions ( many 1st place awards). I haven't noticed any particular lack of organization by the studio. I don't personally expect that the working moms of the dancers have to be, but then again, my girls aren't in the dance company (yet), so it doesn't affect me.



The owner is well loved by all her dance girls, and is very devoted to them and the studio. My girls have loved every teacher they have had so far. Ms. Grace-Anne was well loved by my now 5 year old during her classes, and Ms. Joy seems to have given my oldest a new joy for dance, since she went from being unsure about taking classes this year, to soft shoe tap dancing everywhere she goes!

Would not reccomend to anyone......they are very rude not only the people who work there but most of the mothers of the dancers.....not organized at all.