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| - I can't even tell you how disappointed I am in Plumb. Both my daughters danced here last year (ages 6 and 4).
Positives: The older girls in junior high and high school that helped out my daughters' classes seemed really nice and helpful. The first semester I felt like my daughters learned a lot. They were really enjoying their dance classes, and building strength and coordination.
Negatives: The second semester was a complete train wreck. It is all about the year-end performance for Plumb. The year-end performance was over the top in my opinion for the age group of my daughters. They lump all of the kids into one huge show, from 3 year olds to seniors in high school.
I think the girls learned very little the second semester, and maybe even regressed. Class after class it was all about the recital. My girls went from loving ballet to hating it. We also had entire classes where there was no dancing, instead, the instructor taught everyone to do hair (i.e. a "perfect" ballerina bun for the recital). Better get the hair bun right for ballet class too, or they will send your kid out of class until you fix it.
My daughter's instructor was crass and often rude to the kids and parents. I think she thought all the girls were there to become professional dancers, rather than to just have fun, build strength and self-esteem, and learn to dance. At the year end performance, my 6 year old was upset during and in tears after her last performance. When my wife asked her about it, she told us she had been talking prior to going on stage and her dance instructor slapped her on the head. Rather than creating a scene and potentially ruining a day many girls had worked so hard for, we refrained from taking any action that day. The following Monday, we called Plumb and told them what happened. They said they would "look into it" once the dance instructor got back from vacation. We never heard back. That was a month ago.
As for the cost, Plumb will bleed you dry. They force you to pay a "recital fee" of $120 per family, and give you 10 tickets to the show. My kids were in a total of three acts which probably lasted a total of maybe 10 minutes (estimated), and the costume for each act was around $80 each (so $240 total). Then, despite the fact there was only one real class in June, they charge you for the entire month worth of classes. When I asked the owner about this, he advised that each recital rehearsal (2 days) and the actual recital (1 day) counted as classes, which is why they charge the entire month. They will charge you for pictures if you want them, which we paid for and still have not received. Finally, they ask that you don't record your daughter's year-end performance. Instead, they "professionally record" the whole performance, then put it on a CD for you to buy it if you want it.
The recital rehearsals (2 days) took up pretty much the entire afternoon, so if you work, be prepared to miss work, hire help with transportation for your kids, or miss the rehearsal(s). Also, the year-end show, while really good, was way too long if you have young kids.
We won't be going back.
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