Carla's Dance Factory Day Camp

If I could rate them with a zero, I would. I had a very concerning experience with Carla’s Dance Factory at the Platinum National Dance Competition. I was told that right before my daughter and her teammates were about to go on stage, they had an encounter with Erika while backstage. Erika Grimes is an acro instructor from Carla’s Dance Factory and was handling props for her company. During that time, she physically pushed our girls and their coach. While doing so, she kept aggressively yelling at them to move. My daughter was one of the dancers involved. These were a group of young Black girls, which made the situation feel even more uncomfortable and inappropriate as a parent. Both coaches from our team witnessed it and addressed it. Erika was also aggressive and rude to them. Because of this, the girls had to go on stage already shaken and still perform. As a parent, I expected to greet my daughter and her team with congratulations when they came off stage, but instead I was met with them telling me they had been pushed. After the performance, they were visibly upset and crying about what had just happened. I approached Erika to address the situation, and instead of taking accountability, she minimized it by saying she only “touched” them. Regardless of how it’s described, no instructor should be putting their hands on someone else’s child. What made the situation even more concerning was how it was handled afterward. It felt dismissive and not taken seriously from what I observed. The owner and director appeared to be okay with the behavior, which is unacceptable. As a parent, that’s not something I can overlook. There needs to be clear boundaries, and accountability to make sure all dancers feel safe and respected. I would advise other parents, especially those with Black children, to make sure strong boundaries are in place. No child should have to experience something like this.

We visited this Studio because one of the Dance Instructors from our home Studio was teaching a Master class here. Everyone at the Studio was friendly and ready to answer any questions we had. They even gave me a tour of the Studio when we arrived.

I danced with Carla's for 14 years. Starting in the recreational classes, and graduated as a performing company member. I had the best experience with Miss Carla and all the other staff members. They always made sure I was getting the best training possible by bringing in professional choreographers, sending me to different conventions, and giving me performance opportunities as often as possible. They were always professional and helpful. Teachers were willing to privately meet with me to work on something, and even in a room full of kids they find a way to give each person one on one attention. Carla's taught me self-discipline, motivation, and to love dance. I am now currently a dance teacher and in college. Miss Carla, the owner, has even taken her own time to write me a personal character letter for my college applications. Carla's Dance Factory is one big happy family, and I couldn't imagine where my life would be if I had never gone there! From the many awards they have helped me win, to the life long friendships I have made with peers and staff. I know that I will always have a home at Carla's Dance Factory.

My daughter danced at Carla's Dance Factory for 14 years. We started off recreation and progressed into competitive. It is a studio that is geared to provide good and reasonable priced service to all ages and levels. Ms.Carla even personally took my daughter to California for a tap conference to further her tap discipline. I have come to know many of the staff members as my adopted family and respect all they do for their students and their studio. They strive to grow with their students and I have saw many changes over the the years that we were part of as a member of the CDF family. We went through a change in location due to growth. In 2015 our last year, it was another addition of a classroom at their studio. It continues to grow to meet the needs of their students and definitely a place to make your dance home.

My daughter has taken a few classes here and if we lived closer this is where she would be all the time. The studio is very nice and up to date, but the staff and teachers there are simply the best. Feels like a family and they are very welcoming and extremely knowledgeable and competitive in the world of dance. Highly recommended!