Arc School of Ballet

My daughter danced at ARC for 10 years. She was an advanced and committed student who progressed and eventually participated in the ARC Youth Dance Company.
My thoughts on the pros/​cons of the school:
PROS:
— They are very focused on technique and the fundamentals of dance and ballet.
— If you are interested in a program that is oriented toward a professional dance career, this is probably the best program in Seattle.
— A wide variety of teachers participate in the program. In addition to the core teachers, outside instructors are often brought in to teach classes.
— They have a great community of dancers, parents, and families.
CONS:
— They didn’t honor their refund policy after my daughter’s injuries prevented her from participating in their intensive summer dance program (we only received a 60% refund). We had x-​rays, reports from the doctor, and reports from the physical therapist, however this apparently wasn’t sufficient.
— They weren’t very technologically sophisticated when it came to disseminating information (at least they weren’t in 2015 when we were last enrolled). For example, schedule/​calendar information/​updates were published on paper and posted in the office, instead of being available online.

I take classes in ARC’s open program and absolutely love the classes. The studio is huge and there is almost always live piano music during class. Great teaching and great step combinations!

We looked around because my daughter wanted to study ballet at a serious classical ballet school. We found ARC to be that, but also a warm, family atmosphere. Miss Marie and the other instructors encourage and challenge the dancers in a safe and creative environment. In the four years that my daughter has been dancing at ARC she has gained self-​esteem, discipline and strength, not to mention strong friendships that have developed while having fun! I think it has helped her in many ways. She has started high school with confidence and a commitment to do her best. The dancers also have an opportunity to audition for the ARC Youth Dance Company and are given many opportunities to perform.

Good training, and for many years we had positive experiences enrolling our child here. Hence the 3 stars – I am torn and would like to award 2 stars, but there are some good people involved with the school. After many thousands of dollars ands over 10 years of commitment to performances, practices, etc, our kid decided to leave the school due to emotions and a painful, professionally diagnosed physical condition. We were told outright at the time we made the decision to leave the school we would receive a refund for a prepaid course, but after 6 months of trying only got a partial reimbursement. Disappointing to say the least, feeling lied to and disrespected after a long working relationship is not good. The dance world can be cutthroat, but a school doesn’t need to treat its customers that way.

I can appreciate speed and neoclassical style, but thats not really my cup of tea so I only go here during a break normally. Great facilities, and the staff is super cool:-)

Arc School of Ballet offers Gyrotronics. I recommend it to anyone with joint, back or mobility issues. I had reached a point where I would use a cane to walk. The pain and discomfort was creeping up my body from my ankles to my neck. Gyrotronics, in part, is a system that trains the body muscles how to move (correctly). In my case it took only 1 session to feel a huge difference. Also, the practitioner, Marie Chong, is very good; she KNOWS about body movement.