Miss Rosanne's School of Dance

User Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I was a student at the Jenison location, back in the 80's....those were some fantastic teachers, classes, and awesome dance instruction -- then. While I don't wish to name-drop, Miss Susan was everyone's favorite teacher. We always looked forward to the end rehearsal/recital, held at the Ottawa Hills High School auditorium, because the teachers performed the opening dance number - that was a real treat. And Dick Richards (AKA Bozo the Clown) was the host/Emcee.

It was always a thrill when costume time rolled around, about mid-October. Most of the designs were awesome, and we couldn't wait to try them on. The best part - of course, were the costumes that glowed in the dark when the black lights were utilized on performance nights.
I spent almost fourteen years, to senior year, as a dancer. By that time, regular ballet slippers were out and Pointe shoes were now required. That was very exciting. You really felt like a professional dancer in the pointe shoes, like you were dancing with the Grand Rapids Ballet.

Fast forward twenty years.... my eldest niece took some hip-hop jazz and tap, about 4 years ago, at the former Dorr location. At her recital (held at Ottawa Hills), I was stun struck by what I discovered... most of the current 'teachers' looked like high school freshman, and about half were nearly over-weight. A few couldn't keep up with the opening number, their dance steps were a little sloppy, and about half acted as if they didn't really know what was going on! Many of the routine's were pitiful, and the steps were sloppy. I was almost appalled, and wondered what had happened to the older instructors! That was NOT the Miss Rosanne's I had remembered. And this may sound biased, by my young niece danced far better than some of those 'child' dance teachers could. Her parents didn't enroll her for a second year because she was bored, far more advanced than the instruction that was available. They tried looking into any dance competitions before leaving the school, but were very disappointed to learn that Rosanne's didn't offer that. Very interesting, because so many other dance facilities did do competition performance, which eventually she got involved with.

Overall - my opinion of the current teaching talent/instruction, as compared to my day, is pretty dismal. I am not impressed by the 'child' instructors who lead off dance numbers, or perform worse than some of their own students. I gave the school a mere C+ rating, far as instruction talent. However, other current parents/students may very well be enjoying their experience.

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User Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

The review by 'dance mom' is a customer of Miss Kathy's of course she's going to give a bad review of a competitor.
Miss Rosanne's is a great dance school that has been in business for over 30 years. The instructors are great with the kids and have many great ideas to keep kids motivated and make learning fun.

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User Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

My review honestly depends on what you are looking for. My daughter started at this dance school at the age of 3. I would recommend this dance school for young students (ages 2&1/2 to 6) or older beginners (7 to 12). The dancing is fun with a cute costume and big recital at the end of the year. They do not offer any competion teams. The instruction is not technically strong, and most 4 year-olds could care less about that. The teachers and staff are very warm and caring. If your child wants to try out some dancing, have fun, and get exercise once a week, this is probably the place for you. If your child aspires to a serious level of comptitive dance or ballet, this is probably not the place for you. We ended up leaving this studio after several years when my child wished to pursue other interest. I would still say this is a good school if it is what you are looking for.

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