Becky's Academy of Dance

Horrible place. Don't even think about taking your kids here. Poor teaching and facilities.

Poor management. Daughter became paralyzed. Never missed a class before this happened and they never called to find out why she stopped coming. They sure didn't mind taking my monthly payment out of my account. Even after I expressed how hurt I was in a letter, no phone call! Poorly ran establishment!!!

Real reason not seasoned for leaving is my take on the last reviewer who was referring to another parent whose child had been here for five years. I think it’s the same person but in either case, I think the reason the one parent left in spite of all her daughter’s success is at auditions her daughter was not asked to stay on for the older teen group audition while several others that were older than her but in her group this past year did get asked. She is only ten years old and is shorter than the others. This is not to say she is not good, because she is, as katycustomer2too noted. But anyone that truly does know about dancing knows that a number of things go into determining core or company groups. In addition to ability, there is age (for consistent categories at competition), physical height and maturity level. And I’m not talking about larger groups, line or productions where there is more of a spread. These all figure into how the teachers choreograph and how they teach. In general, when a child commits to competition, it’s understood this is not academy and they are expected to work harder. And so, the teachers will be a little harder as you get older within companies. If you have a disparity in age or maturity, this can make it harder for the teacher to instruct cohesively. Katycustomer1 also said it’s been going down the last five years. Well my child has been here that long and the only thing that has gone down is the number of competition students. But that’s due to bad decisions by parents and bad mothers who caused nothing but trouble, mostly because their child was not front and center in groups or not placing with their solos. Newsflash! Not every child is the greatest dancer in the world. And my child is not always in front in dances or in the Top Ten solos every time. But Becky’s continues to do well at Regional and Nationals in solos and groups. Check the Results sites (not just Becky’s, but KAR, Jump, Stage One, Masquerade, etc.). We have been Top Studio at Nationals 4 of the last 5 years including the last three. And solo dancers have placed in the Top Ten in Petite, Junior, Teen and Senior, as well as National Title and Dancer of the Year. As katycustomer2too pointed out, where are the facts to back up several other mothers’ claims that the studio teaching has gotten worse? From where I see it, it continues to excel. So to close as I opened, any season parent with any reason at all would say Becky’s continues to be the best studio in Houston. Which is why my teen will remain at Becky’s until she graduates, (even if she doesn’t place in the Top Ten this year).

Firsthand may be second when I see posts that start with a statement referring to other people’s comments and then states this is true because they’ve seen it “first hand”. At best, people’s judgement of what they “see” as good or bad is a personal opinion that may or may not be based on truth or fact. When katycustomer speaks of “training being subpar at best”, and MTSchmidt states, “cheap high schoolers and teachers that are incompetent”, I would have to ask on what facts is this based. We had one mother leave that coincidentally been at Becky’s the same amount of time as one of these posters. Her daughter placed third at Nationals out of 70 entries with a routine choreographed by one of those cheap high schoolers noted by a poster from last year, (because this teacher is now in college pursuing a dance degree but taught that person’s daughters last year). If this teacher plays favorites (as she states), and her daughter is not one of them, why would she waste good choreography on her? This would assume two things. First that the mother left because she felt her daughter was not one of this teacher, (or any teacher’s), favorites. Second, that the teacher saves her best choreography for her favorites and gives bad choreography to the other students, (how many times have we heard this?). This teacher does not do that and in spite of her doing two dozen solos almost every one placed at least at one Regional or Nationals. This particular routine also received a technical excellence award at one regional. And this student also received the Steven Boyd award. So if this mother didn’t mean this one teacher, what about the other teachers? The core teacher for her Jazz and Lyrical has credits a mile long and has danced and choreographed for stage, TV and screen as well. One piece he did for Becky’s was FDC Top 25 in 2009. That’s not regional or even national. That is ALL studios across the country. How many of the studios that the one mother mentioned can make that claim? I can answer that. None! And you can verify this, as well as the other points listed above, from Competition results and FDC on their own websites so you know none of these statements are just opinion, but indeed facts. Incidentally, back in 2009 the winners were selected based on judges from all the participating companies that held competitions. Now it’s done by anyone voting electronically. Her other core dance Tap placed in Top Ten at several Regionals as well by another teacher. She also did several other extra dances that did well both in small group by another teacher and lines or production numbers by the same “high schooler” at regionals and at nationals. And finally, she was also picked as an All Star kid and danced in opening number at nationals. So with all this, why would a mother pull her child? And why would the poster on this website say that the training for her daughter was subpar from any single teacher, (let alone the whole studio), since it’s the same teachers, and that is why she is leaving? Or to come full circle, based on the facts, how could anyone come to the rational or reasonable conclusion, (or opinion), that the teachers are not good and mothers should go to another studio? Needless to say I didn’t make that mistake with my child!

My daughter is in on the competitive team now and has been for years. I have had not problems with this studio. Never had a problem with the accounting department. I pay every month and have been for years. Enrollment has dropped, but because the mothers can go absolutely go crazy being involved. They are very demanding and leave if they do not get their way. Dance is suppose to be fun. I have been to some of the other studios mentioned below. Some are good and some of simply just average. I agree with the Katy mom review. It is what you make of it... My daugher would NEVER leave Beckys.

I can not imagine a more horribly run business, especially considering that they cater to children and teens. We have been a customer for 5 years and have finally gone elsewhere because it has gotten so bad. I would not recommend anyone, even a worst enemy, to enroll their child in any program at Becky's. The customer service is non-existent. The dance training is sub-par at best. The bookkeeping and accounting is a CPA's worst nightmare. The negative reviews below are all true. I have witnessed it firsthand. If you are treated favorably, it will only be for a short while, so enjoy it while it lasts. Then you will see why the enrollment is dropping so quickly and the studio is less than 1/2 the size it was just a few short years ago. I would recommend Connolly's Dance Arts, Synergy, Stephanie's, or Top Flight for those looking to enroll their child in dance in Katy.

we would like to enroll in dance hip hop, the necessary paperwork to enroll?