DanceSport Carolina

10/18/11

Buyer Beware

by JettieVille at Citysearch

Like some of the recent posts, our experience wasn't all negative. BUT....PLEASE beware.

It is true about the constant staff changes. In the months we took lessons, we saw many instructors come & go. My fiancée and I were relieved that we were with a "seasoned" instructor for DSC to prepare our wedding dance.

All that changed when our instructor, who had coordinated our entire wedding dance, left with less than a month remaining before our wedding.

DSC HID the absence and it wasn't until we bluntly asked our new dance instructor that we found out that the other person no longer worked there.

All that is fine since it states in our contract that instructors could change, but what really bothered us was the fact that NO ONE at CDC called to let us know what was going on, nor were there any reassurances that our wedding dance would be fine.

We WASTED the next two lessons with our new instructor (no offense to him-he's awesome and there was NO record of our dance choreography in the studio) while he pretty much learned our dance so he could help us "clean up" some of the moves. This guy was just thrown into our dance and he was put in an unfair situation.

After spending THOUSANDS of dollars and months of hard work, CDS left us hanging, a few weeks before our wedding.

We did finish our dance at our wedding, but DSC was responsible for so much stress the month before our wedding.

There were no phone calls. No emails. No reassurances. No apologies, nothing.

The same thing happened when they changed their lesson times. We received a letter, very impersonal, to let us know we'd be losing 10 minutes a lesson. The high price would stay the same and we would get an "extra" lesson for every 4 lessons we had remaining in our contract. This happened a couple months before our wedding, and of course, we were in a contract and had NO say in this matter.

This place IS very expensive, and although you learn a basic dance, I wish I would have paid attention to the reviews beforehand because they are true. Never again will I ignore a bad review and I would NOT recommend PLANET BALLROOM or CAROLINA DANCE SPORT (they are the same company) to anyone. You'd be better off and would save some money if you hired a private instructor.

05/05/11

Money-Grubbing Jerks

by ELLK at Citysearch

My husband and I took a couple of lessons and then committed to a few more and paid $199 up front. Then my husband died. I asked Tom and Elizabeth for a refund and they refused, saying: "Oh, you signed a contract."

Their response to my request for a refund because my husband DIED is absoltuely UNCONSCIONABLE!!!!

With an attitude like that, how can they even sleep at night??!!

My advice is: don't have anything to do with these money-grubbing JERKS!

05/02/11

Recent Experience

by Dancers Mom at Citysearch

Our experience was not all negative at the studio it introduced the love of ballroom dancing to our daughter. Dancing has build-up her confidence and it made us extremely proud to watch her blossom. We are thankful for people like Tony at the studio, who is an excellent instructor.

However, we do agree with some of the other postings related to the costs being charged, yes they are high! When we initially started with the studio it had a personal feel and now with the expansion and the constant change of instructors it has lost its touch!

I believe when you set high-expectations from the start with your customers you need to live up to those standards.

I hope that Liz and Tom go back and revisit some of their recent decisions!

Otherwise, it is a great bunch of people and thank you for the memories!

03/16/11

I'm Loving It

by fn1207 at Citysearch

I joined DanceSport Carolina with the objective of loosing weight and becoming a better salsa dancer.....Now, I am loving all the other dances I have learned ( Rumba, cha cha, swing, etc...) and what was a hobby has now become a passion...

My instructor, Tony, is excellent and I look forward to continuing to grow as a dancer !

03/16/11

These are extraordinary and talented people

by lrindner at Citysearch

Today is our 1 year anniversary since my wife and I started our Dance Lessons at DanceSport Carolina. It has definitely been one of the best decisions and investments we have ever made in our health and happiness. We often wonder why we waited so long and what we would be doing now instead. Now there is always a feeling of optimism, challenge, and looking forward to the next day. We have also made so many new friends and acquaintances of all ages. We take our private lessons with Steven Guyler, who is a very talented dancer but also a great teacher. He is always kind, encouraging, with a great sense of humor. He shows remarkable maturity and reminds us at a challenging moment to remember what this is all about. We have also come to know the other instructors too including Bradley, Tony, Lauren, Natalya, and Hannah - and many of the others. Like Steven these are extraordinary and talented people who are committed to their profession and love what they do. They are personable, and most of all patient and respectful. They truly understand the commitment that we have made.

We also appreciate Tom and Elizabeth too. They are truly committed to high standards and the enjoyment and success of their customers. They are always seeking to improve the quality and the experience. They deserve all the success coming to them for their efforts.

Bonnie and Len