Pembroke School of Performing Arts - Pembroke, Massachusetts

Ronne DeSantis

Lets just start with... I couldn't be more thrilled with how far my daughter has come as a dancer! This is her 9th year here.This studio has taught her so much. She"s become independent, understands time management, how to communicate and not to mention... her technique is wonderful! I am so thankful for the teachers and studio owners. Without their structure and guidance, she wouldn't be as successful as she has become. The teachers truly care and want to see all the students succeed!

Christine Mahoney

Where to begin…

PSPA has been a part of my life for the last 30 years! When I began dancing at age 5 I immediately felt a part of the PSPA family. The staff at PSPA treats each dancer like a part of the family and welcomes every one with open arms!

After graduating from high school I went on to become a part of the PSPA staff while going to college. It is so amazing to see some of the first students I taught at PSPA now return to become teachers!

Since moving on from teaching dance, I started my own family! Now I bring my own daughter to dance every week! We have also brought along cousins and friends to join the PSPA family and everyone is very pleased!

When my daughter started dance at age 2 she was incredibly shy and nervous. I am happy to report that now almost 5 years later she has come out of her shell at dance! She looks forward to dance class and has even joined the competition team!

The staff and teachers at PSPA are amazing role models!

Dee' B.

"We Love to Dance... But Understanding and Kindness Don’t Show"

This should be their new slogan! Our ten-year journey with Pembroke School of Performing Arts (PSPA), once filled with high hopes, has disappointed us, prompting us to withdraw our child from the studio. This decision comes after confronting an environment that we found lacking in empathy, rigid in policy adherence, and dismissive of our child’s health and well-being.

Over the past decade, our family has been an active and supportive member of the PSPA community, drawn in by the promise in the studio’s slogan, “We love to dance…and it shows.” However, as our circumstances evolved, necessitating greater flexibility and understanding due to our child's health. We were met with negativity and an alarming response instead of understanding or support. This reaction contradicted the supportive environment we had once known and shed light on a fundamental shift in the studio’s values, revealing a prioritization of their operational needs over the well-being and life balance of their students and families. It is with considerable disappointment that we conclude the studio’s priorities have shifted, markedly so, from student welfare towards a rigid adherence to policies, at a significant cost to our child's mental and psychological health.

Despite our efforts to communicate our child’s medical condition, necessitating treatment to avoid invasive surgery, and providing all requested medical documentation, PSPA's response was discouraging. The studio chose to rearrange team dances immediately after we notified them of our child's condition, effectively excluding them without considering the impact on their health or morale.

The studio's rigid 12-month commitment policy further exacerbated the situation, which showed no flexibility for medical or personal emergencies. This policy, coupled with the studio's indifference to the considerable sacrifices made by our family to ensure our child's attendance—including leaving work early and navigating heavy traffic—underscored a disheartening disregard for the challenges families face.

Moreover, the emotional toll on our child has been considerable. PSPA’s handling of scheduling conflicts, instances of racial insensitivity, and the undue pressure placed on our child for circumstances beyond their control have contributed to a negative impact on their mental health. Significantly, our concerns encompass the studio's inappropriate monitoring of outside activities. This practice not only invades privacy but also contributes to a feeling of being under constant surveillance, exacerbating stress and anxiety levels. The studio’s practices not only highlighted a culture of indifference but also a prioritization of policies over the genuine welfare of its students.

We sought a partnership that valued our child’s passion for dance and supported their growth and well-being. Unfortunately, we encountered a studio environment that seemed more concerned with policy enforcement than fostering a nurturing and inclusive atmosphere.

We share our story, hoping PSPA will reflect on and reconsider its current practices. Our aim is for the studio to create a more supportive, empathetic, and flexible environment that truly considers the well-being of all its students and their families.

Gwenn Buckley

My two boys have loved dancing here for the past 6 years (9 & 10 years old). Especially because there are several other boys in other classes. It truly is an extended "dance" family. The facility is beautiful and the staff amazing! This is my favorite time of year, as I watch them getting ready for their recital performance. Its incredible what the kids are able to accomplish on stage with their families and friends watching. Looking forward to more years to come!

Do The Right Thing

We have been members of the PSPA Family since our daughter was just 3 years old. She is now a teenager and we can not believe just how far she has come as a dancer. She loves to dance and is a member of a PSPA competitive dance team and a member of PSPA's performance tap company, Driving Rythym. Over the years, she has spent more time at the studio than she has at home. Through this time, she has created lifelong friendships and an overall sense of community. She has learned how to balance her love for dance with schoolwork with other life commitments, the importance of community service and supporting the arts, but most of all...she has learned how to become a beautiful dancer. And we have the awards to show it! If looking for a great studio who also cares about their local community, then look no further!

Kaijsa Kurstin

My daughter has been a member of four competitive dance teams at Pembroke School of Performing Arts. She has won a national title and just won a regional title two days ago. This does not come without a strong studio behind her. No business can please everyone all of the time. So I urge those with negative comments to "do the right thing" and bring any concerns they may have directly to the studio's attention and provide them with an opportunity to address and improve. Hiding behind negative reviews is def not "doing the right thing" (also not original). Glad the general public is smart enough to read negative reviews for what they really are.

Doing the right thing

As we reflect on our family's time at the studio, it's with a sense of disappointment that we share our experiences. No number of trophies or accolades can make up for the anxiety, mental distress, and erosion of love for dance that we have endured. While we recognize that the studio will default to defending its policies and procedures, it's the personal impact these practices have had, leading to a significant loss of growth and joy for our dancer, that compels us to speak out.

Despite PSPA's reputation and some positive experiences, our journey ended with a lack of compassion and uneven communication. Our concerns, when raised, were met with a defense of the status quo rather than a meaningful engagement with the issues presented. The significant departure of nearly all senior members from key programs, including the competitive dance team and driving rhythm, shouldn't be dismissed as coincidental. It signals deeper systemic problems.

We can't help but notice the stark contrast between the studio's celebrated stories and our own. The unfavorable circumstances that have unfolded for our family and many others suggest that change is imperative. The studio's reluctance to look beyond its defined procedures, even in the face of widespread dissatisfaction, suggests an institution more focused on self-preservation than on the wellbeing of its community. This rigidity not only undermines the studio's achievements but highlights an urgent need for a shift in priorities where policies enhance the studio environment rather than undermine it.

Mark Campbell

This is a great dance studio. Our daughter has so learned so much. She has learned a lot of dance styles - ballet, tap, contemporary, jazz, acro and hip hop! The recitals at this studio are amazing well organized productions.