Legein Dance Academy of Performing Arts

This is in response to the rebuttal on complaint # [redacted] :The statements that I originally made in my first response were true and accurate as I recall themI have no reason to make statements otherwise on this or any other issues concerning my businessif my teacher was informed that Ms [redacted] 's children were going to be late for our June 17th rehearsal, I was not informedA late arrival is fine if we are aware of the circumstances I was not informed(pls see attached)this whole issue is due to the fact that her children did not attend our mandatory dress on June 21st again, if my teacher was informed that they were not going to participate, I was not informedcall time for our show was at 12:- I do not know what time they arrivedI was told at 1:pm that they were in the dressing room and assumed they had just arrivedlast minute changes were made to the choreography and liwhen her children did not attend dress rehearsalIf she has a video of their routine in our studio she has it illegally since our work is never supposed to be video taped without permission (signs are posted in the waiting area)She would not know if the choreography / line up was changed since she is not a teacher / choreographer and did not stay to see the showI did not contact her in advance to tell her that her children could not perform because we all assumed they would not be in attendance since they were not at the mandatory dress rehearsal and I received no notificationI polled my faculty back stage after talking with Ms [redacted] It was agreed by all of us that since they were not in attendance for the required rehearsals, as all of our other students obeyed and conformed to our policies, it would have been unfair for them to participate along with the others who didThe burden is always on the parent to notify the office when a child is going to be absentTo state that "I told someone else" does not secure the fact that those in charge have received the infoAgain, costumes are ordered well in advance for each childMs [redacted] has both costumes in her possession and has reversed her payment with her credit card company for these costumesCostume companies do not take returns on costumes since they are made-to-order, and therefore Ms [redacted] needs to pay for these items that are in her possession - whether they were worn or not.Please see the attached registration forms that Ms [redacted] signed when she registered her daughters for classIt specifically states that the parent is responsible for all fees, including tuition, costumes, recital fees, etc even if the child leaves the studio for any reason It also states that refunds are not provided These are statements "signed" by Ms [redacted] for both daughtersIf she wishes to keep the costumes and recital tee shirts that were not paid for she is welcome to them since we can not use them because they were in her possession for so longAs stated in our rules and policies, the studio does not issue refunds for termination of enrollment, non-participation in our recital or classesHer signature commits her to our policies [redacted] , Director [redacted] Dance Academy

Dear Revdex.com:This is in response to the complaint filed by [redacted] I will respond to each of her issues on her complaint with additonal info attachedAttached, please find my studio's Recital HandbookOn page I have highlighted the rule in question, all students must be in attendance for our biggest and most important rehearsals: the "run-through" and "dress rehearsal"If you refer to the very last page, this will tell you the dates and times of each of these required rehearsalsFor the first rehearsal on June 17, students were required to attend our run-through rehearsal at the studio from 10:am to 3:pm (this was the alotted time given - they were not required to stay until the end) however, we asked for students to arrive early between 9:30-9:am so that we could begin on timeMs [redacted] 's daughters arrived at 1:pm - a full hrs late (with no prior phone call, email, etc to notify us of their late arrival) Additionally, they did not attend their last class on the previous night before on the 16th.Our mandatory dress rehearsal on 6/(noted on the back page) came and went without her daughters' attendance - again, no call, no email, no notification that would not be thereOn the day of the recital, call time for all students was at 12:pmIn the midst of preparing for the show, what with scenery, lighting, sound, dancers, stage workers, etc, my cheperson showed that all dancers had arrived on time except Ms [redacted] 's daughtersI was told at 1:pm that they had arrived (minutes before curtain)At that point I had to make a decision and asked a parent who knew the Mom, to please go out to the audience and ask her to come backstage so that I could speak with herMs [redacted] and the girls' teacher and I went to a quiet hallway behind the stage to discuss the issueI explained that since the girls had not attended dress rehearsal, or their last class, and we were never notified that they would not be in attendance, our rules state that those rehearsals were mandatoryI explained that although I was concerned for the girls, I could not let them performLast minute changes were made to the liand choreography since they were not in attendance and allowing them to perform with no rehearsal time (since they had never performed on stage before) would in fact disrupt the routine for the rest of the dancersIn addition, I explained that it was unfair to the rest of the class who had attended all the mandatory rehearsals and had complied with all of our rules and policiesRules are in place for a reason and they are not made to be bent or broken to suit one's whimHave I ever allowed a dancer to perform if she hasn't attended dress rehearsal? Yes several times when parents contact me and discuss conflicts in dates and commitments I try my best to allow everyone to attend their commitmentsIn those cases we set up addition rehearsals with the class in question to allow the absent students to feel comfortable on stage for performanceWith prior notification, this could have all been avoidedThe burden / responsibility is on the parent to notify the office of scheduling conflictsVerbal notification to a teacher can be forgotten, misinterpreted, etc Ms [redacted] at this point said that she had in fact talked to 'someone' in the office and told them the girls would not be at dress rehearsalI am the only person in the office she did not contact me at any time by phone, email, in person, etcShe then changed her story and said she told 'someone', who she refers to in her letter as 'the poor sweet teacher'This was her daughters' teacher for a full year and she does not even know her name, nor would she acknowledge that she spoke with herMs [redacted] is not a parent that is involved with her children's activities as she drops them off for class (most of the time late for class) and she has only been in the studio a few times during the entire yearIt's obvious she did not make herself aware of our rules and policies.I offered her the opportunity for the girls to watch the show which she flatly refusedAt this point my show was already late in starting(I have performers, faculty, parents, workers, audience members, etc to be concerned with) I asked my teacher to bring her into the dressing room so that she could gather the girls and they could leaveI was needed backstage with the technical people and this was the last I saw / heard from herI understand that she went into the dressing room shouting obscenities to my faculty and this was done in front of ALL of my students, including the and yr olds and the stage MomsShe was extremely vocal and was asked several times to leave, at which time she became more vocal, swearing and carrying on and demanding a refund for costumes (which the girls were wearing)She was escorted out to the foyer where she continued to shout obscenties so that the audience members entering the auditorium could hear herShe and her guests were refunded their ticket money and escorted out of the buildingI can understand that she was humiliated and embarrassed but she did bring it on herselfIf she had left quietly, her humiliation would have been less.In the meantime, Ms [redacted] has proceeded to call her credit card company and insist on a chargeback for a full refund of her daughters costumes and recital fee (see below)May 26, 2017Recital Fee [redacted] 60.0060.00May 26, 2017Recital Fee [redacted] 25.0085.00May 26, 2017Costume Balance [redacted] 50.00135.00May 26, 2017Costume Balance [redacted] 50.00185.00May 31, 2017Payment[redacted] Tuition110.00Jun 1, 2017Auto Tuition [redacted] Hip Hoppers50.00160.00Jun 1, 2017Tuition [redacted] 25.00185.00Jun 9, 2017Payment[redacted] Costume Balance85.00Jun 9, 2017Payment[redacted] Recital FeePrevAll RowsCURRENT BALANCE as of Jul 5, 2017: $0.00Our recital fee and what it covers is as follows: (taken from our Student/Parent Handbook)Recital FeesIn addition to your regular monthly tuition, a non-refundable Recital Fee will be due by Sept 15thThis fee breaks down as follows:Recital Fee: Recreational & Competitive Due Sept 15th - $/ student - includes¯T-Shirt ($25.00)¯Recital DVD ($35.00)¯Families receive DVD only - fees are pro-rated The non-refundable recital fee is in place to acknowledge your child's commitment to the recital and all it's rehearsalsI will gladly refund her DVD fee of $(which she already has received from the chargeback) since the girls were not in the showHowever, she is still in possession of the girls' costumes (which are not returnable because they have been worn) and she is still in possession of the Tee shirts (which are not returnable because of the screen printing)To ask for months tuition to be returned is absurd since her daughters attended classes for those months (albeit sporadically) In closing, could this have been handled differently? Perhaps if the parent had the curtesy to notify me of their absence or commitment for these rehearsals, we could have worked something out prior to the showAllowing the girls to perform was not an option at that pointWith all the many details that I need to be concerned with, and after consulting all of my faculty, it was determined that all the other dancers had complied with our rules and to allow those who hadn't would be sending a message that our rules are not important, nor do they need to be followedThis does not teach our children well to break rules and be allowed to participate even though you have broken those rulesIt also doesn't teach our children well when you show disrespect for anyone by your behavior and your comments in publicI am sorry that she and the girls encountered this sad state of affairsPerhaps in the future, rules will be read and adhered to so that a similar situation can be avoided [redacted] , Director [redacted] Dance Academy

Revdex.com: I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # [redacted] In response to the eloquently written letter from Ms [redacted] , I am appalled by the untrue statements and distortion of the truth in her replyThe biggest lie she made to justify her very LAST-MINUTE actions can be easily proven otherwise, and therefore, my attached evidence will verify that this business is simply not credible, and they are capable of stooping so low as to cover up their unprofessionalism and actions with lies.Derogatory statements made against me that I'm always late, not actively involved, etc etc are nothing more than added fluff to thwart the truth, and as much as it pains me to have my daughters be so hurt by this company owner's poorly executed decision to not allow them to perform at the very last minute, I shall stick with the facts, rather than write from emotion:Lie number 1: Despite Ms [redacted] inaccurately stating I did not notify the school of my daughters' late arrival for the June rehearsal, on the day the children received costumes, I DID, IN FACT, NOTIFY THEIR TEACHER OF REHEARSAL CONFLICT AND THAT THEY WOULD BE LATEShe (Miss ***) responded that times for each class should be posted and that it should not be a problemAlthough children were asked to arrive between 9:and 9:am, my daughters class was not rehearsing until much later and they arrived in time to fully rehearse their dance number with their class, rather than sit around waiting/watching other performers.Lie number 2: Again, despite Ms [redacted] inaccurately stating I did not notify anyone that my children had other commitments and could not attend rehearsal, I DID, IN FACT NOTIFY THEIR TEACHERLie Number (this lie can be easily proven): Despite Ms [redacted] 's untrue statement that "all dancers arrived on time except Ms [redacted] 's daughtersI was told at 1:pm that they had arrived (minutes before curtain)At that point I had to make a decision...," my daughters and I ACTUALLY arrived at the recital at EXACTLY noon, the required arrival time! Ms [redacted] is obvious not truthful, and it's a shame that she fabricated the truth to justify her unprofessional and hurtful actions to not allow my daughters to perform so last minuteAttached is a text dated the recital date, June at 12:pm from my daughters, who were back stage after I had dropped them off at noon [redacted] wrote:12:21pm: HI MOMWe have to wait two freaking hours1:pm (sent a photo after backstage staff applied makeup) Holy [redacted] the eyeliner is so thickThis text exchange is certainly evidence to prove Ms [redacted] is not truthful and claims to have had to make a decision just minutes before showtime to not allow my daughters to dance because they arrived late "minutes before curtain." What a bold, untrue statement to make! See attached text exchange, in addition to my daughters with the staff applied makeup on and my youngest one in French braids done by a dance mom back stagewith black around her eyes from cryingI got them smiling for the photos by taking their minds off the entire ordealbut again, seeing their makeup and hair should also prove the girls were back stage far longer than minutes! It takes longer than tat just to braid hair like that!Lie number 4: "Last minute changes were made to the liand choreography since they were not in attendance." As proven in Lie #3, my daughters were in attendance ON TIMEALSO, NO LAST MINUTE CHANGES TO THE LIWERE NECESSARY SINCE BOTH OF MY DAUGHTERS WERE ON THE VERY END, ONE WAS FIRST AND ONE WAS LAST IN LINEIn fact, I have a video from a class with them performing the dance number, showing they were both on each end and it also shows that my girls KNEW THE ROUTINE LIKE CLOCKWORK, HAVING ATTENDED DANCE CLASS FOR MONTHS AND PRACTICING THE ROUTINE OFTEN So despite Ms [redacted] 's attempt to make it sound like my daughters were not prepared or comfortable performing, my video I have in possession shows otherwise and my oldest daughter had the sharpest moves of all the dancers in her class.Issue number 5: Ms [redacted] stated that, "verbal notification (of an absence) to a teacher can be forgotten, misinterpreted, etc." IF THAT IS THE CASE THAT NOTIFYING MY DAUGHTERS' TEACHER WAS NOT ENOUGH, THEN IT SHOULD SO BE STATED! The fact is, not knowing of any rule otherwise, I DID notify the girls' teacher of rehearsal conflict, AND did not want to cause a problem for her when Ms [redacted] questioned me about who I toldIt is not my fault there is a communication problem within the school and my daughters should not have been penalized for it, and then they boldly made up untrue statements or misrepresenting facts to justify their actions to not allow my children to dance at a recital I PAID FORIssue number 6: Despite stating I don't even know my daughters' teachers name, I left her name out on purpose to avoid a problem for her, but I do know her name, Miss ***, and she is very niceThen, Ms [redacted] insulted me further by stating, "Ms [redacted] is not a parent that is involved with her children's activities and she has only been in the studio a few times..." WELL, EVERY TIME I HAVE BEEN IN THE STUDIO, I AM NEVER GREETED WITH EVEN A SIMPLE 'HELLO', but rather ignored with a very unwelcoming, uncomfortable atmosphereIn fact, I live in a community with other dance moms who left [redacted] dance due to similar treatmentEven standing in front of the glass office window, I was not acknowledged by Ms [redacted] , whom I wanted to discuss rehearsal conflictsShe left me standing there for awhile without even opening the glass, so that's when I decided to tell my daughters' teacher insteadAlso, for the times I stayed, the small area for parents to sit and watch class never has enough seats and there is a very small glass window, so only a few parents can even watch in the first placeSo, I'm not "involved with my children's activities" because I don't sit there in such an uncomfortable setting to watch them dance when there's no place to sit to visibly see them dancing in the first place? Not involved in my children's activities? They are enrolled in softball, gymnastics, choir, band, green environment team, and art classes in addition to danceall meant to be fun activities! Issue number 7: After being told my children could not perform only minutes before curtain call, AND AFTER STAFF APPLIED THEIR MAKEUP AND DID THEIR HAIR (one with French braids), I AM STILL IN DISBELIEF THAT, EVEN IF IT WERE DETERMINED BY MS [redacted] THAT MY CHILDREN COULD NOT PERFORM BECAUSE THEY MISSED REHEARSAL, WHY NOT TELL ME SOONER, AND BEFORE DOING THE GIRLS MAKEUP AND HAIR WITH THEM BACKSTAGE FOR TWO HOURS??? I could have been informed by phone or email of her decision on Wednesday evening (June last rehearsal day) or Thursday, or Friday or Saturday before noon (recital day) when we arrivedBut instead, she made up a lie that because we arrived at the recital only minutes before curtain call, she could not allow them to danceMy children deserve an apology!Issue number 8: While I was, in fact, offered to watch the show with the girls, who would EVER graciously accept this "offer" when the ONLY reason my family and I, including my year old parents, were there in the first place was to watch my daughters perform! Issue number 9: As the show was about to start, Ms [redacted] told Miss *** to bring me back stage to get the children, whose response to not allow my daughter to dance was, "I'm speechless and so sorry." At this point, I saw how shocked and upset my daughters were that they could not dance after practicing so hard and knowing the dance by heartSo, this upset me and I asked for my money back that I paid for the children to be in the recitalWithin a minute, Ms [redacted] 's daughter came out and I had never been treated so rudely in my life! She came running at me while rudely stating that I must leave immediatelyI explained that I wanted my money returned that I paid for my daughters to perform, and she insisted I leave and yelled that I will not be getting my money back and to call a lawyerShe then began yelling and so of course I reacted, but I was not so bold and loud like she carried on while then threatening to call the police if I did not leave immediatelyAs I left down the hall to get my family/parents who were their to watch their granddaughters dance, Ms [redacted] 's daughter proceeded to continue to yell and and yell out to the ticket money collector to NOT GIVE US OUR MONEY BACK!!, CAUSING QUITE AN EMBARRASSING SCENE OF UNPROFESSIONALISMI IMMEDIATELY LEFT TO REPORT THE INCIDENT WITH THE [redacted] POLICE STATIONI was not "escorted out to the foyer," but rather Ms [redacted] 's very rude daughter was screaming profanities and threats at me, and I escorted my own self and parents out of the buildingAnd, again, although I had already requested and received my ticket money back, Ms [redacted] 's daughter shouted at the man to not give our ticket money back, which was quite embarrassing for allIssue/Lie number 10: Ms [redacted] stated I was "demanding a refund for costumes (which the girls were wearing)." I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT THE GIRLS WERE NOT YET IN COSTUMES SINCE THEY WERE closer to last in the dance performance lineupCostumes remained on hangers in bags, and the teacher had to show me where they were hungThis is yet another lie to make it seem like the costumes were worn, when I tried handing the unworn costumes to Ms [redacted] 's daughter when requesting the refundI also NEVER SHOUTED OBSCENITIES so that audience members could hearin fact, it was quite the other way around with Ms [redacted] 's daughter shouting as I QUIETLY walked down the hall that she was calling the police and yelling to not give my ticket money back and my parents and another friend and another dance mom who attended can attest otherwiseTHE ONLY TIME MY VOICE WAS EVEN SPOKEN WAS BACK STAGE!! Issue number 11: the children's costumes, were not worn, despite Ms [redacted] falsely stating in her reply that they were wearing themIn fact, when I requested my money back, Ms [redacted] 's daughter refused to take the hanging, unworn costumes I tried to give her, as she threatened me with the police,lawyers,etcI am requesting that, in addition to the recital participation fee, I am also reimbursed for three full months of class because the MAIN REASON FOR ATTENDING CLASSES AND PRACTICING A DANCE FOR MONTHS IS THE END RESULTTO PERFORM WHAT WAS LEARNED IN A RECITALAND DESPITE PAYING FOR IT, MY DAUGHTERS WERE NOT ALLOWED TO PERFORM AND JUSTIFIED BY UNTRUE FACTS AND OUTRIGHT LIES, INCLUDING STATING THEY ARRIVED ON RECITAL DAY ONLY MINUTES BEFORE CURTAIN CALLAN OBSURD LIE! The girls had full makeup on and even French braids done by backstage moms AN HOUR BEFORE CURTAIN CALL! That lie alone should prove how unprofessional and not credible Ms [redacted] 's reply isTo stand behind the untrue fact that I "have broken their rules," I again will reiterate that I DID notify their teacher, Miss ***, whom I know as a very sweet, nice teacher that I did not want to get in trouble, yet I DID notify her of rehearsal conflictNot anywhere is there a rule that says to notify Ms [redacted] directly since notifying the class teacher is not appropriate or does not count.I can assure you, that being embarrassed is overshadowed by my ultimate reason for this bad review, which is to seek restitution for my daughters who worked so hard and were quite excited to perform that day, only to have their hearts broken just MINUTES before performanceMany moms in the community appreciate my efforts to vindicate my daughters from Ms [redacted] and her own rude daughter's wrongdoing because they have come forward and stated how they had quite similar experiences with this terribly unprofessional dance academy with such an unhappy and unapproachable owner, director and unwelcoming environmentAs many other parents did, I will be switching my daughters to a much more fun, happy, professional dance academy that I wish I started them out with in the first placePlease assist me in the refund of three months of dance class, in addition to the recital fee, since all the classes were to lead up to the end result of performing in a recital! I even had to pay for under-costume body suits and hip hop sneakers, costing an additional $for a performance they were not allowed to dance inThank you very much! I also have a local news station investigating this unfortunate incident and other moms willing to share similar experiences with this academy.Respectfully, [redacted] Regards, [redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ***
Here is my response and attachments that go along with itPlease reopen the file and let me know if I need to go back on your site to resubmit that way:If Ms*** were as truthful as she so states, then why did I prove she lied by saying the girls arrived only minutes before curtain call and so she had to make a decision (to not allow my children to dance at a recital I paid for them to participate in), when they were actually proven to be back stage hours before? This alone, proves this business is not credibleNot to mention, that now her latest response claims a decision was made days earlier to not allow my children to danceWell if that were true, then why were my daughters on the recital list and even signed in? Ms*** also states that if the teacher was told that the children were going to be late, then she was not informedThis just proves the lack of communication among staff, rather than prove I did not tell the teacher as she continues to implyAgain, she states if I did tell the teacher they would not be attending rehearsal or be late, then she was not informedTHIS LACK OF COMMUNICATION AMONG STAFF IS NOT A VALID EXCUSE TO TRY AND SAY I DID NOT FOLLOW RULES, WHEN I CERTAINLY DID INFORM THE SCHOOL OF REHEARSAL CONFLICTSIS IT MY CHILDRENS FAULT THAT THE TEACHER DID NOT TELL THE OWNER? No! In Ms***s first response, she stated the children arrived at 1:pm while all other students arrived on timeNOW, SHE STATES SHE DOES NOT KNOW THE TIME THE GIRLS ARRIVED AND ASSUMED THEY JUST ARRIVEDWHY would that be assumed? And in her first reply, she said she had to make a decision AT THAT POINT to not allow my girls to danceAgain, if it were previously determined on the Wednesday before recital day, then why allow my children backstage at all on the day of the recital and apply makeup in them and do their hair for hours?!My point is first she says in her first response that my children would not be allowed to dance since they arrived only minutes before recital curtain callnow she claims the decision to not allow the girls to dance was made at rehearsal because they were not notified of the conflict(again, trying to say they were not notified, when I did in fact tell the children's teacher, and again, it is not my children's fault for their lack of communication in the school.I would think a teacher is a person who is in charge, especially since ms*** is usually not present or in her office ignoring people in a rude wayI also didn't just "tell someone else"I told the children's own teacher!Regardless of all the rules and policies Ms*** attaches in her response, the fact remains that I DID inform the school (the girls teacher) and so there is obviously a communication issue among staff because in her first response, she also states she was told the girls arrived only minutes before curtain call (and now states she does not know when they arrived? Which statement is the truth?) secondly, sure it says there is no refund for not participating in the recital, but it was not my children's choice to not participateMs*** determined that based on lack of communication between her and her teacher who certainly was informed of the conflict with the girls scheduling during rehearsalsSecondly the girls teacher assisted in getting the children ready with the proper dance mom, therefore, if it was previously decided to not allow my children to dance days earlier, then why was their own teacher even assisting with getting the girls ready back stage? First, response of ms*** is stating that because they were minutes late, she had to make a decisionnow she is saying she doesn't know when the girls actually arrived but she had already made the decision days earlier that they were not allowed to danceConflicting statements for sure! And I've already stated the staff (Ms ***s daughter) refused to receive back the unworn costumes that I purchased for them to be in the recital in the first place.Please see the attached email from another former dance mom of this schoolIt pretty much sums it up that I am not the only family this happened to! Please thoroughly review all responses and you will see how many times Ms*** contradicts her story since the only way to cover up lies is by making up more lies! I expect a full refund from this company or I will be seeking legal counsel/contacting the attorney generals officeTo thwart the facts and blame the lack of communication within the school on my children is simply inexcusable and I am not alone in defending what this terrible "school" did to my children!Thank you!*** ***
***
Regards,
*** ***

Dear Revdex.com:This is in response to the complaint filed by [redacted]. I will respond to each of her issues on her complaint with additonal info attached. Attached, please find my studio's Recital Handbook. On page 2 I have highlighted the rule in question, all students must be in attendance...

for our 2 biggest and most important rehearsals: the "run-through" and "dress rehearsal". If you refer to the very last page, this will tell you the dates and times of each of these required rehearsals. For the first rehearsal on June 17, students were required to attend our run-through rehearsal at the studio from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm (this was the alotted time given - they were not required to stay until the end) however, we asked for students to arrive early between 9:30-9:45 am so that we could begin on time. Ms [redacted]'s 2 daughters arrived at 1:00 pm - a full 3 hrs late (with no prior phone call, email, etc to notify us of their late arrival) Additionally, they did not attend their last class on the previous night before on the 16th.Our mandatory dress rehearsal on 6/21 (noted on the back page) came and went without her daughters' attendance - again, no call, no email, no notification that would not be there. On the day of the recital, call time for all students was at 12:00 pm. In the midst of preparing for the show, what with scenery, lighting, sound, dancers, stage workers, etc, my check-in person showed that all dancers had arrived on time except Ms [redacted]'s 2 daughters. I was told at 1:45 pm that they had arrived (15 minutes before curtain). At that point I had to make a decision and asked a parent who knew the Mom, to please go out to the audience and ask her to come backstage so that I could speak with her. Ms [redacted] and the girls' teacher and I went to a quiet hallway behind the stage to discuss the issue. I explained that since the girls had not attended dress rehearsal, or their last class, and we were never notified that they would not be in attendance, our rules state that those rehearsals were mandatory. I explained that although I was concerned for the girls, I could not let them perform. Last minute changes were made to the line-up and choreography since they were not in attendance and allowing them to perform with no rehearsal time (since they had never performed on stage before) would in fact disrupt the routine for the rest of the dancers. In addition, I explained that it was unfair to the rest of the class who had attended all the mandatory rehearsals and had complied with all of our rules and policies. Rules are in place for a reason and they are not made to be bent or broken to suit one's whim. Have I ever allowed a dancer to perform if she hasn't attended dress rehearsal? Yes ... several times ... when parents contact me and discuss conflicts in dates and commitments I try my best to allow everyone to attend their commitments. In those cases we set up addition rehearsals with the class in question to allow the absent students to feel comfortable on stage for performance. With prior notification, this could have all been avoided. The burden / responsibility is on the parent to notify the office of scheduling conflicts. Verbal notification to a teacher can be forgotten, misinterpreted, etc.  Ms [redacted] at this point said that she had in fact talked to 'someone' in the office and told them the girls would not be at dress rehearsal. I am the only person in the office ... she did not contact me at any time ... by phone, email, in person, etc. She then changed her story and said she told 'someone', who she refers to in her letter as 'the poor sweet teacher'. This was her daughters' teacher for a full year and she does not even know her name, nor would she acknowledge that she spoke with her. Ms [redacted] is not a parent that is involved with her children's activities as she drops them off for class (most of the time late for class) and she has only been in the studio a few times during the entire year. It's obvious she did not make herself aware of our rules and policies.I offered her the opportunity for the girls to watch the show which she flatly refused. At this point my show was already late in starting. (I have performers, faculty, parents, workers, audience members, etc to be concerned with) I asked my teacher to bring her into the dressing room so that she could gather the girls and they could leave. I was needed backstage with the technical people and this was the last I saw / heard from her. I understand that she went into the dressing room shouting obscenities to my faculty and this was done in front of ALL of my students, including the 5 and 6 yr olds and the stage Moms. She was extremely vocal and was asked several times to leave, at which time she became more vocal, swearing and carrying on and demanding a refund for costumes (which the girls were wearing). She was escorted out to the foyer where she continued to shout obscenties so that the audience members entering the auditorium could hear her. She and her 2 guests were refunded their ticket money and escorted out of the building. I can understand that she was humiliated and embarrassed but she did bring it on herself. If she had left quietly, her humiliation would have been less.In the meantime, Ms [redacted] has proceeded to call her credit card company and insist on a chargeback for a full refund of her daughters costumes and recital fee (see below). May 26, 2017Recital Fee[redacted] 60.0060.00May 26, 2017Recital Fee[redacted] 25.0085.00May 26, 2017Costume Balance[redacted] 50.00135.00May 26, 2017Costume Balance[redacted] 50.00185.00May 31, 2017Payment75.00[redacted]Tuition110.00Jun 1, 2017Auto Tuition[redacted] Hip Hoppers50.00160.00Jun 1, 2017Tuition[redacted] 25.00185.00Jun 9, 2017Payment100.00[redacted]Costume Balance85.00Jun 9, 2017Payment85.00[redacted]Recital FeePrevAll RowsCURRENT BALANCE as of Jul 5, 2017: $0.00Our recital fee and what it covers is as follows: (taken from our Student/Parent Handbook)Recital FeesIn addition to your regular monthly tuition, a non-refundable Recital Fee will be due by Sept 15th. This fee breaks down as follows:Recital Fee: Recreational & Competitive                 Due Sept 15th -  $60.00 / student - includes¯T-Shirt ($25.00)¯Recital DVD ($35.00)¯Families receive 1 DVD only - fees are pro-rated  The non-refundable recital fee is in place to acknowledge your child's commitment to the recital and all it's rehearsals. I will gladly refund her DVD fee of $35.00 (which she already has received from the chargeback) since the girls were not in the show. However, she is still in possession of the girls' costumes (which are not returnable because they have been worn) and she is still in possession of the 2 Tee shirts (which are not returnable because of the screen printing). To ask for 3 months tuition to be returned is absurd since her daughters attended classes for those 3 months (albeit sporadically).  In closing, could this have been handled differently? Perhaps ... if the parent had the curtesy to notify me of their absence or commitment for these rehearsals, we could have worked something out prior to the show. Allowing the girls to perform was not an option at that point. With all the many details that I need to be concerned with, and after consulting all of my faculty, it was determined that all the other dancers had complied with our rules and to allow those who hadn't would be sending a message that our rules are not important, nor do they need to be followed. This does not teach our children well .. to break rules and be allowed to participate even though you have broken those rules. It also doesn't teach our children well when you show disrespect for anyone by your behavior and your comments in public. I am sorry that she and the girls encountered this sad state of affairs. Perhaps in the future, rules will be read and adhered to so that a similar situation can be avoided. [redacted], Director[redacted] Dance Academy

This is in response to the rebuttal on complaint # [redacted]:The statements that I originally made in my first response were true and accurate as I recall them. I have no reason to make statements otherwise on this or any other issues concerning my business.... if my teacher was informed that Ms [redacted]'s children were going to be late for our June 17th rehearsal, I was not informed. A late arrival is fine if we are aware of the circumstances ... I was not informed. (pls see attached)... this whole issue is due to the fact that her children did not attend our mandatory dress on June 21st ... again, if my teacher was informed that they were not going to participate, I was not informed.... call time for our show was at 12:00 - I do not know what time they arrived. I was told at 1:45 pm that they were in the dressing room and assumed they had just arrived. ... last minute changes were made to the choreography and line-up when her children did not attend dress rehearsal. If she has a video of their routine in our studio she has it illegally since our work is never supposed to be video taped without permission (signs are posted in the waiting area). She would not know if the choreography / line up was changed since she is not a teacher / choreographer and did not stay to see the show. ... I did not contact her in advance to tell her that her children could not perform because we all assumed they would not be in attendance since they were not at the mandatory dress rehearsal and I received no notification.... I polled my faculty back stage after talking with Ms [redacted]. It was agreed by all of us that since they were not in attendance for the required rehearsals, as all of our other students obeyed and conformed to our policies, it would have been unfair for them to participate along with the others who did. ... The burden is always on the parent to notify the office when a child is going to be absent. To state that "I told someone else" does not secure the fact that those in charge have received the info.... Again, costumes are ordered well in advance for each child. Ms [redacted] has both costumes in her possession and has reversed her payment with her credit card company for these costumes. Costume companies do not take returns on costumes since they are made-to-order, and therefore Ms [redacted] needs to pay for these items that are in her possession - whether they were worn or not.Please see the attached registration forms that Ms [redacted] signed when she registered her daughters for class. It specifically states that the parent is responsible for all fees, including tuition, costumes, recital fees, etc even if the child leaves the studio for any reason.  It also states that refunds are not provided.  These are statements "signed" by Ms [redacted] for both daughters. If she wishes to keep the costumes and recital tee shirts that were not paid for she is welcome to them since we can not use them because they were in her possession for so long. As stated in our rules and policies, the studio does not issue refunds for termination of enrollment, non-participation in our recital or classes. Her signature commits her to our policies. [redacted], Director[redacted] Dance Academy

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # [redacted].
In response to the eloquently written letter from Ms. [redacted], I am appalled by the untrue statements and distortion of the truth in her reply. The biggest lie she made to justify her very LAST-MINUTE actions can be easily proven otherwise, and therefore, my attached evidence will verify that this business is simply not credible, and they are capable of stooping so low as to cover up their unprofessionalism and actions with lies.Derogatory statements made against me that I'm always late, not actively involved, etc etc are nothing more than added fluff to thwart the truth, and as much as it pains me to have my daughters be so hurt by this company owner's poorly executed decision to not allow them to perform at the very last minute, I shall stick with the facts, rather than write from emotion:Lie number 1: Despite Ms. [redacted] inaccurately stating I did not notify the school of my daughters' late arrival for the June 17 rehearsal, on the day the children received costumes, I DID, IN FACT, NOTIFY THEIR TEACHER OF REHEARSAL CONFLICT AND THAT THEY WOULD BE LATE. She (Miss [redacted]) responded that times for each class should be posted and that it should not be a problem. Although children were asked to arrive between 9:30 and 9:45 am, my daughters class was not rehearsing until much later and they arrived in time to fully rehearse their dance number with their class, rather than sit around waiting/watching other performers.Lie number 2: Again, despite Ms. [redacted] inaccurately stating I did not notify anyone that my children had other commitments and could not attend rehearsal, I DID, IN FACT NOTIFY THEIR TEACHER. Lie Number 3 (this lie can be easily proven): Despite Ms. [redacted]'s untrue statement that "all dancers arrived on time except Ms. [redacted]'s daughters. I was told at 1:45 pm that they had arrived (15 minutes before curtain). At that point I had to make a decision...," my daughters and I ACTUALLY arrived at the recital at EXACTLY 12 noon, the required arrival time! Ms. [redacted] is obvious not truthful, and it's a shame that she fabricated the truth to justify her unprofessional and hurtful actions to not allow my daughters to perform so last minute. Attached is a text dated the recital date, June 25 at 12:21 pm from my daughters, who were back stage after I had dropped them off at noon. [redacted] wrote:12:21pm: HI MOMWe have to wait two freaking hours1:30 pm (sent a photo after backstage staff applied makeup) Holy [redacted] the eyeliner is so thickThis text exchange is certainly evidence to prove Ms. [redacted] is not truthful and claims to have had to make a decision just minutes before showtime to not allow my daughters to dance because they arrived late "15 minutes before curtain." What a bold, untrue statement to make! See attached text exchange, in addition to my daughters with the staff applied makeup on and my youngest one in French braids done by a dance mom back stage... with black around her eyes from crying. I got them smiling for the photos by taking their minds off the entire ordeal... but again, seeing their makeup and hair should also prove the girls were back stage far longer than 15 minutes! It takes longer than tat just to braid hair like that!Lie number 4: "Last minute changes were made to the line-up and choreography since they were not in attendance." As proven in Lie #3, my daughters were in attendance ON TIME. ALSO, NO LAST MINUTE CHANGES TO THE LINE-UP WERE NECESSARY SINCE BOTH OF MY DAUGHTERS WERE ON THE VERY END, ONE WAS FIRST AND ONE WAS LAST IN LINE. In fact, I have a video from a class with them performing the dance number, showing they were both on each end and it also shows that my girls KNEW THE ROUTINE LIKE CLOCKWORK, HAVING ATTENDED DANCE CLASS FOR MONTHS AND PRACTICING THE ROUTINE OFTEN.  So despite Ms. [redacted]'s attempt to make it sound like my daughters were not prepared or comfortable performing, my video I have in possession shows otherwise and my oldest daughter had the sharpest moves of all the dancers in her class.Issue number 5: Ms. [redacted] stated that, "verbal notification (of an absence) to a teacher can be forgotten, misinterpreted, etc." IF THAT IS THE CASE THAT NOTIFYING MY DAUGHTERS' TEACHER WAS NOT ENOUGH, THEN IT SHOULD SO BE STATED! The fact is, not knowing of any rule otherwise, I DID notify the girls' teacher of rehearsal conflict, AND did not want to cause a problem for her when Ms. [redacted] questioned me about who I told. It is not my fault there is a communication problem within the school and my daughters should not have been penalized for it, and then they boldly made up untrue statements or misrepresenting facts to justify their actions to not allow my children to dance at a recital I PAID FOR. Issue number 6: Despite stating I don't even know my daughters' teachers name, I left her name out on purpose to avoid a problem for her,  but I do know her name, Miss [redacted], and she is very nice. Then, Ms. [redacted] insulted me further by stating, "Ms. [redacted] is not a parent that is involved with her children's activities and she has only been in the studio a few times..." WELL, EVERY TIME I HAVE BEEN IN THE STUDIO, I AM NEVER GREETED WITH EVEN A SIMPLE 'HELLO', but rather ignored with a very unwelcoming, uncomfortable atmosphere. In fact, I live in a community with other dance moms who left [redacted] dance due to similar treatment. Even standing in front of the glass office window, I was not acknowledged by Ms. [redacted], whom I wanted to discuss rehearsal conflicts. She left me standing there for awhile without even opening the glass, so that's when I decided to tell my daughters' teacher instead. Also, for the times I stayed, the small area for parents to sit and watch class never has enough seats and there is a very small glass window, so only a few parents can even watch in the first place. So, I'm not "involved with my children's activities" because I don't sit there in such an uncomfortable setting to watch them dance when there's no place to sit to visibly see them dancing in the first place? Not involved in my children's activities? They are enrolled in softball, gymnastics, choir, band, green environment team, and art classes in addition to dance... all meant to be fun activities! Issue  number 7: After being told my children could not perform only minutes before curtain call, AND AFTER STAFF APPLIED THEIR MAKEUP AND DID THEIR HAIR (one with French braids),  I AM STILL IN DISBELIEF THAT, EVEN IF IT WERE DETERMINED BY MS. [redacted] THAT MY CHILDREN COULD NOT PERFORM BECAUSE THEY MISSED REHEARSAL, WHY NOT TELL ME SOONER, AND BEFORE DOING THE GIRLS MAKEUP AND HAIR WITH THEM BACKSTAGE FOR TWO HOURS??? I could have been informed by phone or email of her decision on Wednesday evening (June 21 last rehearsal day) or Thursday, or Friday or Saturday before noon (recital day) when we arrived. But instead, she made up a lie that because we arrived at the recital only 15 minutes before curtain call, she could not allow them to dance. My children deserve an apology!Issue number 8: While I was, in fact, offered to watch the show with the girls, who would EVER graciously accept this "offer" when the ONLY reason my family and I, including my 82 year old parents, were there in the first place was to watch my daughters perform! Issue number 9: As the show was about to start, Ms. [redacted] told Miss [redacted] to bring me back stage to get the children, whose response to not allow my daughter to dance was, "I'm speechless and so sorry."  At this point, I saw how shocked and upset my daughters were that they could not dance after practicing so hard and knowing the dance by heart. So, this upset me and I asked for my money back that I paid for the children to be in the recital. Within a minute, Ms. [redacted]'s daughter came out and I had never been treated so rudely in my life! She came running at me while rudely stating that I must leave immediately. I explained that I wanted my money returned that I paid for my daughters to perform, and she insisted I leave and yelled that I will not be getting my money back and to call a lawyer. She then began yelling and so of course I reacted, but I was not so bold and loud like she carried on while then threatening to call the police if I did not leave immediately. As I left down the hall to get my family/parents who were their to watch their granddaughters dance, Ms. [redacted]'s daughter proceeded to continue to yell and and yell out to the ticket money collector to NOT GIVE US OUR MONEY BACK!!, CAUSING QUITE AN EMBARRASSING SCENE OF UNPROFESSIONALISM. I IMMEDIATELY LEFT TO REPORT THE INCIDENT WITH THE [redacted] POLICE STATION. I was not "escorted out to the foyer," but rather Ms. [redacted]'s very rude daughter was screaming profanities and threats at me, and I escorted my own self and parents out of the building. And, again, although I had already requested and received my ticket money back, Ms. [redacted]'s daughter shouted at the man to not give our ticket money back, which was quite embarrassing for all. Issue/Lie number 10: Ms. [redacted] stated I was "demanding a refund for costumes (which the girls were wearing)." I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT THE GIRLS WERE NOT YET IN COSTUMES SINCE THEY WERE closer to last in the dance performance lineup. Costumes remained on hangers in bags, and the teacher had to show me where they were hung. This is yet another lie to make it seem like the costumes were worn, when I tried handing the unworn costumes to Ms. [redacted]'s daughter when requesting the refund. I also NEVER SHOUTED OBSCENITIES so that audience members could hear... in fact, it was quite the other way around with Ms. [redacted]'s daughter shouting as I QUIETLY walked down the hall that she was calling the police and yelling to not give my ticket money back and my parents and another friend and another dance mom who attended can attest otherwise. THE ONLY TIME MY VOICE WAS EVEN SPOKEN WAS BACK STAGE!! Issue number 11: the children's costumes, were not worn, despite Ms. [redacted] falsely stating in her reply that they were wearing them. In fact, when I requested my money back, Ms. [redacted]'s daughter refused to take the hanging, unworn costumes I tried to give her, as she threatened me with the police,lawyers,etc. I am requesting that, in addition to the recital participation fee, I am also reimbursed for three full months of class because the MAIN REASON FOR ATTENDING CLASSES AND PRACTICING A DANCE FOR MONTHS IS THE END RESULT.... TO PERFORM WHAT WAS LEARNED IN A RECITAL... AND DESPITE PAYING FOR IT, MY DAUGHTERS WERE NOT ALLOWED TO PERFORM AND JUSTIFIED BY UNTRUE FACTS AND OUTRIGHT LIES, INCLUDING STATING THEY ARRIVED ON RECITAL DAY ONLY 15 MINUTES BEFORE CURTAIN CALL... AN OBSURD LIE! The girls had full makeup on and even French braids done by backstage moms AN HOUR BEFORE CURTAIN CALL! That lie alone should prove how unprofessional and not credible Ms. [redacted]'s reply is. To stand behind the untrue fact that I "have broken their rules," I again will reiterate that I DID notify their teacher, Miss [redacted], whom I know as a very sweet, nice teacher that I did not want to get in trouble, yet I DID notify her of rehearsal conflict. Not anywhere is there a rule that says to notify Ms. [redacted] directly since notifying the class teacher is not appropriate or does not count.I can assure you, that being embarrassed is overshadowed by my ultimate reason for this bad review, which is to seek restitution for my daughters who worked so hard and were quite excited to perform that day, only to have their hearts broken just MINUTES before performance. Many moms in the community appreciate my efforts to vindicate my daughters from Ms. [redacted] and her own rude daughter's wrongdoing because they have come forward and stated how they had quite similar experiences with this terribly unprofessional dance academy with such an unhappy and unapproachable owner, director and unwelcoming environment. As many other parents did, I will be switching my daughters to a much more fun, happy, professional dance academy that I wish I started them out with in the first place. Please assist me in the refund of three months of dance class, in addition to the recital fee, since all the classes were to lead up to the end result of performing in a recital! I even had to pay for under-costume body suits and hip hop sneakers, costing an additional $120 for a performance they were not allowed to dance in. Thank you very much! I also have a local news station investigating this unfortunate incident and other moms willing to share similar experiences with this academy.Respectfully,[redacted] 
Regards,
[redacted]