Conservatory Of Dance & Music

This dance company is extremely unorganized and Roxanne Williams, the studio manager is one of the rudest and most disrespectful people I have ever encountered. Not only does she not let you have any discussions with her, she demands that she is always right and the parents are to blame for the company's mistake towards scheduling. I would not recommend this dance company to anyone. There are many other great and amazing dance studios, but this is not one of them. Not only are they unorganized, they provide their students with ever changing schedules, making it hard for students to adapt. This is my first time bringing my daughter to this school and it will definitely be my last. I would definitely do more research and listen to other google reviews before entering the school program. DO NOT RECOMMEND.

CDM is a wonderful, welcoming dance studio! My daughter, Olivia has been a student there since the age of 3. Olivia has a strong passion for dance. Roxanne Williams (Ms.Roxy) was able to see this passion from the very beginning. For example, Olivia was a part of a class were she was the youngest student. Ms.Roxy recognized that my daughter had the ability, the focus and the determination to perform at the same level as the other students in the class. When Olivia accomplished a skill, Ms.Roxy was thrilled to share. Ms.Roxy continues to support my daughters' love for dance through her encouragement, passion and love for her students. Every week, Olivia looks forward to seeing Ms.Roxy. Not only is Ms.Roxy an amazing teacher, she is a well organized, knowledgeable and approachable Studio Manager. As a parent, I feel confident in all the abilities of all the teachers at CDM. It is a studio that fosters friendship, hardwork and celebrates each and every student's accomplishments! Marcia

The Conservatory of Dance and Music produces strong technical dancers. The studio presents a wide range of classes for all ages in recreational, part-time competitive, and full time competitive streams. CDM has a strong sense of community formed by the teachers, parents, and dancers. The teachers always value; technique, safety, and overall well being. I am so happy to call the CDM team my second family!

My daughter started dance at a much later age than most kids and with not being a dancer myself, my task of finding a dance school that would help her develop quickly, in an inviting and caring environment, was a daunting task for me. After contacting several dance schools, I felt that CDM would be the best fit for me and my daughter. Cheryl, the school director, offered sound advice and gave us a starting point that allowed my daughter to explore her talent. This will be our 5th year with CDM and I can truly say that our overall experience has been positive. Over the years, I have always found the staff and instructors to be approachable, fair and open. Apart from the dance training, which allowed my daughter to apply and be accepted into the Claude Watson School of the Arts (along with many of her dance mates), she has also developed close friendships. I feel that the mission at CDM is not just to help build strong, confident dancers but to also build strong confident young men and women. I would not hesitate in recommend them.

We have been a part of the CDM family for over 7 years. The process to find a dance school included visiting several dance schools and chatting with existing families. What made CDM stand out was the way in which Cheryl Quiacos Upper(owner) spoke about her staff, the students and their families. I quickly realised that she was not just a business owner but instead, along with her staff members, had a true passion for dance and molding young minds. She had a strong desire to so share her passion with these students as she herself had experienced at the same studio as a student. After my daughter tried a Musical Theater class with the renowned Miss Roxy (Roxanne Williams) I was able to see that she also had this great passion and if you ever meet Miss Roxy you are going to hear her glee for life long before you even see her. Always always always happy, receptive and very eager to help. After this it was an easy decision for my then 6yr old to become a part of the CDM team and over the years she has had the opportunity to learn multiple genres of dance, build lifelong friendships and now sometimes even helps some of the younger students. As a parent I have also made lifelong friends, had the opportunity to take part in Adult classes (highly recommended) and I will never forget the recital that included myself and other parents in the closing number . Here are a few reasons why we have remained a part of the CDM family. First, Discipline. As a competitive dancer it’s never easy to balance school work, dance schedule, other extra-curricular activities and a social life. My daughter learned very early to manage her schedule and assignments even when she had to be out of school for performances. She has a stronger commitment to her academics from the discipline she has grown up with as a competitive dancer. Second, Mentorship. The teachers develop such special relationships with the students. For a young dancer, these teachers quickly become role models to these young students and it’s very easy to see how the students hold these teachers in high esteem. Unlike her academic school that she changes grade and teachers each year its different here as many of these teachers remain constant. This causes their behaviour to have a greater range of influence on the lives of the students over time to even become mentors. Finally, Family. I have stayed because I realise how much we are also a part of this family. My daughter cannot imagine herself not being able to see her teammates, Miss Roxy, Miss Pfaff, Miss Fisher or Miss Cheryl, to name a few. It has been great to see the senior students excel, graduate and in some cases return to teach and help develop other young kids. Like with any family everybody may not be happy all the time but it’s important that we are all open to communicate, listen and be heard, be accountable and grow into an even better version of ourselves. Thanks to Cheryl and her team, the other families and the students. For the future at CDM I look forward the continuation of balancing task oriented and relationship oriented leadership.