CF Dance Academy

CF Dance is a dream dance studio. Not only do they welcome students of all ages, but they treat adults with just as much support and appreciation as the children. Through the help of the amazing dance teachers at CF, myself and many other adults earned our point shoes, performed in the shows, and took and passed multiple ballet exams. CF helped my dreams come true, and that is hard to come by as most studios don’t welcome adults.
I love the CF family, and am so grateful for the opportunities they’ve given me! They have top notch teachers, and fun, creative, top-​notch shows too!

Awesome Teachers, Awesome Dancers. My Daughter Loves this place. Especially for their June Show Case. Cant Wait to start up again.

A few years ago I found this place by accident by wandering around the Williams building after Zumba one evening. At cfda your first class is free so I thought I would try it out. I was really impressed with the great technique I was learning and the individual corrections I was getting from the teacher, Ms. Jennifer. More importantly she was explaining the corrections in a way I could understand and I could see results right away. I decided to keep going to class and I met a great group of adult dancers (I am now in my early 30’S) and I have to say coming to this studio really changed my life. Even though I am an adult who is comming to class for the love of dance and not aspiring to be a professional dancer, the teachers at this studio have been very encouraging and have provided many positive experiences and opportunities. I love that I’m not discounted just because I’m an adult, I also love that there also other adult dancers in class with me and there is an adult dance program, I haven’t seen that at other studios. I love how Cf dance academy treats all of their students like family and creates a positive encouraging nurturing environment for their students. I have been to so many other studios and schools where the environment is cold and competitive and negative, where the teachers only cater to certain students (who are paying the most money for classes and privates) it’s very refreshing to be at a studio that isn’t like that. On the subject of a positive nurturing encouraging environment, this is the only studio I know of that has a SPECIAL NEEDS DANCE PROGRAM. Ms. Leanna created a program called «Everybody dance now» for kids with special needs to learn to dance and have the opportunity to perform on stage for an audience who cheers for them. I think that’s really cool. I have always had a positive experience here, this studio is like home. I definitely recommend this studio to any adult who is looking for a place to dance. I also recommend this studio to any parent who is looking for a great performing arts program for their child. The teachers work very hard on EVERY student, providing them with opportunities for scholarships, awards, auditions and intensive programs, while still instilling professionalism, responsibility and of course solid technique.

I have worked with CF Dance Academy in several capacities over many years. Leanna and her staff are incredibly conscientious to create a healthy dance environment for all ages. They grow amazing human beings not just incredibly talented dancers! They always include community out reach in their curriculums in order to teach the children to embrace their blessings and to share their resources. Their production numbers are always incredibly creative and involve all levels of dance so each child can play an important part! The children are taught not only proper dance etiquette, excellent dance training but important character traits of how to be a productive member in our community. Another aspect of CFDA I appreciate is their commitment not to follow the trend of hyper sexualized dancing on youth. They are an example of a thriving studio that still has a strong moral compass! They are meticulous about what master teachers they bring in and what music messages they are exposing the children to. Every interaction I’ve had with the dance parents of CFDA has been positive! Their dance families are very gracious and committed to keeping a united environment. I have worked with several studios in California and I can confidently say Leanna and her incredible staff are leaders in the field of dance for youth of all ages!

My child has taking dance classes since she was almost 2 yes old but didn’t start at CF until she was 8yrs old and hasn’t stopped since. She has been with CF for about 5 consecutive years now. I can say, with all honesty, that there really isn’t any other dance studio like CF! This dance studio has many students but I guarantee that all the teachers will get to know your child in no time. To me, it I feels like it’s a small studio because I feel and see the love Miss Leanna, Miss Jennifer & ALL the teachers have for my child and ALL the kids, parents as well as for each other. It starts to feel like a family after awhile. EVERY teacher here is dedicated to making each dancer rise to their potential in every way. My daughter’s confidence and skills have grown tremendously each year that she attends CF especially in the last couple of years. She takes ballet, hip hop, contemporary, tap, jazz, etc etc etc. Once in awhile, I ask her which class is her favorite but she always says all of them. I love ALL of her teachers because I know they love and care for her and she is always happiest when dancing or talking about dance!
One thing (as a parent) that I really like about CF as opposed to other dance studios is that the children here are dressed like children. There’s NO inappropriate dance outfits or overtly sexual dance moves. The directors really want the kids to be kids and I appreciate that!
Their main focus is on performance and dance as an art form. They do have an excellent classical ballet program run by Director/​Instructor Miss Jennifer & an award winning hip hop program run by Director/​Instructor Miss Leanna. They even have dance classes for children with special needs. My daughter gets to assist Miss Jessica and Miss Robin with that class and she loves it! This studio has awarded my daughter and many other students with scholarships! CF and its fundraising parents (Dancing Angels) do so much for the their dancers, the Fullerton community and at risk or needy youth in Fullerton & surrounding cities. They work with Fullerton Cares, participate in Faces of Fullerton, Mardi Gras for Autism and perform for small children at the public library, etc etc. I’m proud to say my daughter dances at CF. I trust them with my daughter and her dance education!

Dance mom, not me! That is what I would tell people until my daughter found her place in the world. She was that child that hid behind my leg and would beg me not to leave. Luckily, my daughter met a dance instructor that encouraged her to try dance. From that moment on, her life and mine were changed for the better.
Miss Leanna and Miss Jennifer saw a dancer locked inside her 10 year old body.
These directors, instructors, and owners have made a POSITIVE impact in our lives. I continue to be in awe by their commitment and passion for children (that will always get 5 stars from me). In order to create the much needed building blocks for children, we must develop
–Support:
Other Adult Relationships — Young person receives support from three or more nonparent adults.
–Empowerment:
Community Values Youth | Young person perceives that adults in the community value youth.
–Boundaries:
Adult Role Models | Parent (s) and other adults model positive, responsible behavior.
–Constructive use of time:
Creative Activities | Young person spends three or more hours per week in lessons or practice in music, theater, or other arts.
This studio and the instructors are not just teaching a child choreography, but they are changing lives one 8 count after another.
Thank you for doing what you do for children, families, and the community.
If I could give you a million stars, I would! Please continue to do what you do and be who you are! Miss Leanna, Miss Jennifer, Miss Jessica, Miss Vanessa, Miss Jana — you are a super hero to me and my family. I am confident that others will feel the same

This studio is absolutely amazing! We’ve been attending this studio for two months now. My daughter (5 years of age) is taking the Saturday morning Ballet and Tap 1 °F class with Miss Jessica! For starters, the teacher seems to really care about all of her students and continues to reach out to them and encourage them. My daughter didn’t dance the first two weeks but with the help of Miss Jessica and her assistant“s attention she finally began to open up and begin to dance with the other students in her class. The class begins with some interactive games to get the children moving. When they call roll, they always ask the kids a question, for the students and teachers to get to know each other better. Im already seeing my daughter improving when playing and interacting with other children. Not only do they teach dance but also incorporated in the classes are lessons like sharing (they get to dance with props during across the floor exercises), taking turns (each teacher takes the time to individually correct each student across the floor), and waiting patiently for their turn. There are three assistants and the main teacher (Miss Jessica), with 15 children ages 3 – 5 years, making a great student-​teacher ratio. They all seem to work very well with the children giving tons of positive reinforcements. They have a very positive attitude and give every student an opportunity to dance. Not only are the teachers great, but I also had a very positive experience with the staff at the desk. They were very friendly and helpful when we first enrolled at this studio. They have great customer service, even when it gets super busy. They are always ready to answer any questions I throw at them, and trust me Ive had tons. Overall this is a wonderful studio for children and families. I highly recommend this studio for all ages, and plan on staying for a long long time.

Four years later, now I have three children taking classes at CF Dance Academy and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
My eldest daughter has gone from being a very insecure, uncoordinated girl to a confident dancer who has developed a true passion for dance. She started off taking 1 hip hop class and now she takes Contemporary, Tap, Ballet, Jazz, and Hip Hop. You name it, she takes it. Miss Jessica, Miss Hope, and Miss Vanessa first took her under their wings — providing private lessons and guidance as she worked hard to achieve her goals. As she improved, she took on more and more. The teachers really made it a priority to put her well-​being and best interests first. If she wasn’t ready — they told her. At the same time, they encouraged her to take risks as she encountered opportunities for growth. They made learning challenging, yet attainable. My daughter wasn’t a $ to them. (One teacher — Miss Marissa, REALLY impacted my daughter’s life by helping her realize that it’s okay to be herself. My kid is a bookworm that doesn’t follow the norm. Miss Marissa made her feel loved and accepted.)
My son (who is a handful) also started with Hip Hop and now takes all the genres offered at CF. We have found that his dance training has spilled over into sports. His footwork, core strength and stamina are stellar compared to his peers. We have found that the teachers provide him with structured instruction that supports his needs. The programs at CF teach more than just dance — they instill discipline, diligence, perseverance and compassion. He feels safe and loved at this studio. No regrets here!
My third child (2) takes Parent and Me. She is completely in her terrible two’s. Miss Jessica and Miss Sam are VERY patient with her. After the Spring session, she knows the routine procedures and looks forward to class. The dance games are developmentally appropriate and enjoyable. Class lessons are engaging — which you need with 2 year olds! These teachers KNOW how to work with kids of all ages.
I can honestly say that the teachers and staff at this studio genuinely care about my kids. Miss Leanna loves my kids as if they were her own. The kids see her as their dance mom — which is more than fine with me.
It doesn’t stop at dance lessons, though! This studio is big on community service and reaching out!!! The studio supports and participates in a ton of community service projects. Their scholarship program has funded students’ enrollment in dance classes, CF instructors have gone out to local schools to teach dance lessons to at-​risk youth, they participate in Mardi Gras for Autism annually, CF teachers volunteer their time to teach classes at elementary schools to promote healthy choices, etc. I have seen my children grow not only as dancers, but as compassionate children because at CF «service is key». For example, my kids have learned compassion and acceptance by participating in the Every Body Dance Now program (dance program for children with special needs). They LOVE being peer buddies to children in this program.
I love CF Dance Academy… I could keep going on (bringing in Industry guest teachers, the director’s involvement in the city collaborative, etc.), but I’ll wait another four years to write more.

Absolutely love taking my 2 year old daughter to ballet class here!!! My daughter actually asks to go back during the week and looks forward to going every time! All of her teachers are so nice and I feel very comfortable leaving my daughter in class by herself when the parents aren’t allowed. My daughter is somewhat shy and misses me sometimes when she has to go by herself but Miss Jessica and Miss Samantha are so good with her that she’ll totally forget about me by the end of class and I always come back in to a big smile on her face.

I really wanted to like this place… I danced for most of my life and could not wait to put my little girl in dance here. We just came back, and all I can say is that it was a very negative experience. We first attended the mommy and me class, and the teacher had the assistant start the class because she was late. I would have not known that, except that a second teacher walked in 15 minutes late and started leading the class. Since this was my daughter’s first class, it was weird to all of the sudden have a new teacher come in. In any case, the mommy and me class was kinda fun. It is nothing that cannot be done at home, really. But it is more about doing it with other kids in the cute outfit. In any case, my daughter is almost 3 and really mature. After the mommy and me class, she wanted to stay to dance more, so I figured she should try the «creative movement» class. She walked to the line up on her own, answered what her name was, and was having a good time. She would check back at me to make sure I was still seated where I was, and that helped her confidence. However, all parents were asked to leave the room, and since this was her FIRST DAY, she expectedly cried. I asked the front desk person «if she cries the whole time, will they bring her out?», and she said «you don’t hear her crying, do you mom?» I was a bit shocked at this response. Certainly, when the door opened 20 minutes later, my daughter was crying… Meaning, she cried for 20 minutes in a class full of strangers and no one thought it would be a good idea to take her out with her mom…
Ok — but why the negative review? My negative review really is based on the staff. The main teacher (listed as AC in the schedule) is very rude. First, she had a problem with how my daughter’s name was pronounced, and tried to correct my pronunciation in my own daughter’s name. The main teacher and the assistants were young girls who seemingly have no idea on how to properly interact with children. I think that anyone dealing with children should have adequate training, and they evidently did not. When the class ended, my daughter was happy to see me since she cried the whole time, yet the teacher scorched her to not run to me and wait for me to come to her (what is the point of this?). Little dancers are scorched for dancing on the side (tell a toddler to not dance to songs from the movie «Frozen» and wait on the side lines for their turn. RI-​DI-​CU-​LOUS). At the end, the teacher told me my daughter was not ready for creative movement class because she «didn’t do anything». Do you think? It is her FIRST DAY and you were harsh AND we had no clue that I would be asked to leave the room.
Overall, my take: staff is uneducated and rude. The class was nothing special that you cannot do with your toddler at home. Teachers make no attempt to connect with children and make them comfortable. The studio is DIRTY. Reception area is DIRTY and DISORDERLY. I WILL NOT RETURN, EVER.

If I could give this place a 0 I would. This place over charges for cheaply made costumes, most likely bought from Walmart. Leanna has a preference for mediocre dancers who’s parents donate food, volunteer, and clean the dance studio. The floors are dirty the bathrooms are filthy. The benches are covered with foam pieces so you don’t accidentally prick yourself with nails sticking out through the wood. Not even the mirrors are real. Having my cousin taken out of this place ASAP, TO A BETTER DANCE SCHOOL WITH MORE EXPERIENCED TEACHERS, WHERE ALL CHILDREN ARE TREATED EQUALLY.

ok so let me start ,
i went to almost every dance class with my niece so she can decide what kind of style she liked most, we ended up putting her in the hip hop class with Miss Jessica, the very FIRST DAY Miss jessica was not prepared she didn’t even have choreography! She was making it up as she went only getting the little kids confused my niece lost confidence and Miss Jessica didn’t seem to care so i pulled her out of the class and it took me almost 2 weeks to get a refund back, the front desk people are very uneducated on the business it seemed they were only there taking up space and «just hanging out» i was very disappointed since i live close to the studios and this place had very good reviews but honestly its not worth it. The only ONE person who seemed to care what the teacher who teaches the ballet there she was very helpful, everyone else there had me going back and forth sending me to talk to the next person.

I am a dancer and I enjoy this place so much and I suggest this dance studio to all my friends!

If you are looking for a dance school for your children that takes itself too seriously, this is the place for you. If you were just looking for your kids to have some fun dancing and learning the basics in a structured environment, this place is a little more militant that you might like. They impose a sort of «rating» system on appearance or how put together you… and it’s judged during practices in class. Nevermind I had to rush my five year old child straight from school and she has flyaways coming from her type of hair she was born with so her bun wasn’t slicked and smoothed for practice.
Their big annual dance recital is on Father’s Day every year. Forget plans with the family that day if your children are separated into the early and later shows. That would not be as bad… if it was not on a holiday! They say it’s because they get Servite donated to them (or for lower rate?!) however I have a friend whose daughter also has a recital there on a different day of the year and it’s a newer studio… and we pay the same price for tickets. Something smells fishy.
I won’t even discuss the shades of nepotism…
I am considering my review as a sort of public service announcement. I chose this studio because it was close to my home. I was not impressed with the routines, nor was my sister who is a dance graduate from OC School of Performing Arts. I went to watch another dance recital from a dance studio that is a little further away where my friend’s daughter goes. Needless to say, the hip hop, jazz and ballet choreography was much better and it was a much more healthy environment. (No, I am not naming the studio in case someone thinks I am trying to steal business from this place).
Huge disappointment.

Clean space with great floors.

Professional, friendly, energetic teachers who love what they do! Facilities are great, dancers receive personal attention in each class and due diligence regarding technique is monitored at all levels. I was very impressed. As a former professional dancer I am very happy to send my daughter to CF Dance!

Dance class is ok. We went on vaction for 2 weeks came back to pay the dance fees for the month and were assessed a $ 10 late fee on a $ 40 a month payment over 20%! Thats criminal!
I wanted to pull our daughter out right then. But we had already paid $ 200 for another ulgy costume. So she could play a leaf in bugs life on fathers day of all days. They have shows every year on fathers day. I think its bcse they get cheap rent on the servite theater that day. Plus they raised the show tickets to $ 21 a piece. Seems to be all about the money at cf dance. My daughter will be done after her next show over a $ 10 late fee. To bad

In looking for a dance academy for my daughter I came across this academy and was excited to explore the academy and teachers. Unfortunately, my experience was less than favorable with the director, getting the impression that it was more about the money and less about the children. It’s understandable that a business has to be profitable but in this economic climate, customer service should be a factor also.

So far I’m a fan! I’ve watched my daughter’s class and it was super cute. We have only been there twice but the teachers seem to have good control over the kids and they seem to love it. The kids learn and have fun… as a parent i couldn’t ask for more.

Awsome teachers! Awsome dancers! Very good with my 4 yr old