The Academy of Dance Arts

Kelli Paul _{on Google}

Oct 1st, 2022

Our experience at The Academy of Dance Arts has been life changing for our daughter! The teachers, under the direction of founder and artistic director, Sherry Moray, are superb and offer excellent instruction in a very positive and nurturing environment. From the day we stepped foot in the studio and met the staff and teachers, we knew this was the right place for our daughter to continue her training as a ballerina. ADA has a very welcoming atmosphere that promotes positive relationships with faculty, staff and other dancers. The focus in not only on ballet technique, but also on other disciplines within dance that help to create a well-rounded dancer. In addition, the training focuses on opportunities to compete in elite competitions that help advance dancers into their career. We believe this is the western suburbs premier dance studio with an excellent reputation on a national level.

Delaney Fenlon _{on Google}

Sep 30th, 2022

Academy of Dance Arts was an incredible experience for my daughter. She just finished there in August and has been accepted as a trainee at a professional company.
Sherry, Irina, and Diana are amazing instructors who immediately recognized some bad habits which my daughter had learned over the years and had never been corrected at her previous studio in Chicago. Upon my daughter starting at ADA (due to not being able to commute to the city during covid), they quickly got to the root of problems which had been challenging her for years. They continued to fix the cracks in the foundation as well as challenge her in new ways, all in a manner that built her up. They believed in her, and that helped her to believe in herself. So much of succeeding in dance comes down to confidence, and that is what made the move to this studio exponential in her progress.
The studios are beautiful: large, bright, and clean. The cost is less than anywhere else she had been and it was so really easy to get to.
Academy of Dance Arts has a family/community feel and the staff is truly invested in my daughter's best interest even now that she is gone. Their expertise was invaluable but the staff's level of caring and investment was such a pleasant surprise and something which we have found to be a rarity.
Our daughter has been dancing for 16 years, and we have experience with four different dance studios, never has she grown as much as she has in these past 2 years at ADA.

Mickayla Homme _{on Google}

Sep 29th, 2022

The Academy of Dance Arts was a place I am lucky enough to call home for 7+ years. It is a place that gave me some of the best lifelong friends, and among my favorite memories, helping me develop into the person that I am today. The incredible, top-notch training program and supportive, loving environment was something I am profoundly thankful for and cherish very dearly. I am very grateful for the strong work ethic I learned, which was instrumental in contributing to my successful college dance and academic career. It also helped me to learn how to manage priorities in my daily life, which has transcended college and is also allowing me to thrive in my current professional career. Being able to have had such a healthy physical outlet, with an extra group of friends outside of school, benefitted me both physically and mentally. I feel extremely blessed to have learned from some of the most talented, dedicated dance teachers in the country, who genuinely care about me and with whom I still stay connected.
I am extremely proud and honored to say I danced and trained at the Academy of Dance Arts, and I want to strongly encourage other families and dancers to be a part of the amazing, supportive family that awaits inside their doors. Whether your goal is to take a few classes to enrich your life, or if you have college or professional aspirations, this is definitely a positive environment that will help you thrive.

Kew Jung L. _{on Yelp}

Sep 23rd, 2022

The Academy of Dance Arts exceeds all my expectations in a dance studio.  Sherry, Irina,and Diana are all incredible, insightful, dedicated, and learned professionals whom are devoted to passing on their craft to the next generation.  They understand the nuances of Classical Technique, Artistry, and teach with passion and encouragement.They take great care in building the children's confidence and esteem.  It is rare to find this balance, and these are things I noticed as I sat in the studio. The children's happiness spills out of the classroom into the hallways.  The camaraderie and support my daughter enjoyed from her classmates comes from happy, confident kids. The children immediately introduced themselves and made her feel welcomed.  The studio staff are so invested in their community as  well. They're  friendly, helpful, and willing to go the extra mile whether it be buttoning up a costume or helping arrange a ride from the train station. The studio is clean, spacious, and airy.  They have thought of every detail. There are places for the kids to study, eat,  with great bathrooms and dressing rooms as well. While we didn't get to try the Ricky Ruiz's program we have seen and heard nothing but great things. This is truly one of the most comprehensive programs I have seen and we have danced in the top ranked schools in New York and Chicago. If you live in the area you are very lucky to have a studio of this caliber in ADA !

Shawn F. _{on Yelp}

Aug 23rd, 2022

My 18 year old daughter just finished 2 years with the Academy of Dance Arts and is about to begin her first season at a professional company as a trainee. Honestly, the only regret we have regarding ADA is that we didn't find it sooner. Shortly after starting here and experiencing the caliber of instruction they provide, our daughter was thrilled with the immediate improvements in her dancing. I was thrilled as well, but also a tad miffed at myself that we had wasted so much of her time/ our money for so long elsewhere. She had previously been commuting from Naperville to Chicago to a studio where she was treading water in a sea of talent. If you were not one of the top dancers in the room, you were lost. Under 1 of the instructors ( half of her time there), she only learned by listening to the corrections she gave to the "really good girls" (my daughter's words ). She loved it there, but we didn't know how much better things could be. When quarantine happened and commuting wasn't an option, we looked locally and found ADA; it was less expensive and so close to our home in Naperville and seemed too good to be true. As a nurse, I was nervous about her starting back in a studio full of kiddos huffing and puffing during Covid (pre-vaccine) but was amazed at the level of precautions in place. The studios at ADA are beautiful: spacious, new, and clean. They had thought of everything to keep the students safe and dancing back in the studio again rather than the sometimes necessary zoom dancing (which ADA also executed really well).Sherry Moray, the founder and Artistic Director, saw our daughter's potential but immediately recognized some habits she had developed that had never been corrected. Sherry quickly got to the root of problems that had been challenging our daughter for years, and she began to improve dramatically. Sherry, Irina, and Diana are amazing instructors who continued to fix the cracks in the foundation and challenge her in new ways, all in a manner that built her up. They believed in her, and that helped her to believe in herself. So much of succeeding in dance comes down to confidence, and that is what made the change exponential. ADA has a family/ community feel, and the staff was/ is truly invested in my daughters' best interests. Louise (Studio Manager and fellow dance mom) was amazing in helping our daughter navigate a new studio and the world of competitions. She's an incredible resource and a kind person. Sherry frequently checked in with our daughter regarding her future plans and what she thought would be best when it came to auditioning, etc. Their expertise was invaluable, but the staff's level of caring and investment was such a pleasant surprise and something which I believe to be a rarity.Our daughter has been dancing for 15 years, and we have experience with 4 different dance studios, never has she grown as much as she has in these past 2 years at ADA. It has truly been such a great experience!