KP Dance Center Introduce
For New Yorkers seeking a performing arts center for their children, selecting the right environment is paramount. While many dance studios aim to provide a nurturing space for artistic development, recent experiences at KP Dance Center in Smithtown, NY, have raised significant concerns among local families. This article aims to provide a factual overview of KP Dance Center, incorporating insights from recent customer reviews to help prospective families make informed decisions about their child's dance education.
KP Dance Center presents itself as a children's dance studio with an award-winning team dedicated to providing dance instruction and empowering future leaders. Their mission statement indicates a focus on inspiring and empowering dancers to grow not only in technique and artistry but also as confident, compassionate individuals. However, recent feedback from parents suggests a disconnect between this stated mission and the actual experiences faced by some families, particularly concerning their policies and the support provided during high-stress events like recitals. These accounts highlight a need for families to thoroughly investigate any institution before committing, especially when it involves the emotional well-being of young children.
KP Dance Center is located at 116 E Main St, Smithtown, NY 11787, USA. Smithtown, a prominent town in Suffolk County, Long Island, provides a central and generally accessible location for local businesses. East Main Street is a key thoroughfare in the area, meaning the studio is typically easy to find for residents across Smithtown and surrounding Long Island communities. Its position within a commercial area suggests typical urban or suburban accessibility, likely with street parking or nearby lots available. While the address itself is standard, the operational policies and customer service at this specific location, as highlighted in recent reviews, should be a primary consideration for prospective visitors. Families commuting from various parts of Long Island would expect a welcoming and accommodating environment, especially given the distance some might travel for specialized classes.
Based on publicly available information, KP Dance Center offers a variety of dance styles and programs, catering to different age groups and skill levels. Their services typically include:
- Dance Classes for Various Ages:
- Toddler classes (e.g., 2-year-old class with Ballet and Creative Movement)
- Combo classes for younger children (e.g., 3-4 year old Ballet and Tap; 5-6 year old Ballet, Tap, and Jazz)
- Classes for older children (e.g., 7-10 year old Ballet, Tap, and Jazz)
- Technique classes for ages 8 and up.
- Diverse Dance Styles:
- Ballet (including Pre-Pointe and Pointe)
- Jazz
- Tap
- Lyrical
- Hip Hop
- Modern/Contemporary
- Dancenastics (combining acrobatics and dance)
- Pom Pom Cheer
- Kickline
- Musical Theatre
- Performance Opportunities: Including annual recitals where students can showcase their skills.
- Competition Team: For students seeking a more rigorous and competitive dance experience.
- Age-Appropriate Instruction: Classes designed to build gross motor coordination, listening skills, rhythm, and creativity using age-appropriate music and movements.
- Focus on Core Technique: Emphasis on barre exercises, traveling combinations, turns, proper placement, flexibility, and muscle conditioning.
While KP Dance Center aims to provide a comprehensive dance education, certain aspects highlighted in recent customer reviews warrant attention when considering the studio's features and highlights. From the studio's perspective, typical highlights would include:
- Variety of Dance Disciplines: Offering a wide range of genres from classical ballet to modern hip-hop, catering to diverse interests.
- Award-Winning Team: Highlighting success in competitive dance, which can be appealing to families seeking a strong competitive program.
- Experienced Instructors: A team dedicated to providing dance instruction and artistic development.
- Structured Curriculum: Programs designed to progressively build technique and skills from beginner to advanced levels.
However, customer reviews provide a different perspective, emphasizing critical areas that detract from the overall experience:
- Rigid and Inflexible Policies: A significant concern is the studio's strict adherence to policies, particularly regarding family needs during events. The refusal to allow a mother to bring a milk bottle for her infant into the auditorium, even when not breastfeeding, indicates a lack of empathy and flexibility.
- Lack of Empathy and Disrespectful Staff: Parents report being met with "shocking disrespect," "zero empathy, zero flexibility, and zero respect for the realities of parenting" by owners and staff. Calling parents "lazy" for not having newborns on a rigid schedule is highly unprofessional and damaging.
- Insufficient Support for Young Children: A review highlights a distressing experience where a 3-year-old dancer was "visibly traumatized" on stage, and "the staff did absolutely nothing to help or support her in the moment or afterward." This indicates a severe lack of preparation, guidance, and nurturing for young children, which is crucial in a children's arts program.
- Environment Over Family Well-being: Concerns were raised that the studio "cares more about controlling their environment than supporting the families who keep their business running," suggesting a priority on rules over the welfare of their clients.
- Questionable Professionalism: The handling of a distressed child and the dismissive attitude towards parents' legitimate concerns point to a glaring lack of professionalism.
For inquiries regarding class schedules, enrollment, or other information, you can contact KP Dance Center using the following details:
Address: 116 E Main St, Smithtown, NY 11787, USA
Phone: (631) 800-7652
For locals in the New York region, especially those on Long Island, the decision of where to enroll a child in dance classes should be made with careful consideration of the holistic environment provided. While KP Dance Center offers a variety of dance styles and aims to empower dancers, recent customer experiences raise serious questions about its suitability for local families, particularly those with very young children.
The reviews paint a concerning picture. One parent described feeling "absolutely heartbroken and outraged" by the studio's rigid milk bottle policy during a recital, which forced her to choose between feeding her newborn and watching her toddler perform. The reported comments from owners Ms. Sally and Mr. Kevin, dismissing the situation as "not their problem" and calling parents "lazy," are profoundly unprofessional and disrespectful. Such an approach contradicts the very notion of a family-friendly business.
Another review highlighted a "distressing event" where a 3-year-old dancer was "visibly traumatized" on stage with "the staff doing absolutely nothing to help or support her." This lack of empathy and proactive support for a distressed young child is a significant red flag for any parent entrusting their child's well-being to a dance studio. Children need to be nurtured and prepared, not "thrown on stage without the tools to succeed or cope."
For New York families, a dance studio should be a place of growth, joy, and unwavering support. The accounts from these local customers suggest that KP Dance Center, at least in these instances, failed to provide such an environment, instead prioritizing strict policies over basic human needs and child welfare. Prospective families are strongly advised to consider these serious concerns and explore alternatives that demonstrate consistent empathy, flexibility, and genuine support for all their students and their families.
KP Dance Center Photos










KP Dance Center Location
KP Dance Center
116 E Main St, Smithtown, NY 11787, USA
KP Dance Center Reviews
I am absolutely heartbroken and outraged by the way I was treated by the staff and owners of KP Dance during my toddler’s recent recital.As a mother of a 6-week-old infant, I was told I could not bring a milk bottle into the auditorium to feed my newborn during the performance. Because I am not breastfeeding, I was forced to either miss the show I paid for or let my baby go hungry — all because of a rigid, outdated policy that values the “rules” of an auditorium more than the basic human needs of an infant.When I tried to explain the situation, I was met with shocking disrespect. Ms. Sally and Mr. Kevin, the owners of KP Dance, told me that it wasn’t their problem that my baby wasn’t on a strict feeding routine (as if that’s even realistic at 6 weeks old). To make matters worse, they were overheard telling another parent that people who can’t manage this are simply “lazy.”Let that sink in: A business that markets itself to families with children is actively shaming and excluding parents of infants — especially those who bottle feed — and calling them lazy for not having newborns on a rigid schedule.Mr. Romano and Frank Pignatta enforced the policy with zero empathy, zero flexibility, and zero respect for the realities of parenting. The entire ordeal made it painfully clear that KP Dance cares more about controlling their environment than supporting the families who keep their business running.No parent should ever be forced to choose between feeding their baby and watching their child perform. And no parent deserves to be treated with the level of disrespect and cruelty that I — and others — experienced here.I will not be returning, and I strongly caution any other families — especially those with young children — to reconsider supporting an establishment that sees babies’ needs as a “disruption” and dismisses mothers with such callous disregard.
Jun 08, 2025 · yasmine abdelI am extremely disappointed with our recent experience at my 3-year-old granddaughter's recital with this dance company. What was supposed to be a joyful milestone turned into a distressing event. My granddaughter was clearly unprepared and overwhelmed on stage — she was visibly traumatized, and to our shock, the staff did absolutely nothing to help or support her in the moment or afterward.There was no guidance, no preparation, and no reassurance offered before or during the recital. The lack of professionalism was glaring, and frankly, the way this company handled (or failed to handle) a young child’s distress is unacceptable. Children should be nurtured, not thrown on stage without the tools to succeed or cope.This wasn't just disappointing — it was irresponsible, and borders on neglectful. No family should have to witness a child in distress while the adults in charge do nothing. I cannot recommend this company, and I sincerely hope they take a hard look at how they treat the children entrusted to them.
Jun 10, 2025 · George PappasMy family and I are absolutely outraged by the way our daughters recital was handled this afternoon. I had asked to stay with her because she's 3 and it's her first time doing this is wanted to make sure she was ok, and they told me no. I pushed and pushed, and they didn't budge. We let her go on stage and perform, which she got scared and didn't move. After she left the stage, my husband and I wanted to go get her to see if she was ok, and we were greeted with rudeness about how we can't go see her because its policy. We explained she was scared and we wanted to take her home. They finally went and checked on her and told us she was ok and running around with her friends, come to find out she had asked for me but did nothing about it. At the very end they kept ALL performers on stage (while my 3 year old stood there in the front crying and calling out for me) they didn't stop and ignored her. They didn't help her off stage to get to me either. For a "kid and family friendly" program they handled this extremely unprofessional.
Jun 08, 2025 · Christeen Papadopoulos (CPappas)This is my daughters first year doing dance and KP Dance has been a great experience for our 4 yr old learning from great instructors. She looks forward to it each week and loves to show us what she’s learned. This is a fantastic place for any and all children. I’m very happy we joined
Mar 26, 2022 · Izaak MOur class each week can’t come soon enough ! The teachers are amazing , the school is clean and very well organized . It is a perfect combination . Not to crowded where the kids get overwhelmed but such a great community where you feel so welcomed every week ! The best dance school in town !
Apr 02, 2022 · kim carrico
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