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    ComplaintsforCanadian Dance Company

    Dance Company
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    Complaint Details

    Note that complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. See details.

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    Complaint Status
    Complaint Type
    • Complaint Type:
      Sales and Advertising Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Date of the transaction: Sep 2022–Jun 2023 The amount of money paid the business: $1,187 The business committed to provide: Ballet dance lesson to my 6-year-old daughter Whether or the business has tried to resolve the problem: Not at all Tried few attempts contacting them through email and calls but no reply If the issue involves advertising: **** ******** *** ******** ** ***** *********** ** *** ********** ********  The nature of the dispute: CDC wrongly placed my 6-year-old daughter into the Intermediate Ballet Class designed for the age group of 8–10 years old by acquiring my consent through deception, the real motivation of this placement is to balance their class size which was totally covered up to me, as a result my daughter was not properly trained at a wrong level. Details: In Sep 2022, we registered my 6-year-old daughter **** for the junior class (6-7 years old), but I received a call from their teacher Jessica saying that she feels **** is suitable to move up to the intermediate level for 8-10 years old which is good for her, I agreed because I trust the teacher’s judgment. But by seeing ****’s unsatisfactory performance on the stage among those classmates who are much older and taller than her at the year end performance, I felt I was deceived for the level placement at the beginning. Most importantly, at the last day of the lesson in Jun 2023, I asked the teacher Jessica for the reason of persuading me to move to intermediate level, she answered that "the purpose is to balance the class size between intermediate & junior levels as intermediate class has less students registered". By then I realized that I was deceived by CDC for moving **** to intermediate level, this real reason was totally covered up during her call in attempting acquire my consent for the change. If I knew the real reason I would have not agreed to move up. I feel I was deceived by CDC for agreeing to move up a level, and as a result **** was not properly trained at a wrong level.

      Business response

      26/10/2023

      During the months of September & October we assess our students to ensure the class they registered for is the proper fit for each dancer. If there is a better opportunity/placement for a dancer we then contact the families and give them the option to move or stay where they are.

      In this case we contacted the family on September 30th, 2022 to move up to the higher level class. It was a smaller class and the teacher felt it was a good fit and the dancer could handle the work. The client responded on October 1st, 2022 stating that he agreed to the move if the teacher felt that was the right thing to do. We responded later that same day advising that we had made the change on file and his daughter could begin in her new class that Friday October 7th, 2022.

      The dancer attended classes weekly from that date until our year end show in June. Her performance date was Saturday June 3rd, 2023 and not only was this young girl happy on stage, she also performed to the same ability as the other dancers in that routine (we have video footage to share upon request). This client finished the year and spoke to the teacher on the last day of classes.

      There was no further communication from this client until he left a voicemail on August 14th, 2023. Our Recreational Department Head returned his call and they discussed the complaint. In that conversation our department head asked if his daughter enjoyed the class throughout the season to which he confirmed she did. His formal complaint letter came in the next day August 15th, 2023 which was over two months after his daughters dance season ended.

      We have been in business for 38 years and have very qualified staff. This teacher has been teaching for over 12 years and is very knowledgeable in classroom material as well as the managing of her class and students. If this teacher did not believe this dancer could handle the move up to a higher level she would not have suggested it off the top of the season.

      Customer response

      30/10/2023


      Complaint: ********

      I am rejecting this response because:

      1. CDC claims in their response - "CDC teacher assessed my daughter and felt it is a good fit to move up to the higher level class"

      The above statement completely covered up the real motivation behind this arrangement of moving up, that is motivated by “BALANCING CLASS STUDENT NUMBER”. Moving up my 6 year-old daughter who had no dancing experience/skills at all to intermediate level (8-12 year old) is purely based on CDC own interest instead of clients’ interest. As the teacher Jessica told me in person on the last day of classes that moving up my daughter to intermediate level (8-10 year old) is because of the requirement of “BALANCING CLASS STUDENT NUMBER”.

      2.  CDC claims in their response - "client performed to the same ability as the other dancers in that routine (we have video footage to share upon request)"

      That’s not true. I was at the performance and witnessed not only is my daughter the shortest & youngest among the performers (because of age difference), but also the most under performed dancer among that performance group on the stage, that's why I felt all over sudden at that time I was misled by CDC at the beginning of the course, my trust to CDC and their teacher was abused. I agree that CDC can provide video footage as evidence.

      3. CDC claims in their response - "no communication with them for 2 months, and their department head called me back to discuss if my daughter enjoy the class or not"

      That’s not true. Everyone involved with CDC knows the fact that CDC never pick up calls but always voice mail picking up. I left few voicemails but no reply until mid of August a lady staff from CDC called me back, during which the lady staff only listened to my complaints and subsequently asked me to escalate to Samantha the manager, we never ever during the call discussed anything about if my daughter enjoy the class or not, and that's irrelevant to my complaint.

      4. I sent my official complaint letter to CDC on August 15th (they said they received in their response), since then I never received any feedback from them whatsoever until now (more than 2 months), that’s also the main reason I appealed to BBB for assistance.

      Sincerely,

      ***** ***

      Customer response

      25/11/2023

      I stand by the statements made in my original complaint.

      Because:
      1. The year end performance shown in the video is mixed with age 6-7 and age 8-10 classes which should not cover up the fact that my 6 year old daughter was miss placed into age 8-10 class for a whole year, and there was a consequence of that as I stated in my original complaint 
      2. Even though a few minutes video should not be served as an evidence of skill learnt in a whole year, but still from the the video you can see my daughter’s performance is most unskilled among those performers which I believed was caused by the miss-placement of an inappropriate age group.

      Best regards,
      Steve

      Business response

      18/12/2023

      1) The students shown in the video (ages 6-10) were enrolled in that specific class all season, training together weekly from October-June. 
      2) This video represents the training received all season by the qualified instructor. It shows that all students regardless of age were at the same level and able to execute the choreography in order to showcase this routine onstage at the year end show. 

      Customer response

      26/12/2023


      Complaint: ********

      I am rejecting this response because:

      1. I stand by the statements made in my original complaint which is that: CDC wrongly placed my 6-year-old daughter into the Intermediate Ballet Class designed for the age group of 8–10 years old for a whole year.

      2. Based on their seasonal schedule **** *** ********** ******** ** **** *******, different age groups (levels) are scheduled at different time frame. what CDC stated "junior and intermediate groups training together weekly from October-June" is not true, and should have not happened like that.

      3. Even though a few minutes video should not be served as an evidence of skill learnt in a whole year, but still from the the video you can see my daughter’s performance is most unskilled among those performers which I believed was caused by the miss-placement of an inappropriate age group.


      Sincerely,

      ***** ***

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