Kinetics Academy of Dance & Gymnastics - Chico, California

Alyssa H.

I had reached out via email to the owner privately, but they basically dismissed all of my concerns & didn't address any of them. So here is why I don't recommend their Beginners Gymnastics classes: Our daughter took gymnastics classes here since January 2024. Early on we noticed that her main instructor (Mondays at 3:15pm) didn't seem particularly happy about working with little kids (this is simply an observation, and I could be wrong about it), but our daughter enjoyed the classes and so we let her keep participating. Pros: The facility is decent and has a central location near downtown. Also, the cost for classes was reasonable. Cons: In addition to what was already mentioned, our time with Kinetics unfortunately ended due to a few other issues: 1) We were planning to remove our daughter from classes during the summer months. We were charged full tuition through June, even though we wanted to stop after the showcase in mid June (basically, we were charged for 2 extra classes we didn't want). The woman at the front desk originally told me we could get reimbursed for those two extra classes; subsequently, the owner said we could not. This wasn't a major issue, but it was unfortunate. 2) At the start of the showcase, the owner of Kinetics announced to the whole audience that many of the dancers/gymnasts only come to train once per week....so, set our expectations accordingly. It's a valid point, but something I thought was completely unprofessional to mention at the start of a showcase, especially when all the children could hear! On top of that, and by no fault of the children, I thought the showcase was poorly planned & executed. The young kids should have done a group dance (instead of one at a time with the same music on repeat) & had better guidance by the instructor--my daughter didn't do almost any of her floor routine because the teacher was behind her (instead of in front) for extra guidance & she was lost. Also, some parts of the show the older kids needed someone to spot them for their more difficult moves. That looked very unsafe. 3) The final straw was that while my daughter was in her final class at Kinetics, another child in her class left to find her mom and ran outside of the building toward the busy road where her mom found her almost stepping in front of oncoming traffic...and the instructor didn't even notice that she had left and was missing from the group (!!!). I'm not sure what ultimately came of this incident, but suffice to say Kinetics will definitely not be receiving future business from us. I would have given Kinetics a solid 3-star rating if it wasn't for numbers (2) and (3) above.

Marcella H.

Kinetics has been an inclusive and welcoming experience for my disabled daughter. She participated in 3 different dance classes and was treated with kindness and acceptance by all her teachers as well as the studio staff. They allowed me to sit in during practice when she needed and never made us feel like a burden, something we often experience. I can’t say enough wonderful things about this studio and the incredible staff that work there. They have given me the strength to see that my daughter will be included in the right space and I can never repay them for their kindness.

Angelina W.

My 5 year old LOVES doing gymnastics and she really loves her teachers. I'm so happy that all of the gymnastics teachers are patient but can get the kids attending easily.

Carina C.

My daughter has been going here for about 8 months now and she just loves it. She started in the Baby Ballet 1 class and has made her way up to the Baby Ballet 2 class as she is now 3. Every Saturday she looks forward to dancing with Mrs. Bridget. She just loves her teacher and always wanting to give her hugs before class.

Class is a lot of fun for them and there always around 4 to 10 kids, averaging about 6 kids per class. There are always tons of props that they play with like butterfly wings, or fly swatters for shoo fly don't bother me. There are tons of different color tutus that they use with different songs. They put on mouse ears and do three blind mice. They pretend they are parts of the rainbow and hide under the cloud. In Baby Ballet 2 they start to use the bar and learn the positions of ballet. My daughter absolutely loves it.

You can sit in the lobby and watch from a tv screen or through the window to the class or you can go into the hall and watch from the window out there. Overall, we have really enjoyed going here.

Cole

Underrated place for adults to practice ballet/barre 3 times a week. Excellent teachers. Great music. Fun workout. If you're reading this it's not too late to just dance.

Kirstie A.

My daughter has only been attending this studio for a few months (baby ballet) but is obsessed! Her teachers are warm and knowledgeable and the front desk staff is very sharp.

Salina O.

A sick woman at the studio who came in made rude remarks about my daughter who is only 2 years old, because she thought she was taking her daughters old filthy deflated balloon and I told her never ever speak to her like that again. Then later that day I received a missed call from Kinetics and had a voicemail from Hayley Horn, the owner. I knew right away it was most likely regarding the incident that happened earlier in the day. I never had conversations with Hayley Horn, nor did I know her personally, but from the limited interaction I did have, something didn't settle well with me. I called her back and she had me wait for about a minute, then proceeded to tell me she heard about the incident earlier and advised that the mom had called her, claiming I made a huge scene, waited for her in the parking lot, and physically attacked her, grabbing her wrists. I was in utter and complete shock, upon hearing this, thinking, is this really happening? I responded, "First of all, how can you accuse me of something I did not do, especially if you haven't even heard my side of the story? If that would ever have happened, why would she call you and not a police officer to make a report?! And not to mention there are tons of cameras all over the parking lot and in front of all the businesses on Broadway that will show exactly what happened! Also it's ridiculous that you believe some random lady who just walked in the door, over someone who has been coming to this studio for almost a year and has spent hundreds and hundreds of dollars here. I get along great with the moms there and would never disrespect the studio or anyone.” I told her word for word what had happened and that I had my two daughters with me and while holding my baby I would never do such a horrible thing! She then goes on to say " well, I've made my decision, and your daughter is being kicked out of the studio and no longer performing at the recital ". I could not believe what I was hearing. My sweet daughter is getting kicked out because some sick and twisted woman made up a huge lie and we get no say, no meeting, no resolution, just booted out the door. I then responded, "you know what, that's fine, because we aren't returning after Spring anyway. There are far better ballet studios here in town. I don't want my daughter going to a school with these kind of values and an owner who, in my opinion, is being extremely crude and racist. I felt discriminated against and humiliated, at the fact I was made to look like someone who's attacking people. I then tell her that I will not let this go and will share my experience with everybody and her exact words were, "Good luck honey, I'm the owner". What kind of business owner is that? For someone who supposedly cares about their students wellbeing, you're going to kick out an innocent child, over vicious lies? All this school wants is money and the owner does not care about every student just the ones she wants to. And to the mom who made up this whole story, you are truly sick, I hope you got your thrills out of it all but just know, Karma is real.

Please everyone share this story and spread the word about this horrible place. We are not the first family that has felt discriminated against and treated badly. I never want anyone to have to go through this and have to explain to their 2 1/2 year old that she won't be able to perform in a play she's been working so hard on because there are nasty and mean people in this world we live in. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read and for your support.

Syd V.

I've been danceing at this dance company for about 4 years now, I love the teachers and staff I love the dances we learn, I love everything about this studio! It's amazing and I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a warm and welcoming place to be free and dance your heart out! Thank you kinetics!