River Oaks Dance - River Oaks | Harris County, TX

ROD teaches up to the age of 12. That should tell you all you need to know. There's not a lot of teaching or learning. Playful, silly, & be pretty concept. If you got money to waste then this is your place. I strongly urge anyone who is thinking about attending here — if you want your girls to learn the beautiful art of ballet/dance, do your research on the owner and the instructors. My daughter has been with ROD for 3 or 4 years and she hasn’t learned one single very basic ballet stance, move, simple 8 count, nothing. It’s disappointing for sure but it’s sad bc these girls deserve more. I noticed it right away but of course she got sucked in like the studio wants and how can you tell your sweet little daughter no, we will look for another studio to go to, so this is partially my fault for giving into my daughter. I’m pretty sure the owner, miss sara Carbo, will reply to my review stating I’m a former bitter client and while that is slightly true, let me explain why I’m bitter and I’m pretty sure you’d all agree. I was recently forced to pay $275 for a severely snagged up recital costume or given the option to give it back and tell me daughter she can’t perform in the recital she’s practiced so hard for. The studio did try three times to replace the costume but ultimately, somehow failed to get one that was snag free AND TOLD ME that the snags all over this costume was totally NORMAL to be snagged up bc it’s all “due to the manufacturing process”. Uhm, can you please repeat that bc I think you just said, a severely damaged $275 costume is supposed to come entirely snagged up? Let’s be clear, Sara: I spoke up because I received a costume that was severely damaged and not worth what I paid. Instead of working with me to resolve it, you brushed it off. And now, because I expressed my frustration, you’ve taken it out on my daughter who did absolutely nothing to deserve this. It is absolutely shocking that something as simple as a snagged-up recital costume could escalate into this situation. Again, this all could have been avoided from the very beginning before your lack of care and horrific responses caused me to get angry about this situation —if only they had chosen to handle things with honesty, grace and professionalism. Instead, they remained stubborn, dismissive, and apparently believed they could get away with blatantly ripping parents off. Well, I’m done. Not this momma. I have a hard time believing they would hang snagged leotards in the store and say oh no those snags are part of the process, they’re supposed to be there. 🙄😂 If that weren’t horrific enough, I recently got an email stating they thought it be best they UNENROLL my SIX YEAR OLD daughter from their wicked summer camp she’s been excited to go to go for several months bc that’s another thing they do, they like to harass the parents about their PRICEY camps by sending 100s of emails and texts out and then tell the kids during class and then send flyers home after you’ve already heard and probably still in shock of the price for a 3-4 hour one day camp. **Marketing, they’ve got that down for sure bc they are pros at ripping people off.** Her decision to remove my daughter from the summer dance camp out of SPITE is DISGRACEFUL, and I won’t stay silent about it. I am making other parents aware of exactly how you operate. THIS ENDS HERE. You owe my daughter better. And you OWE EVERY PARENT who trusted you some accountability What was it, $525 or $625 for a FIVE MINUTE photo session. Yes ladies, I said FIVE MINUTES. After years in your program, I do not see any dancers perform at the level they should be at their age and that’s sad. That’s NOT on them. That’s on YOU. You’ve been getting away with this for years—three of them with my family—and I can only imagine how many others have fallen into what now feels more like a cash grab than a legitimate dance education. ***BUT punishing my 6-year-old daughter because I dared to speak up? That’s the line. You crossed it. How dare you***

Posted on: June 10, 2025

My daughter has been dancing with River Oaks Dance for about three years. There has not been a moment when she would not want to come to her class. She loves everyone and everything about this cute whimsical boutique studio. So do I. It's beautifully designed, clean, welcoming, and friendly. Recently, my daughter celebrated her 6th Birthday at ROD, and we could not pick a more charming setting to do so. It was incredibly stress-free for me as the host. I just enjoyed my mom friends in a low-key setting, while the girls immersed in super fun activities with the teachers - hairdo, crafts, dancing, ... and the cake! They even did a little show for the moms. The party was very well-organized. I'm so glad I partnered with ROD to celebrate my girl - we created memories to remember. 💕💕💕 Thank you to the entire ROD team.

Posted on: February 18, 2025

Little Mermaid Birthday Party - the girls had a blast, decorating crowns, getting tutus on, reading in group, learning a dance routine, and being all girly!!! 💕 Loved celebrating my daughter’s birthday at River Oaks Dance!!! Staff was so helpful and worked amazing with the girls throughout the party 🎊

Posted on: June 12, 2023

We had our daughters 5th birthday party at River Oaks Dance and it could not have been a better, more seamless experience. The staff does everything from unloading your car, to running the entire party, cutting the cake and then reloading your car. The teachers were so sweet and fun with the kids, the girls had the BEST time! Highly recommend ROD for a birthday party and dance classes. The staff and owner, Sara, are simply the best.

Posted on: April 03, 2025

Our girls have taken dance at River Oaks Dance for almost two years now. We absolutely love the studio! The quality of the instruction, kindness of the teachers, and how fun the classes are, are what keeps us coming back. Sara Carbo, the owner, is lovely and so accommodating and friendly. The studio itself is ADORABLE and has lots of items to purchase for little ballerinas. The studio also frequently has fun events such as nutcracker reading, pop up shots, and my oldest daughter even got her ears pierced at an ear piercing party earlier this year. We love River Oaks Dance and cannot say enough great things about it!

Posted on: December 07, 2022