Upper Merion Dance & Gymnastics Center LLC

- 530 Hertzog Blvd, King of Prussia, PA 19406

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• Our experience at UMDC was nothing short of amazing, and we have our friend S. to thank for introducing us to this incredible place. From the moment we arrived, it was clear why they spoke so highly of it.When a scheduling issue arose during our private session—something that wasn’t entirely anyone’s fault—Dave, head coach Pat, the receptionist, and the rest of the staff worked quickly to resolve it. They accommodated our schedule, ensuring everything went smoothly so we could still enjoy our evening plans. Their dedication and effort did not go unnoticed, and we truly appreciate how they made everything perfect.Coach Valencia was exceptional. My daughter had struggled with certain moves that others had been unable to help her master, but Coach Valencia’s unique approach and patience made all the difference. She not only made the learning process easier and more effective but also created a safe and supportive environment that allowed my daughter to thrive. She left the session excited, confident, and eager to return for more.Michelle, the co-owner, is understandably busy but always takes the time to say hello, check in, and come up with wonderful ideas. Her dedication to constantly improving the gym and creating innovative activities for the kids is truly commendable. She plays a crucial role in making the gym a fun and engaging place for all, and her hard work does not go unnoticed.UMDGC is more than just a gym—it’s a place filled with energy, passion, and a genuine commitment to helping children grow and succeed. From the fun events they organize to the supportive coaching and welcoming staff, they go above and beyond to make every experience special. Thanks to our friend’s recommendation, we found a place that is well worth the drive, offering not just excellent training but also a warm and inviting atmosphere.If you're looking for a gymnastics center that truly cares about its students, fosters growth, and creates an environment where kids feel excited to learn, this is the place to be. We are beyond grateful for the introduction and can’t wait to be back!

  February 05 · A. Weldon

• We have been going here for almost two years now and my daughter loves Mr. Andrew! He is very helpful and kind. He gives very good directions and we have seen improvement. Hopefully he is her coach for many more years.

  June 17 · Brittany Keidel

• I do not recommend the dance studio–the price tag is higher than any other studio in the area, the leadership has issues, and there’s no transparency. The gymnastics and tumbling program is excellent, and well-respected. The gymnasts competed at Nationals this year, the dance program feels like an afterthought.First, the cost per one hour of dance is a little over $100 per month. This studio does not provide pre-professional training–the owner has stated multiple times that the studio is “strictly recreational” but the price tag is higher than at Dance Depot, which is $80/hour for a month, and offers pre-professional training. There is also no “cap off” point with regards to cost per class–at most studios in the area, when your student’s enrollment reaches some number of classes per week, additional classes are at no cost, because the dance program owner wants dancers to be in the studio getting better. There are a few pathways to a lower cost per class, one of which is that the student can work as a class assistant, gymnastics or tumbling coach, or with the cheer program, but that student will have to work 100 hours without any pay. But the students do receive a reduced rate for tuition.There are also leadership issues. Many of the other dance studios in southeastern PA–Dance Depot, Rising Star, Visions, Let’s Get Dancing, PADA, Pottstown Dance Theatre–were founded by a former professional dancer, someone with a degree in dance from a respected institution, or someone bringing a significant interest in quality dance instruction and with a clear vision of building confidence, fitness, and actual dance skills. Many of these programs have a competition dance program. Upper Merion Dance is a 21 year old program that is not like those. The founder has a recreational dance background, and relies on staff to bring all of the knowledge of proper technique and good pedagogy. This can be fine, except when there is no unified sense of student preparation or pedagogical technique, and the owner doesn’t know what makes a good instructor of a type of dance they don’t know. Contributing to this lack of unified teaching is a lack of understood rules. There is no rules handbook. As a parent you do not sign off on any set of acknowledged rules. This can easily lead to questionable decision making; a child of a well-liked client can be a problem in the classroom with no consequences, a child of a less-liked client can be ejected because the parent expressed an unpopular opinion.The lack of a rules handbook is just one way that there is no transparency in the Upper Merion Dance program. Many studios tout their instructors’ credentials on their website, but not here. The founder may be teaching your child Jazz 1, and leaving the classroom assistant to teach while handling some administrative issue. Your instructor may also be very qualified and hold a bachelors in dance from Temple, but you will never find that information because there is no bio page. There is also no progression checklist for any form of dance other than a very vague evaluation in your online payment portal, so kids are moved up or held back at what may feel like the whim of the instructor. One instructor may wish to create a “class” of children who just so happen to be all close in age, even if the children are receiving very different amounts of instruction. It’s a recreational dance school, but one kid may be held back while the rest of the class moves up, despite that there were no clearly outlined goals for the year, which seems out of place if this is just “for funsies.”Regardless of whether you would like your child to learn a dance form or just enjoy some fitness with friends, I recommend going somewhere else. The price tag isn’t worth it.

  June 08 · Elizabeth Timberlake-Newell

• We've tried all the gymnastics centers around and have found UMSGC to be the best run, cleanest, flexible schedule and most class opportunities around for our little gymnasts. We are excited to try the camps here as well, and thus far have been happy with the instructors and communication.

  January 14 · Megan Toll

• My daughter has been taking tumbling lessons here for many years and likes it. Their classes are very dependent on which coaches they get. Some are amazing and helped her learn so much. And some spend time chit chatting and goofing around. I just watched my daughter literally spend 20 minutes standing around watching her coach chit chat, watching him set up mats, chit chatting some more. Also they don't adhere to the levels of tumbling at all anymore. My daughter worked years getting to her advanced level only to have little kids in the class that can't do half of the required level. Unfortunately the class suffers because she's practicing roundoffs in an advanced level because the younger kids can't do the layouts and tucks that they should be working on.

  November 17 · Kristy Giovanelli

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