Rutherford School of Dance

If you want good training and a good experience with dance, New Paltz is a good school. Its not worth your trouble going here. Ms. Rutherford was overly involved and concerned about my own wellbeing, asking to know where I was living and how much the rent was. She can talk about her house and heri…

If you want good training and a good experience with dance, New Paltz is a good school. Its not worth your trouble going here. Ms. Rutherford was overly involved and concerned about my own wellbeing, asking to know where I was living and how much the rent was. She can talk about her house and heritage hours on end- be prepared to listen. I paid for 5 lessons in advance, upon my own stupidity thinking I would go just to dance in her studio- it's antique and pretty- esp. since I didn't have a car living in the area and being new at the time. But you CAN'T dance in it- the floor is polished wood, and any dancer knows that if you dance on a slippery floor, esp. in point shoes, you will EASILY hurt yourself jumping and turning. She gave some excuse when I slipped walking on it(!) that it's good training. NO It is dangerous. She had me immediately sign an "i'm-not-responsible-for-your-injury" waiver. She had me make up my own combinations. The ones she made I danced at 8 yrs old! For an 18-year old that's pretty outdated. I recently called her to ask for a refund for the "lessons" I never took with her. Shes not giving my mother a refund due to a bunch of excuses, like needing to talk with her secretary (she doesn't have one). I resorted to dancing in our school's gym free-of-charge, rather than paying her to not teach me. Over all, I don't recommend even young dancers to go there. It is a waste of time, she cannot even teach proper technique.