Kristina Pulcini is by far the best ballet studio in the MainLine area for young girls. I am the mother of three girls, ages 4-7. My middle daughter has been coming to Kristina Pulcini’s for two years now, and has done three shows with them (two Nutcrackers and one Sleeping Beauty), and we absolutely love it. The family we got the recommendation from has been with the studio for 4 years now. My pastor’s daughter has been with them for 3 years… Do you see the pattern? Families who come here love it! The mother who runs the studio, Janis, is very nurturing and goes out of her way to accommodate all the various needs of her families. Miss Kristina and Miss Kristin have been our teachers the whole time, and I still have no idea what magic they are using in there, because that is the calmest I have ever seen so many small, happy girls! While they are a serious studio, they are not so strict as to make anyone feel pressured or uncomfortable, and they definitely promote dance as a passion but not an obsession. Their practices encourage strong, healthy girls without the madness you sometimes see at other studios, but their teaching is many levels above the average “ballet/tap” or “creative movement” classes we tried. My 5-year-old has even learned to count in French because of her ballet class! As for the shows, they are the most organized, well-managed shows I have found from any school. I have chaperoned three times now, and the experience for these girls is amazing. Every show is a real (albeit abridged) form of the actual ballet, complete with professional dancers. The smaller children are paired with adult dancers so they can get the full experience of participating in a real show, their costumes match with the adult costumes so they can see what they themselves can do when they grow up, and the audience is not bored with yet another recital where tiny toddlers are dragged out onto the stage to giggle for their three minutes. Even my husband didn’t complain about this show! Honestly, when I began my search for a serious studio for my daughter, I was very concerned with her falling into the terrible ballerina stereotype of bone-thin, neurotic dancers. Instead I found this wonderful place where my family can feel at home and my daughter can dance safely and beautifully. I expect we will be there for many years to come. Thank you Kristina Pulcini!