Parents Claim North Charlotte Dance Studio Owner Owes Thousands Of Dollars

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A north Charlotte dance studio is being called out by parents of former dancers.

WCCB Charlotte news anchor Gary Brode talked to three mothers who all claimed to be owed thousands of dollars by Fuzion Force Charlotte dance studio.

Carly Graham’s 9-year-old daughter, Farrah, started dancing with Fuzion Force two years ago. This past year, Graham says she realized the beat was off at the studio.

“We missed a competition in March, there is another one in April that got missed,” explained Graham.

An email shows the money for this past season was supposed to go towards training, fees for five competitions and the outfits for those competitions. Graham says the group only went to one competition all year and they had to raise extra money to attend.

“All the money that we spent individually, they took that money instead of buying costumes, instead of  paying the entries for competitions, it got spent,” said Graham.

It was in the Spring when these moms say staff members told parents the owner of the company, Tom Hill, took $70,000 from the Charlotte studio and invested in a new studio in Atlanta.

“I’m pissed about it. They bragged about how they got Missy Elliott to do this. Missy Elliott is going to have all these kids are here dancing and doing this and I’m like well. What about the kids in Charlotte?” said Jamia McDaniel.

Weeks after that meeting, Hill sent a video to parents apologizing for his actions.

“I’d like to apologize to everyone. Competitors, parents, dancers, teachers, directors,  on the decision I made to allocate our charlotte competition funds to help with the expansion at another studio in another state. It was supposed to go a lot better than this in a more timely manner but it didn’t. That put us in a position of course you all know we are in,” said Tom Hill in the video.

These moms including one who asked we hide her identity say they were supposed to be paid back by July but that hasn’t happened.

“I’m a single mom, business owner. I just don’t have money to throw to the side,” said the anonymous mother.

All three mothers says they are seeking legal action against Fuzion Force Charlotte.

We reached out multiple times to the dance studio for comment but they have not given us one yet.