Some of this sounds familiar. Our dance school has schools they 'don't speak to' I didn't ask which as I wasn't going to get involved in all that. I'm finding it all a bit dreadful, though. The children, on the whole, and from different schools, seem to be supportive of each other and we've kept in touch with some people we've met. It's the parents from our own dance school who seem to be the main problem, especially the person who organises them and who views everybody in the school as competition to her daughter, whatever their age, and will also make disparaging and personal comments about our children and their abilities which inevitable gets back to us. I thought my daughter would benefit and gain performance skills and improve expression etc which is why we let her try the festivals, but I'm really not sure it's worth it. We're considering another school but worried it would be the same.