Recently attended Oakland Ballet's Dancing Moons festival performance at the Oakland Asian Culture…read moreCenter with my husband who was a former Oakland Ballet dancer and his friend who's very involved in the ballet world, and we all thought it was amazing! The stage was a bit too small for the dancers but they made it work. Amazing costumes, symbolism, technique, choreography, etc and loved that there was a diverse group of dancers. My husband thought it was great that the dancers were able to give input on the choreography. After the dance, we were able to talk to the director of the company and he was so friendly. Would love to attend more of their performances!

I recently went to see PDP's Home Season, a show consisting of five different pieces. I was…read morethoroughly impressed and entertained. The dancers in this group are serius athletes, and it shows. If ever you've been turned off by modern dance, PDP will prove you wrong. The Printz Dance Project is awesome! Do not miss seeing them perform.

I just saw soul + mates at Z Space tonight and it was phenomenal. My husband and I both enjoyed…read moreevery minute of it. My partner doesn't have much interest or patience for dance and I have a background in dance. The choreography and the dancing was exceptional. Bravo!

We have come here twice in November 2025: Vienna Boys Choir and Moana Live-to-film. Both…read moreperformances were spectacular, ushers showed us to the seating, and drinks and snacks for sale. For the Moana performance, there was a parking lot specifically designated for families going to see it, and you had to show a ticket to get in. The problem is not the venue itself; the problem lies within the fact that it's Berkeley driving and parking. As long as you plan to arrive at least half an hour before showtime, you should be fine.

My little one and I made our way to Zellerbach Hall to attend an Alvin Ailey Dance performance…read more This was her first time attending a live musical dance production (I am disregarding her attendance to Disney on Ice for this one). Zellerbach Hall is located within the campus of UC Berkeley. It is a spacious, beautiful building with ample seating to provide various viewpoints. For my daughter's first performance, I purchased the front row directly in front of the stage to ensure she had zero interference with her view. Her view... my five year old slept in my arms during majority of the performance only seeing the first and final dance performance. If you have never attended an Alvin Alley performance, you are truly missing beauty and precision and story telling and movement and so many other wondrous things at its finest. This was my third time attending and I leave so fulfilled by the emotion evoked from the performances, dancers and storytelling. Parking can be a hassle as it's primarily street parking and possible garage parking if you arrive early. We were fortunate to find street parking across from the old church. Public transportation via BART or bus are options. From BART, expect to walk 20-30 minutes (depending on your speed). My daughter and I made a day of it, stopping for a slice of pizza then making our way to frozen yogurt prior to the show.

Phoenix Arts is an awesome performance group. With fusion dance, aerial performances, circus acts,…read moreand more, there is sensuality, passion and creativity in everything. Whether for a private party, corporate event, festival or show, Phoenix Arts will add that special magic. They are an inspiration!!

First I must make a confession: I simply cannot sit through any more of the "traditional" holiday…read moreofferings. Nope, can't see "A Christmas Carol". Not able to witness another rendition of "The Velveteen Rabbit". Simply cannot afford multiple tickets to "A Hard Nut". Just goes to show you that when you least expect it, something falls into place...the kids and I piled on to BART and scurried through the bustle of 24th Street on a Saturday afternoon and had a blast at the Brava Theater and Dance Brigade's 20th anniversary showing of "The Revolutionary Nutcracker Sweetie"...the Kidz Version. The theater had been over-sold and there were no seats left, let alone together. The announcer came on and asked everyone who had been saving seats to please give them to the folks standing in the aisles. There were people with bundled up babies walking back and forth, the place was filled with families and children of all sizes and ages. It was loud and pretty chaotic. Then the show began and magic happened! The music is traditional but with some twists and there are lots of up-dated allusions to PC topics and contemporary concerns, as well as some good-natured ribbing of the wealthy who like to "slum" with the "ethnic masses"....nothing heavy-handed, but the point is definitely made. The character of Clara is danced by 3 women, Herr Drosselmeyer is danced by an amazing performer who has pink hair and shocks the family portrayed in the classic story (can't give anything away here, but it's funny).The mice and the Rat King are portrayed by dancers in Zoot suits with ropes for tails, and they perform their numbers with selections from Hip Hop and Salsa sequences. There's a trapeze with wings, a dance number from the Ivory Coast, Taiko drumming....so many sights and sounds that it is hard to capture in print. It is BIG FUN for very little $$. It was $15.00 a ticket and I got them on-line at brownbagtickets.com (it's a great way to get tickets and it's socially responsible by donating funds to great causes). The performance itself warrants 5 stars. The no reserved seating, the over crowded conditions, the hunting down an usher to acquire a program, and finally the numerous screaming babies force me to give 4 stars...still, it was mesmerizing and loads of holiday fun without much in the way of cliches. Well worth investigating if you are not already over-committed. The Kidz Version is only this weekend. I would happily go again to see the regular show. It's supposed to be spicier and probably a bit more pointed in the political references. Oh and I must give credit where credit is due: I have been pre-occupied with kids, holiday business, cards, and all the trimmings and thus "out of touch". 'Twas the ever-alert hubby who heard about this production, and all of us are happier for it. Go check this out!!

I love this show!! Dance Brigade does a wonderful job.read more

Awesome show!!!! Love all the cirque shows I've seen. Must see them when they come to town. Wish…read moreseats were a bit cheaper. I live shows are always a little interactive with the audience.

This was my first time seeing a Cirque du Soleil show and it certainly did not disappoint. I…read moreattended with my husband and my two children. I often worry when taking my kids to live shows if they will stay interested. They sat with their mouths gaping in awe and when intermission came all they wanted was the show to resume. There so many talented actors, acrobats, jugglers, clowns, etc that you never had a dull moment. Not to mention the incredible musicians and beautiful story line that went along with the show. There were so many times that while someone was performing I found myself holding my breath in awe. It is a show of beauty, wonder, amazement and music. I would recommend anyone to go see it and I want to go back. There are wonderful outdoor amenities so if you have to use a restroom no worries...the porta potties flush and don't smell!

Recently saw Kunst-Stoff perform at the ODC in the Mission. I enjoyed the dance "Light" best, and…read morehad to laugh a little when the audience was sprayed with purfume during intermission. There were a lot of dancers there to watch the performance, and apparently they have quite a following. I noticed they've recently been on KQED's 'SPARK.' As far as I know they're in Europe now, but check them out after they return from their tour!

Recently attended The Velveteen Rabbit presented by ODC/Dance. Such a wonderful performance! Love…read morethe story, the dancing and the music. Nostalgic and cute. Perfect play & dance to bring your little ones to. What a lovely way to start this holiday season! The theater is more modern than the other performance theaters I have been to lately. Not as big either but it's fine. Very conveniently situated inside Yerba Buena Gardens. The seats are okay. Not super comfy but it's okay. Blue Shield of California Theater, YBCA

This was my first time watching a performance in the theater. The theater is not as big as theaters…read moresuch as the Orpheum or the Golden Gate Theatre. We went to see, "Into the Woods" and we sat in row BB. It was the second row from the stage. Seats were standard. We liked that we could see the performances face up close. Since we were in the first level, we only noticed one women's bathroom and one men's bathroom. We also saw one water fountain, and we brought a reusable water bottle. However, the taste of the water was very bad. We could not drink it. We hope that the water taste improves the next time we return.