The Theater: Mid size one floor theater. They have performance of musicians collaborating with…read moretheir students. There is a cafe at the building behind selling coffee, snacks and salad. Lots of seating. The Parking: Street metered parking and a few private parking lots on 2nd Street.

My son attended their community piano school for two semesters. The faculty was great, and we were…read morelooking forward to spending more time with Colburn. However, their administration -- and the vice dean specifically -- are among the most unpleasant, entitled, and inflexible people I've ever dealt with. From making basic arithmetic mistakes to having the audacity to send multiple emails rescinding a discount they themselves offered, every interaction with them was worse than the last. While it's a great school, let's be honest: none of their alumni are truly world-class performers. Not that it would justify their behavior, but I'd be more inclined to put up with their administrative nonsense if their results matched their cockiness -- they don't. I encourage parents to support smaller community schools and independent individual teachers who aren't governed by entitled, shortsighted administration.

A new spot, they have the best ballet classes for adults who want to get back into training!read more

From the owner: Studio Calmels (Owner and Guinness World Record Fabrice Calmels formally Paris Opera Ballet…read moreSchool, Joffrey Ballet) is an elite dance studio located in downtown Los Angeles. While Studio Calmels is primarily focused on professional levels of ballet training, we also offer a variety of dance classes in order to create a well-rounded dance curriculum.

I absolutely love PlaygroundLA! I've been coming here every so often for years and I remember when…read moreit was just one studio. I love that tjey expanded not only in size but also the types of dance offered. My favorites are their heels classes. Admittedly some of the beginners classes don't feel like beginners because many people already know the moves lol Every class I've attend, the instructor had great energy, broke down the moves easily, was open to questions, and made you feel confident! If you're new to the Playground here are some tips: - come early to find parking. Yes there's limited meter parking, but there are streets that let you park from 8-8pm without a permit for 2 hours - bring water you will sweat! - you can walk in with a bag of your clothes and additional shoes since they have dressing rooms - come with a friend if you're shy and so they can record you if you want - make sure your phone is charged so you can ask someone to record what you learned - remind yourself that you're here to have fun! You can get in your head when so many around you are so good and comfortable. Also, instructors usually get dancers at the end to dance with them for videos and it can feel like youre not good when they don't choose you but remember: you're there for fun

Finally , I got the chance to come to the iconic playground LA after seeing it so many times in my…read moreig feed. The front desk people were friendly.

Our family were able to visit Casa 0101 a couple weekends ago to watch their Prince of Egypt…read moremusical. Seating is first come first serve but the setting is so small and and intimate that there is probably not a bad seat in the house. Despite the size of the place, the production quality and talent was amazing. It was a privilege to be able to watch this 2.5 hour show with all these singers and dancers giving their all to entertain such a small group of viewers. Bravo!

We love coming to Casa 101, I've been here on several occasions but recently came to see A Woman…read moreNamed Gloria. The location is not only a beautiful fully functional theatre but also an art gallery displaying beautiful art from local Artist. Casa 101 is a great community venue with an amazing staff and stunning interior design. We'll definitely be back and will recommend family and friends.

Saw PRIMARY TRUST recently and it was amazing. In a sea of musicals MARK TAPER does an amazing job…read moreof showcasing plays. Their version of PARANORMAL ACTIVITY was superb!!! Also for a change of pace my husband and I enjoyed the intimate atmosphere of DEFIANTLY JONI.

Primary Trust @ Mark Taper Forum…read more I really enjoyed seeing Primary Trust, a very moving play, this evening at 7pm. The theater is large & spacious. I had a third row seat that was under $40 & I could see & hear everything perfectly. In fact, because the stage is round and the seats are in an arc around it, it really doesn't seem like there is a bad seat in the house. The plaza that the theater is in reminds me of Lincoln Center in NYC, and enjoying the programming here really feels like "going out" as the area is brightly lit and festive.There are several eateries snd a wine bar in the plaza. You can also bring drinks and snacks to your seats. I'm also happy to note that the staff & ushers were all very nice. The small cast did an excellent job & even with a heavy subject, they still managed to get laughs out of us as well as many moments of absolute, reverent silence because we could feel what Kenneth was going through. Kudos to everyone who worked on this very special production. It's closing in June 28th, so go see it if you can!! Peace!

When I was looking for a way out of my ordinary routine I managed to find National Wushu Center…read more Here I began to study Changquan - a northern style of Chinese martial arts also known as "Long Fist". I've had experience with eastern martial arts such as karate, however I never practiced Chinese wushu before. At this school, you will learn the fundamentals of this art in its true and authentic form. Coach Matthew, carrying on the legacy of coaches Eric and Debbie, holds an incredible passion for wushu. He will convey the utterly rigorous and precise forms of this art to each student in a clear and intelligible manner. Coach Matthew's mastery is awe-inspiring and motivates students to sharpen their skill at each class. He is without a doubt a very talented wushu master and a very talented teacher. After training at National Wushu Training Center for a couple of months you will find yourself a part of a community all united by a single devotion to wushu. This will give you that one third space everyone is in search for. It's a circle where friends are made and relationships are built. Practicing graceful and powerful Changquan comes with challenges but at Coach Matthew's class you get to overcome not just your physical limits but learn how to take a break from whatever may be troubling you in your life. It's strengthening and therapeutic. You will never feel like a failure at the class. Coach Matthew will make sure to guide you thoroughly through every combination, routine and even smallest movement that is there with great attention and attitude. Training here doesn't require a lot. The classes are very affordable. You don't need to get into a fascinating physical shape prior to taking your first class. All you need is to show up. At least once a week. And then Wu ("martial") Shu ("art") can become your real lifelong Kung Fu.

The National Wushu center is amazing!!! I've been wanting to get into martial arts and what a…read morebeautiful introduction. A friend invited me to my first class and we had a ball! Very accessible for all levels and challenging for strength, balance, mobility, and movement patterns in the best way. Coach Matt is the best and infuses history into the lessons with the movement. Planning on making it part of my routine ‍

I have been to Paris, once, but that still counts. I climbed the Eiffel tower at night with the…read morelights glowing. I have seen the Mona Lisa and was impacted by her smile that seemed to move on its own. And ever since then I have loved Parisian culture because, after that trip, I understood that the city of lights producses so much to love and adore. It is the city that empowered Quasimoto to find his inner beauty. It is the city that had a rat control a human via its hair. It is the city that gifted the world with croissant and funny mustaches. It is the city that gave us french cheese, a queen who let others eat cake, and the guillotine because, I mean, what would a Tale of Two cities be without a guillotine. In short, I can can for gay Paree. Thus, it was only natural to attend a Bastille Day celebration to pay homage to the city of lights and butter. This celebration, I can describe as a capsule celebration. Meaning that the day did not have parades or avenue closures in its name. All the celebration was centered in this courtyard. If one has not attended the plaza, then imagine a micro Hollywood bowl. Meaning that if the Hollywood Bowl was a cupcake, this place would be a tic-tac, not a gum drop. But still, with the festivities of Bastille lighting the spot, it became a firework on display. This might seem obvious but I really enjoyed sitting on the courtyards steps and hearing french music from the stage. And I did not just like the music because it heard good, but also what it produce amongst some of the attendants-- a light-hearted frivolity that could only be expressed in melody and jaunty step. The singers explained that they were about to sing a classic french song. One that paid homage to its famous avenue: Champs-Élysées. As they were hearing words that I could barely recognized, a woman behind me started to sing as well. I turned back, we made eye contact and for a second she serenated me with the words Champs-Élysées. I felt her love for her land in her words. For a micro-second that lasted french minutes, I was back in the land of french cheese and pastries. The note she carried in her song were the tickets I needed to see Paris, even briefly again. I also saw the dancers. Not paid ones. Regular people dancing in front of the stage. I saw a man and a woman dance care free amongst many. He twirled her. She followed. It was melody in movement. Their joyful moves were mine as well. I experienced love for the French countryside through their dance. I guess national pride is contagious. The singers also played a song in English but with a French Accent. L is for the way you look tonight. It was a great afternoon. I also have no power to resist buying stuff at festivals. So I bought some french breads and a charcuterrie board. Me and my friend had it later as a snack, and it was the morsels that make Paris great. This review was tied to Bastille day. But I incldued a picture of all the different concerts. If you want a suggestion, grab a picnic lunch from very nearby Grand Central Market and experience your own music choice amonst DTLA buildings. Remember that moment is someone else dream.

It isn't summer in LA until you catch one of the free concerts put on by the city. Grand…read morePerformances is one of those spaces and year after year, they have a solid lineup of talented artists, musicians and DJs. Located at the California Plaza, the space is in the courtyard where this is a huge outdoor stage, state-of-the-art sound and light equipment and an area for seating. The shows has drawn such huge crowds that they have added seats, and a special section for members and donors. This time around, they have added a beer garden upstairs and covered communal tables. No matter where you sit, you will be able to hear the music. Bring portable seating and your picnic basket (or support local businesses that stay open during these events. 2026 and parking is now $10 CASH or $18 with a card that you pay upon leaving. This is an LA tradition everyone should at least try once!

Every year I park along the street in front of this school and always wondered what type of school…read morethis is. I finally saw the name of the school and find it is part of the L.A. Unified School District. What a wonderful school to amidst all the filming of movies, commercials and theater arts in Los Angeles. Their audititorum off of Grand Avenue is beautifully maintained, and has theater events, according to their billboard. By the way, there are a few two hour free parking spots along the side street off Sunset, thus the reason I park there to walk to the Tax Collector...

This school is a great School under mr. Martinez, the schools ran very well. There weren't any…read morefights in the past 4 years. Grand Arts offers tons of activities and development programs for the children.

I love supporting local theater. This is a great venue with several small theaters that support…read moreminority creative. Snacks are limited. Highly recommend.

Great show lots of love and compassion need more like this just down to see the showread more

I heard about General Assembly classes because they list them on Facebook and it popped up in my…read morefeed as a targeted ad. I'm glad for this as that is how I signed up for a free 2-hour introductory class to coding. The class covered HTML and CSS and was designed to just a quick intro to see if you would be interested in taking a full class. Still I was surprised how much I learned in just a free intro course. Our instructor Allie covered a ton of theory so we understood the big picture and how the different developer languages (HTML, CSS and Javascript) played different roles. Much of the class was her guiding us through actually creating a mock webpage by immediately applying the coding principles and info she taught. I highly recommend bringing your computer for the hands-on portion. Also, Allie listed additional resources for us to explore on our own time, and we were promised the slide deck after. Being totally new to coding, I was able to take what I learned from the intro class and actually fix an issue THE NEXT DAY on the website that I manage for work! I rely on website templates but don't understand the HTML and CSS behind it so I was able to override the template that doesn't even allow me to change font attributes on hyperlinked text. Once you sign up for a class they send you promo emails with discounts, so I will probably look into taking a more full class. TIP: this is located right in the heart of Little Tokyo so there is plenty of sushi, ramen and snack options available before or after going to class here.

I have mixed feelings about GA…read more Pros: 1. This is one of the few places left where you can get actual, in-person instruction. If you're one who can't stick to learning on your own online, face-to-face instruction is the way to go. 2. I also like that they offer a wide variety of topics from web development and digital marketing to project management, sales pitching, and communication skills. 3. The instructors I've had so far have been knowledgeable and nice. 4. They have many free talks in the evenings, sometimes even with free nibbles. I attended one on the art of sales pitching. I think it was called something like "How to Sell Anything to Anyone." The speaker was excellent, and he gave really good tips. 5. The DTLA location has convenient parking ($5 evenings and wknds) at Joe's Garage a few doors down. I also like that you can enjoy the many Little Tokyo restaurants before or after class :) Cons: 1. Cost. If you want to take their multi-day courses, expect to pay $$$. That's what you gotta expect for in-person classes from a private school. I'd love to take more classes, but I can't be spending more thousands of dollars. Yes, they have a payment plan, but you still gotta pay them back. 2. If you're looking to start a new career, don't expect to be "career ready" after you've spent all that money. The classes don't go into much depth. They're more of an overview, just enough to get you started. Then comes the hard part - studying on your own by following all the blogs and video content out there. THAT takes discipline, and nobody can help you there. I wish knowledge could just be implanted in my brain without my having to exert effort. Just being honest. 3. They never answer the phone. The only way to get a response is via email. If you're on your way to an evening or weekend class and need to reach someone, you won't get a response if it's outside normal business hours. Conclusion: If you're disciplined and highly motivated, save your money and take advantage of the overwhelming number of free resources online. But if you're a lazy a-hole like me and you're willing to spend some serious money, take a GA course to at least get you started and pointed in the right direction.