Review #160 - 2017 This was our first time coming to the Santa Clara Christmas tree lighting ceremony. We had a really hard time finding park because the parking lot was reserved for staff members only. We eventually found street parking a few blocks away. By the time we got to the park, it was already nearing the tail end of the fireworks, but we still got to enjoy a few minutes of it. The place is actually quite crowded and the booths by the entrance were pretty poorly set up in my personal opinion. They weren't spaced out enough for people to actually make their way through, especially when there are people who want to stand at the booths and browse. It is definitely not wheelchair or stroller friendly. Pushing my daughter's stroller around was tough and I saw a lady with a wheelchair was practically struggling to get from one place to the next. The line to see Santa was too long so we didn't get to take a picture with Santa. The live music was enjoyable and ice skating rink was a nice addition. Lots of first responders were present as well... read more

My daughter takes dance classes here and loves them! The instructor is always friendly, kind, patient and is clearly loved by all the kids. The classes are actually affordable, about half the price of some of the local competitors! There is a little outside area in the center of the building which is great for younger siblings to hang out while their big sibling is doing class! read more

Santa Clara's Community Recreation Center (CRC) is where the majority of the Santa Clara Parks and Rec classes are held. There are so many different reasonably priced classes you can take here, including dance, yoga, aerobics, art, cooking, and music classes. I have taken many of the fitness and dance classes here and they are usually between $50 and $70 for a three month session for Santa Clara residents. Most classes are once a week. The adult dance classes are a little limited, but there are tons of dance classes for children. The Community Rec Center also has drop-in aerobics classes Mon-Sat. They are only $3 per class for Santa Clara residents if you buy a class card! The aerobics classes are very fun, motivating, and there is usually a wide variety of ages and fitness levels. They even have cheap child care for the morning aerobics classes, so they make it very hard to find an excuse not to work out. I am too cheap to buy a gym membership, so if the Community Rec Center did not exist, I would probably be fat. read more

For Santa Clara residents, you can always find affordable recreational classes that you can try for few months or weeks. The registration is decently painless once you're registered as a resident. Some classes fill up fast so be vigilant about when the registration starts. I LOVE Ms. Kimberly's ballet classes for my daughter and Teacher Sean's Music Factory for 4 and under. Those classes were my absolute favorites going through some programs. My kids are still amidst the classes so I'm sure there will be more wonderful classes. Some of the misses are those classes where my kid didn't jive well with the teacher. I also have experience with Club Central. They're constantly working on making it better as I've ran into problem before with my child there. However, I appreciate their quick feedback and effort to make improvements. read more

What everybody else said. Recently they had a break in (I do not know the details) during what appeared to be business hours. I don't know what that entailed, so don't ask me; I'm still going. I take U-Jam and Hot Hula - both taught by great teachers who are great performers, stronger dancers, motivating, and upbeat. The rooms are properly sized for group dancing (there are several local studios that fit probably 6-8 people who try to squeeze 10+ in there), well-lit, with good sound systems (the bigger room has the better system), fans, and aircon. The same cannot be said for most dance studios in this area, so you are getting your money's worth with sessions here. Someone said they run for 3 months - the adult classes I've taken don't, the most I've seen them get to is 6/7 classes, and 4/5 classes in shorter sessions. There are 2 week gaps between sessions. Eg: I started taking a June - July class, then a couple weeks passed of weekly classes, then started again August - Sept. I have also taken another adult dance class I won't name where the teacher doesn't always seem particularly professional, but it's a good workout and she's a nice lady, so I did take it for two sessions. I've decided to pursue the same mode of dance elsewhere for more advanced training. I was wary of U-Jam, but although these weird dance-aerobics trends seem forced and trendy, I have found that if the teacher is good - you feel more natural and have more fun with the class. I have been really turned off at gyms and other local studios where the teachers are doing the movements, but without finesse, without attention to form (so you don't injure yourself), and they basically aren't really great dancers, and they're often not even good teachers, so I get pretty frustrated trying to learn steps, and get pretty demotivated with the choreography and someone shouting at me to "clap" and "woop" and "party" and all that stuff. But when the teacher's good - can dance, clarify steps, and genuinely enjoys the dance form she is teaching -- it's an awesome work out that challenges you, inspires you, and is well worth it. PS - the link for the SC city site is http://santaclaraca.gov/index.aspx?page=233; then you go halfway down the page to get to the registration page for Rec Center classes. It IS a bit of a pain to sign up; if you are a resident you have to fax in proof or mail it in first, or go in to the office before you can sign up for the resident rate. That rate is slightly cheaper than non-resident rate, but non-residents can indeed go. There's also a fee to register online versus in person. Desk ladies are there til 7:30 or 8 pm or something - quite late. Janitor hovers; they want you out of the building by 8:30 which is a little frustrating because classes that should probably be 1 hour long for what you're paying become officially 45 minutes - less of a workout. read more

This is a great resource for kids and moms! My only complaint is that the courses can be a little tough to look up and register for, but apparently, that's typical for city parks and recreation departments. My best tips: look up your city's parks and recreation page, not the city's general website. Then look for the "Activities Guide." For Santa Clara, it's about half way down on the Parks and Rec page. We moved to Santa Class earlier this year, and I have been looking for mommy and me, swimming, and music classes for my 13 month old. This center offers all of them, plus more! I did a quick search on neighboring cities, and it looks like Santa Clara offers way more for little ones younger than preschool age. We just took our first Teacher Sean's Music Factory class. It was great! I highly recommend it if you want your child to develop a love for music, rhythm, and dance. My son especially liked the mixed ages and freedom the walk around regardless of what was going on in class. I liked the mix of songs, instruments, and dance, non forceful structure, and strong encouragement of parent participation and role modeling. There were some 2-6 year veterans, and you could tell those kids have learned a joy and appreciation for music from their years of participation. You also get an educational book, DVD, and music cd's. We also took Gymboree music classes, as well as a Music Together class in So Cal, but we like Teacher Sean's approach and mix better. read more

This review is specifically for Teacher Sean's Music Factory. I've enrolled my 2.5 year old son in countless classes (music, art, dance) for the past 1.5 years and this is by far the BEST class we have taken. Teacher Sean is incredibly welcoming, energetic, and fun. I've heard comments about his class being overpriced, but compared to other Music Together classes, his class is actually cheaper. Plus, the class is super fun and entertaining for the kids AND parents, which in my book is priceless! Sean strikes a great balance between encouraging your kid to participate and yet not forcing anything that doesn't come naturally for them. The CD's that he gives out are super addictive. I've heard the same cd every day for the past 6 months, and while it can get a bit annoying, it never fails to get me singing along with my son. We've taken this class twice already, and plan on taking it again. Thank you Teacher Sean! read more

REVIEW for morning work-out classes and the babysitting service. Visited here for a drop-in U-Jam class on Friday, but realised that it was actually Zumba because the U-jam instructor was sick and they had a sub. First of all, the ladies at the counter were very friendly and apologized for the change in schedule. They explained that they send out emails regarding any changes in instructors, and helped add me to their mailing list. I think that they handled this very well. As to the class, it was a tough one for someone who has never done Zumba before! However, I had so much fun because the instructor was awesome! She made sure that my friend and I (newbies) were welcomed and encouraged us throughout the workout. She had so much passion for the workout and gave everyone positive feedback. These drop-in classes are great. They only cost $5.50 (for non-residents) and are convenient if you want to try out a type of class before buying a pack of classes. They also have $2 babysitting service for the morning classes. Babysitting is basically a room down the hall with lots of toys and puzzles etc. It's a gym room and they have the foam mats laid out across the floor to make it soft for the little ones. There was one man who watched the kids ranging from 15months (my friend's little girl) - 4 years or so. Only about 4-5 kids that day. I think it's totally worth it. read more

$3.50 for a drop-in aerobic class and $2 for childcare! Where else can you get a killer three dollar workout and cheap caring childcare??! I have taken zumba with Anna on Mondays and Ginger on Thursday. Both are great! Fun routines and they really connect with the class :) LOVE THEM! I have also taken step...I'm not very good at this though. I feel like I'm going to trip and break my neck. Don't think I'll be straddling a step anytime soon. Ginger also instructs kickboxing some Fridays. Killer! I got home and thought my arms were going to fall off! Lol. Fun and effective. No pain, no gain ;) I have used the childcare here also. $2 and my kids were safe, given a snack and had a great time. read more

The dance classes at the Santa Clara Rec. Center are the best! My daughter has been taking classes from Miss Kimberly and Miss Linnea since she was 2 years old and she has grown in not only her dance skills, but also her social emotional skills and her self-esteem. These two teachers are just amazing! The classes are so reasonably priced and my daughter loves going, every time! I cannot recommend them enough. :) read more

We went and watched a production od Charlette's Web there tonight. It was a lot of fun. When we got there we were excited to see that our seats were the third row from the stage, lucky us! However when the people came to sit in front of us, they were three tall people and our daughter no longer would be able to see the stage. We asked if we could move seats and to our luck, we got a front row view. Thanks for the accomidation. because of this, our now 4 yr old daughter wants to be an actress, which we are fine with. She also wants to be Charlette and wants us to change her name to "Claire" the young lady's anme who played Charlotte. Thank you for brining this to life and allowing such wonderful opportunities for young children! Can't wait to see The Music Man in Feb. read more

I love their dance program. My daughter entered as quite shy, and would end up crying every time it was time for Tap dancing. Her teacher, Miss Linnea was wonderful about it, and helped up find a different class that would better suit up. We love the recital they put on in May. It's a great way to end a session (Jan-May) oof dancing, the recital is very professional and the kids get to keep their costumes. It makes my daughter feel very special. We also did a dance camp last summer. Linnea and April went above and beyond my expectations. They came in full costume everyday, made each kid feel loved and provided a magical experience. I think this is a great way to introduce kids to dance, and then let them grow and develop those talents. All the teaching assistants are great. We've loved having Miss Isabel. I've always had great service from the front desk staff, and the bathrooms are clean. read more

This place has a wide range of classes for toddlers, kids, and adults. My daughter has been taking Ballet ever since she was 1 year old. Now she is taking Ballet & Tap as well as Hip Hop. The classes here are affordable. The teachers are excellent. They really teach your child with compassion. I recently attended an evening with Santa event with my daughter. She loved it. I think it's nice that they have that event for the kids. Every child gets to sit on Santa's lap and take a photo with him. You just need to bring your own camera. They also serve hot cocoa, apple cider, and cookies. The kids all get a bag with crafts that they can work on for that evening. It gets pretty pack so I always reserve months in advance. I would highly recommend this place to all the parents that want their child or children to start learning dance. The kids really do enjoy it. They also have a performance at the very end of class when they're almost done with it. If you're child is enrolled in a class that is back to back (right after the other) and they are at the age where the teacher allows you leave him or her there is a park that is right next to this place. It's called Central Park. You can take a nice walk or jog while waiting instead of sitting inside and waiting. :) read more

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This is a teacher Sean's Music Factory review (he is part of the Santa Clara Community Recreation Center). First off, to correct the user above, Sean is certified in the Music Together series and this is the material he uses in the class so Euli is a little confused I think. While I don't really like the Music Together CDs that much, I wholly recommend teacher Sean and his classes. He brings the material alive and is energy is incredible. Sean is one of the best teachers for young kids I have ever seen. I've taken a lot of classes (thru sunnyvale parks and rec though) and this is the one we have kept taking for 2 and 1/2 years because me and my daughter love him. He is very knowledgeable about music (I think he has an advance degree in music) and teaches us parents who are musically challenged in a fun and easy way. I'm a dad and I feel comfortable in the class even though it is usually filled with moms. Sean puts everyone to ease with his wit, humor, and love for kids and music. Kids are dancing and playing with him the very first class. The format is relaxed and completely non-pressure. If you don't want to do anything you can just sit there and hum or you can sing and play with everyone. Everyone basically sits around in a circle and Sean sings or hums the melodies from the Music Together CDs with his own incredible improvs and the parents and children follow along. It is a good mixture of sitting and walking around in a circle and free music when he pours his box of instruments out and all the kids and parents pick what they want to play with. Another thing I have been impressed with is his social skills. I've seen some odd situations over the 2 1/2 years and teacher Sean has always unified the class and made everyone feel at home and is able to rein in running kids and deal with accidents or whatever comes up without making anyone feel put on the spot. For example, when another kid hits someone with a musical instrument (which happens from time to time because of the age) he will often use humor while being sympathetic to both parents to put them both at ease. He also rearrainged the room to make it safer when some kids where jumping on the couches in an unsafe manner. I am musically challenged and I love the class and am suprisingly not self-conscious because of Seans ability to put people at ease and structure the class to be easy. If you are looking for a music class for young children Sean is great and I don't think you be disappointed. -- Emily's Dad read more

The ladies working the front desk are absolutely awesome. Very patient, knowledgeable, if they don't know something they'll find out, and competent. This is where we bought our family swimming pass for the summer. We'll definitely go back! read more

As I was walking my dogs I noticed 4 boy's smoking something other than marijuana and just when I was about to call the police because children were around I ran into some employee's who said they worked for the center & would take care of it but then walked in the opposite direction. I formed them about the situation & they didnt seem to be very concerned about it. Thet said they'll just move spots! I was very upset because if they move well at least they'll be out of the children's view. I didn't get the names of the 2 men yesterday approx at 5pm on Jan 21st but I wish I would have. Be very leary of walking there.... read more

Affordable classes of all kinds for kids of all ages. My son and daughter enjoy their dance classes here, and the teachers are friendly. Only complaint is that there are no windows to watch through. read more

The place looks great but the main down fall is that you have to be a Santa Clara Residents to rent a room for a any type of party! I would not recommend this place if your not a residents. Its not worth calling to get information at all. Waste of time calling. read more

I was so moved by the method of Linea- ballet teacher ,organized Holywin trick or treat for the little once! It was a first one for most of the students- they loved it!! Center stuff was also participating - everyone was dressed up and playing with kids, giving treats! I'm sure now all babies will want to go to the class even more: they won't remember candies, but they will remember feelings and emotions! Great class! read more

The ladies at the front desk are so wonderful. They make booking a park building so easy. Keep up the Great Work!

This review is for Debbie group fitness class for kick boxing on Monday 6 pm/ cross fit on wed 6 pm and sat 9 am class Its a must try and I bet in no time you will be hooked. She is AWESOME and one of the best fitness trainer I ever took class with. read more

As others have suggested, the classes offered through the rec center are top notch, five stars, hands down. My experience with the front desk has definitely improved! They've consistently given me smiles and warm greetings for awhile now. Sure, you get the occasional crankster who you're not sure how you've offended them, but they're getting better. Also I love their online navigation system! I register all of our courses online and it's so convenient! Parking is still very limited...but no one can probably change that now. The classrooms still look like they need updating, but I guess for a government building, it's functional. read more

This review is for the drop in exercise classes. This is a good price for a pass that does not expire. The room has wood floors, air conditioned, and a speaker system and also has the workout equipment. If you can make the scheduled times, the workouts are good and effective. If they add drop in yoga with 85 degrees, there is not much left missing . They even have the water dispenser to refill your water bottle. read more

My daughter goes to Ballet and acrobats every wednesday. She just loves the place and the staff is amazing.

They offer so much here. Drop in exercise classes, plus child care during the class! A bunch of activities for kids and adults. And this is where you go to reserve a facility at one of the parks in Santa Clara. The front desk staff are really helpful and friendly. read more

This is the review for Teacher Sean's Music Factory and Teacher Sean's Kid Sing. My daughter Vivian is taking both lessons. We have taken 9 music lessons, and tried countless demo classes(up Palo Alto, down to Los Gatos). Teacher Sean is the best. His tuition is lowest. His attitude and enthusiasm are different from other teachers- More than just a job, but a career. Highly recommended. read more