Crystal is not only an incredible teacher, she is just an all around incredible human. Her heart is…read moreshining in everything she touches. I have been taking voice lessons from her for just over a year. She has a way with words that perfectly describe what she hears, and then she is able to perfectly describe what you need to do strengthen your technique and grow as a singer. I have witnessed other students (young and old) express their love and appreciation to her and she returns that love right back. She is a rare gem ! She truly is passionate about what she does and it shows!

First class teaching. Been studying with him off and on for 6 years. He helped me get rid so many…read morebad habits and I think I actually understand acting now. Peter is the best, literally. He knows so much and gives so much to his students. You can't go wrong taking classes from Peter Frisch.

I have been very fortunate to train with Peter over the last seven years. He is hands down, the…read moreBEST acting teacher I have EVER worked with. (And I have been acting since I was a child) He deeply cares for each of his students and their development. His way of thinking and putting things together has truly transformed me as an actor (and as a person in general). Peter helps his students engage with and awaken their greatest super power: imagination. I am now 100% confident on exactly how to own a room when I walk into it. I am keenly aware of my voice, physicality's, tone, stature, ticks, strength, weaknesses, where to pull from, how to create characters, how to win over directors. He is an incredibly gifted teacher and a true wealth of information. The arts are better because of him! This, I know. Santa Barbara and LA are so lucky to have him. Thank you Peter.

This review is for the performance offerings that UCSB's Theater and Dance program is providing…read more(free!) during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Department has been doing a great job of continuing to create a season of work despite physical and social distancing requirements. By migrating productions to an online format, the show goes on! Last night I had the pleasure of watching "Under Ordinary Circumstances," the last theater production of the Fall quarter portion of the season. The piece, written by Brian Otaño and directed by Shirley Jo Finney, saw members of an AA group for young people working through their recovery during this year's quarantine. Cast and crew--many of whom are by now well-versed in Zoom theater--did a fantastic job. In addition, this season has so far included a whopping eight other productions. Spanning across Department projects and affiliations from Naked Shakes (a Shakespeare performance company) to Launch Pad (which produces new works), these events have presented diverse storytelling styles and subject matter. Yet to come is the Fall BFA Dance major Capstone show. Winter and Spring promise an exciting menu of stagings. You can find performance information and an event calendar on the Department's website. I've also signed up for the emailing list to get news, and if you want to sign up you can do so here: https://www.theaterdance.ucsb.edu/news/announcement/807 Disclaimer: I am a Department PhD student, so this review may be biased!

First and foremost, this is a UC. Meaning that is of the highest academic standards. I was thrilled…read morethat two of my daughters were able to continue to dance, while at the same time get a world class education. UCSB is not a dance school. It is a highly ranked research university and education comes first. Those wanting a school solely because of its dance program should not go here. Not because it isn't good, but because the focus will be on educating the student to become a future leader in whatever field they choose. Although UCSB is a large school, it acts more like a smaller school with staff and professors that care about each student and their success. I am a UCLA Alumni and I can honestly say that my girls get treated way better here at UCSB than I ever did at UCLA. Anyone would be lucky to be admitted to the dance program here at UCSB and I am blessed that two of my daughters were fortunate enough. Go Gauchos!

Rockabilly lovers need to watch Million Dollar Quartet at least once in their life!…read more The heat started and the flame never dimmed in the nostalgic classic rock sounds honoring Elvis, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins. The actors and actress were extremely talented and never missed a beat.

I've seen several shows here, and it is a great theater! The actors are incredibly creative and…read moretalented and make use of the small stage, and every seat is a great seat in this intimate space. Worth every penny, such a wonderful and beautiful venue.

Your average nice school theater. Everything was very clean. Very dated, but the history and…read morearchitecture seem well preserved. Let's see...The bathrooms are clean. The theater seats feel a bit small, like hard wooden airplane seats, but this is kind of expected being that it is an old theater. Recitals, award ceremonies, graduations, speaking engagements...they all would be nice here, but I think theater and music performances might be best enjoyed elsewhere, especially if you're seeking an exceptional acoustic experience. You won't get it at this theater. But it still can serve many delightful purposes. Lots of parking on the mountainside of the building.

I love The Luke! I follow them on Facebook but I also live nearby and can see upcoming events. The…read moreLuke brings an amazing amount of unique events, and many are free! The Luke is a historic theater at Santa Barbara Jr High School with lots of parking a large lobby area. I've attended church services, award ceremonies local dance productions, lectures, symphonies, operas, folklorico performances, etc. at The Luke. The Luke hosts many local groups, which I love, but also brings national and international groups to Santa Barbara. There is always something new and interesting happening at The Luke. The Luke was recently renovated, but still has a vintage feel. It's a gorgeous theater and very comfortable. By request, you can tour the theater and see the ins and outs of The Luke. I was able to go on a tour hosted by the house manager himself and had no idea of the fascinating history of The Luke. I would highly recommend this tour.

I'll be honest -- as the groom, I was a little preoccupied during the ceremony. You know, trying…read morenot to cry and making sure I didn't lock my knees and pass out. So did I personally absorb every note that Emily and Katrina played? Not exactly. But here's what I do know: every single guest told us how beautiful the music was. My wife was beaming. It just felt magical. Emily on violin and Katrina on cello were absolutely stunning. If you're getting married and want music that moves your guests -- book the Santa Barbara String Quartet. Five stars from me, and probably six stars from my wife.

My husband and I are so grateful for the Santa Barbara String Quartet for playing at our wedding…read moreceremony! We had Sarah play the violin and she was incredible. We were in communication with Emily for the planning portion and she made the process so easy and seamless. I highly recommend them!

Intimate setting and many fascinating shows. Come and see for yourself. It's important to keep the…read morearts alive and support local theater.

You know...I liked it here. I was there supporting a choreographer friend and her dancers for a…read moredance festival. Cool, cool. I mean, The audience chairs could use a lot of work (bolt those bad boys down to the floor so they don't move around and stand up when I stand up), but other than that, the space is very large and airy. Full of room. The acoustics aren't that great, but it is still a nice spot to get away and see a performance. The person who gave directions here really tried, but he gave me the "scenic route" all around the outside of the shopping center instead of just telling me to cut straight through the shopping center (since I was already there) to the back and find any staircase that will lead me up to the second floor. So I'm telling you now: Cut through the Paseo Nuevo shopping center straight to the back and find any staircase to lead you up to the second floor. Once I got there, I realized I had been here before. It's directly across from the museum entrance on the second floor. Anyway, I enjoyed myself. Maybe we can come together to donate to the theater and get these chairs bolted down to the floor!

I took lessons from Jonathan and Sylvia 20 years ago and am still going to the Friday dances…read more Sylvia Sykes (https://www.sylviasykes.com/) is still teaching and is truly a world renown teacher. If you ever had an interest in swing dancing I highly recommend Sylvia's classes and the Carrillo Recreation Center. The Friday Dances (free lesson before dance) with a live band are great fun and the people are very friendly and welcoming of ALL dancers. Ginger's experience is unfortunate and I believe very rare.

I was excited to finally attend a swing dance in my hometown, after several years of West Coast…read moreSwing in Lindy-Hop dancing in the San Francisco bay area, where I live now. Lucky me! I happened to schedule a trip to SB on a weekend that Stompy Jones - one of my fave local-to-me bands was playing. I gathered a group of friends to come take the lesson with me (some of them needed the beginning lesson; I figured to try leading, or at least to use the opportunity to get to know a few dancers). My first disappointment with the teacher's failure to discourage couples from pairing up and NOT rotating during the lesson. It is well-known that dancing with a variety of partners is the best way to learn. But that was a small thing. The lesson ended, and the band needed an extra 30 minutes to finish setting up. All fine, and quite normal. People danced to the DJ music in the interim. I led one of my friends in some West Coast Swing. Dancing to any sort of music is generally better than sitting! And the music the teacher was playing was fine. The band started and more people got up to dance. I waited a song or two, then walked over and asked one of the guys that had taken the lesson to dance. All good; I don't mind dancing with a beginner from time to time. The song ended; I looked around, no one asked me to dance. I spent the next hour or more dancing with my friends, and asking various Santa Barbara dancers to dance. But here's my gripe: NOT ONCE, from the time the lesson ended until the band took its first break, did anyone ask me to dance! First of all, I'm NOT a beginner. Where I live, there are many, many people who ask me to dance - friends and strangers alike. I'm not hideously ugly. I don't smell. Actually, I receive frequent compliments on my following skills, including my styling and musicality. So I'm pretty sure that I'm doing a few things right! No, I think the problem is that Santa Barbara is a town/area that is cliquish, and no one wanted to take the time to look for, and ask, a stranger to dance. And the teacher (I don't recall his name) and the organizer (Jonathan Bixby) are partly responsible for this cliquishness, as they set the tone for dances - to be inclusive, or exclusive. Several announcements were made; none of them being "ask someone to dance that you've never danced with before." Also, it would have been easy for the teacher to seek me - or any of the other followers that took the lesson (there were only six of us) - out for a dance. I guess he just couldn't be bothered. The thing is this: I get it. I am part of a thriving West Coast Swing Dance community here int he SF bay area. I have a large group of dance friends, and I do enjoy dancing with them. AND - we, ALL OF US, make an effort to ask people we don't know to dance with us. Some of the best leaders I know are great about this. I am a follower, and not at all shy to ask men to dance. So, in sum: dancing in Santa Barbara was a big disappointment, and I sure won't be making any effort to attend dances there in the future. I'd like to think that the "Westies" in the area might be friendlier...