My kids have been here for ten years now, and both of them are thriving. My older daughter has been…read moreinvited/offered scholarships to different summer dance programs and her technique stands out wherever she goes, all thanks to the quality ballet training and competition opportunities she receives at WSPA. Each teacher my girls have worked with so far have been gifted choreographers whose routines win the top honors at competitions. In fact, WSPA is one of a few studios that don't need to outsource their choreography because their teachers do it so well in-house.

My daughter has been part of WSPA since 2019, and we absolutely love the supportive environment and…read morethe exceptional training she receives here. Currently, she is enrolled in the Ballet Performance Program, Musical Theatre Performance Program, and Tap Performance Program. The comprehensive curriculum at WSPA is designed to nurture well-rounded performers, and it's clear in my daughter's development as a true Triple Threat. Her hard work, dedication, and growth as a performer are a direct reflection of the high-quality instruction and mentorship she receives.

We wanted a first dance for our wedding, and Genevieve helped us bring our vision to life. We had a…read moreconcept at the beginning, and from then and throughout the process, she took our abstract ideas and turned them into a beautifully choreographed dance that shocked our friends and family (in a good way). I appreciated that she adjusted her approach based on our timeline. We started with just a few classes, so she focused more on just creating and teaching the choreography. But when we realized we could devote more time, she shifted to working with us on our fundamentals to make the entire thing look much more polished. Highly recommend!

We wanted to be synchronized and prepared for our wedding first dance and Genevieve helped us bring…read moreall of that to life! We took a total of 5 dance lessons and we are so happy with the results. Our successful first dance would not have been possible without Genevieve's guidance, patience, and incredible choreography. She started by teaching us the basic fundamental dance steps (ie. rumba, foxtrot, single time swing) and then pieced the steps into a choreographed dance to the song we chose (Harvest Moon by Neil Young). She taught us how to transition from one step to another and provided us with tips on how to be more aligned with each other. This was the first time we've taken dance lessons since we were kids, but Genevieve made us feel comfortable and put us at ease! After every session, she would email us notes so we could review each lesson and practice at home. I highly recommend taking dance lessons with Genevieve, whether it's for your wedding or just for fun! My partner and I really enjoyed our time with Genevieve and are so thankful for her support and guidance. We look forward to further lessons with her in the future! Tips for new clients: I recommend starting your lessons at least a month and a half before your wedding. It would be helpful if you had your first dance song or a few song options chosen before reaching out to Genevieve.

My 2 children have spent 2 full summers at Petit Pas. We didn't even look to have them enrolled…read moreelsewhere because they have always had such an incredibly enriching and exciting experience. Virginie, Lena and all the staff at Petit Pas are incredibly gifted artists who are so passionate at creating the most fantastic environment for children to explore and thrive in all facets of acrobatics, dance, art, creativity and other forms of self-expression. The staff is also super dedicated to the wellbeing of their campers and keep their safety top of mind at all times. I fully recommend Petit Pas if you are looking for your children to emotionally grow and have wonderful experiences! I can't wait to enroll both my children in next year's sessions. Thank you, Petit Pas for not only providing peace of mind to parents but also for making such a positive impact to the lives of so many children. Bravo!

We adore Petit Pas. Vivi and Lena have made a magical, imaginative, and creative space for…read morechildren to learn, laugh, play, and be themselves. My mini has attended the Petit Pas camps - each theme unlocks children's imaginations through art, yoga, dance, and play. My little one looks forward to Petit Pas - being immersed in creativity and meeting new friends (learning French is an added bonus). We cannot recommend Petit Pas enough

My daughter has danced at SFDS since she was 3. I have seen her blossom not only as a dancer but…read moreas a young woman. The teacher's here, especially Ms. Laura, have pushed her and nurtured her all along the way. The yearly recitals are so well organized and carried out and as a parent I am impressed year after year. The lessons learned here will carry her into a future as a strong, confident, funny person. Watching all this transitioned to online classes during SIP has been amazing. I cannot recommend this studio enough.

This is a long overdue review for San Francisco Dance Space. My daughter has been a student there…read morefor 10 years now. We first joined SFDS when my daughter was two years old because we lived in the neighborhood and she wanted to wear a tutu. Fast forward and she is a dedicated dancer with SFDS. Her love of dance and dedication to ballet is due to the dedication, passion and skill of the business owner, Laura and her team. My daughter has landed roles in city-wide dance performances with the education she has had at SFDS. At the end of every year, like most practices, SFDS puts on a performance. This performance is above and beyond anything you wold imagine. I am talking the real deal - the costumes, the props, the whole performance is next level. I also want to add that Ms. Laura (the business owner) is a gem. She is a true teacher in the sense that she is vested in all of the children who attend her program. Recently, SFDS was forced to pivot their approach from in-person sessions to telepractice (due to COVID-19). Almost immediately, classes continued online - they have been excellent and during this crazy time its been something stable in my daughter's life. Thank you SFDS for providing a caring, challenging and fun space for the dancers!

HIP HOP CLASSES I…read morelive in the East Bay, but work in San Francisco. ODC is one of two dance facilities in San Francisco I've been to that are walking distance to the Bart stations. After work I would go to ODC on certain days. I've been taking hip hop classes since 2007 at ODC. Almost 100% of the hip hop classes I enrolled are taught my Micaya. What I love about ODC is the studios aren't dark inside. Also the studios are spacious enough where you don't feel cramped. Even though I've taken hip hop classes for almost 20 years at ODC it doesn't feel dated. The one complaint I would make is regards to Studio B, which is where I take hip hop classes. Most of the studios downstairs have wooden floors however upstairs inside Studio B the Marley floor has too much grip or can be sticky. I'm surprised that throughout the years I haven't twisted my ankle or knee. Despite the Marley floor I enjoy taking hip hop classes at ODC.

ODC lacks professionalism and kindness in their management of children's classes…read more I asked to register for a certain mother and toddler class repeatedly and assumed I had a spot and only later found out that the school hasn't properly processed my registration and the spot was taken. I was told first that a spot would be offered as an exception but then (and after telling my daughter who was so happy) this offer was rescinded by a different staff member. What is more I was made to feel it was my fault when I was doing nothing wrong. Heartbreaking.

The Pros to this studio is that the teacher we had was very good and the studio makes an effort to…read moreput on a really nice end of the year performance. The kids feel proud of their accomplishment. For me, however, this is overshadowed by the very strict policies. You pay for the entire year up front, so you want to make sure your kid will want to do the entire year. The first year we went here, this worked out OK. However, the second year my 7 yr old was not enjoying the class at all--to the point she would leave the class early crying. We were a couple months in at this point (but before winter break or the beginning of performance dance practices). We were told that we could leave the class but would not be entitled to any refund of the tuition (more than half the year at that point). We were also not allowed to try out another class to see if we could find one my child would like better. I felt this was extraordinarily rigid for a 7 year old. To not even work with a family to try and find a better fit in dance class says to me they are not concerned with the dancer's experience. Our only options were to eat the half year tuition, or force our child to continue a class she really did not like. Perhaps this policy is OK for older kids who know what activities they like, but for younger children I find it inappropriate. Parents should also be aware that the kids are required to wear specific clothing to all practices, so there is an additional cost as you need to order specific dance leotards, tights, shoes, etc.

I have friends whose children take classes here so I have gone to the annual recital at the Herbst…read moreTheater...3 times! We always enjoy their recitals. This year (2011) the theme was "Around the World." The 90 minute show had 33 numbers running 3 minutes or less. The teachers always do a great job of teaching, creating the choreography, selecting the beautiful costumes, & letting the kids shine. Each year the best performances vary. 3 years ago, 3 young men tap dancers were just phenomenal. This year the ballet & modern/contemporary numbers were my favorites. A tall angular young man was especially wonderful to watch...smooth, graceful, strong, rhythmic...better than many professionals I have seen! I am often surprised by the abilities of children who do not have traditional willowy dancer shapes. This year the bigger girls really excelled in the modern & ballet numbers. Their technique, movement, & energy were a pleasure to watch. The younger children are a treat. They often miss something & their reactions are so cute & funny. This year when another dancer stood on her spot on the stage 1 little girl gently pushed the other toward her proper spot, pointed, & mouthed..."you go there!" The price was reasonable...Less than $30 for middle range seats. Much less than what we last paid for a seat at the opera.

We have had such a wonderful experience at TuTu School West Portal! Enrolling a toddler in ballet…read morecan always feel like a bit of a gamble, but this studio makes it so seamless and magical. A huge part of why we love it is Teacher Brianna. She is absolutely incredible with the little ones. Toddlers aren't always the best at following directions, but Brianna's patience is unmatched. She has a natural way of keeping the class engaged and making sure every child feels included and encouraged. The classes are pure fun--filled with imaginative play and movement that perfectly captures a toddler's attention span. If you are looking for a warm, whimsical, and low-stress introduction to dance, I cannot recommend this location (and Brianna!) highly enough.

I've enjoyed the Tutu School for my daughter so far. The first class we did together, she hated it…read more But ever since then, she has really enjoyed going and doing the ballet. For her age group, she's not exactly learning ballet, but it's more of a developmental learning for her age group, and fun activities. They do different things each class, but usually there's a round of bubbles, wands, ribbons, circle time, coloring, story time, stomping, tip toeing, and lots of twirling. The teachers are great (Crystal and Marissa are the ones I've met so far), accepting of kids being kids, especially when they're not having it. I really appreciate their incredible patience! I love the policy for their ballet classes too. You buy monthly subscription, and for every class you can't attend, they will just add it to your makeup session, and you can come attend (choose online) a make up class with your child's age group. So easy! Unlimited classes the first month, which was great. The school itself is pretty clean, and cute. They have a cute store which the occasionally offer discounts for their nicely curated leotards with tutus, and ballet shoes. I ended up just buying some here because they were so much cuter than ones I could find at Target or Amazon. They also have cute little chairs here for the little girls to sit on to help them put on their ballet shoes! Adorable.

Swam with this club for 9 years and loved every moment of it!!!…read more Growing up I had a hard time finding a sport that suited me and my interests because I always wanted something that was not only physically challenging but creatively challenging as well. Synchronized swimming filled both of these interests perfectly. I not only got to learn a unique sport but I also got to work with some great coaches that pushed me and inspired me to be the person I am today. Synchronized swimming taught me how to be a team player, which is a quality and skill I now use on a daily basis in both my professional and personal life. This sport and swim club really shaped a great deal of my childhood and I am proud to be able to say that I once was a San Francisco Merionette. I definitely suggest this for parents who are looking to enroll their children in a swim program or an after school activity.

I swam for the Merionettes for over 10 years, and it was the most positive experience I could have…read moreasked for. The coaches are incredibly caring, and dedicate immense amounts of time and energy out of pure love for the sport. Even after leaving the club, the coaches are still a source of support for me. Because of the merionettes, I have both grown as a leader and learned what it means to be a teammate. I am forever greatful for the network for kind friends and inspiring coaches that being a part of SFM has given me.