Tapping was my absolute favorite thing to do as a child and I even continued taking classes thru my…read moreearly adulthood. Then my children and work got in the way and my tap shoes spent a decade collecting dust in my closet. Months ago one of my Pilates instructor was raving about her adult tap class at SNAP and a fellow tap lover and I decided to check it out. They have 2 classes during the week - Fridays at 1230pm and Tuesdays at 715pm. Both aren't ideal with my work and carpool schedule, but I was able to make it to the class twice. We had 2 different instructors and both were great. There were a handful of other adults in the class who were clearly regulars, but very welcoming to use newbies. We warmed up and learned a routine (even broke out the jazz hands). While I can't quite move my feet like i used to, I did my best to keep up. To be honest the hard part was remembering all the steps. My memory isn't quite what it used to be! They do always do the same routine 2 weeks in a row so if you can swing 2 weeks in a row you should have no issues nailing a routine. Drop in classes are only $18 possibly making this the most affordable workout in the north shore. And based on my Apple health app I certainly got my steps in that day. I keep meaning to go back and even bought brand new tap shoes. The scheduling times are tough, especially during the school year, but I hope to make it back soon!

My daughter has danced at SNAP since she was 2 years old. At 9, she still calls it her "happy…read moreplace." They create a great community for the children. The teachers are wonderful, and Mr Mike at the front desk is beyond delightful!

Our daughter has been attending Skunkworks for several years now. Jana and her amazing team of…read moreinstructors run the this class act. Skunkworks has been a saving grace to our daughter. We have tried other dance schools but Skunkworks is in a league of its own. Our daughter became so invested with classes and all of the camaraderie and positivity that Skunkworks exudes. They not only teach dance techniques but also mentor the students to be become better people. The dance performances by the students has been nothing but amazing. The shows are so well choreographed and performed that my chin dropped the first time I watched. We never knew our daughter even had this talent prior to coming to the school. Her self-confidence has grown stronger since being part of the Skunkworks. We owe it all to Skunkworks for their wonderful influence. We highly recommend Skunkworks!

My daughter, Cecilia (Ceci), has been dancing with Jana for many years. Jana and her staff are…read moreamazing. My daughter has excelled in not only dance, but her confidence and self esteem is at a level most parents don't get to see in this day and age. Jana has not only taught Ceci how to be an amazing dancer (in many disciplines), she has walked/talked her through challenges and skill building that is far beyond anything I've ever seen any studio/company achieve So thrilled for Jana and her company!! Even more thrilled for my daughter! Cheers to you Jana!! Any child would be lucky to join your amazing group of dancers!!

I am very impressed with my daughter's ballet class with Mrs. Lehman. Mrs. Lehman is a classic,…read moregraceful, elegant dancer. She sets high expectations for her dancers (even the tiny ones), which I love. This isn't like the class my daughter took elsewhere where they ran around, dressed up and pretend to princess-fairy-ballerinas. This is real ballet - learning poise, grace and the proper French terms. Mrs. Lehman is so loving with the girls, my daughter adored her right away. The prices are very reasonable. I love how much she is learning and that she is having a great time doing it.

From the owner: The role of the arts in our lives is a MOST important one…read more All things come and go: governments, fashions, all living things; but ideas and their expression remain. Performing Art is special because it is living and active expression. We learn by practice and, in the arts, we practice and grow, we can achieve a sense of our being and have the ability to express our spirit/soul. We each develop differently. We like to see our students as individual flowers: each beautiful, but "blossoming" in his/her own time. In our current society, our imaginations are often not used as they once were, and, sometimes, an individual and his/her achievements can get ""lost"". That is only one of the many reasons it's so very important to give this opportunity to your children, as well as to yourself. For proper development of mind and body there is nothing better for anyone than dance. It teaches so many skills that, literally, volumes have been written about it. It improves all mind/body functions, builds confidence and self-esteem, all the while teaching the disciplines we need all through life. Other than love, there is no greater gift you can give to your children than to allow DANCE, MUSIC, and THEATRE to become integral parts of their lives. Thank you for giving them that opportunity to grow so specially with us.

**Update: JEN!! Totally different place with Jen at the helm. Better music, better pace n power,…read moregreat chatter! No wonder Jen's classes are sold out! ** I've been to Spynergy twice now and plan to go back often in the future. I live in CA but visit the North Shore where I grew up often, and Spynergy will be part of my local exercise routine. This studio has a great sense of community around it. Many of the riders seem to know each other and there's always lots of happy friendly pre- and post-ride chatter. The instructors tell personal stories during the rides, and when I went just before Christmas they had a keg of beer outside on the sidewalk for everyone to enjoy on the way out. That was really fun and a total surprise! The bikes are nice: new, easily and intuitively adjustable and equipped with electronic read outs for pace and power. They pack 45-50 of them in a small air-conditioned room but it's not too crowded. The only less than awesome facet of Spynergy for me is the music. I know that's an instructor variable, and Jen is definitely better here. Yet the two times I've been it has been sprinkled with a good amount of old 1980s stuff and "white radio rock." Like you could definitely run into some Hall & Oates, Johnny Cougar, and Elton John. That can be okay once every dozen workouts I guess but when Cat Stevens is the beat you're trying to catch, you just turn up the tension and ride on your own, I guess. SoulCycle has playlist ownage over Spynergy!

During my search to find a new spinning studio in the North Shore (RIP Flywheel) I discovered…read moreSpynergy on Yelp. I went to sign up online for a 9:30am class with one of the owners, Jen, the very next day and discovered that even the waitlist was full. The sign of a great spinning class? I was determined to find out and so I booked a class with Jen a full week later and scored a bike (phew). I arrived 10 minutes early for class and lined up airport security style with a few dozen women outside the studio. Thank goodness it was a "warm" winter day (by Chicago standards) because no spinning class is worth standing in the cold for. The infamous Jen herself made her way thru the line to say hello to everyone. As soon as she saw me (not a typical member of her cult) she asked if I was new and welcomed me to Spynergy. Loved the warm welcome! There's nothing fancy about Spynergy (especially in comparison to flywheel & some other spinning studios), but doesn't make it any less of a good workout. Jen had amazing energy and after a few minutes on one of her bikes I understood the cult following. The music was good, but I would have loved some more current hits. Then again the ages in this class ranged from women in their 60s to New Trier students (why were they in school?) so she did a good job of choosing music that appeals to everyone. The minute I left Jen's class I booked it again for the following week (the schedule opens online one week in advance) so clearly I was a fan. I've also now tried Michelle's class, which was also a good workout. They have a large TV in front of the spinning studio where they show you which song they are playing. I'm surprised they don't use the TV to play the actual music videos, but perhaps they do in the other classes that I haven't had the pleasure of attending (yet). The walk in rate for a class here is $20, which is a bit steep for spinning, but if you buy a series of classes it averages out to almost just $13/class. Great deal based on the workouts I've experienced! I'm still bummed that Flywheel didn't cut it in Highland Park, but do think I"m going to be a very happy spinner at Spynergy.

I stayed for both Cumbia and Salsa clases and it went very well! Will continue to go!read more

I have been attending classes with Candace for a couple years. It is obvious she is a retired a…read moreteacher because she does such a great job of explaining and correcting. There is lots of practice and repetition so that eventually muscle memory kicks in. The people who come to the school are super nice and we have a great rapport. Also, it is hard to find places that teach Cumbia and she does such a great job. Highly recommend!

Whoa, they are a non-profit organization! Good for them. I was relieved and delighted to see that…read morethey survived the pandemic. Small-town, old-school theaters like this are vanishingly rare, and this one adds a lot of value to the community. My wife and I have caught a few films here more recently, and a standup comedy show many years ago. It seems like their main shows are limited-release indie or foreign films (bless them for that). However, they also advertise a Flashback Friday feature (5pm every week) for a major discount: last month it was The Goonies for $5 and School of Rock for $2. Wow! Besides films, they continue to offer music concerts and stand-up comedy. They are also hosting a Shark Tank style event for the local high school's young entrepreneurs group; very cool. Other reviewers mentioned that this joint is run down?? I didn't see it. The theater is very comfortable and the entire facility is spotlessly clean. I'm not sure of the ticket prices, but I paid $27 for two Saturday matinees and a 16-ounce adult beverage. Yes, they have a popcorn machine and candy, plus local craft beer.

Great theater in the heart of downtown Wilmette. They have a wide variety of movies in the main…read moretheater and a range of live music, comedy and other events in the secondary theater. All your standard movie treats are available along with alcoholic drinks. The staff of super friendly and the seats in the main theater have been renovated recently and they are extremely comfortable. Next time you're in Wilmette, make a day out of it with dinner and a show!

I discovered Stages a few years ago (pre COVID) and my child fell in love with the Preschool Prep…read moreclasses almost immediately. Over the 5 years since we have done numerous camps, day off school sessions, and the spring musicals BUT recently I got to fall back in love with Stages when I attended a Broadway Baby class with a friends toddler. It was so fun, so relaxed and the kids (and me!) had a blast. We went thru an abbreviated telling of a musical (Lion King, but each week is something new) with stories, movement, songs, instruments and BUBBLES! I wish this existed when my kids were this age. Definitely recommend trying a class!

I've been following Emily & her incredibly talented team on social for awhile now and in awe of all…read moreher themed broadway musical classes. When it was time to plan my son's 4 year old bday bash I reached out to see if we could something work for his chosen theme: superheroes! It turned out they did have an interactive performance party with superheroes and so we booked it right away! All I needed was to find an empty room to host it and I booked the JCC for just that. Emily was super responsive throughout the party planning process and followed up closer to the party for a final count so she knew how many performers to line up. We ended up having 2 performers (Batman and Wonder Woman) for 25ish kids, which was perfect. I've hired many characters for many parties and these two were by far the most talented. Batman (Colin) and Wonder Woman (blanking on her name, which is too bad since she was incredible) had the kids totally engaged, which is not easy when it comes to a large group of 3 and 4 year olds. They had them dancing, singing, jumping and even gave them each a chance to pose for a pic with them. They also weren't completely masked like many other characters so the kids didn't find them scary. Superheroes is just one of the many themed parties Stages offers. Others I"ve considered in the past were a lion king party (perfect for toddlers/pre-schoolers). They even offer a pop star party where performers come and pretend to be the team behind a specific pop star (Taylor Swift, Jojo Siwa, etc) - and teach the kids how to become the next pop star. So fun! I highly recommend using Stages for an upcoming party and I hope to sign up my kiddos for one of their classes one day.

Greeley School is great. I have a lot of great childhood memories from Greeley. From square…read moredancing to the pumpkin sales to the end of the year picnics, I loved it all and I know I got a great education from a great staff. I know Greeley looks somewhat different now due to construction done to the building over the years.

We have used three musicians from the Maxwell Street Klezmer Band for many years at our…read moreorganization's annual reception. They are simply wonderful. A number of our guests have commented on how simply great they were. We look forward to having them again at next year's event!

We had a fantastic concert at our library with the Maxwell Street Klezmer Quintet! We received so…read moremany wonderful comments from our patrons. They attract a large crowd and filled our meeting room.