We watched The Nutcracker performed by the California Ballet School at the Poway Center for the…read morePerforming Arts. This is the first ORIGINAL San Diego production Nutcracker by Maxine Mahon. I don't remember going to other productions where I laughed and felt warm with Christmas spirit. The show was nicely choreographed. The sled was beautifully made for the first show in the 60s and still in today's production. The costumes were so detailed and fabulous. The dancers were a fix from the school's students and professionals. Very nicely done with a short 2-3months of practice!!!

My child has been taking class on Saturday mornings with Ballet A since June…read more I have been fortunate to have had California Ballet School recommended to me by a few families who have been with them for years. My child enjoyed the trial classes which pushed me to sign her up for the rest of the quarter and another. The instructor at the time, who I believe was a sub, made it fun, engaging, and relatable to the kids, all while being able to teach ballet technique and etiquette. I just wanted to pose a concern that I have been observing for weeks before bringing this to light to the manager whom I don't know ever received my emailed concern as I received no reply or acknowledgement to say the least. The instructor of this particular class is a talented dancer and it is evident in the general material she teaches. She has the potential to be a very good instructor. However, I don't believe she is aware that her teaching approach and voice tone is at all appropriate for her class full of 4 year olds... You see, I teach 4 year olds too in my own respective field, and in a class of multiple 4 year olds, I understand where it can be challenging to teach. A variety of attention spans, personalities, and abilities fill this class... They wiggle. They talk. They get silly, and it sometimes gets in the way of what needs to be done within the short hour. I get it. This age is tough to teach. But in the same respect, they are still only 4 years old. And it's not enough to yell at them when they are talking to their peers during transitions. IE "There's no talking in ballet!!!" as they move from the bar to doing across the floors or "I shouldn't have to wait this long for you guys to be ready!!!" "QUIET VOICES!!!" when they aren't waiting in first position. Or when she is explaining a combo that needs correction, she says "Let's play number 1 or number 2", but what does that mean to a 4 year old? And how will this type of sarcasm truly help them improve on pointing their toes and keeping their legs straight? Especially when they aren't being taught the very basic foundations of ballet... like simple body and spatial awareness. They are only really starting to grasp what learning is, and when the material isn't engaging enough they'll lose interest and start doing everything else but what the teacher wants them to do... which starts to happen by the middle of class. While I understand the seriousness of dance etiquette and learning dance technique, as a former dancer myself, dance will continue and come natural with many of these kids, if it is made relatable and fun. Many of these families, like ours, are here because they want to learn! And there are more approaches to teaching this age other than what has been displayed by the instructor these past few weeks. My intent is not to shame or complain or anything but rather to shed light on what I've observed thus far. However the instructor is just too young and inexperienced in teaching young children and I hope this feedback finds her somehow to be able improve her techniques towards something more appropriate to 4 year olds.

Bravo to the wonderful City Ballet and City Ballet Orchestra for a fantastic Nutcracker performance…read moreat the Spreckles Theater. While many culture snobs dismiss The Nutcracker as a lackluster showcase for the kids of a ballet troupe, City Ballet turned out a magnificently flawless version. The live orchestra complimented the dancing perfectly and I was amazed at the superb acoustics. Even from my seat-perched on high-I could denote every note played clear as a bell. I have also never heard a harp played so much in a symphonic treatment. The Nutcracker is performed all over the world every year at Christmas, by ballet companies large and small. For many people The Nutcracker is their very first introduction to ballet. And for many, it may also be their first introduction to a symphony orchestra. I love that all the little kids can participate on stage and begin the stirrings of a love for performance and art. It is adorable-year in and year out- to see Mother Gigogne come out in the 2nd act with that big skirt with all the little clowns that come running out from underneath. The Nutcracker-rather than just a dreary annual money-maker for most ballet troupes, to me, is so inspiring and endearing. I took my own kids every Christmas-just as my parents took me and my brothers. The Nutcracker is a cherished family tradition and City Ballet did it great justice. The Arabian, Chinese, and Russian dances were performed energetically and the Dance of the Snowflakes-amidst the floating snow petals closed out the first act on a beautifully fleeting note. The 2nd half had the lilting Sugar Plum Fairy and the other-worldly sound of the celeste. That instrument sounds so sweet-almost like music from heaven. I sat transfixed in my seat by such utter beauty and came away from The City Ballet's Nutcracker with a new appreciation for the culture and ballet artistry found here in our city.

This review is for their Nutcracker event rather than the school…read more I had a terrible experience last Sunday at the Spreckles Theatre. As I tried purchasing tickets for my family for the Nutcracker, I was told to speak to Joanne their director to see if my children would be allowed in. From the moment I approached her, she treated me with so little class and was so rude to me. I have a 3 year old who has been insisting to go to the Nutcracker with such enthusiasm for weeks. I understand children not being allowed to plays, but it's the Nutcracker for god's sake! And if they are not allowed still, she could've been a lot nicer about it. Joanne said allowing children was not fair for people who paid $80 for a ticket. Ok, so I guess it is fair for the ones who just paid $30? Not. She also told me to get a babysitter and come watch the play without my kids to enjoy it best. That is none of her business. The point was that I wanted to bring my 3 year old to it. As we were approaching the door, my wife asks another staff member to kindly take a picture of us by their giant Nutcracker and got denied! The lady said she was busy arranging tickets and after that he would take the photo. Too bad this review wasn't about the performance as I was not allowed in and had to explain to my son that he was too little for a family show... right? That Joanne lady should be taught some manners and be told to smile a little more.

Juanita Franco, the owner, is a jewel and one of San Diego's flamenco greats. This academy is full…read moreof love and history. A truly special place for Spanish dance.

I can't recommend this dance school…read more I brought my wife here for her birthday too see if she would have liked to take up flamenco classes. She certainly liked the dance style but we decided against taking classes at this school. Simply put the owner and staff were inflexible, aloof, and overly revenue driven. As we live over an hour away, we were limited to only being able to drive down every 2 weeks. Initially, one of the instructors capitulated but after the owner was asked she refused with the argument that "4 times a month minimum" and "others drive further for their lessons so you should too". We found this argument not only haughty and short sighted but disrespectful of our personal availability and circumstances. Then when realizing that we wouldn't be signing up, she demanded payment for the try out class in cash. I only had credit cards on hand. She asked that I go across the street to withdraw the amount from an ATM and pay the $4 service fee. How embarrassing (for her). I told her that I'd send a cheque and we left. (This, btw, was after the instructor who I previously spoke to on the phone, intimated that the would be no cost for my wife to try out a class on her birthday). Very unfortunate experience and rather telling. I sent the owner an e-check the next day for the amount she wanted. Suffice to say, we shan't be returning to this sad, winding-down little school trying to sustain their existence through the owner's supposed standing in certain flamenco circles.

10 out of 10 would recommend a friend training department has excellent staff super professional…read morelove the camaraderie. What do it again in a heartbeat! Thank you guys for everything

The group meets on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday at 8:00 a.m. in the beautiful club house at Lincoln…read moreMilitary Housing located in the Tierra Santa area. Plenty of free parking. The club is open to anyone, meaning you do not have to be an IREM (Institute of Real Estate Managers) member or affiliated with the real estate industry in any way. I've toured several Toastmaster clubs and this one is super friendly, welcoming and supportive.

Watching A Midsummer Night's Dream & Four Seasons was a wonderful reminder of what makes Golden…read moreState Ballet Academy so special. In addition to being blown away by Four Seasons, seeing students share the stage with professional dancers in MND added an extra sense of magic to an already beautiful production. As a parent of two academy dancers entering our third year, I was proud to see the confidence, discipline, and joy displayed by students throughout the performance. Bravo to the students, faculty, and company on a memorable performance.

Both of my daughters along with several of their friends danced in The Nutcracker last year and it…read morewas truly an amazing experience for them and all of us moms! The production was beautiful, the costumes were stunning, and the instructors created such a supportive and inspiring environment. It was not just about learning choreography; the girls built confidence, discipline, and friendships that will last far beyond the stage. My older daughter loved it so much that she went on to take their Summer Intensive classes for all four weeks and she absolutely thrived. She came out a stronger, more poised dancer with an even deeper love for ballet, putting her other activities to the side. We have now enrolled in the academy, and she could not wait to get there yesterday getting dressed three hours early. We are so grateful for the dedication and passion the GSBA team pours into every detail. Highly recommend!

Today I watched Heali'is rehearsal in the park at North Clairemont Recreation Center. Invigorating…read moredance troupe!

Family friendly environment to learn the dances of Polynesia All ages are welcome We are having…read moreopen enrollment September 27th and October 4th

This is an excellent choice for anyone seeking a PMP certification. joe Dramassi is a great…read moreinstructor, very knowledgeable, and cares about the subject matter, and it shows during his teaching of the course. He gave excellent tips for passing the course and it set me up for success, and I was able to pass the exam on the first attempt, with "above target" in all 3 of the test knowledge areas. Joe is a great instructor and the course is worthwhile. After course completion, I recommend everyone utilize PMA's online practice tests and do as many as they can before they take the actual exam. The questions are hard but don't get discouraged. Take the practice tests and review any areas of weakness. My only recommendation is for PMA to find a way to go through more practice questions during the 4-day course. We went through questions but going through the questions with the instructor to understand why you got a question wrong is invaluable.

I attended a virtual PMP Bootcamp course in November 2021 with John Dokos and was able to pass my…read morePMP in Feb. 2022 with an above target on all segments. With John's guidance and his use of real-world experiences, I was able to take away what I needed to study and ultimately pass my exam. The info he provided was way better than studying on my own and reading from the PIMBOK book. At the end of the BootCamp, he provides us with what you need to review afterward to pass, which made planning much easier. If you are working towards your PMP, I highly recommend this course with Project Management Academy, you won't regret it!