I came to Waterfront at a time when I was searching for an acting program that could crack my…read morepassion and creativity wide open; while simultaneously holding my vulnerabilities, building my confidence, and providing me with a tried and true approach to acting. I was looking for a wild and raw truthfulness, a deep commitment to crafting, and a dedication to art as a multi-faceted thread within the fabric of culture and society. I was ready to come alive! I audited a number of classes throughout the Bay Area, and as soon as I walked into the Waterfront and met Rachael Adler I knew it was the place for me. Her charisma, presence, passion, and truthfulness is infectious! I joined Waterfront's year-long intensive conservatory program to learn the Sanford Meisner approach to acting. Rachael was a student of Meisner's at the New York Playhouse. I don't think there is a way to draw a picture of what one can expect to experience throughout this year-long intensive because it impacts everyone in such different and profound ways. The medicinal qualities of this program actually surprised me - and I'm so thankful for it. Not only did I grow as an actor, but I grew as an artist, a human being, and an individual. The Waterfront's professional program teaches the Meisner approach and leads actors through a physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual transformation. Rachael has this uncanny ability to excavate an actor's instrument, teaching an actor how-to: be present in their body, listen, act truthfully, pick-up impulses, land intentions, maintain points of view, tapping into real emotions on demand, and so so much more. Essentially, Rachael pulls actors into the fast-paced and high energy sport of acting - teaching students how to sustain their endurance and energy - while discovering how to interpret it all and create their own blueprint. Waterfront also offers amazing adjunct classes throughout the year with incredible teachers, including - Linklater Voice, Alexander Movement, YAT Method, Shakespeare, and more. With so much access and support, every student walks out of the program with a new understanding of their own instrument and a built-in network of master teachers. I cannot say enough about the Waterfront, I truly feel like I have another home; and in Rachael, I've found a lifelong teacher, mentor, colleague, and friend. No doubt in my mind, the Waterfront Playhouse & Conservatory offers a leading program in the Bay Area for professional actors wanting to learn the Meisner approach. If you are serious about acting and are ready to make a deep commitment to developing your craft, Waterfront is the place to be!

Bay Area theatre's best-kept secret! These are easily the best acting classes around. There's no…read morepomp or bluster here, just good, practical tools that can really unlock your craft. The fact that the training is primarily geared towards theatre, not film and television is also a major asset. Better yet, the Meisner classes are balanced out with additional workshops designed to engage your entire instrument. Throughout the different levels, there is ongoing work in Linklater Voice, Movement, Feldenkrais and screen technique. I cannot recommend Graham Smith's movement class highly enough. In Rachael's classes, there is a level of work being done that I very rarely see onstage in the area. However, you really need to know what it is you're signing up for before you commit to this program, and evaluate if this is what you want as an artist at this time. This is way more than just an "acting class" where you brush up on your monologues and scenes...... it's a highly intense immersion into the labyrinths of emotional work. Every day in class is a journey with its own ups and downs. There are going to be times where it feels like your very soul is being pulled this way and that, and not everyone is psychologically at a place where they can process that kind of experience and implement it in their acting work in a positive, productive way. A number of people, mostly men, left because they just weren't prepared for that level of depth. You will never make it through these classes without self-discipline and a true thirst for the craft. The program is also a major time commitment. Though the training is technically only part-time, in order to be well prepared for class you must spend many hours during the week rehearsing with members of the group and finding strong activities/fantasies............... something that is daunting and stressful initially but becomes easier as you move along through the training. Rachael is a superb instructor. She is easily the most discerning acting teacher I have ever studied with.......... her intuition and ability to tweak the technique for the individual needs of each student is impressive. She's highly demanding, but nurturing, kind, compassionate and most importantly, human. And she doesn't act like a guru. We've all heard horror stories about abusive, irresponsible Meisner/method acting teachers who lord over their students, turn the classroom into a cult and bring about reactions through manipulation. But Rachael couldn't be further than that. She understands this technique thoroughly and wants you to get there in the most honest way possible, without shortcuts. Once you've explored a particular emotion enough, she emphasizes the importance of coming back to yourself and moving ahead to the next challenge. The school has only been in place since 2011 (though Rachael has taught for over 20 years) but if you are serious in your ambitions to act, it's a great place to be.

Our 14 year old daughter has participated in Piedmont East Bay Children's Choir (PEBCC) for 8 years…read moreand it has enriched her life enormously and she has relished every moment. It offers an amazingly diverse and inclusive community, the ability to build life long friendships, and formal music and singing instruction. The choir singers all perform in front of the community a few times a year and the older singers also tour and compete internationally. And many of the singers perform with such visible joy and smiles. The artistic directors (just two in its 45 year history) are lovely, very talented and technically skilled and proficient. The successor artistic director, Eric Tuan, attended PEBCC and is also a composer , including a piece called Nagasaki, about his Japanese grandmother's account of her surviving the nuclear bombing which the choir will perform during their Japan next summer. Just a remarkable organization which also performs a touching graduation ceremony for the departing seniors every year and who typically average 10+ years of attendance.

PEBCC is one of the most important things in my life. PEBCC has amazing directors and staff that…read morenot only care about you as a musician but as a person. The level of musicianship here is insane, but the community is even better. This chior is not only a Chior, but a family. Also the swag is pretty cool

Carissa was an amazing performer we got to experience with incredible talent She performed at our…read moresenior retirement home and was wise beyond her years conversing with our residents and giving them an inside look at being young again and having dreams. We are having her back in August!!!!!!

I work as an activity director and at an assisted living and memory care. Clarissa came to perform…read moretwice for our community. She arrived early to set up and was very professional. I highly recommend Clarissa for any fun bookings, as she is a very skilled and adaptable acrobat.

We love love loved Thursday night's performance at Walnut Creek's Lesher Center, celebrating the…read more21st anniversary of the Diablo Ballet. A former ballerina introduced the ballet's manager/creator, as well as a woman who read a note from Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla, and a couple other people responsible for making the ballet happen. It was a lot of introductions working up to asking for donations. This is a community-sponsored ballet so they really depend on the generosity of donors. The talented dancers are deserving of every dollar they bring in - their show is really breath-taking. Including the introductions and then a beautiful song performed by a group of children accompanied by a short clip showing the work Diablo Ballet does for local children, and the ballet's few acts - we were there for only an hour and a half. I understand the importance of showing their efforts in the community, and really enjoyed seeing the children live and in photos, but the ballet with really much shorter than we expected. We enjoyed it so much that we could have watched twice as many acts. "Experience the power of dance."!! They live up to their motto. You WILL experience the power of dance, and it's quite powerful and hum bling. The music was beautiful! Some pieces were performed live on stage next to the dancers. The flexibility and strength and artistry in each of the dancers was truly stunning. And the combination of dancers and dancing was unique to each performance. We had such a wonderful time - if you get the opportunity I would highly recommend buying tickets to a Diablo Ballet production and supporting this local art presence in our community. The team is just so incredibly talented!

Diablo Ballet of Walnut Creek is just amazing. I attend their recent "Inside the Dancer's Studio"…read moreperformance and was blown away by the talent and artistry in this company. A friend of mine told me about this when they went last year and I wanted to make sure I saw it this year. For $36, you get up close to the dancers, five ballet and contemporary dance pieces, plus free wine and cheese after the performance. Such a wonderful experience. I was amazed by the agility and nuances of the dancers. It was such a treat to have a Q &A portion after the performance where I got to learn about the dancers and their background. They also use live music..did you hear that? After going to performances of Smuin Ballet and Company C at the Lesher that were stodgy and languid, Diablo Ballet obviously gets it. And they got me.

Eleonora is wonderful! She did our wedding and it added that extra oomph to the event…read more Highly recommend! :)

My husband and I had the privilege of having Eleonora play for our wedding ceremony! Eleonora is…read moreextremely talented, friendly, professional, and helpful! Eleonora made the entire process very easy and stress free. She provided us with a large variety of songs for us to choose from and add to our wedding playlist. Eleonora played so beautifully and elegantly during our wedding, we received multiple compliments about her! I highly recommend booking Eleonora to play at your wedding! She is wonderful!!

I could not recommend Desiree enough to couples who want to choreograph a first dance for their…read morewedding. In fact, I've already sent 2 couples her way! Desiree was recommended to us by friends who got married a few years ago. We were hesitant to book dance classes with her just because of the drive. We live in the peninsula and she's based in the East Bay. We are SO glad that we decided to book with Desiree. She is worth the 40 minute drive across the bridge! She helped two very amateur dancers perfect their first dance. From the first time meeting her, she's always been patient, open to feedback and friendly. She is great with breaking down hard moves into digestible pieces. She listened to us when we told her we weren't feeling a move and replaced it with something that felt more natural to us. Our wedding guests were wow'ed by the first dance. We felt so comfortable and had so much fun dancing!

It was my pleasure working with you Desiree, thank you is not enough for the hard work you give on…read moremy daughter's dance number on her 18th birthday. The amazing performance of her court was all because of you. Also for the help you gave me preparing and organizing on her big day. Thank you so much. I really appreciate your hard work. Highly recommended.

Fabulous adult beginning ballet program. The teachers are excellent, providing rigorous instruction…read morewith a warm, joyful vibe. Fellow dancers have an inclusive, supportive community. Highly recommend everyone join the fun!

I've been taking adult ballet classes here for about a year now - would highly recommend for any…read moreadults looking to start their ballet journey! The atmosphere is supportive and welcoming - very friendly to complete beginners - and Denise are Joral are excellent instructors. As someone who didn't have any previous ballet training, the adult Introduction to Ballet series was great for building foundations, and the Beginning Ballet series is great for advancing those foundational skills. Repeating each series a few times has helped me to retain and apply what I've learned.

Just saw the recent matinee production of Iolanthe at the YBCA in SF. Wow what a performance! Still…read morehumming the songs hours later. The vocals were powerful, the orchestra flawless. Thoroughly enjoyable. Hard to believe those satirical lyrics about politics, class and power were written 140 years ago. Just as apt today. A magical performance indeed. We are lucky to have such talent in the Bay Area.

This is where they store all the gear. If you have never seen a warehouse of period costumes and…read moresets, you have not fully lived. The original troupe was funded by Bona Fide Aristocrats, and all the costumes were designed and built to a very discerning eye. Nowadays, the outfits are modified and repaired by a small, underpaid crew of free-lance thread-based fairies and gypsies. This brings magic and mystery to the used and re-used garments, props and sets...The strangest things have been revealed to me whilst opening a boned seam or 32 foot hemline. Occasionaly, they will sell off some of the goods to ward off bankruptcy, so if you collect clothes, get thyself onto their mailing list! http://www.lamplighters.org