My two daughters went to Livermore ballet school via LARPD. This place is okay but few things can definitely be improved. 1. The program is overall okay but my daughters got super bored after doing same dance for 3 sessions. Something could be done to make it more interesting for the kids. Instructors are not so kid friendly I guess. 2. During performance the positioning of the kids were in a manner that many of them were hidden at the back including mine. What is the point of performance when we can't see the kids on stage? A lot of money, efforts and time is invested here but if we need to search for our kids on stage then I would say it definitely needs some improvement in positioning. It would have been better if the entire big stage was used fully. A lot of space was left on the stage. 3. I most of the time felt rushed when asked about anything but observed instructor to be super nice and paying extra attention to other parents. I don't know why this bias. 4. After the performance, organizer asked the parents if they wish to take pictures with their teachers/family pictures. I went on stage to take pics with the instructor as per the my kid's wish, where I was again rushed by the instructor stating OTHER KIDS ARE WAITING FOR PIC DO IT FAST. She asked us to be in line when there was no line at all. If she rushes with everyone then it is sort of acceptable (giving it a benefit of doubt that this behavior is with everyone) but here also I saw her again rushed with me and my kids only. I initially didn't want to put this review but later felt that if the business takes it as a constructive feedback that it would be awesome. Only suggestion: If this place tries not to be biased against some parents (kids) based on the prejudices if any then this is definitely a good ballet learning place to look forward for. Also they need to work on the kids performance more than showcasing their own talent on stage. They should be using some other platform for that matter and totally focus on kids whose parents are putting lot of efforts, time and money in their performance. Although, Instructors are talented and hardworking. read more

We have been with Livermore Ballet for the last year and absolutely love it! My daughter performed in Swan Lake in June and was so excited to come back for the Nutcracker. I love that this ballet studio lets the younger students participate in their elaborate ballet shows! The costumes and backdrop are always impressive as well. If you are looking for ballet classes for your young children, I would definitely look into Livermore Ballet School read more

Livermore Ballet School - Dance Schools Near Me - Livermore, California

We were absolutely blown away by the Nutcracker this year! All of the dances were great, especially the older dancers, who were very impressive. My daughter is very excited to do the next show this May. She loves her teacher and we will continue to participate in ballet classes read more

Livermore Ballet School - Dance Schools Near Me - Livermore, California

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Edit: just wanted to add in after April's unhinged response. I typed out a whole thing responding to what she said but then decided not to post it. This defensive response is so telling and so was the attempt to paint me as an "angry mom" and attack my parenting to discredit my concerns instead of reflecting. Personally not something I want when choosing a ballet school. I'll just keep it as this: every single thing I mentioned was a concern shared by multiple parents. And that I did not yell or "rage quit". My conversation and leaving were previously discussed with my daughter, who wanted to leave. And I would have talked to April after the rehearsal but it was already well past the scheduled end time and there was no communication regarding when that would be. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TLDR; Try another ballet school for your small child. Signed my 4 year old up for the fairytale class (youngest group), and paid the $85 extra for her to participate in the nutcracker performance. - Teacher was unfriendly. The instructor (owner's daughter) didn't properly introduce herself to the kids or parents. After 3 months, we have no idea what her name is. She also is a very serious person, and there were few smiles, humor, or really any kind of joy in class. Not a good fit for 3-4 year olds. My daughter liked ballet but did not enjoy class. - Teaching was incredibly lazy. The 45 min class started late and ended early every single week. Additionally, the last ~5 minutes of class consisted of the kids "free dancing" around to Frozen music. With all this, plus the several minute water breaks, it was less than 30 minutes of ballet per week. - The class went over a few moves every class, but never learned any type of routine for the "big show". There was very little effort put into teaching these children. Now for the actual show: - The littles were on stage for a total of 1 minute + the bow at the end. They had no ballet routine, and just stood up there copying some arm/head moves from the owner back stage. On top of that, they were positioned in 2 rows. So I could not see my child at all because she happed to be in the second row. - When I asked the owner about this, she said "there was tape on the stage, it's not my fault they weren't standing on the tape". Then why weren't they in a single row so everyone could be seen? Makes no sense. - When the owner was asked why they were on there for so little time, we were told this is all this age group can handle. Other ballet schools in Livermore have 3 year olds participate in the Bankhead Nutcracker with full routines, so this just comes back to lazy teaching and lack of effort put into the younger classes. - They were largely unsupervised in the LHS hallway for the rest of the time back there aside from a couple parent volunteers. The parents don't really know each other, so when a child was crying so hard that she ended up puking, the parent was not informed. - You may wonder where their teacher was during this time. Well, she was starring the show. The show was just a showcase of the owner's adult daughter and her advanced class. They had many elaborate costume changes, and were onstage about 80% of the performance. Every single audience member was there to see their child. Unfortunately, unless your child was in the advanced adult class, you didn't see much of them. - The $85 rental costume was a single leotard + skirt combo. But someone had to subsidize the advance class' many costume changes. If you're considering ballet classes for your preschool or elementary school child, skip this one. Try Valley Dance Theater instead. It's about the same price for lessons, and they actually seem to invest and put effort into their younger classes. read more

My daughter was enrolled in a dance class for 3-5 year-olds, through LARPD in the fall of 2024. Her teacher was listed as April Wagner, but April's daughter, Laura Myers, taught the class. Laura never introduced herself to the parents and did not welcome any interaction. The classes would begin 5 minutes late, and end 5 minutes early, and the last portion of the class was free dance, waving scarves to a Frozen soundtrack. My daughter loves ballet, and we were locked into the December performance of The Nutcracker (signed up for 3 sessions at once in order to guarantee a spot in the performance), which she was very excited about, so we continued with the class. There was one rehearsal for The Nutcracker, on the same day as the performance, at Livermore High. The fee of $85 included a costume which needed to be returned, and tickets for the family. My daughter performed near the beginning of the show, and had to remain in a cold hallway without me (parents were asked to leave), and with a large group of children with minimal supervision, for the entire rehearsal and performance. By the end of the rehearsal, my daughter was sobbing (and I did not know this until I came to meet her). This was very distressful for me and for other parents whose kids were similarly affected. The performance itself was about a minute long, and the children did not seem to be in sync or know the moves. I'm not sure what to expect for that age group though. What I did find impressive was that the children did overcome any stage fright and went up on stage. The performance showcased Laura Myers and April Wagner's other daughter. Laura danced a solo to Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy which was very well done, but I wish I would have seen more of the students in the studio in lead roles. read more

It's the best place to learn Ballet in the TriValley area! 1/ You love ballet and just ballet 2/ you want an age appropriate teaching for your student 3/ you love creativity with choreography and costumes 4/ you still want to have a family life after ballet read more

My daughter has been taking ballet at the Livermore Ballet School for the past two years. I chose the school because the instructor is a classically trained ballerina and she teaches the terminology and correct position to even her youngest dancers. She has the ability to get 12 -15 young girls to all do what she asks from stretching, to barre work, to working on their routines for the recitals. I am a middle school teacher and some of my students also dance with the Livermore Ballet School; some have been students for YEARS. The recitals are beautiful, even if things backstage are a bit confusing (hence 4 stars instead of 5). Miss April does expect a lot from her dancers and her parents. What she gives in return is remarkable. read more

My daughter was signed up for a 3-4 yr old ballet class and I asked her twin brother if he would like to join as well. He was excited and obviously wanted to join his sister and their little BFF. The ballet school (run through the city) advertised a free class before you commit for an entire session. And knowing that my little boy can be quite shy, I didn't want to pressure him or commit him to a full term. I called the school twice and left a message about allowing him to try a class but never heard back since the teacher was out for a surgery. Thinking nothing of it (and because it's a damn class for 3 year olds, what could they be possibly doing that would prevent one more kid from joining?), we showed up to the class. The substitute spoke to me briefly and when hearing that T wanted to participate, said to me, "And you know this is a very frilly, princessy class? They do ballet in here." Um, yes, he understands this is ballet. She continued on by saying that she was not entirely comfortable teaching a little boy and that the class was likely full. My son was very upset at the time, and although it's my fault for not just registering him, I really didn't think someone could just turn a 3 year old away like that. The class wasn't full that day--the 12th girl never showed up. This class is run through the city and if my son had been registered and turned away, this would have turned into a discrimination issue with the city. I'll be taking my business elsewhere. P.S. There's also weird communication practices with the teachers here. There's always forms left on the table when you enter the room, and my kid was sent out once with a question scribbled on it. Not sure why she couldn't bother to leave the room to ask me a quick question. read more

My children's experience with the ballet instructor (April) has been very negative. She is extremely unprofessional, rude and unpleasant. Please take your business somewhere else where there is a positive atmosphere. I truly do not know why there are high ratings for this instructor. read more

One of the worst ballet school in the area, I would not recommend this place for anyone. My daughter went to this school because it is cheaper $ than other places, unresponsive teacher who does not respond to any email and they have no other communication other than email and they don't respond to their only means of communication, classes are also taught without any dedication. Very unorganized recitals. I would recommend spending extra $$$ and go else where... read more

Take your business elsewhere! April is very unprofessional and rude to her students. She misses classes frequently and has students (under the age of 18) substitute teach for her. I know I don't want my child being "taught" ballet by another child! She also yells at the students when they don't understand the steps instead of trying to go over them and help them understand so they can grow as dancers. There are many other studios in Livermore with instructors who are dedicated to their profession, don't miss classes, and actually make their students feel good about themselves. April is not one of them. I recommend Tiffany's or Livermore School of Dance. read more

Ms. April is a very professional and qualified ballet instructor. She is also especially great with young children. My four year old son took class with her for a few months. He is extremely shy and didn't even want to enter the studio at first. Ms. April was very sweet with him and patiently tried to coax him to join the rest of the class. He really wanted to dance- he was just too shy. After a few weeks of Ms. April's encouragement, he was having a great time with the rest of the kids in the class. I have also taken her adult class in the past, and really enjoyed it. She was able to work with many different ages and abilities at the same time. The class wasn't boring or too challenging, just a great mix of fun exercise using ballet technique. Many of the other adults in the class were also disappointed to see the class end. I have danced in many studios over the course of 26 years, and I would highly recommend Livermore Ballet School to anyone! read more

Some of these reviews baffle me! We have been going to Livermore Ballet School since both my daughters were 3! One is now 11 and one is 8. I had brought them to 3 different studios before this one and was not happy until we found April! She is so caring and so great with the kids. And the shows are always amazing. We have been to the Bankhead Nutcracker 3 years and every year we all agree Livermore Ballet School Nutcracker is better! I have never had a problem contacting April and we always receive information way ahead of time in handouts and email chain. My daughter is super excited to go up on pointe this year and we are so glad we found our forever dance home with Livermore Ballet School! read more

my daughter has been taking ballet here for almost 4 years now. I can not be happier with Mrs. April and her ballet school. I have a very quiet and shy daughter who wouldn't even go in the room when we were at tiffany dance. Mrs April won her over and got her dancing her first day. Mrs April is super fantastic with all her students all the girls adore her. i am amazed at what she accomplishes with even the youngest of dancers. She know all the names of her students by their first day. Her ballet performances are amazing and beautiful. Mrs April is a talented and amazing dance instructer that i have ever known and i am forever grateful for the ballet experience my daughter has recieed at the livermore ballet school. We really love both April and her awsome ballet school!! thanks april and livermore ballet scool!! read more

My daughter has taken classes at Livermore Ballet School for three years. Ms. April is very patient with the little ones, and the performances are low key. Ms. April teaches proper technique and the ability to listen for cues in the music and to count music, and the kids really have fun in class. I especially like that this school is not a costume purchasing racket like some dance schools. Let's face it, most of our kids are not going to be prima ballerinas, and they should not be pressured as if they were. Livermore Ballet School teaches dance in a fun and inclusive environment. read more

I just started taking my daughter here about a year ago. She has a speech impediment and struggles and April has been amazing with her. I think it helps when a teacher has kids of her own and knows how to really handle a bunch of 4 year olds. I am amazed how well she can get 15 4 year olds to listen to her and follow her. My daughter comes home and knows all of her barre steps and loves practicing. She says she wants to be a ballet teacher when she grows up, its so cute! We love it here and am so excited to see my daughter mature into a great dancer in the future here! read more