Very much enjoyed their Nutcracker performances. Highly recommend checking this out. Classic…read moreballet, stunning talent and I cannot believe they are students and not professional dancers!

Today I was invited by a friend to attend one of the student-oriented morning (1 hour) performances…read moreof the Nutcracker at Meydenbauer Place by the International Ballet Theatre. I knew nothing whatsoever of this company, and had no expectations, although I have seen many productions of the Nutcracker in my life, incl. the New York City Ballet, the Cleveland Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and Ballet Met in Columbus. This company is a full school with a professional division. I didn't have the same expectations for professionalism as I would have for an all-professional ballet company, hence only 4 stars. However, all things considered, it really was a 5 star performance for what can be accomplished at this level. It is obvious that Vera Altunina, the director, whom I knew nothing about, is a woman of exquisite taste, experience, thoughtfulness, and intelligence. We are incredibly blessed here in Puget Sound in the fields of classical ballet as well as music. I was so impressed by the quality of dancing overall, the gorgeous scenery drops (not sure of my stage jargon here!), the stage craft, the mime quality, the costumes, and the lighting. Ms. Altunina is responsible for the choreography presented here, and I believe I recognized some familiar steps here and there showing she has adopted and adapted elements from the versions she danced in Russia so that everything suits her dancers. No one looked awkward or ungainly. I was immensely thrilled by the stage presence, acting, deportment, etc. of every dancer, whether the youngest of the performers or the older professionals. Everyone looked thoroughly prepared and experienced, so I'm guessing that Ms. Altunina is an extremely organized and skillful director. I was also extremely delighted by the two guest principal dancers, both from Kiev. Unfortunately, I didn't get a program, and so have no names to give you. Apparently, I was told later, that the principals are husband and wife. The Nutcracker prince impressed me with his long beautiful lines, elegant, graceful port de bras, and sublime effortless technique. His Sugar Plum Fairy was petite, elegant, and precise. Their harmony was wonderful, the dancing apparently effortless. I asked a few of the company dancers afterwards how they got those wonderful painted stage screens, and was told they had been painted in the Ukraine. This I could well believe, as they reminded me of some of the work of painting I have seen evident in book illustrations, etc. (The Ukraine, and also Russia, must have a factory that cranks out extremely talented artists, and perhaps we should be hiring their art teachers as well!) I also appreciated all the costumes, and was happy to see the snowflakes wearing kokoschnik-like headpieces with their pretty costumes. All of the performance appeared smooth and professional. I can't believe we can see this for a modest price in the much-maligned suburbs, without the hectic drive to the Seattle Center area. This is not to say you shouldn't go to see the PNB Nutcracker. I'd say go to both, as I myself will be later this month. One cannot have too much beauty and magic in their lives. We are already incredibly blessed to have Pacific Northwest Ballet here, and to discover that we have yet another ballet company is just extra whipping cream! Go take your kids, if possible, to one of the student performances. I sat next to a 3 year old boy, who appeared enraptured.

Small cozy local theatre. You'll get warm atmosphere and interesting performance…read more It is located at the same building as Russian language school.

We love to visit here and see what's next for this very capable staff and actors! Recently saw The…read moreMousetrap and we all loved it. Can't wait to see the next Pemberly episode, as we really enjoyed last year's take on Jane Austen's characters. It's so nice to have a local theater and see live performances right here! Bravo! Gerri and Dean Tyler

"Mousetrap" by Agatha Christie was full house and younger crowd, too…read more This was one of the best in this season and I cannot wait for the next one.

If you want your kid to be a professional dancer there's no question, this is the best studio out…read morethere. No other WA studio can compare. That said, if you're looking for a fun extracurricular for your kid, or even a more serious one, but still one you don't expect them to make a career out of, I'd advise staying away. I attended for ~7yrs and suffer nightmares years later. It's a cutthroat environment. There are some good instructors (ex. Ms. Hiromi), but also some very unkind ones. The culture between dancers is not very good either, I suspect because of the students mirroring what is said to them by certain instructors. Bullying runs rampant and was, in some circumstances, pretty extreme. Outside of comments about technique and jealousy over roles, there were also a lot of damaging things said regarding weight, both by students and, rarely (but still enough to leave scars), instructors.

Take the negative reviews with a grain of salt!…read more My daughter is 14 now and has been going to IBA since she was 3 or 4 years old. It is one of the premier dance academies in the area with amazing dance teachers! My daughter started in the little girls class, progressed to intermediate, went on pointe when she was 11, and has been enrolled in the pre-professional program. Not only has she learned a beautiful art form, but the classes also keep her in great physical shape, giving her a drive and a goal to strive towards. She's also made some amazing friendships along the way. Even in the young 4/5/6 year old classes, she was learning ballet but in a fun way. IBA encourages even the youngest dancers to have good technique and a good foundation, but also making dance fun and enjoyable. IBA even has a children's production every year to ensure even the youngest dancers have a chance to get on stage and experience that magic under the stage lights. Yes, IBA does have expectations for ALL their girls including the younger ones - simple expectations of having a neat bun, appropriate attire and a good attitude. Expectations that are something the girls will need to be prepared for later on as they get older whether in dance (at any academy!) or simply in life. Some expectations also include volunteering in the shows if your child is in it, even the older girls, us parents are required to put in our time. The expectations for both the children and adults are laid out explicitly ahead of time and its not the fault of IBA should someone not adhere to those. I highly recommend IBA - smaller class size so more individualized attention and teaching, solid foundation for classical Vaganova style dance with emphasis on encouraging a well-rounded dance background so they offer classes in other dance disciplines like jazz, contemporary, character, flamenco, modern.

Not a bad seat in the house !!!!!!! First time in the venue ......I saw the Fabulous thunderbirds…read more,front row tickets at the end seats ....still a great view of the band ,great sound !!!!!!

Watched a comedy performance tonight, great venue. All the seats are good, comfortable. Wish they…read morehad beverage holders but other than that, no complaints. The bar hostess was fantastic. A+++++

I have been dancing at PNB for 7 years and it is definitely the place to go if you are serious…read moreabout dance. At PNB it takes a lot of work and effort but is is worth it and necessary for building a strong dancer. The teachers here are kind but not afraid to tell you if you are doing something wrong and how to improve. PNB also cares for the mental and physical health of there dancers. Starting in level 6 they start having mental and nutritional seminars once every month. PNB will give students chances to dance on stage and experience what it is like to be dancing in front of a crowd with there productions such as The Nutcracker, Coppélia, A Midsummer Nights Dream and many more. I HIGHLY recommend this company if you love to dance.

The performance was fine but the ticketing is a total scam. PNB allows their ticket holders to…read moreresell at 300% markups. I talked to their box office and they claim there is nothing they can do about it. Meanwhile their customers are getting ripped off. Unless you just have to see the ballet you should avoid PNB until they get a handle on how their tickets are sold.

Went to Echo over the weekend and it was fantastic! The performers are all so talented, and we…read moreenjoyed each and every act. We sat in section 201 and our seats were great. I was worried about not getting closer seats, but they weren't needed. The venue was clean -- grounds, bathrooms, seating area. Parking ($25) was close by and an easy walk.

Overall really amazing production! The show is about 2 hours with a 25 minute intermission. Was…read moreseated in the 200 section but the view was still really good. The cast performed very efficiently and awed the crowd many times. Location is in the Marymoor Park. Parking was easy. I arrived early so the lights were not turned on so it was hard to tell if I was at the right place, but glad to see the lights were on upon leaving. Would definitely watch again!

When my 14 brother came home sounding like a proper musician, I knew that His teacher Eric Snyder…read morehad the ability to help adjust my novice player tendencies and make me a much more well rounded guitarist. After only a few lessons I understood that Eric was one of the most capable,accomplished, and accommodating guitar teachers in the area! His skills are up there and he has the patience to adapt between beginners level to very advanced-- Extremely accommodating with setting up scheduling for practice times as well. Amazing once in a lifetime teacher --

I'm really impressed by the people at the School of Rock. My son just had his fifth birthday and…read morehe's been banging on toy bins (emptied of their toys, of course) with Tinkertoy sticks or whatever else he can find for the past three years. With no sign of the "drumming" abating, I went to the SoR to see about real drum lessons for Felix. We had an honest and friendly conversation about how most five-year olds are not mature enough to learn much from drum instruction yet... they come in, bang on the drums, have a fantastic time, and maybe they will remember the names of the drums and cymbals. He said that with that info, if we want to enroll Felix, he's sure the drum instructor would be glad to have him and would do his best to help Felix have fun AND learn something... but don't have high expectations. He suggested an awesome alternative that they offer just for preschoolers... their eight-week Little Wing program (awesome name, btw). Skilled preschool teachers walk the kids through an intro to music, an intro to guitars, an intro to the bass, making their own guitar, intro to the drum kit, making their own drum kit, intro to the keyboard, making their own keyboard, intro to voice, recording their voices, sound detectives (headphones), and band rehearsal. They have small class sizes and at $160 for 8 one-hour sessions, it's a real bargain. I was so glad that they suggested this more age-appropriate program... he could have sold me a month of lessons for more $, and we would be less happy in the long run. Once Felix is old enough for proper drum lessons (age 7 - 8), if he's still interested, we'll be back at the School of Rock.