I have spent a long time debating whether to write this review because Starlight was once a place…read moremy child genuinely loved. Unfortunately, many of the issues that ultimately led us to leave were not isolated incidents, they were patterns that existed for years and appeared to worsen as the owner took on more stress. Constructive criticism is not an attack. Honest feedback is not disloyalty. The common denominator throughout the concerns many families raised was leadership. Communication problems were present long before the recent turmoil, but they became significantly more noticeable as the program grew. Important information was often delayed, incomplete, changed without explanation, or communicated differently to different groups of people. Parents frequently found themselves piecing together information from rumors, social media, group texts, and other families rather than receiving clear and consistent communication directly from leadership. The situation surrounding the temporary location (without heat/AC and wall) and construction delays was particularly frustrating. Families were repeatedly given timelines and explanations that changed over time, creating confusion and eroding trust. We were told at one point that construction was halted due to human remains being found, this was false. As a parent of a neurodivergent child, I was also disappointed by decisions that appeared to overlook the needs of many students in the program. Despite the owner stating that Starlight is "inclusive and welcoming to all". The owner even going as far as stating "LGBTQ and neurodivergent kids are my specialty". One example was the creation of a teen group chat used for communication while excluding parents from those conversations. Most of the students involved were freshman, many of whom are neurodivergent and rely on adult support to manage schedules, stay organized, and process information. Removing parents from those communications created unnecessary barriers and left families struggling to ensure their children had accurate information. I was further troubled by comments made about students and families. Hearing a neurodivergent child who was struggling emotionally described as "throwing a hissy fit" demonstrated a lack of understanding and compassion that I would expect from a youth program serving diverse learners. I watched as students were guilted into taking on more responsibilities/roles than they wanted despite their feelings being clearly communicated. Likewise, hearing concerned parents characterized as "entitled" was disheartening. Parents were not asking for special treatment,they were asking for transparency, consistency, and accountability after investing significant time, money, and trust into the organization. The saddest part is that the students were often caught in the middle of adult decisions and conflicts. The children showed up to learn, perform, build friendships, and pursue something they loved. They deserved stability, professionalism, and leadership that modeled healthy communication and accountability. The students deserve nothing less. One of the most frustrating aspects of this experience is that many of the concerns raised by families over the years have never seemed to be genuinely acknowledged. Instead, there appears to be a pattern where criticism is immediately dismissed, explained away, or attributed to misunderstandings rather than treated as an opportunity for reflection and growth. Even when families take the time to leave thoughtful feedback or reviews, the response often seems focused on defending decisions, challenging the person's account, or explaining why their experience wasn't valid rather than recognizing that multiple families may be raising similar concerns. When every concern is attributed to a misunderstanding, a disgruntled parent, or someone who simply doesn't know the full story, it becomes difficult to believe that meaningful accountability is taking place. At some point, when the same themes continue to emerge from multiple families over multiple years communication issues, lack of transparency, shifting narratives, exclusion of parents, and dismissive responses to concerns. It is worth considering whether those concerns deserve genuine reflection rather than another explanation for why they aren't true. Again, constructive criticism is not an attack. Honest feedback is not disloyalty. Families who speak up are often doing so because they care deeply about the students and want the organization to succeed. Unfortunately, too often it felt like those voices were viewed as a threat rather than an opportunity to improve.

My daughter is absolutely thriving at Starlight Performing Arts. She does both competitive dance…read moreand theatre. Both are wonderful programs. Under the direction of the new dance director, Miss Gemma, she has been growing leaps and bounds. There have been some recent changes made, and we feel that things have really improved in the way of organization, communication, and professionalism. With the change in dance program director, communication is excellent. Everything we need to know, we know well ahead of schedule. We are now a well-oiled machine! We love all of the staff at Starlight. They are are professional and beyond welcoming and loving. Most importantly, the children in the program are thriving. This is my daughter's second year with the team, and to see her now is just incredible. We are so happy with the dance program and the theatre program. Another thing worth mentioning is that Starlight shows are incredibly well put on. You will not find a more beautiful show than ones performed by Starlight. The sets, the costumes, the music, the acting, the singing. Just wow!!! I've never seen anything like it. When I go to their Jr Broadway shows, I feel like I've stepped into another world. The passion behind this performing arts company is incredible!! Chelsea and her team are wildly talented, and they know how to pull the best from every performer. We feel incredibly blessed to be a part of the Starlight family.

I'm in my second session of Twerk dance class at Funkmode. I found this studio when I moved to…read moreConcord from Oakland quite a few months ago. I was just in a dance recital, and got to dress up. I always feel included and empowered. Love my teacher, Angel. This a very inclusive and accepting environment. They have kids, teens, and adult classes with a variety of themes and teachers. I'm so happy to be a part of the dance crew. I also get to be in their pride performance in June!

Fun as fuck love the twerk class angel is a bad bitch with definitely would recommendread more

I have twin daughters who are almost nine, and we're now wrapping up our third season at Dance…read moreConnection--and our first year on company. When we were choosing a studio, I was intentional about finding a place that offered strong technique across all styles, fostered a healthy environment, and pushed my girls to grow. Dance Connection continues to deliver on all of these. We commute to the studio, and it has been worth every mile. Our dance family has grown so much, and the positivity in this community has been incredible for my kids. After trying multiple studios, I can confidently say that Dance Connection's ballet program is genuinely fun, the tap instruction is unmatched, and the way the older dancers support the younger ones is truly uplifting. My daughters have gained so much confidence performing, and they absolutely love being in class. The studio manager, Camille, also deserves special recognition. With my husband gone frequently for work, I'm often juggling the girls' dance schedules with my youngest in tow. Camille is responsive, highly organized, and always willing to step in when help is needed. Her support makes a meaningful difference for families like mine, and I'm truly grateful for all she does.

Watching all the performances, you definitely see all the efforts and emphasis that the instructors…read moreput into the class. The discipline, and training provided is worth all the money. My granddaughter started at 4 years old. She started with Miss Camille. I can't say enough of Miss Camille. She set the bar high for the young girls. My granddaughter is now 8 years old. Up to now the enthusiasm and discipline Miss Camille instilled in these students are evident in the way the students perform in the class with other instructors.

My daughter has been attending here for over 2-2.5 years. Over the course, she had multiple…read moreteachers. It was a rough start as the teacher was impatient and scolded her in front of everyone for not keeping her personal space (she was only 4 and it was only her second class) She started feeling very anxious and refused to go to ballet despite loving to dance. Luckily, we sticked with our gut feeling and removed her from that class immediately. We tried another class with a different teacher ( i think it was Ms Dominique) Although she was young, she was very patient and gentle. It had a huge impact and my daughter become feeling more comfortable and enjoyed ballet at Tutu school. She was moved to Ms Leah's class, who was also amazing. She's now in Ms Hannah's class. We love Ms Hannah as her teacher because she's balanced between patient, supportive, but also not afraid to challenge the girls and reinforce structure in the class. That has pushed my daughter to become a better dancer (as we know older ballet classes are very strict). My daughter has become more confident and skillful and always looks forward to come to ballet at Tutu school.

My daughter has been attending Tutu School Walnut Creek for nearly half a year now--and she…read moreabsolutely loves it! She's becoming more skillful, more confident, and genuinely looks forward to each class with so much joy. What truly makes the experience so special are the instructors, especially Ms. Tina. I can't thank her enough for her patience, expertise, and dedication. She is incredibly thorough in her instruction and deeply attentive to each child. Her calm, gentle demeanor works like magic--the children stay focused and engaged, even when there are occasional distractions, whether from other students or a parent on the phone. Thanks to teachers like Ms. Tina, my daughter will continue her ballet journey here. Not only is Ms. Tina a fantastic instructor for the kids, but she's also a wonderful mentor to the newly hired teachers--no wonder the entire team is so exceptional. Thank you, Ms. Tina, for everything you do. My daughter and all the little ballerinas are so lucky to learn from you!

I've been taking adult ballet classes here for 10 years and I love it. The teachers are…read moreknowledgeable and patient.

I LOVED the Beginning and Back to Basics Ballet classes with Hiroko! I've been searching for adult…read morebeginner ballet classes in the area, but it was hard to find one truly tailored for adult beginners--where I could learn proper positions and fundamental techniques. I'm so glad I found Hiroko's classes. She genuinely cares about each student's form and takes the time to correct our poses and steps. I really appreciate her patience and understanding. I only wish they can add more Back to Basics class options on weekends or in the evenings so I could attend after work. Thank you, Hiroko, for reigniting my passion for ballet!

We decided to check out this dance studio since we saw they were teaching a Kpop class. Luckily…read morethey were teaching 2.0 by BTS and we were excited. This was our first time at the studio. There's plenty of parking, and the studio is on the smaller side, but nice (there's two dance rooms--one larger one and one smaller one). Since the Kpop class was so popular, there were a lot of people, but we were in the smaller room, since it sounded like there was another group training for some sort of performance. Once they left, we switched over to the larger room. Isabel teaches the Kpop classes and she was so friendly and encouraging. She was patient and great at breaking down the dance moves, while moving the class at an appropriate pace. It is a 1.5 hour class, so we finished all the moves with 15 minutes to break into dance groups (not exactly my favorite part, because my brain can't usually learn all the moves in the same class). Of note, they do record the group dances, but you can probably sit out if you want (I just stick around because of peer pressure and low key want to remember how I looked from when I started until mastering the dance). It's also nice that she will be kinda doing the dance on the side to guide you. There's no level listed on the class, so I'm assuming it's all levels. Based on being at other dance studios, I think 2.0 was more of an intermediate level class, but it was very doable! Overall, I really enjoyed my class with Isabel!

Went to 1 heels class here…read more The instructor/owner Izzy was kind, welcoming, and upbeat. She encouraged people to have fun, cheer each other on and say hi to each other. I've been to other dance classes where the instructor wasn't as intentional and had more of a serious and closed off, "get all the moves right" energy, which can be off putting when you're just joining a casual dance class, so this was refreshing! The class was Heels & Grooves and I would say it's beginner friendly! We started with stretching, then practicing walking, then learned the choreo. It was a fun class! Lots of parking available in the plaza. The space was open, bright, and clean. My GPS told me to go to the left when really they were located on the other side. It seems like they have a diverse range of class offerings. I'll def be coming back!

Mr. A.J. just finished 2 birthday parties for my daughters and he did an awesome job. He was…read moreextremely professional and his fun energy was perfect for my 2nd grader and 7th grade daughter. During both parties, he offered a photo booth that kept all our guests entertained which was very helpful.

The owner AJ was fantastic as my daughter's dance teacher years ago but recently, we hired him for…read moreDJ service and all I can say is wow! There are all kinds of DJs who can play music but then there's AJ. Not only does he have a crazy nightclub quality setup with towers and lights, but as a dance instructor he takes control of the crowd. He MC'd our adult party, he got folks moving. I simply can't re-imagine my birthday party with anyone else except him. Really amazing and special memory.

We have been looking for a studio like 925 Dance Collective, and so happy they have arrived in…read moreLamorinda!!! My daughter has wanted more focused training without losing the fun, and we've found it at the Collective!! She is having an absolute a blast here and loves her teacher Amy, the lovely owners, Laura & Tenaya, and the older girls at this studio!!! We cannot wait for more dance here this summer and fall!!!!

My 3 year old daughter has been doing ballet and tumbling with 925 Dance Collective since they…read moreopened earlier this year. She loves it! The teachers are great with kids of all ages and we like that it's structured without being too strict or serious for little kids. It's a welcoming environment for dancers of all ages and stages.