I've heard this ensemble several times now and have thoroughly enjoyed every performance. They have…read morea very mellow and unique sound, with instruments ranging from the piccolo to the contrabass flute (if you stretch it all the way out, you'd have around eight and a half feet of tubing!). They play a wide variety of music from classical, contemporary compositions for flute choirs (who knew?), to transcriptions of popular works (e.g. tv show theme songs). If you get a chance, I recommend checking them out.

Held on Duke's campus for a month in June, ADF is a fantastic program featuring troupes from all…read moreover the world. Every year they offer something innovative and edgy. It's a tremendous variety of dance that tends to fall more on the interpretive side -- lots of choreography that explores the concept of theater and performance. Last year, Pilobolus was among the headliners and they're also scheduled to appear this year with a new act. Tickets are very affordable and seeing something on Duke's campus is a nice departure from the RBC and Progress Energy centers.

It's hard to rate ADF adult dance classes: the offerings during the summer festival are very…read moredifferent from those on the year-round schedule. The few fall and spring classes for adults at Samuel H Scripps studios have, in my experience, been geared towards a pretty high experience and skill level. There's just not much to choose from if you're an adult recreational dancer, or an older/retired dancer. I've heard the kids' classes are wonderful, but I've never seen them so I can't speak to that.

One of the most storied venues in college basketball, the Dean Smith Center (or the 'Dean Dome' as…read moreit's affectionately known) is a modern-day cathedral to the sport, where Tar Heel legends like Kenny Smith, Vince Carter, Jerry Stackhouse and Tyler Hansbrough held court. The rafters are home to a collection of jerseys that could make up the roster for an NBA Legends team, featuring names like Jordan, Worthy, Perkins and Jamison, along with the coach for whom the building is named -- the legendary Dean E. Smith. With a capacity of nearly 22,000, it's one of the largest venues in college hoops, and there's rarely an empty seat in the house when the Heels are playing. The energy here is indescribable -- from the electric pregame festivities to the halftime show, it's one of the best experiences in all of college sports. In 2025, the University of North Carolina began discussions about replacing the 40-year old Dean Dome with a new arena, either elsewhere on campus or at Carolina North, a planned satellite campus a few miles north in Chapel Hill. But while the Dome's aging roof and narrow concourses support a credible argument for a replacement, it's hard to imagine the UNC campus without it. Here's hoping the UNC Board of Trustees sees the wisdom of renovating this wonderful arena to ensure it's continued role in college basketball lore. The Dean Smith Center is an experience no fan of the game should miss!

I attended UNC CH as an undergraduate. This felt like a homecoming of sorts. My husband father in…read morelove and daughter all caught a basketball game in the Smith Center. We had great seats and the heels won!

I like to sing. This a Cappella group gives me that outlet. The chorus is one of the best in the…read morearea. They have a director who knows how to teach as well as direct. If you are looking for a wholesome outlet or a group to entertain, I whole heartedly recommend the Heart of Carolina Chorus.

It's hard to walk into UNC's Carmichael Arena and not appreciate the sheer magnitude of basketball…read moretalent that competed under its roof. Coach Dean Smith led the 1981 Tar Heel team to a national championship here, with the help of a few guys named Jordan, Worthy and Perkins. Before the team relocated to the Dean Dome in 1986, the venue was considered one of the loudest (and some say, hottest) in college basketball, and Coach Smith's legacy still looms large in the building today. Yes, the seats can be tight and uncomfortable, the concourses cramped and the concession stands undersized, but Carmichael remains a North Carolina treasure, as well a great place to enjoy a women's basketball game, a volleyball match or a gymnastics meet.

My husband loves wrestling and wanted to check out a match here in NC. We headed to visit with 2 of…read moreour kids to watch UNC v. Navy. Upon arrival my youngest had her headphones on and got anxious. She ran out. The staff was so kind. No one judged and sought to make her comfortable. It was truly a gift! Thank you for hiring staff that work to be kind!

My daughter has been dancing competitively for almost a decade now at a top notch dance company in…read moreWestern Wake, and we decided the time was right to try a different studio. I had heard mixed reviews of Renner, the main complaint being the lack of professionalism and the constant lying from both the owner Summer and the office administrator Debbi. In hindsight, I should've listened to the advice of those telling me to avoid Renner like the plague. Due to COVID, I first contacted Debbi and Summer about starting out with virtual classes. I was given very few options, but decided to enroll in a ZOOM class with Claudia another with Coleen, leaving the option open for adding many more classes in the near future. The first week went fine. Two classes, two successful ZOOM sessions. The second week, however, Colleen neglected to let the virtual dancers into class. After I sent Debbi and Summer and email telling them the situation, I was guaranteed they Colleen "had been talked to" and it was not going to happen again. Well, the following week, Colleen again failed to let the ZOOM dancers into class. Another email was composed to Summer and Debbi and again I was promised that it wouldn't happen again. Another week came and to my surprise, Colleen's class went without a hitch. This time, however, Claudia chose not to let the virtual students in the class, effectively shutting out all ZOOM students. I once again contacted Summer and Debbi and I was offered a make-up class on a different evening. However, after asking several times for the ZOOM codes for this make-up class, I was completely ignored by both. Out of eight classes I had paid for, only three classes were actually held. After inquiring about whether these classes were cancelled, I received a very unprofessional email from Summer making excuses and instead of solving the problem that so many students are having, she placed the blame on everyone else besides herself. If you want to be lied to, if you want to be jerked around, if you want to be a part of a disorganized mess with questionable business practices and mediocre instructors, this place is for you. If not, there are too many honest dance studios in Pittsboro-Cary-Apex-Holly Springs that are leaps and bounds over this amateur-ish operation. Choose one of the others instead.

My daughter and I absolutely love our studio. They have the highest quality training you will…read morereceive in North Carolina! If you are not ready for intense training, great ballet training, and year around classes then this may not be for you. But, if you want to receive top notch technique/ballet training and be trained to go professionally after high school then this is the place you want to come to! They have all levels to start from with Exel, Extreme, and Elite level companies. They have amazing quality teachers and the studio owner Summer is amazing and runs an amazing program!

Be very careful about ordering tickets over the telephone. They are terrible about sending your…read moretickets out. I ordered tickets in July, and I still do not have tickets. Since they had not sent them out, I thought I might change them. OMG, all they could do is try to make money by charging a fee for each ticket , and then try to charge more for a ticket in a lesser seat. They are worse than the airlines. We need a Pete Buttigieg over them to exact fairness. I know that this is probably a management problem, but it is a sad state when poor management overshadows a cultural gem for our community.

Stunning performance from top notch ballerinas in the heart of Raleigh and Durham artsread more

This is always a great event in downtown Raleigh at the First of the Month...There is great art…read morethroughout the city, and of course there is music and other fun events......It covers quite a large area so saying that don't limit yourself just to the shops in the Downtown area...There are also some good spots on Glenwood, Hillsborough, and other parts of Raleigh that are also part of the First Friday activities...I think you will Truly Enjoy yourself!!!

I have been going to Raleigh's First Friday since I moved to North Carolina and they never…read moredisappoint. It took me a while to get the layout and come to the realization that it's impossible to hit all the vendors in one night, but I still try! As of late I usually start in the Depot and grab a beer at Tasty Beverage (they don't have "specials" but they're always great!) or go to Jose and Sons for 1/2 price appetizers from 5-7pm, then head over to CAM. From there you can walk down Martin Street and hit four galleries (including Design Box, Visual Art Exchange, 311 Gallery and Tipping Paint Gallery). You might want to sign up (ahead of time) for a free cocktail class at ABV or venture downtown from here. It's easy to pick up the R-Line and take it to R-15. From there walk down E. Cabarrus and visit Flander's Gallery and Lump Gallery (located directly next to one another). From there you can walk down S. Blount and visit Artspace, from there you can swing through City Market which sometimes has live bands playing on the cobblestone streets. Walk up Blount and turn left on Hargett stopping at Adam Cave Fine Art Gallery. Keep walking down Hargett and you'll soon find yourself in an outdoor market (they set it up when the weather's nice outside Raleigh Times Bar). You'll have bands, drinks and see all different media from local artists. That's usually all I can get to in one night, but there are lots more galleries to check out. I have yet to visit the galleries on Glenwood, but it's on my list! First Friday has an AMAZING website that lists all the art galleries, exhibits AND the food and drink specials on a map: http://www.godowntownraleigh.com/first-friday-raleigh/map. It's super convenient and easy to use. If you haven't visited First Friday yet, now's your chance, you won't be disappointed!