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.

Erica taught my daughter Milena for about 2 years on and off and it was a great experience. I hope…read moreto get them back together at some point.

I have a wonderful and high energy 6 year old son. He started asking for violin lessons at age 2;…read morewe waited until he turned 6. When I first called Alameda String Academy, I was greeted by Erica and she was very understanding about my son's passion and my concern about whether my son could focus enough to make headway. Erica is so professional and aware of her program that I felt confident that we found our match. Erica convinced me that Sarah Wood would be a perfect match for our son. She was absolutely correct. Sarah works so well with our high energy son and I am constantly impressed with his progression. He is learning the violin, he is learning tempo, he is tuning his ear, he is learning the value of paying attention, he is learning the value of concentrating, he is learning the value of sticking with something and seeing the rewards. This is all possible due to ASA's committment to doing the best for my child! As the parent, I am exceedingly impressed with ASA's administrative availability. Erica and ASA are able to keep everything very personal, there is always an individual feel, even with the administrative requirements.

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

I decided to try the summer teen program. That was a mistake. After the first class, I had health…read moreissues that did not allow me to attend the classes. Being that I only was able to attend one class, I asked for a refund. I tried to explain, but they were extremely unaccommodating. They said that I should have filled out a form. How the heck was I supposed to fill out a form while in the hospital? I had other issues to worry about. If this was not bad enough, this program was not even as described and mainly consisted of little children and not teens. They started ignoring my emails after I tried to explain my situation. Dance 10 was a lot nicer. These people are extremely greedy and do not care about their students. They just want money. Avoid this studio at all costs.

This kids are cute but unfortunately the instruction was just alright, and they use hard sell…read moretechniques. The classes did not appear to have been thoughtfully planned out before each class and the parent visit day felt haphazardly done. The children did not seem to learn much in the months they were there. There also turned out to be many hidden costs aside from the outfits, bags and shoes, such as a spring recital (not in Alameda) which you learn about later (with additional costs for participation, costume, photography, recital tickets, flower bouquets etc which they pressure you into purchasing e.g. by parading the children during class to show them what costumes they would be wearing if they participated, and measuring everyone regardless of whether or not you are participating thus making it more difficult for parents to explain if you can't do the recital). Overall I really wanted to like ABA, however selling was prioritized above the children's long term love of dance. I appreciate the school needs to make a profit as a business, however I would have been more persuaded if costs were transparent and if they did not reduce themselves to using unkind hard sell techniques especially with young learners. Thank you.

There are so many reasons I love this place for my girls, but the biggest one is how comfortable…read morethe teachers make my children feel when they dance. I've got a kiddo with major anxiety, who loves to dance. Her first few classes were spent crying in the corner. The teachers were AMAZING and went at her pace, didn't pressure her, and didn't give up on her! Now she runs into the studio with joy everytime it's dance day. Other reasons I Love B'Dazzled: Super fun classes Affordable My kids learn and excel without feeling pressure to be perfect Professional set up with shows, costumes, performances etc! The teachers and staff are the best around!

I love dancing at B*Dazzled! It is such a warm-friendly feeling when I'm with everybody. We are…read moresuch a tight group yet super inviting! The teachers are amazing and loving.I have danced here for twelve years and it's became my second home. I couldn't imagine dancing at a better studio.

His 12-year old cousins started dancing on the stairs; they can easily get hurt. Charles walked…read moretoward them, duty bound and full of angst. All of a sudden, looking down at them, he was 15 once more. He was in the M1 building of his high school, singing with his choir mates, beaming at the choir teacher in unison. He doesn't just remember it, for he is fully there in the moment, in person, breathing the very air. AGC brings all lovers of choir and singing back to those sort of nostalgic days. People who have been a part of formal singing and still actively pursue it, know that music will always be a part of their lives. It's everlasting and doesn't disappoint. "Shortly before my 16th birthday, that lucky star called choir, was due," Charles began. "Even in the darkness, even in the night, it showed me the neverending gift that circles back again: Singing." He peered onward, a slight smile on his face as he spoke. "Some years later, I discovered Ellen's fabulous Anything Goes Chorus (AGC)." "Ellen makes singing possible in her SATB-style choir, which was something I was a part of in high school, something I've been deeply fond of and always missed. It's a place of belonging....a place that provides meaning. A place where you can walk on with hope in your heart. A place of connecting."

Ellen is a very inspiring and inspired teacher. She goes beyond singing to teaching music concepts…read morewith fun and enthusiasm. You get a lot for your buck and have fun and community connection too.

My daughter has been taking Clarinet lessons with Ms. Farris for several years now. We transferred…read morefrom another teacher and noticed an almost immediate improvement in her ability, tone and confidence. My daughter enjoys her lessons, has done well in the school band and participated in competitions due to Ms. Farris' approach and dedication. I would recommend her to anyone seeking to hone their musical abilities.

I have two daughters who have many treasured memories from taking gymnastics, aerial arts, dance,…read moreand musical theater at Kids N Dance since they were little. They both developed innumerable skills and grew emotionally in countless ways under the supportive guidance and encouragement from all of the staff there, and especially from the owners. One of my daughters joined the Cirque Masquerade troupe (Expression Arts) in 2023, when she was 16. As in previous years, she has only positive things to say about Esme, Kris, and Marielle during her time in Cirque Masquerade. Like everywhere else in life, we have found at Kids N Dance that while things may not always be perfect, the staff there are all highly skilled at what they do, are compassionate and sincere, and very open to communication. As in other situations in life, rather than avoiding communication, it is always better to reach out with an open mind towards understanding the other's perspective instead of lashing out with negative reviews. Esme is brilliant, caring, and highly skilled, and like all of us, also human and not yet perfect. In our experience, it should be and is possible for mature adults to hold concerns about a perceived problem, and at the same time still recognize and show appreciation for the incredibly hard work that Esme, Kris, and Marielle have all done in order for our kids to be able to put on these magnificent shows. And let us remind ourselves that in situations where we demand curiosity from others, we should hold ourselves to the same standard and demonstrate the same curiosity towards them.

It is unfortunate that I must write this review, but we do so for the benefit of future families…read morethat may be considering Kids n Dance or Expression Arts as an outlet for their children. A little about our experience. Our daughter has taken many classes at Kids n Dance (owned and managed by the same persons who own and manage Expression Arts). As she grew older and developed a passion and skill for circus, she joined Expression Arts and was part of their circus troupe for 3 seasons. For a time, circus was a haven for our child. She built a community with the peer troupers and truly enjoyed the challenge and art of circus. Over the past two seasons, we have increasingly heard of concerns by our daughter about the environment at Expression Arts. While we were receptive to her concerns, we initially tried to ask our daughter to trust the program, embrace the challenges as opportunities to learn, and to believe in the positive intent of Esme, Kris, and Marielle. But over the past season the concerns and experiences have escalated. Numerous troupe members have come forward to raise awareness of troubling experiences endured over the course of years. Some of the concerns raised by troupe members and our daughter directly: Unsafe Physical Environment-Troupe members raised concerns of inadequate warm-up, inadequate breaks, extended time upside-down, and a persistent culture of pushing through pain and injury. During the lead up to performances, the children are often at practice for 6+ hours. Practice increases in frequency until the final few weeks preceding shows, where practice is nearly every day. During the two weeks of performances, troupers were initially asked to do 1 show on Friday, 2 shows on Saturday, and 3 shows on Sunday. Each show is ~2.25 hours. It was only after there were serious concerns raised in a parent conference with Kris and Marielle, that the 3rd performance on Sunday was cancelled. The standards, rigorous schedule, and high-risk performance are a dangerous recipe for the safety of the troupe members. Emotional Manipulation and Inappropriate Behavior- Esme often drifts between friend and coach with the troupe members. This relationship is confusing for the troupe members, with Esme using this bond to instill her values on the children and also playing favorites. Multiple troupe members have noted that Esme can be erratic in her behavior, switching between positive behavior and disparaging and belittling language. In one incident, Esme told our daughter that she must have "ADD" after our daughter offered to help with transitions. In another incident, Esme commented on the body figure of a trouper. And in another incident, she told a group of troupe members that their act was "stupid". In isolation these incidents may be explainable (and Kris and Marielle have attempted to rationalize all of the incidents), but what can't be explained or rationalized is how widespread and consistent the experiences are amongst the troupe members. After a senior troupe member sent a note to the troupe parents about her own traumatic experiences with Expression Arts, numerous troupe members came forward and shared consistent and repeated experiences. What is most concerning about our experience with Expression Arts is not the negligence of Esme, Kris, and Marielle, it is the complete lack of accountability and curiosity to do something about the numerous concerns raised by the troupe members and families. It is our belief that Esme, Kris, and Marielle have the best of intent. We believe they want to provide a safe place for children and to cultivate a thriving community built around circus. We also believe they are wholly incompetent and untrained in how to create this place. The incompetence can be addressed, there are programs like SafeSport which, coupled with Esme's passion for the art, could transform the space. But Esme, Kris, and Marielle first need to face the root of the issue and take the concerns seriously. After the senior troupe member raised concerns about her own experiences, she was abruptly removed from the troupe and essentially called a liar. The parents of the troupe then demanded a conference with Esme, Kris, and Marielle. Esme did not attend, but Kris and Marielle spent the bulk of 90 minutes deflecting and taking no ownership or corrective measures. Despite her initial love and passion for circus arts, our daughter has decided to close this chapter of her life and move on. Despite everything we note above, our sincerest hope is that Expression Arts and Kids n Dance thrives and can be a safe place for our youth to grow and express themselves. For this to happen, two things are needed: 1) Esme, Kris, and Marielle need to be curious, vulnerable, and accountable for the harm they are causing to the children. No more deflection. 2) Esme, Kris, and Marielle need to pursue the ongoing training to equip themselves to appropriately and safely engage with children and young adults.