Located inside the historic Glen Echo Park, the Puppet Co. is a true blast from the past! This…read morenon-profit theatre is dedicated to introducing the art of puppetry to a new generation by bringing a mix of hand puppets, rod puppets, body puppets, marionettes, and shadow puppets to stage both original works and traditional children's stories. If you ever visited the "Land of Make-Believe" with Mister Rogers, you will be very familiar with these vintage style puppets. My four and eight-year old recently enjoyed a weekend original feature which was a mash up several different fairy tales. As an adult, I found it to be a bit corny but the show was perfect for my littles who stayed engaged for nearly the entirety of the one-hour show. Floor seating is available which is perfect for young families with children who cannot stay still. They have a fun house mirror in the lobby and after the show there was a puppet meet and greet. Overall it was good family fun for a hot summer afternoon. It's proximity to the Glen Echo carousel, playground, and aquarium made it feel like a full day affair!

My kids absolutely loved their first puppet show. I took my 5 and 10 year old to see the Twisted…read moreTales show and it was laughs for everyone. The staff were friendly, and the actors were engaging. I loved that they provided an interactive experience with pauses throughout the play to ask questions to the audience. I worried that my 5 year old wouldn't be able to sit still, but the open floor space was perfect for him to move around.

This is an amazing park with a museum, theater, dance hall, and great art galleries. Used to be an…read moreamusement park but now a great historical site. They also have the Clara Barton House that my wife and I toured. You can drive here or take Ride On Route 29 from Bethesda or Friendship Heights.

Tried the waltzing class at the Glen Echo Park complex and loved it. Tony Treston (affiliated with…read moreWaltz Time) was my instructor; he demonstrates the basics of waltzing in an easygoing manner. My first lesson was no pressure and I felt like I made a lot of progress. BTW, this is not Viennesse waltzing, which is a formalized style of waltzing. The kind of waltzing taught here is more of a "garden variety", and done by cultures all over the world. It's a 3-step candance (slow, quick quick), and anyone can do it, seriously. It might be the best $13 that I ever spent. That's the cost of admission, which includes a 45 minute lesson, followed by nearly 3 hours of dance time with a live band. The Spanish Ballroom, where the social dances are held, is a premier venue. The building itself is Art Deco architecture and considered to be one of the best ballrooms of its kind on the East Coast. The interior is decorated tastefully and lighted well. The expansive floor is made of a lovely maple wood. The live music is such a treat as the acoustics here are top notch. The social dances are a lot of fun, and waltzing isn't the only style offered--there's contra dancing; tango dancing; swing dancing; blues dancing, etc. The social dance calendar is quite extensive. Check out Glen Echo Park and Waltz Time websites to see all the possibilities. Am already planning when I'll attend again.

Just saw the Celtic Show yesterday. This is my 3rd one. I loved the spiritual songs and keeping the…read moretrue meaning of Christmas in tact. 10 stars for that! As a truly Celtic person who has visited the motherland and lived there for a summer, I did not see much truly authentic Celtic flavor in the show. Maybe this would have been better labeled Appalachian or an American roots show. That said, I would go again, just with different expectations. It was a bit hard to move around the aisles; to get to your seat, the merchandise, rest room or participate in the group dance because the aisles were blocked. Maybe that might be improved. Thank you. Lots of hard work!!!!

Am I really writing a review for a theater performance? To be fair it comes on every year. It's…read morebasically a DC institution. And hell I've reviewed Metro stations and you can't get lower than that (except maybe reviewing fictional things like the Yelp Jail). I went to the Christmas Revels for the first time last night and I had a blast. Maybe it was the show (set in Italy during the time of Da Vinci). Maybe it was the atmosphere. Maybe it was the company I was with. Nah, it was everything. I can't say I'd been in the best of moods before going, and I certainly wasn't in the Christmas spirit, but after the show I felt a lot more jovial and a lot more in the Christmas mood. If you haven't been, I suggest you go. Get your closest friends and go. Have some nice dinner before the show and get some good coffee after. It's just a fun way to spend your night, because not only are the actors excellent performers, the audience also gets to participate! There are a fair few sing-alongs, and at intermission the company goes into the aisles and leads the audience in a song and dance through the auditorium. I'm not much of a singer or dancer but even I had fun!

Wonderful gallery and a terrific place to take classes! They really can take you from observer to…read moreartist.

The Magic Duel is just that...two Magicians competing to win the title of best of the night. You…read moredo actually vote on your phone at intermission. Mark Phillips and Ryan Phillips were both terrific. The one we voted for did indeed win, but they were both great! The Saturday we were there, there were two performances. We chose the 5pm one. It's a fast-paced show that kept us laughing, intrigued and highly entertained. A very fun, wonderful way to spend entertainment dollars in DC. Not a bad seat in the house! This is downstairs in the historic Mayflower Hotel, nice and close to the Farragut North Metro Stop. Definitely appropriate for all ages. Highly recommend!

This review is for the show at the Writers Center, Bethesda, MD, which doesn't seem to have a Yelp…read morepage of its own. I recognize that the Magic Duel takes huge pride in 5 star reviews on Yelp, which I deeply respect. But I did wish that we had seen the show in a different venue. I am no stage expert, but lights and sound do matter a lot in delivery of a magic show for a skeptic like me, going because the significant other loves magic shows. With better lighting, things would have been more "magical" (thinking bottles.) I was also surprised that a bubble artist, as good as she was in her profession, was considered a magician. After some quick research, you will end up at Magic Duel in this genre, so please go to Dupont or Georgetown.

This is a really good blues dance venue in the Washington, DC area. The weekly event happens in…read moreGlen Echo on Thursdays, with a beginner lesson at 8:15PM and dance from 9PM to 11:430PM. The only reason this event does not get 5 stars in my book is the insistence on masks (although masks are provided at the entrance, come on, the COVID is so 2019!). The entrance fee is $8. The beginner lesson was excellent, probably the best that I have ever attended. The venue: the event occurs next to the gorgeous Spanish Ballroom in the Glen Echo Park, in so called Back room. If you face the ballroom building from the inner courtyard, the entrance is on the left side. The dance floor is of OK quality, not large, but sufficient for the group. Event goes to the DJ music. Seating is available around the dance floor. The crowd: at least 30 people with greatly varying skills, mostly beginner to intermediate. Overall: if you are into blues dancing and are OK dancing in a mask, definitely worth a drive. As with any sparsely attended event, consider bringing your own partner.

I have been dancing Argentine tango for nearly 5 years and I can confidently look back at all the…read moreteachers and lessons and say that Rene is among the most accommodating, nonjudgmental and friendly teacher of all. He is exactly what you need when you're getting started. His beginner and advanced beginner group at Glen Echo brings in a sizable crowd to create a buzz around the dance. Of course, once you want to get technical, you can meet him for private lessons or find someone else that fits you better on a one on one basis. Had it not been for Renee, I'm not sure I would've stayed in the downstairs long. Tango is a hell of a journey when it comes to learning. You need a teacher that is first and foremost easy to get along with. Rene is that guy.

This GMU "alum" and former Fairfax resident had no idea this community center existed until this…read moreweekend. My colleague, mentor and friend's book launch and masterclass was debuted here and what an event it was!! This community center was the perfect venue to launch such a spectacular book. There is ample parking, spacious rooms, and a great location to host any event. Please checkout the book "I Forgive You" ... it can change your perspective on human interconnectedness and interpersonal relationships! If someone wronged you and is shutting you out as punishment, this is their internal traumas showing in physical form... if communication isn't an option just forgive them. "There is psychological and emotional freedom in forgiveness."

My 2nd time revisiting for 2 separate events. Outside is…read moreclean, plenty parking, located not too far from D.C. Close to major highways. Inside is clean as well, staff present at the front desk. Room that the event took place in was spacious, good lighting, good seating with 2 huge projector screens on the walls. Overall a good experience.