Nestled amongst these nice houses in the Novato hilly area is this gem of a festival. I liked it…read moremuch better than the Oakland one, perhaps because it seemed smaller, more authentic, tucked on this hill. There was some semi Pasteur type of land adjacent, ok perhaps more like dead and dry grass :) but nonetheless it leant to a nice feel and atmosphere. WE had a wonderful time. From the church tour, to the nice and friendly parishioners to the dancing in the main square, it was fun and inviting. I would come back in an instant when in town. EPHARISTO

A Memorial Weekend tradition in on the sunny hilltop location in Southern Novato neighborhood known…read moreas Ignacio. Authentic Greek food , dances and homemade specialities to eat and drink while you relax on the feck under the shady Oak tree. Must try all the delicious Greek pastries and coffee drinks to finish after your meal from inside and outside food lineup. Opa!

Think twice before signing your child up for her summer program. It's all about favorites and a…read morelittle nepotism. You'll pay extra for four costume changes, the t-shirt, photos, and the dvd.

I am a professional actor living in Los Angeles doing theater, film, television and commercials and…read moreI want to step right up and say that Marilyn Izdebski is probably the root cause and inspiration for my success. I grew up performing in plays under Marilyn's direction and tutelage and cannot stress how incredible she is. She is extremely gifted as an educator, which allows her to impart valuable life lessons while simultaneously creating vibrant theater. I went from playing chorus parts with Marilyn to playing lead roles and I can easily say that my years working with her have helped me immensely in my work as a professional actor. Regardless of the size of the role, Marilyn strives to work with every member of the ensemble and she was really the first person to ever tell me that if I wanted something badly enough, it would be mine. For anyone considering a Marilyn Izdebski Production, do it. It could change your life.

Where do I start? The instructors of MDT are nothing but passionate, caring and dedicated to the…read morelove of dance. Miss Vicki has been an amazing instructor. She is always creative with her curriculum! We are grateful to be part of this wonderful program!

I've been taking Nancy Gallenson's class the past 4 years, starting as a beginner, and I absolutely…read morelove it! I've tried classes in several places in the Bay Area, and I have to say Nancy's instruction is by far the best you will ever find in Marin, if you want to learn classical ballet technique as an adult beginner. I have tried them all, classes in the city, other parts of Marin. Her teaching style is very approachable and down to earth. The class atmosphere is friendly and non-intimidating. Nancy offers clear instructions at every level from beginners to advanced. No dancer is left behind in the dust. She explains everything and corrects everyone. Her classes offer a good cardio workout, builds strength and gives you the "ballet body", lengthening and toning your muscles. You'll be sweating at the end of each class. Dress code, anything goes, as long as your feet and ankles are visible. If you like wearing the gear, you'll feel at home joining the Yumiko leotard brigade, in every color under the sun. But if you just want to wear whatever leggings and t-shirt, that is fine, too. There's no pressure. The drive up to the school off the freeway takes you past verdant pastures of cows and open countryside. The school is located in a stunning original 19th century cloistered campus, anchored by a beautiful chapel. The studios are varied, but beginners are usually in smaller studios (great for inspiring high grand jétés) and the intermediate to advanced are in the larger, airy studios, each with romantic views of the beautiful original architecture of St Vincent's campus and the green pastures beyond. It's no wonder your worries evaporate as soon as you are in class. I joined her beginner pointe classes recently, as a complete beginner en pointe. In her enthusiastic manner, Nancy gives very concise instruction and inspires confidence for those learning pointe work for the first time, starting in mid-life. The MDT Adult-Teen program is a great place for adults to learn the basics, as well as for more serious students who hope to graduate on to pointe for their very first time as a mature student. What a great find.

A great place in San Rafael to learn improv. Also the once a month shows are awesome.read more

Love the Improv Marin classes. I've taken classes at other schools and this is the best. I'm…read moretaking the class to be more spontaneous and to have FUN! I love the way the teacher starts us off by simply pairing us up and talking to one person before we circle up with the whole group. This helps quiet the fear and let's face it we all have fear!

St. Anselm's Festival of Fun was a wonderful community event filled with laughter, great food,…read moreexciting games, and activities for all ages. Families and friends came together to enjoy the festive atmosphere, support the community, and create lasting memories. From the entertainment to the friendly volunteers, the festival showcased the spirit of togetherness that makes St. Anselm's such a special place. We can't wait for next year's Festival of Fun!

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ST. ANSELM'S FAIR????? When I was a kid, this was the real deal. Graviton, The…read moreZipper, Carnies...it was an event every kid in San Anselmo looked forward to every year. I went today with my nieces, and WHAT a disappointment!!!! This is no longer the fun fair I remember from my youth...they've replace the graviton with bouncy houses and the carnie-booths with homemade game stands manned by parents. What used to be a fair that entertained me and my friends for an entire weekend had my nieces (and me!!!) rolling our eyes and opting to leave and spend the afternoon dining at Comforts instead. I hope St. anselm's brings back the real St. anselm's Fair next year, otherwise I won't waste my time or money to attend. What an absolute and utter disappointing loss to the St. anselm's and San anselmo community.

I was one of the older students in the open division adult classes for the last 2 years or so. I…read morehad never taken ballet at an early age so while I lacked the proper body training and preparation and attempted to start ballet at age 60 (15 years ago) I nonetheless had redeeming qualities, that being grace and good musicality and sometimes good form in certain movements. I could keep up with the speed pretty well, am fairly intelligent and enjoyed the rigorousness of the classes and the excellent teaching, as hard as it was for me at times to "keep up" because of my aging memory. At one point, 2 other women in my class (at least 50+ years of age) ganged together to bully and intimidate me because I wasn't dancing "in form" across the floor. One of them accused me of never having been in a performance before, and she was wrong--I performed at the College of Marin Dance Concerts as a student there. They had no right to gang up on me like that, and the teacher had never said anything about it. I was insulted and angry. I took the matter up in a private meeting with the teacher and executive director of Marin Ballet. I didn't expect much results but at least the offending party stopped going to that class for awhile. The bad news is, the instructor became suddenly very unfriendly towards me afterwards like he was angry at me for "rocking the boat" or something. I was very sad about that, and took classes until the end of my 20-class card that I purchased earlier and then left for good. When I told the office manager that I wasn't coming back and why, basically all she said was "have a nice day". In my book, there is absolutely no excuse why anyone should be bullied in a dance class, especially an older person. We should all feel welcome in dance classes, and I certainly never had this problem in any other dance classes I attended at other Marin dance studios and College of Marin. In fact, I was often complimented by the teachers. So I think the students that bullied me were completely out of line, and I had no support around that. I'm surprised that Marin Ballet wasn't more understanding around this issue, even though I know it does happen more on the professional level. But we were not all professionals in that class!

A very special place. A Marin institution. My daughter studied ballet here for many years. She…read morelearned so much more than just dance. She developed lifelong friends. (She graduated over 10 years ago but still gets together with her ballet class mates) The facility is amazing. And I just love going to the Marin Ballet Nutcracker each holiday season even though I no longer have a child in the program. This place is magic.

I hired Swing Fever for a big event I hosted at Peacock Gap Golf Club. I had originally heard them…read moreperform at various Marin County venues, including Harbor Point, and the Panama Hotel (where they have a weekly gig). I was always impressed by their swinging beats and jazzy spirit. These guys look like they're genuinely enjoying themselves, and the feeling is contagious. Since my big event was at a fancy schmancy golf club, it only seemed appropriate to hire a swing band to entertain the crowd (golf swings and swing music always pair well!). I found their website and gave them a ring. With the help of Paula (who is lovely, btw, and one of their fabulous vocalists), I was able to book the band for 3 hours. Since the event was a benefit for a local non-profit, they gave me a VERY reasonable deal (which was much appreciated, since my budget was fairly tight). On the day of the event, these guys showed up on time for set-up. They brought along their own sound system and everything. And when the party finally started, these guys played their hearts out (everything from Sinatra to Bobby Darin) much to the crowd's delight. I can't recommend this band enough. They're true professionals. They don't give you any of the diva B.S. that seems to be typical with a lot of musicians. And most importantly, their music is awesome. Trust me, this is one fever you'll be happy to get!

Swing Fever came to my Grandmother's 90th birthday party. They were amazing! They really added to…read morethe party. My grandmother was so suprised and was even out on the dancefloor with her walker! It was so great! She got a standing ovation from all the guests. The singer made sure to sing the song "Marie" because that's my grandma's name. His voice is magical and with the band it was awesome! They are so talented. No to mention, wonderful to work with when booking them. Overall, the music was a perfect blast to the past! Everyone at the party just raved about it!

I love the new Fairfax location of Roco!…read more They've got a variety of dance classes to choose from - morning and evenings - like modern, ballet, hip hop, and zumba/latin. Great workouts, fun dancing! They also offer youth classes and summer camp. My favorite classes right now are Joan and Annie's modern classes, and Shana's Yoga Boogie Ballet. All of them work on great technique and core strength, while also just having fun with dancing and basic to challenging choreography.

(((Also posted on Mill Valley)))…read more (pardon my language) If you like to shake your ass, this is the place to do it! (ok language better from here on out) Let's talk about fitness with fun, dancing is the way to go. I've checked out Jacquie's Cardio Hip Hop and Beginners Hip Hop classes, they are both amazing. She's a great teacher and kicks your butt. Cardio hip hop is easy to follow and keeps your heart rate up, not to mention you are drenched with sweat by the time it's over. Jacquie also adds in a FREE weight training session to the end of both of her classes. Yeah, I said it, FREE... Whatever Jacquie says to do, I do it. Check out her body, she knows what she's doing. I dragged a friend of mine to Tika's "Zumba" class, zumba with quotes because it's not your normal zumba. Tika is all about the dance more then fitness and I appreciate that. Though I'm not drenched in sweat as much as Jacquie's cardio class, I appreciate the movement and feel Tika brings to her version of zumba. I'm a huge fan and I've been frequenting both Fairfax and Mill Valley studios at least 3 times a week. If you're looking for a great way to burn calories and having fun doing it. Check out the above mentioned classes. I'm a huge fan!