My new favorite place for education events. A free parking venue, helpful and knowledgeable…read more supporting staff to ensure your event runs smoothly, adequate setting for indoor events, solid sound/PA/lighting system, two low resolution big screens for presentations on each side of the stage, a big stage, and a spacious lobby. I would have given it one more star if it had HD presentation screens, more than one set of restrooms because depending on the size of the event, it could cause a bottleneck for the ladies during intermission. Also, I had a bug issue in the event prep area behind stage. They probably needed to have had their insect contractor do a once over before our event.

An amazing top-notch, state-of-the-art facility with exceptional and very helpful staff. The staff…read moreknows what they are doing. They do everything from lighting and sound to house management. Amazing and big facility for a high school!

Stephen and Mardi are outstanding Argentine Tango teachers that really focus on tango as it's…read moredanced in a social setting (milongas, or tango dance parties). From the very first lesson, they emphasize the beauty and versatility of dancing that is graceful, comfortable, and sensual, while still appropriate for the social dance floor. Their teaching style is very accessible and encouraging. Plus, they really focus on the essentials of dancing with musicality, elegance, and confidence. I'm not only very happy with the workshops and classes I've taken directly from them, but it's a joy to dance with their students at milongas.

What a dynamic duo! Stephen and Paola are amazing instructors whom always greet everyone with a…read moresmile and consideration. I take groups and privates with them and it's the fastest way to learn. Their knowledge and professionalism are always impressive. They challenge you in a friendly way that helps you do your best. I always have fun in their classes! Most of all I appreciate the ethical way they treat everyone. They create in their classes and privates a safe learning environment. We not only learn tango dancing but also about tango music, culture, etiquette, and history. Stephen and Paola have an abundance of knowledge. There's no tension, just fun learning and expression of tango!

It's difficult to find adult dance instruction in Austin geared towards the older dancer, but…read moreSynergy's Silver Swan ballet program does just that. Theoretically, one should be at least 55+ to enroll, but exceptions can be made! The instructor, Maureen Slabaugh, is certified by the Royal Academy of Dance to teach under their Silver Swans model and does an outstanding job of making the class work for both absolute beginners as well as dancers with some level of experience. Currently classes are offered two days a week. I enrolled two years ago and really wonder why I didn't find out about Silver Swans years ago!! I hadn't taken a ballet class in at least 25 years and I simply love it! Highly recommend.

I've been taking adult ballet (Silver Swans class) for 2 years and it has been a fantastic…read moreexperience all around. Maureen is a phenomenal teacher - encouraging and nonjudgmental when you need it, excellent with technical details and technique when you need it. It's not just a good workout, it's also REALLY good for our brains! Every class has something a little extra challenging to work our memory and keep us on our toes. The classes are structured like the ballet classes of my childhood - first the barre, then the center. Maureen is great at giving options for newcomers and experienced students, and making sure everyone is both comfortable and challenged. She is also really good at helping people modify if they are injured or need to take additional care. Synergy itself is staffed with cheerful friendly people and it's always a pleasure to be there.

Every summer the Zilker Theatre Productions presents a free musical for all to enjoy. This is…read morealways a summer tradition for me to attend the show. This summer it was Bring it On and past shows included Shrek, The Little Mermaid, Legally Blonde, Newsies, Hairspray and others. You can come early before the show and place your blanket down on the hillside to reserve your spot. It is a great location to watch an outdoor performance or show. The Zilker Hillside is an outdoor amphitheater venue located on a hillside in Zilker Park with a large stage, ample lighting capability, amenities, and location next to Barton Springs Pool and is the perfect spot for a dance recital, symphony or cultural event. Visitors are allowed to bring food and non-alcoholic beverages. The theater also has a concessions stand on site offering snacks and drinks. There are restrooms available. No dogs are allowed unless they are service dogs.

Our first visit at Zilker Theatre was such a blast! The talent was unbelievable. Felt like I was…read moreseeing a touring Broadway show. I actually have seen their show touring and think this production did it better. Bathrooms at the park they have inside ones and also a few porta potty's that are very close by. There are more handicap accessible spots right in the front of the stage and all other seating is on the hill. Bring your blanket or low rise chairs (can be difficult for people to see over regular lawn chairs). We brought a small picnic to enjoy and lots of people brought food they ordered to eat before/during the show. The sound quality and level is excellent. We were more off to the right side on the stage and could still see fairly well and could hear everything perfectly. They do have plenty of trash cans around so please clean up after yourself. At the merch/sales table they have programs and surveys that help them with data for grants and benefits by showing who makes up their expansive audience. The night I was there they did a drawing for a gift card if you filled out an information slip and I actually won a BookPeople gift card! Please buy something/tip/add money to the actors buckets that come around so that they can continue to provide awesome, quality free entertainment to the community. We will definitely be back next season. I found the event on Instagram.

I came to the ZACH Theater for the first time. "Dear Evan Hansen" is an emotional story that really…read morestays with you. The performances captured the vulnerability and loneliness at the heart of the show. The themes of connection, mental health, and the need to be seen feel incredibly relevant. It's not always an easy watch, but it's meaningful and worth it. I felt every character and it truly had me breaking into tears. Getting tickets at "will call" was easy. The Libby had lots of seating. Tables and chairs, and small lounge couches. There was a young women singing on a small stage with a guitar. Played a few songs that we all knew. And charmed us with her own original song. Beautiful voice. There is a small bar in the back. I did get a small cocktail and a box of popcorn. The auditorium room had wonderful seats. It looks like row K is the best seat because they have like a small bar like table in front of you. The chairs don't have cupholders. So you end up having to hold everything or place on the floor. No one obstruct your view from the stage. Every seat is a good seat. Parking is easy. I paid $15.00 and found parking easily. I was also a little early for the show. I just started following ZACH on IG to see up coming shows. If you want to see this show, they did say they are extending to May. I hope you come see the show and support the local theater.

We became Zach XP members in Jan and this was our first show since joining, my wife is a huge…read moreAgatha Christie fan and so I got the tickets for Valentine's day. We went early as that is who we are, and this was great. The cast was amazing, the sets were fun and the use of the screen added to the feeling and drama. We took seats with a bar in front to store your drinks and snacks which is great. You get discounts on parking, drinks, and merch which is also nice, we took an uber/lyft but good to know if we ever drive. The staff was all friendly and helpful, they had entertainment before the show in the lobby, a singer who was quite good though we only saw the last 2 or 3 songs by her. As is normally the case anytime you go out to a place like this the drinks are fairly pricey and small. Made well though, they have a nice feature where you can use a QR code to order for intermission to have your drinks and snacks waiting at a central table to save time. SHANA SAYS: I appreciate having Zach as a cultural resource. The facilities are great! Actors are great! One thing that could use some work is the bathrooms. Since intermission is only 20 mins, at least at this show, the bathrooms both had long slow lines. They had a men and women's restroom and there were about 4 urinals and 4 stalls. I made it back but just barely and there were people behind me and even more in the woman's restroom line. The positives outweigh the downsides and we have loved the few shows we have seen here. We do love theatre and love having this option and being members.

The best part of Westlake High School are the teachers. They are truly amazing. The worst part of…read morethe school is the athletic program. It is a pay-to-play mentality. They also discriminate against student athletes that do not fit their mold.

Westlake high school is an amazing public school, there's one thing that has me concerned. The…read morefreedom of the students and how they have many people watching there every move it invokes anxiety even paranoia sometimes, even if a student isn't doing anything wrong they make them feel like they're guilty of something there not.

NOT for ballet. other styles of dance might be passable but the ballet instruction is dangerously…read moreincorrect. my step-daughters have been attending here for years and it's literally painful to watch the performances because of the lack of proper technique en pointe and the complete disregard for the tenets of ballet as a discipline and an art form. beyond this, the performances are just additional money-making opportunities for the business and are torturous to sit through. if you're serious about dance, avoid this place.

I am going to give Alisa's Dance Academy (ADA) a mixed review…read more My daughter has been going here for two years now. In two years, I have seen some amazing dances from ADA students. ADA has a team of dancers called the ADA Elites that competes in dance competitions. These ADA Elites girls are amazingly talented and dedicated. Every year, ADA has Nutcracker performance at the Westlake Performing Art Center. My daughter was a part of this event for one year. It was an incredible experience for both her and me. The whole show was also accompanied by Westlake high school live orchestra. It was Alisa's intention to promote art, dance and music amongst young kids. Hats off, Alisa. It's truly an admirable effort and production. Now the not so good.... The first year my daughter went to ADA, she went to her first ballet class and afterwards she told me she hated it. She almost gave up and refused to go back the next week. This was coming from a girl who had been going to dance classes 3+ years before ADA. She kept her dance classes on my urging and things did get better. I talked to one of the mom of a girl in her class. It turned out, this girl had the same problem. Apparently, the teacher was speaking nasty stuff to the girls during the first class. I was quite appalled. I never had this happened to my daughter before. Her previous dance places had been all nice people. Thankfully, I had not seen this teacher the next year. The second year was better, my daughter took two classes: ballet and jazz. Compared to last year, the ballet teacher this year was super nice. She's kind and compassionate. But my daughter recital piece was way too simple. Because of this, she did not like ballet as much as jazz. The jazz teacher was young but talented. She had choreographed quite a nice piece for the 12 girls in her class. My daughter loved going to the jazz class. My daughter would be coming back for her 3rd year in ADA next Fall. She would also be going there for summer camp. She also said she would want to participate in Nutcracker again. Hopefully we have a great experience again.

This "psychic medium" uses a personal medical story (brain surgery) to build trust with those who…read moreare grieving, but the actual service provided was non-specific and felt entirely fabricated She exploits people by claiming she's channeling loved ones. If you want to be closer to your loved ones, this is not the route to take. It's of a dark nature when you allow a stranger to hold your vulnerability and speak on behalf of who you think are your loved ones "coming through". No one has the power to speak for the deceased, and using that claim to take money from grieving families is predatory. Please do not let your emotions be used against you by someone looking for a profit. She may have had a neurological experience from her so called "surgery miracle" but by claiming she has a "gift" she's been able to bypass the con-artist label. The attention-seeking from this manipulator is a complete scam. Be very wary of the claims made on this page. It's a predatory tactic aimed at people in a fragile state. You may think you're getting answers, but she's simply reading you as an individual and telling you what you want to hear. Tara Bonner is nothing short of a crook.

i have seen tara three times now -- twice for energy healing & mediumship, and once for an in-depth…read moretarot reading. she is absolutely wonderful! her energy is incredibly warm, approachable, kind, and welcoming. she is very clear about her process, and her empathy is apparent. before seeing tara i had zero experience with reiki or with mediumship, and i truly had no idea what to expect. in my first session (i told her NOTHING about why i had come to see her), she blew me away by noting several issues that there was absolutely *no* way she could have known -- including one real showstopper. i absolutely recommend visiting tara, even if you are new to energy healing and/or mediumship and/or tarot. she takes care to explain everything and is very insightful. i have left all three visits feeling lighter, calmer, very seen/understood, and extremely supported. tara is an absolute gem!

Erik and Consuelo are great salsa teachers. The ladies will love it. Best place for salsa lessons…read morein south Austin

Just finished my first private salsa lesson with Erik, and I can't stop smiling! The new studio…read morespace off of North Lamar is airy and pleasant, with wonderful light but a private feel. Erik has a splendid teaching style that really put me at ease and felt very natural to understand. Of course, he started the lesson asking what I was looking to get out of it, and he truly delivered! It was the perfect combination of technique that I needed and some really fun partner dancing where we focused on how to follow a lead. I would definitely recommend a private lesson to anyone playing with the idea. I look forward to all that Impulso dance studio has to offer!

John Maverick = silly, goofy, awesome magician!…read more We hired Mr Maverick for our daughter's 4th magical fairy birthday and let me tell you...his magic tricks were great! The kids ate it up...lots of comedy in his act and the parents enjoyed it just as much as the kiddos. But his best trick by far was the fact that he kept 20 four year olds engaged, seated on a blanket, laughing non-stop and totally amazed for 30 whole minutes! David Copperfield couldn't do that. This guy is GREAT! Highly recommend.

This is someone who I have worked with for a number of years. He keeps an audience engaged like…read morefew can do. His skilled talents span many venues and items all across Central Texas, from his ghost tours, to his top notch performances at a renaissance faire, which pack the seats like few can do. If I were to put what I think of his shows in a few words: Timeless and inspiring is what I would state.