I'll start off by sharing a positive experience I had at The Studio Seattle, which was getting to…read morelearn from Hailey Henderson. Hailey is as excellent of an instructor as she is an actor. She clearly loves teaching and is incredibly knowledgeable about acting theory and applications. Hailey has high expectations for her learners and is also deeply compassionate, a perfect combination for creating an effective learning environment. I am immensely grateful to have been able to learn with her. Hailey is the primary instructor for The Studio Seattle, whereas Andrew Tsao is the artistic director and founder. Andrew was going to cover the last several weeks of classes in my Acting Foundations 2 class series, and prior to this he co-taught a class with Hailey. In this class, Andrew had us participate in exercises where we would be improvising interactions with a scene partner. These scenes were meant to be highly realistic- we were playing ourselves and had similar relationships to each other as we do in real life. Our objectives and given circumstances were given to us individually, without our scene partner's (or the class's) knowledge. In one scene, Andrew had one of our male classmates play the role of a sexual predator towards not one, but two of our classmates. When his scene partner responded to his unwanted advances authentically, by attempting to distract the perpetrator and leave, Andrew told her that she was responding incorrectly and that should/would in fact "fight". He also told her that her "avoidance" would be a hindrance to her as an actor. In another scene, part of the given circumstances was that one of my classmates had had an abortion. I followed up with Andrew expressing my concern that not one, but two extremely sensitive topics, particularly for women, were chosen for these exercises. I stated that that the nature of the exercises required us to be ourselves, thereby increasing the level of sensitivity and creating a high potentiality for trauma/re-traumatization. I acknowledged that while actors do work with difficult content, we get to choose and consent to this, which was not an option in this situation (since we did not know our scene partner's backgrounds or objectives). I stated my expectation that content will be more thoughtfully chosen for these exercises moving forward and that learners be made more fully aware of their options. Andrew's initial response acknowledged that he could have been more thoughtful in ensuring everyone was aware that they could opt out of the exercises. He did not address my concerns over the nature of the content itself, other than implying that more experienced actors would have been fine with the content (I have since heard from multiple other acting instructors that this is not at all the case). I responded by saying that I appreciated his effort to improve transparency around opting out of exercises moving forward. I again stated my concern over the content itself, particularly as it relates to women, and expressed skepticism that more experienced actors would have been fine with the content. Overall, I felt like my concerns were dismissed. Andrew responded by disinviting me to continue attending classes at The Studio Seattle. Based on my experience, I'm of the opinion that Andrew Tsao is not interested in feedback as it relates to the safety of his students, particularly women. For this reason, I would caution any woman/female person against taking classes at The Studio Seattle.

I have completed Foundations 1 & 2 at The Studio Seattle and cannot speak highly enough about this…read moreprogram and instructors. Alana's deep understanding of theory and process offers the groundwork to feel comfortable and prepared for the deeper work in Foundations 2, while Aaron has a magical way of balancing thoughtful and respectful lessons with a humility and irreverence that creates a joyful space to learn and try new things. Thank you, Andrew for creating a welcoming, enriching, and intensive space in Seattle.

Sundust Oracle Institute changed my life. I studied with Char for many years, and because of the…read moreteachings and community dynamic, I have been able to heal a lot of old wounds. Char always made me feel safe to go deep into the emotional work that I needed to do, and I would trust her with my life. Char really provided a space for me to flourish and go after the dreams that I had been wanting. She taught me a lot about the nature of love, and the power of leadership. It's because of Char and the Sundust Oracle community that I know transformation is possible.

Where do I begin with my gratitudes? Char Sundust is an empowering and illuminating Teacher,…read moreMentor, Visionary, Healer, and Warrior. I came to Char at the age of 23 ready to dive into my spiritual gifts and talents. As I started the work I was bombarded with my trauma from childhood and Char held the safe space. Essentially she became one of the only people I could trust to see me for who I am. She meets you where you are and leans into curiosity and listening! After a decade with her, I am still in her classes, and I learn from each moment with her. An incredibly gifted Teacher and Mentor, if you are looking for a supportive authentic empowered teacher, Char may be it! She aligns with cultural appreciation and always gives credit where credit is due! She is a valuable source of love, light, and healing!

I swam at Wedgwood Swim Club for 12 years as an away swimmer through the Seattle Summer Swim League…read more(SSSL) approximately 1999 to 2010. My Grandad lived in Wedgwood, and my parents, my sister, and I lived in Innis Arden. So it was fun coming to swim here because my Grandad lived near the pool (now my sister owns the house) and would come to see me swim. So Wedgwood has always felt like a home-away-from-home pool to swim at for me. The pool deck stands out in my mind from the other SSSL swim team pools because of its smooth texture. Concessions were well run and locker rooms well maintained during swim meets. The amount of grass/sitting room is good for dual swim meets (two teams competing) but could get very crowded for the end of the season events such as Prelims, Northerns, and All Cities. The tiered grassy area made viewing the pool during races comparatively easy, though the edges of the pool were typically lined with spectators so we didn't always see the end/turns of every race. All around fond memories of swimming here both in terms of family and competitive sporting events.

If there's one thing I always tell young families...or even couples when they move into the View…read moreRidge/Wedgwood neighborhoods of Seattle is to put your name on the wait lists for the local community pools. Now. Had someone given us that advice upon moving into NE Seattle, we might have had an opportunity to get into the View Ridge or Wedgwood Swim Clubs when our children were actually interested in being at the pool during the summer. Unfortunately that was not to happen. When we finally did have kids and finally did think to put our names on the wait list for these swim clubs, we were jarred to learn that the wait was a decade or more. I kid you not. Each spring we would get an update from both swim clubs altering us to our status on their wait list and every year we would look at each other and ask why no one gave us advice to get our names on the lists earlier. The lists moved in an excruciatingly slow manner, sometimes opening up fewer than a dozen new slots a year. In 2009, at the absolute height of the economic depression, we were finally notified by the Wedgwood Swim Club that our family was eligible to join and we were given a week to decide if we wanted to plunk down the $1700 it would cost ($1000 for membership and $700 for dues). Talk about being between a rock and a hard place. Spend $1700 that we really didn't have at that point, or lose our slot that we had been waiting on for a decade. Pay now or go back to the end of the line. Ultimately we decided to buck up and join and we really did enjoy that first summer. The weather was great, the kids were still young enough to want to hang out with their parents and, the novelty of belonging to a pool was still fresh. But, by the summer of 2011, our attendance at the pool had dropped precipitously. It took a very long time for summer to actually arrive in 2011 and combined with summer camps and other activities, I estimate that we only used the pool a total of 10 times all summer. That's $70 per swim based upon our $700 dues. Talk about a bad investment! The situation repeated itself in 2012, so when it came time to re-up our membership in 2013, we opted out. Our decade+ long wait to become members was over with a whimper after just four years. Our disappointing run at the Wedgwood Swim Club was not a reflection on the pool or community in any way. It had more to do with crappy summer weather and the fact that our kids were older and interested in other activities by the time we became members. In fact, I only have praise for the Wedgwood Swim Club. First of all, the facility is great. The pool is spacious, clean and warm. The clubhouse can be rented for a low fee for private parties. The locker rooms are clean. The staff, both year round and summer is terrific. The Board of Directors takes their job seriously and is committed to making sure the facility is around for decades to come. Everyone does a great job communicating to the membership. There are BBQ's available for picnicking and there are many community events throughout the summer, from swim meets to pie eating contests. It's really too bad that the Wedgwood pool didn't work out better for my family. Had we known about the wait list and had we become members when our kids were younger, including getting them on the swim team at a young age, we undoubtedly would have gotten more out of the pool. Pro Tip: The Wedgwood Swim Club offers swimming lessons to members and non-members alike throughout the summer. It's a great option for anyone who lives in NE Seattle.

Seven Star has a holistic approach to Tarot which focuses on the true nature of the recipient…read more Questions about things like work and relationships are answered through a look at your own egoic and emotional dependencies upon the question. No simple answers here. She manages to translate this well into course work as well by having us do our own inner journey through the cards. I am taking the first course now, if you take it (you should), I suggest you come by yourself, allow the anonymity of the group work to open you. And bring a deck you are in love with, you will be getting quite intimate with it. Thank you Seven Star, I will be taking this entire series.

Impressive. Professional. Accurate…read more I am very familiar with many types of tarot readings and styles. I am also a profound skeptic, (Wait, don't those two things have to be mutually exclusive? Hmmm, maybe, let's just say regardless I am profoundly impressed with Seven Star as a professional and with the results of our session together.) Seven Star did a reading for me 2 months ago. She was open and engaging and helpful in getting me to the root of what I was really wrestling with. She was very clear and direct in what she was seeing and there was no leading me or redirecting me. Without going into personal details she was 100% dead accurate at the time and still two months out. I do not know a person I have ever worked with in this or any other counseling type situation that I could recommend higher. ~David

We absolutely love Swim Guru! I love that they focus on survival skills and my 4 year old and two…read moreyear old have legit learned to swim with the beginner package! All the instructors are fantastic!!

We couldn't be more thrilled with our experience at Swim Guru. My 3.5 year old son's skills have…read morejust taken off and he is so much more confident, safe, and having a blast too!

This location for Literacy Source has been here for almost a year. I have been passing by it so…read moremany times, and was finally able to visit them for a volunteer orientation. Many good-hearted people volunteer here with the main focus being adult education. They hold ESL classes, adult basic education classes, Citizenship preparation classes and mock tests, and more. If you know anyone in need to improve their English skills or prepare for a Citizenship test, send them this way. Completely free! And it is a great environment to be in.

My son has gone to chess camp here with Josh 2 years in a row and been extremely happy. Not only…read morehas he gained really good chess skills but loves the environment and he always mentions how much he likes coach Josh and the chess camp. This is coming from a 10 year old who complains mostly so I'm extremely happy. Since he started going to chess camp, chess has become a regular thing we play in our household.

The best chess coaches anywhere. Josh, Jacob, David, & Mr Orlov have been providing chess classes,…read moretournaments, private lessons & camps for many years. I'm truly honored my son has the Opportunity to be apart of this prestigious academy. Not only has my son gained valuable knowledge in chess but also created lifelong friendships. He will continue his chess lessons with The Orlov Academy as long as possible.