Let me start with this: I need to eat my humble pie…read more I chanced upon this school years ago (old location, pre pandemic) - took some classes and was underwhelemed because it was a bit different from what I was used to. Then, I enrolled my child here. I watched their improvement and growth in dance. Guidance and corrections sprinkled with love and kindness. I watched advanced students perform and showcase their OWN work and was blown away by their talent. Suffice to say, comparision is the thief of joy and clearsighted-ness. You need to understand the environment before even making a comment or judgement. Also, and this is VERY important - - I LOVE and APPRECIATE that their advanced students dont have a homogenous "look". They come in all heights, shapes and sizes. One of my biggest fears about classical ballet schools/non competition dance schools is that you will see a clear "standard look" once you go past a certain level. I cant imagine how jarring that might be for an impressionable child who is growing into their body. I feel that seeing that GOOD dancers can come in all shapes and sizes is a testament on its own and a quiet, but powerful positive message that gets relayed to the younger students. Thankful to be part of this community! Thank you to the admin and staff for making this community welcoming and safe on top having a wonderful space to learn and grow as a dancer/performer!

We came to this dance school by word of mouth. And we are so glad that we had!…read more We took a 30-min private lesson ($35) to access which class would fit her best and tried the creative dance class! At Dance Connection Performing Arts Center in Concord, our 3.5 yo daughter was escorted a number of times out of her intro to ballet and tap class for 2.5 to 4 yo for "not listening." So we ditched that studio and tried this one! (But we did try a kinder teacher at DCPAC before leaving.) The Creative Dance class (single drop-in for $25, 10-class pack for $185) at The Ballet School is perfect for her, especially since she has a slow-to-warm-up temperament and is sensitive to loud sounds (ie. music, flushing toilets, leaf blowers, etc.). The value for these drop-in creative dance classes is excellent because we are willing to pay a few dollars more for our little one to have a positive experience with dance. Drop-in means that they are understanding that some days the littles aren't having a good enough day to join class and/or sick. (Btw, $45 one-time registration fee) Regarding the rest of the school, I can tell that there is a huge selection of classes including music. As a music teacher working at a music academy, I can't access the quality. However, I know there is a department near the entrance way. If you haven't tried this school, just know it supports Healthy Dance, and are a part of Dance Awareness: No Child Exploited. This was a huge factor of why we chose this school for our daughter.

My 11 year old has worked with Joe for about 6 months now and has flourished in both his playing…read moreability and in his interest in piano. Joe is great because he is patient, can teach difficult theory in a manner my son can comprehend, and overall a caring instructor. I would HIGHLY recommend Joe to anyone interested in piano instruction for themselves or for their children.

I'm an Adult student in a late-intermediate level. In recent, I need to find a new teacher who can…read moreteach in advance level for performance. I have found Dr. Joseph Irrera who is a Concert Pianist and Steinway Artist. We communicated via phone about all my past learning path including when I've started learning piano, the classical pieces I have learned and time spent as well as my expectations. I further wrote him an email in couple pages and with several attachments of my previous exam reports, upcoming Exam syllabus, he was so patience and read all those background, comments histories and exam information. He offered me a free meeting to further understand each other. During our first meeting, I played couple pieces including a Baroque and a Classical Repertoires, a Post romantic Repertoire and a Contemporary Jazz piece. He saw some issues, taught me right away, he corrected my hand shape positions and precise paneling technique. I applied his coaching, practicing at home, already found an improvement in sound quality. I can't wait to have our first class soon. Can't wait to see more improvements upcoming...

Sorry to see that this venue has gone out of business. We enjoyed it while it was there.read more

"Boil, Boil, Toil and Trouble."…read more I had the good fortune of seeing "Macbeth" recently, on a warm summer evening. The theater is just a short (and beautiful!) walk up the hill, but they have a free shuttle if you prefer to ride. The resident dramaturge, Philippa Kelly, gives a scholarly lecture before the show. She set the historical context for the play. I appreciated getting the background on Macbeth, and especially the purpose of the 3 witches. The amphitheater is a comfortable venue, and suits either the comedies or the tragedies. (I have seen both here.) For Macbeth, the stage had clear partitions, behind which the characters (and the witches) could traverse. This was also a handy place for the witches to toss "blood" in several scenes. I sort of knew it was coming, but the red gore still had a big impact on me. I thoroughly enjoyed the performance of Macbeth. The actors had clearly studied hard, and the play was professionally executed. I was especially impressed with Lady Macbeth, played by Liz Sklar. Of course, she has a meaty role, sleepwalking in one scene, and trying to get the blood off her hands in another. For cold nights, the staff has blankets for a nominal charge. I was delighted to also see many food options, as well as beer and wine. There are lots of wood tables to sit at and enjoy your meal. The only criticism I have is that for Macbeth the audio was spotty in a few places. For instance, the loud, background effects drowned out the 3 witches in one scene. I thought the ticket was pricey, but of course, buying a season pass is a better value.

Langley is skilled and additionally a genuinely nice guy as well as being communicative and…read moreprofessional. We are absolutely lucky to have someone local that does such quality work - this is the guy.

I can't say enough good things about my experience with Langley at Chasing Tone. Incredibly…read moregracious with his time. I had some fret buzzing on a higher end acoustic. He made time for me same day. Walked me through all his suggestions to fix the issue and factored those to my playing style. Price was absolutely fair and he had it dialed in and ready for pick up the next day. Beyond fixing the guitar his willingness to let me pick his brain on all things guitar was a value in itself. Having a resource like Langley with a wealth of experience and a willingness to share his knowledge is invaluable for guitar enthusiasts!

Our daughter has been a student of Eri's for 5 years, since she was 7. During this time she's made…read moregreat strides in her playing ability; we're really pleased with her growth. As an instructor, Eri does a great job keeping her students on track. Her expectations are high for her students and she holds them to account, but she's also very warm and supportive. She establishes a nice rapport with her students and clearly wants them to succeed. From a technical perspective Eri's credentials are impeccable, she's a classically trained pianist and really knows her stuff. If you are looking for your child to learn both piano, but also broader lessons of practice, discipline and focus, they will get all these things with Eri.

After doing research for a new piano, I settled on Steinway and Son's Boston GP-163. I contacted…read moreour local Steinway and son's location via email and was contacted by Justin. He was wonderful. He understood thru my emails as to what I was looking for and was able to communicate clearly about each piano. When I asked if he had the one I had finally settled on in stock, he made sure it would be in the store and available for my to see on the date of our appointment. Justin answered my questions, gave me private time to play the piano and to decide if it would be the right one for me. He helped me to also find a great place for my old piano to continue on a new journey of it's own. He has a passion for music and he knows how important it is for his clients to find the right piano. Needless to say my new piano is continuing to bring joy to me every time I sit down to play. Forever grateful for Justin's help in making my dream come true.

Justin Levitt was amazing. He was helpful when we were checking out pianos, player pianos, and…read morecasters. It is rare that you find customer service so knowledgeable and helpful. His love of music and wanting to share it was laudable. Highly recommend Justin and Steinway Pianos!

One of the best Obon festivals in the Bay Area! There are a large variety of delicious foods for…read moresale; tempura, sushi, udon, beef teriyaki skewers, gyoza, chicken teriyaki, shave ice, baked goods, hot dogs, drinks. Entertainment includes judo, kendo, cooking and ikenobo demonstrations, taiko, children's games, Japanese dancing and Obon dancing. This has been a Concord community tradition for over 50 years.

It has been probably well over 10 years since I last attended the Obon festival at the Diablo…read moreJapanese American Club in Concord. I saw an Instagram announcing the festival which happened to be on a weekend that wasn't going to be too hot. A perfect opportunity. The festival is in a location that is in the middle of several neighborhoods and the city allows parking on the north side of Treat. Even with the large crowds the parking is abundant in the nearby neighborhoods and on Treat. We parked a short less than 5 minute walk away. The festival had a variety of food: Teriyaki Chicken Meal, Beef Teriyaki, Gyoza, Tempura, Sushi, Hot Dogs, Shaved Ice and Desserts. They had games for the kids, tours of the temple and a gift shop. Unfortunately I had an unsettled stomach so I was only able to try the Teriyaki Beef and some Desserts. The beef was tasty, small pieces and cooked well done so a bit toward the drier side. The cookies and brownie were chewy and delicious. I also tried the peanut brittle which was light, buttery and not overly sweet. I'm looking forward to next year so I can try the Tempura and Gyoza along with the Desserts. Fun outdoor event with food that supports a worthy cause. No entrance or parking fees in an easily accessible venue.

Best guitar teacher I ever had. Authentic human and musician. Made me feel like I could play…read moreflamenco without having to front like I was some kind of gypsy king wannabe. Very reasonable rates and was willing to meet at my place for lessons.

I came to Gopal as a total beginner, having only taken a flamenco guitar lesson here or there from…read moreother teachers. Flamenco is a daunting world, but Gopal does a wonderful job of breaking a new student into it smoothly so as not to overwhelm, with simple but engaging lessons. Having invested time studying Flamenco in Spain, he has a deep knowledge of traditional material, and also the practices and culture behind it, so you get to learn the fascinating context of the music you are playing. If you are interested in modern flamenco, he is also versed in that. I have seen Gopal perform, within the context of other guitarists at a high-end Flamenco festival, and he is outstanding solo and as accompaniment for singer and dancer. He really knows how the relationship between singer, dancer, and guitarist should work, which for me is one of the most difficult but alluring parts of flamenco. Though I am a beginner, I am confident Gopal would be a brilliant teacher for someone who is already at an advanced level.