As newbies to the symphony world, I didn't think I would know the difference between a good…read moresymphony performance and a bad one. Then I attended a Friday Night Light performance of the Fort Collins Symphony Orchestra. I was there with a group of newbies, and overhead several people saying "wow, they're good". The evening was truly entertaining, and left me wanting to hear more. Sure, the crowd is a little old the older side, but there are more young faces in the crowd than I expected. A night at the symphony followed by a nosh at the Chocolate Cafe is a true FoCo cultural experience.

I had the chance to attend the14th annual Longmont Jazz Festival a few weeks back, put on by the…read moreLongmont Jazz Association. The event takes place under the pavilion in Roosevelt Park and this year was expanded to be a three day event. With a couple of nights of performances at the Dickens Opera House. So the L.J.F. isn't a destination event, meaning that people from all over the country come to Longmont for. But it is still deserving of the attention of any and everyone that loves jazz here in Colorado or is into supporting the local arts scene. LJF is a free event which is great. They have lots of local jazz, Latin jazz and salsa acts from the metro area. This year it was great to see some groups play that I've been wanting to see, like the Adam Bodine Trio, Quemando, the Longmont All Star Jazz Band, etc. Two artists whom I seen perform before t other festivals, Bob Montgomery and Eric Gunnison are always a treat to hear perform and were both excellent at the Longmont Jazz Festival. So this event in my opinion will only continue to grow year after year and I hope that you as well as others will be a part of it by attending. Looking forward to being there again next year!

Let it not be said that a small museum cannot have great impact. While this is far from the Louvre,…read morethe carefully-curated collection here explicitly showcases art that isn't necessarily as widely visible as more 'classical' mediums and forms. The cultural impact of the works presented lends a gravity often diminished by less sincere studies of different cultures' art, and the impact of that visibility on awareness is a massive equalizer. That out of the way, whoever does the curation here has an excellent eye. I spent far longer than I'd expected in the reasonably small museum examining a myriad of intricate details on all kinds of pieces, fro pottery to furniture to paintings and I don't regret a second of it. The aesthetic of the exhibits is all over the place, but that's part of the charm of the museum, and what keeps it from being a massive blur of painting after statue after painting, as larger institutions can become. I look forward to seeing what has rotated out and back in again when next I visit.

I had a day to explore Fort Collins and was happy to find this museum. After walking the near by…read moregarden my Yelp app let me know the museum was nearby. There are several collections and galleries within this small gem of a museum. I enjoyed the variety of artwork on display. I was thrilled to see a few textiles displayed. I am so glad I took the time to experience this museum. The staff was very friendly and helpful suggesting other places to see as well as where to park.

What a wonderful surprise. I had a day to spend exploring Fort Collins…read more The Avery House is a great way to step back in history and learn about the people and families that came before us. The lovely ladies that guide you room by room through the house know the history and have great stories to tell. The architecture of the house is very interesting and the fact that the original details and furnishings are still there is incredible.

I went with a friend to visit Avery House earlier this week. We initially assumed it was going to…read morebe a short interlude in between other Fort Collins attractions, but it turned out to be one of the highlights of our trips! The house itself is stunning; having been beautifully restored to Victorian splendour, it's charmingly reflective of the way its former residents would have lived. But it's the docents who are the real stars here - they're a group of incredibly passionate, lovely people who take every group of visitors around to introduce them personally to both Avery House, and the history of Fort Collins as a city. We especially enjoyed being able to explore and ask questions about all the small details in the house, from the furnishings to the lifestyles and stories behind every item. I would absolutely recommend it to anyone living in, visiting or passing through Fort Collins for how it lets you take a great look at one of the most interesting portions of the city's past.

We were in the balcony and seats were still amazing! Longmont Symphony Orchestra was incredible and…read morethe acoustics are perfect for this type of show.

I'll assume this auditorium was built prior to 1992-93 when greater awareness and consideration was…read moregiven to the many who cannot manage all the stairs. I've been once and have no intention of going again. The stairs were difficult, I was not even aware of an elevator and do not believe it was even in operation at the time I was there. The steps to find seating was difficult, especially in the dim lighting - impossible when the lights were shut. It must be great for students, the very young, those with visual acuity and cushioned bodies. Great parking lot, lovely elevated location, beautiful landscaping and grounds. When it was built the planner never imagined the population explosion to the area.

I love The Studio. They have a great foundation and truly care about each individual student. My…read moredaughter has grown so much as a dancer and a person. They are the best studio in town.

My daughter has been dancing at this studio since she was 3 years old. She is now in 10th grade…read more Sue who works in the office is friendly and helpful and generally gets back to inquiries very quickly if you email. The teachers are wonderful and pour a lot of attention and time into each student. They want them to be successful and give lots of great feedback and offer great instruction. Their summer intensives each year have guest teachers from out of state and some of the studio teachers. This gives the students a chance to learn from other artists who may not teach in the same format they are used to. They also do a performance for the parents at the end of each week of intensive. There is a contemporary intensive and a ballet intensive. They also offer many summer day camps for young ones like fairy princess camp on up to older girls. The fairy princess camp is so much fun! My daughter attended when she was little and went on to be a class helper when she was older. The studio just got new floors this spring. And they are very clean. If you are worried about covid they are taking all kinds of precautions. Small class sizes, x's on floor to mark where students should stand and more. They put on the Nutcracker production each year at the lincoln center and generally do a spring performance as well in addition to the spring showcase where the students get to show off what they have been learning all year. This is a fantastic studio! Highly recommend it if you are looking for a great dance education for your child!

I dance here, and this place to me seems like a home away from home. I have grown so much as a…read moredancer here and I wish that this amazing place continues to grow and thrive.

This is not a place I could recommend to other dance families, particularly, of teens. Laura, is a…read morewonderful, warm, kind instructor but unfortunately, she only teachers teens on Friday. The ballet and company instructor was shockingly rude, unkind and controlling. She called out dancers in front of their peers for wearing skin toned tights even though they had been told this was a perfectly acceptable and welcome practice. She forced a very clearly uncomfortable dancer to remove her skirt for ballet class, even though in the past skirts were apparently always ok. It would have been reasonable, if this was a new expectation, to tell the class that in the future, ballet without skirts would be the new expectation. There are a million reasons a young teenaged girl might not be prepared to remove her skirt for class without any warning. She also criticized my daughter's preference elastics on her pointe shoes. My daughter came out of class tearful after being embarrassed in front of her peers at a new school, in a new class. I went in to get clarification on what had taken place. The teacher was extremely defensive, terse and rude. When I asked about my daughter's pointe shoes she basically told me it didn't matter why they chose to wear the elastics. She didn't like it and wanted them to wear ribbons the way SHE wanted. My daughter has been en pointe for 3 years and knows what feels most supportive for her but this teacher did not care, nor did she even ask. We dropped the ballet class after this and also withdrew from company. In the 11 years we've been involved in dance we've rarely come across such a difficult and abrasive instructor. The second reason I would not recommend this school is the exorbitant cost. Most families are very mindful of the cost of dance, particularly with more than one dancer to support. The last reason I would caution others about Centennial is that our family went through a very drastic life change requiring us to possibly relocate to an area of the state that would simply be too far to make the drive. I had paid approx. $1600 dollars up front (a requirement) . We were only there for almost one month. When I learned about our predicament I asked for the tuition we hadn't used (2 months worth) to be refunded to us. They refused. I explained that it was a hardship to lose nearly $1000 for 2 months we didn't dance. No one returned my subsequent messages and we did not ever receive any of that money back. They claim it is their "policy". I have never come across this in 11 years of dance and moving to different states. Life happens! No one plans these things and we certainly didn't. It was upsetting to be treated so callously. There are many schools in the front range area... please do yourself a favor and pass on this one. Shiny brochures and head shots are not an indicator of a high quality program. Our experience has led us to caution other families who want a kind, supportive, inclusive environment, AND one that honors and respects how hard families work to provide their children with a dance education.

We have been with LDT/CSB for nine years now with three daughters and have loved being a part of…read morethis family. And that's really what it feels like. These kids love and support each other. I have been back stage for many, many performances over the years, and there is so much mutual respect and comraderie. It's beautiful to watch them working together, encouraging each other. We have always felt that the staff of LDT/CSB nailed the balance between letting kids be kids and setting expectations for them to develop as dancers. Our kids feel safe to push themselves and safe to fail here. It's been amazing to watch them grow in their love of dance. As a physician in the community, I have been more than impressed with how they have handled their operations during COVID. They quickly got classes up virtually this spring. When they were able to open this summer, they did so using guidelines that were even more strict than required. I felt totally safe sending my kids to dance there knowing the measures they were taking. Instead of taking the easy road and cancelling their 2020/2021 dance performance season, they went way outside the box and converted to fully filmed performances, including the full Nutcracker. The fact that they are willing to do all this shows how much they love their dancers and the arts and Longmont.