-----Adding to address Annie's comment below: Annie - if…read moreindeed you want to apply consistency across all performers, then when we fly in for the performance on Sunday we will join the show just like a number of other caucasian ensemble performers who had lower attendance and are still being allowed on stage. I plan to have my video on, so will record any interactions in which we're stopped from going on stage, and point to the caucasian students who have missed tech rehearsals this week yet still being allowed on stage. If paam is keeping our money, then we are performing on Sunday. Paam can also issue a refund and we'll be happy to go separate ways. But Paam does not get to take all our money and disallow us to be on stage yet allow others to be on stage who have lower attendance than our kids. Appreciate you doing the right thing. -----Original post: Our experience with the Performing Arts Academy of Marin (PAAM) has been deeply disappointing -- both in terms of fairness and the overall learning outcomes. The program feels heavily commercialized, prioritizing revenue over education or student experience. Tuition is extremely high for what ultimately amounts to very limited technical instruction, the pressure of buying vanity products aimed at parents who think their kids a star is everywhere, and the refund/credit policies are rigid to the point of being unreasonable. I've never written about race or discrimination in a review before, but I feel obligated to address it here because it has affected my daughters repeatedly. In the lyrical squad, choreography has been super simple and non-technical, yet cast placements have shown a clear pattern: the same Caucasian dancers are routinely placed front and center, while my older daughter -- who is a good dancer but not Caucasian -- is continually placed in the back or off to the far side. My younger daughter was once put in the front purely due to her small size in a formation, but it wasn't part of any fair or rotating system that would give all dancers a chance to shine. The final straw has been this: Multiple Caucasian dancers have been allowed to miss tech rehearsals and still participate in shows. Meanwhile, my daughters, who need to miss a single 24-hour window for a required ski team race and assessment (and for which we arranged to return early at significant cost of flying in, tickets already purchased), were told just 3 days before that they would not be allowed to perform once they fly in -- despite knowing their choreography thoroughly and being disciplined, capable dancers. The rigidity applied to them simply hasn't been applied to others. The pattern is painful to watch as a parent. It's demoralizing for kids who have worked hard and earned their place on stage. It's their right and not someone's at the front desk to strip them of who doesn't even see them. At the start of the year parents also receive an extremely one-sided agreement through DocuSign -- which I declined to sign because it was so imbalanced. I can't say I'm surprised. But it is disheartening to pay thousands of dollars for a program that delivers minimal instruction, selectively enforces rules for preferential kids, and ultimately allows discriminatory dynamics to persist. I wish our experience had been different, but based on what we've seen, I cannot recommend PAAM for families seeking a fair, inclusive, or educationally meaningful dance program.

I've sent my daughter here for the Holiday Spectacular one year and she loved it. However, I signed…read moreher up again and she didn't want to go again a year later and was scared to go. I'm not sure why but she said it was scary and wouldn't enter the studio. The holiday spectacular, while adorable-but can be very intense for smaller children. The (little) girls are all expected to wear makeup; such as mascara, rouge and lipstick, which some people may not want their kids to wear under a certain age. The performances are cute, but about 50 kids on stage. Pros: Nice facilities, clean, on trend dance classes (I.e Taylor Swift or Wicked/what's on broadway). Sweet teachers. Cons: Lots of marketing pressure to sign up for classes or your kid won't get into their dance class. Pressure to sign up when is opens or not in. $40 fee just to change a class even if you made a mistake. Their refund policy is not family friendly. I really tried to get my daughter (6) to go into dance class, but she was having anxiety about going. She was scared about going to a new class with new people and just wouldn't go in. This particular performance has about 50 little 6 year olds tap dancing or doing hip hop on stage and a wait list. So, it was a very popular class. However they don't offer refunds. The cost for a semester (Jan-May) is about $700 for a weekly lesson + performance. I think it's just something you should be aware of when signing up to send your kid here is that you may not get any funds back if they can't go for any reason. (Anxiety, injury, work/childcare issues etc.) So, perhaps think about this before you sign up. Recommendation: don't pressure parents so much on sign up day to get into the classes and then don't offer refunds. Offer more "try before you buy" options or options for little girls who might be more hesitant to try new things.

Dance Arts is the best! The teachers and staff are always warm and welcoming, and their…read moreprofessional instruction is amazing. It's a always a joy to take dance classes there to improve my dance skills.

I've been to Dance Arts many times over the years for private lessons, and did it again this past…read moremonth. It is always an awesome experience because the facility is quite nice and recently remodeled, and the teachers are all consistently terrific. Seth was our dance instructor, and he is very personable and a wonderful instructor so it was a pleasure to work with him. And it seems like everyone is very competent and friendly. The owner Joanne is an incredible teacher, and a very nice personality, so in summary it's just a pleasure to be there, and I love this place!

I can appreciate that my local neighborhood has a dance studio so close to my home in Cordelia! We…read morehave been coming here for 2 years. Through that time the staff has been amazing. Madi has worked with multiple instructors and we appreciate each and every one of them. They each have unique way of working with the dancers and they are passionate about what they do. They are all incredibly talented including The competition teams. They offer summer and spring camps. They also offer weeks to tryout multiple styles of dance and get an opportunity to see what your kid likes! We have done Hip Hop and are currently in Acro Techniques and Musical Theatre. This studio has personally built confidence, strength, balance, character, speed and even social skills and etiquette in my daughter .

At first they were very prompt with emails. My daughter was extremely excited to trial her first…read morehip hop class. I rearranged my schedule to drive from vacaville to Fairfield.... Took me an hour round trip. I showed up at 945 with class 10-1045. No one every showed up. Multiple families waiting outside. Then an obviously enrolled family came up saying I just got a text today has been cancelled. No emails text or phone call notifying us. No professionalism. Very inconsiderate of people's time. I was beyond frustrated & usually I'm very flexible when things happen. I emailed them letting them know what happened & still no reply. Unbelievable.

My 3-year-old daughter and I absolutely love this school! I did a lot of research into ballet…read moreschools and this one was my pick because it's the most developmentally appropriate for toddlers and preschoolers. Ballet positions and moves are taught through imitating animals, talking about food, and story telling, and props are used to keep little hands from flailing about. My daughter loves the aesthetic of this school. Everything is pretty and pastel (even the hand soap in the bathroom is pink!) and her teacher is always well-presented in dance attire. She also loves the warm up butterfly dance and practices that the most at home!

5 stars for wonderful teachers and really fun classes that my child enjoys so much. We love this…read moreschool a lot. -2 stars because it's become clear to us that none of the teachers are willing to maintain a respectful environment for little dancers to learn. The teachers are all very positive all the time (lovely! yes nurturing teaching!) but they all pretend not to notice when a child or several children (not babies or toddlers) are completely ruining a class by screaming, throwing themselves on the floor, or leaving every couple of minutes for a sip of water. The distractions are endless sometimes. This is a huge shame for kids who actually want to hear their teacher and be present in the dance classroom. Some kids have a hard time focussing when other students are cutting off the teacher non-stop. The teachers also fail to shut down loud conversations in the waiting area. Adults and other children watching the classes all too frequently talk loudly, eat loud snacks, run around wildly, or cry (baby and toddler siblings). The culture at this school is so fake positive that it ignores how stressful it can be for parents who want to watch their children dance and, most importantly, for kids whose learning is constantly interrupted by loud people in the waiting area. There is a nice space outside at the front of the school for people to excuse themselves, but the rudest people rarely do, and the teachers NEVER ask them to take a moment outside. Please PLEASE fix this problem so we can continue loving this school and recommending it to all of our friends with young children. My child has taken class from almost every teacher here, and we really do love it, but this is a problem that will likely send us to another school in the not too distant future if it's not resolved.

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.

Our dance lesson with Cynthia was great! My fiancé and I had no clue about social dancing prior to…read moreour 2h lesson - but we felt very comfortable afterwards that the first dance at our wedding was going to be successful. Cynthia gave us a call prior to booking our lesson to go over her process and get more information about us and our wedding plans. She suggested that we pick a few songs that we potentially would like to dance to (since we didn't have one yet), but this was the only homework prior to the lesson. During the lesson we started with proper technique - how to lead, turn, feedback on things we were doing wrong and tips on what will look good in photos. Then we played the couple of songs we had picked and danced to them. This helped us make a choice very quickly! During the rest of the lesson we came up with a "choreography" to our song so that we knew what to do during our big day. After the lesson, Cynthia followed up with lots of photos of us dancing as well as written out details of our dance. This was super helpful so that we could practice at home!

My fiancé and I had such an amazing experience with Cynthia as we prepared for our first dance at…read moreour upcoming wedding! She was incredibly fun, energetic, and made us feel totally comfortable right from the start. Neither of us had much dance experience but her guidance and encouragement made it easy to follow along! I also loved how she takes pictures along the way to show us how the two of us would photograph, it was extremely helpful! I would highly recommend Cynthia to any couple looking to make their first dance extra special!

My daughter has been taking ballet lessons with Ms. Jacqueline since she 3 yrs old. I initially…read moreenrolled her in the mobile class that would come to her preschool once a week. Since then, shes done Ms. Jacqueline's more traditional lessons in her private home studio, as well as the summer ballet camp . Over the past 2 years, I have seen my child go from a very shy, 3 year old into a confident kindergartener who loves telling others that she does ballet. Life can become hectic & demanding as a single mother, but Jacqueline has been nothing but generous and patient. I would definitely recommend the Joy of Dance Ballet School to a friend!

What an amazing experience for children!! Both of my daughters have taken dance classes and camps…read morewith Ms. Jacqueline and we are so blessed! Ms. Jacqueline is absolutely magical. She takes the time to get to know each child and seeing their development and progress is nothing short of amazing. We love Ms. Jacqueline and look forward to each class!!!!

The people in charge of this establishment should be ashamed of themselves…read more My son is a 13 years old professional recording artist who lives and goes to school in Marin County. Our school's music director reached out to me asking if my son could help the Stapleton School. Apparently, they were in need of a pianist who could provide musical accompaniment for a ballet recital. I was put in touch with Isabella Qureshi who is the Director of Stapleton's Theatre Division. Isabella began an email thread communicating with us daily to ensure that my son would be able to fulfill their request. I explained to Isabella that despite being only 13 years old, that my son is an advanced pianist who has both competed as a state finalist in the MTAC program and was also the recipient of the Marin Music Chest Scholarship (he won in his first year of eligibility.) After receiving the sheet music, my son set out to learn the pieces. We were sent 4 individual piano pieces. I should mention that my son is actively involved in numerous recording engagements and live performances throughout the U.S. While my son was willing to take on this request for help on behalf of the Stapleton School, by no means was it convenient to do so. My son dedicated time every evening to learning these pieces in order to get them performance ready. This was after completing all his school work and other responsibilities. By no means was this effortless, he spent about 2 weeks overall in preparation for the event. A couple days before the performance date, I receive an email from someone named, Janell McFarland stating how "small changes can really confuse the kids" and "thank you for your offer." First of all, we didn't offer, we were specifically asked to help the Stapleton School in their "time of need." Second, is this how you conduct business on a regular basis? What a shame! You could have used this as an opportunity to build relations within your community. Instead, your flippant disregard for a young man's commitment and dedication has left us disenchanted. I'd like the Stapleton School to know that I share this experience with everyone who mentions your name.

Recently saw Stapleton's Swan Lake ballet at the San Anselmo Playhouse. I was blown away by the…read moreprofessionalism and poise of the dancers. They all seemed to love to dance and obviously have really great teachers. The costumes were lovely, the music beautiful and all in all a thoroughly enjoyable performance! Thank you!

After coming back nearly 10 years later (post-child rearing and COVID) I'm both delighted and…read morerelieved that ODC continues to be the vibrant community for dance and movement that it's always been. The teachers remain outstanding, and because it's tricky for me to have a regular routine, I love the flexibility of all the different offerings. And there really is nowhere else where you can feel like everyone is welcome - no matter age, size or ability. And at such affordable prices! I'm addicted to Rhythm & Motion (where the music remains fresh, while some old classics allow me to remember some of the moves from years ago), but I've also loved the other classes I've tried, from Pilates to strength-training. I'm also really going to try to make that hip-hop class...;)

HIP HOP CLASSES I…read morelive in the East Bay, but work in San Francisco. ODC is one of two dance facilities in San Francisco I've been to that are walking distance to the Bart stations. After work I would go to ODC on certain days. I've been taking hip hop classes since 2007 at ODC. Almost 100% of the hip hop classes I enrolled are taught my Micaya. What I love about ODC is the studios aren't dark inside. Also the studios are spacious enough where you don't feel cramped. Even though I've taken hip hop classes for almost 20 years at ODC it doesn't feel dated. The one complaint I would make is regards to Studio B, which is where I take hip hop classes. Most of the studios downstairs have wooden floors however upstairs inside Studio B the Marley floor has too much grip or can be sticky. I'm surprised that throughout the years I haven't twisted my ankle or knee. Despite the Marley floor I enjoy taking hip hop classes at ODC.

amazing, learned so much. I would recommend to anyone who wants to advance holistic health…read moreunderstanding or get into the field

It has been several years since my experience at AIM and I am still grateful for all of it. My…read moreprimary care physician is a graduate and speaker there and so is my osteopath who still assists there. Both are important friends to me. The unkind and judgmental words---directed at me personally---from John B. of Oregon in his AIM review indicates the lack of empathy, sympathy, or understanding that another human being can have for another. I do not hold anyone at AIM responsible for the cruel attacks attempting to discredit another person's experience. I am happy that most students benefit greatly from Francesca's program. She has built noteworthy institutions in both the Academy of Intuition Medicine and Energy Medicine University. I admire her accomplishments and even mentioned her university favorably in my novel series. Something that could help others be more sensitive to and possibly grow in knowledge in is the misconception that the human ego is somehow negative or bad---as John B. chose to denote. In my experience, ego is an essential part of our being and absolutely necessary for soular development and eventual spiritual ascension . . . with a refined ego. I am sorry that my observations and personal experience triggers anger in some to the point where they feel berating and putting down another is the right course of action. It, of course, is not. Making assumptions based on ignorance hurts people. That would be the second thing a healer should know. The first . . . kindness helps people. John B. and Jean T. of Fairfax, who both wrote defensive reviews that misconstrued my words, who do not know what happened, who do not know me at all, made substantially wrong conclusions about my intentions and my actual statements. It is as if they didn't read my review at all and produced some alternate interpretation to exhaust their resentment to my experience which differed from theirs. The teachings and curriculum are just fine. Nothing cultish there. It is the cult-like devotion I witnessed every class meeting by the teaching assistants telling me all the various ways Francesca knows what is going on with each student---even in their private lives. I have always and continue to be open to any opportunity to learn . . . from any source. The large quantities of e-mails, materials, and coursework I received at the Academy was fascinating and I read everything I was provided. Learning for me is not mutually exclusive . . . it is a way of life to gather knowledge, to learn all there is to learn. It would have been nice to receive my MIM diploma, because I like to finish what I start. But, I was not given that choice. Francesca told me many times that "you are too advanced for this program." If anyone knows Francesca, they would know she never patronizes nor says anything she doesn't think is true. And, how many of you have ever heard Francesca repeat herself many times in the same conversation? That was the first and only time I've witnessed it. It saddens me that people didn't accept that Francesca might be right in her assertion about me. Somehow, some think the very notion of being too advanced is impossible ergo a white lie said to pacify a rebel egotist. According to several AIM graduates I've bumped into after my Yelp reviews came out, some things did in fact change at the Academy. This was my reason for the review, to help create positive change. It is good to hear that John B's class benefited years later. I imagine a world that does not merely tolerate differences. I imagine a people who see the pain of others and offer a space of kindness where true understanding can flourish. I had made an error in assuming AIM was one such possible haven. Consequently, I was the one who had been hurt back then. Quite a few people have written to me via Yelp commending me for my reviews of AIM depicting their same experiences accurately. I was well liked and respected by my fellow classmates. It was one teacher assistant and the instructor who resented me for asking a few innocent questions. I was openly punished and told, "if I don't trust her wisdom then I'd better leave." So, I accepted her punishment, kept quiet, and opted to willingly comply . . . yet, I was still eventually expelled. I was later called by my AIM mentor and told to ingratiate myself and beg to be reinstated to earn my spot back in the Masters program, because the same thing had happened to him and that was what he did. His apparent transference involved belittling me and invalidating Francesca's statements about my being too advanced for the Masters program. If John B. represents even a tiny percentage of how AIM people think and feel, it is case in point for my disappointment in the discovery that some intuitive healers are not spiritual, at all. Which I suppose is the main talking point the others are making---AIM teaches energy medicine, not spirituality. This happens to be my exact same point as well. Update 0019 Feel.