We moved to Allegro this dance season from another local studio at the recommendation of a friend…read morewhen I expressed that we were looking for a studio that would push our daughter a little more than the one she was previously with. Allegro has been amazing! It feels like a family and second home for my daughter and there is so much room for her to grow with Allegro as she ages. Lovely teachers, the owner is always friendly and present and checks on the classes, students, and parents. We love it at Allegro and will be there for years to come.

LOVE! My now 13…read moreyear old daughter has danced with Allegro since we moved to WA when she was 9 :) The atmosphere at Allegro is bustling and vibrant. We absolutely love the owner, staff, and teachers and communication with parents is excellent. I would recommend to those who are wanting to dance at any level from recreational to those with processional aspirations. My daughter has received top training and has had the most incredible teachers over the years!! She trains in every style offered and I fully believe she'd live at the studio if possible :D Additionally I recommend checking out their amazing competition team program. A BIG thing I love is that they offer sensory friendly performances and have a beautiful danceABLE program. I really don't feel there is anywhere else like Allegro in WA state. Thank you Allegro for being my daughter's home away from home.

Got to catch the dress rehearsal of Emergence last night, and I've got to hand it to Pacific…read moreNorthwest Ballet, they really know how to pull people into their world. Before the show, they hosted a discussion with the director and production team, giving the audience a chance to ask questions and get a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process and how everything comes together (which seems so intense!). Honestly, such a cool way to make ballet more accessible and get people interested in the performing arts. For a suggested donation of $25, you get to meet the crew, ask your burning questions (like, how do they make it look so effortless?), and then watch the full dress rehearsal. Not a bad deal at all. The dancers were absolutely phenomenal, and since Emergence hasn't been performed in Seattle for seven years, it feels like a big moment. Safe to say, it's going to do really well. I think they've got a few more of these dress rehearsals/production team discussions lined up this season for upcoming shows and if you've ever wanted to see world-class ballet without committing to a full-priced ticket, this is 100% the way to do it. Definitely worth checking out!

We've been to PNB's presentation of The Nutcracker 6 or 7 times now and every year it is slightly…read moredifferent but always enjoyable. This is a great way to celebrate the holidays with family, especially for the younger individuals who will no doubt find the experience magical. Parking in the Mercer Street Garage is definitely the way to go since there is a catwalk that brings you into McCaw Hall. This is very helpful when the PNW rain is upon us, since it is covered for the entire walk into the hall. There is a complimentary coat check on the bottom floor and several concessions stands for coffee, tea, sodas, and alcohol as well as snacks and sweets throughout the venue. The ballet and orchestra are always great entertainment and this is definitely an annual outing we enjoy thoroughly.

I grew up and lived in the New York City area from 1941 until early 1975 when I moved my young…read morefamily to the Northwest. My wife and I had attended many Broadway, Off Broadway and Summer Stock shows before arriving in Issaquah in 1978. During the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s, we went to music venues in Greenwich Village at the south end of Fifth Avenue, near New York University and Washington Square. Places we heard jazz, folk music and more included Village Gate, Village Vanguard, Fillmore East and Cafe Wha'. More about that later. The Village Theater started producing shows in 1979. Boy, were we lucky! We attended their shows in an early 20th Century converted movie theater with many mismatched types of seating. We followed them to their state-of-the-art Frances Gaudette Theater in 1994, just up Front Street. More recently, they started to put on their shows in Everett, as well as Issaquah. Village Theater puts on classic Broadway/West End shows (mainly musicals but not always) and new shows created/produced locally. Over the years, those local shows included Pulitzer Prize winning NEXT TO NORMAL, Tony Award winner MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET and IT SHOULDA BEEN YOU nominated for a Drama Desk Award. The old theater now houses their new musicals (VILLAGE ORIGINALS) and is the venue for their children's education program called KIDSTAGE. For the last two decades, usually in August, the VT has put on a weekend of new shows open to the public for commentary. It was at one of these previews in 2024 that we first saw WE AIN'T EVER GONNA BREAK UP. At that presentation, it was Gregg Hammer and Louis Pardo (writers and actors), two chairs and a guitar or two. No sets, no costumes, no orchestra. Last night, we saw the final version of the show on the third day of performances with sets, costumes, props and still no orchestra. It helped that we grew up and saw performances in the 1960s in New York at Village Gate and Cafe Wha'. It helped that saw live, the folk singers whom Pardo and Hammer emulate in their show. We lived the history as well such as Woodstock and Vietnam. However, it is not necessary to have lived it to enjoy the show. The guys are great singers, actors and musicians. The soundtrack is wonderful. The set is spectacular. It is a snapshot of a part of US music and history from the early 1960s to the mid1990s. It is fun. It is 100 minutes that flies by (no intermission so plan for that). Folk legend Bob Dylan, record producer Sam Phillips (Sun Records in Memphis) and pop/rock hero Neil Diamond make brief guest appearances. On a scale of one to five stars (five being the best), this gets 7.5 stars. Go see it in Issaquah or later in Everett.

Came here with friends to see 9 to 5 - the show itself was wonderful, the cast are fantastic, and…read morewe commented how well done the staging and costumes were for the show. The building itself has a great theatre vibe, which there should be I guess, it's also very clean, and the seats are comfy. There did seem to be a small counter to buy food and/or drink items but we didn't use that. There was a small water fountain available for water which I found very helpful. Would certainly go back and support this small local theatre. We were able to find parking on a side street nearby which was convenient.

Great community space and great community theatre! I only wish there was not such a long line for…read morethe bathroom. Love that it is an all-gender restroom, but it also leads to a lot of single use.

Thankfully, traffic and parking were merciful considering there was a Mariners game earlier and the…read moreDragon Fest was being held in the International District. Based on a poster I had seen last week on Capitol Hill, on a whim I bought a ticket to see Seattle Experimental Theater's improv/satire production of "Where No Man Has Gone Before". This was based on the original Star Trek series. Theatre Off Jackson, located at the corner of 7th and Jackson, was the venue hosting this limited run. Check in was straightforward with general admission seating. Also, there was a concessions/bar counter serving snacks, beer, and cocktails like red shirt, blue shirt, and yellow shirt that Star Trek fans might enjoy. Back in 1994 I had attended Star Drek from AHa Theatre (no relation to that Scandinavian band). I wondered how this would compare. This venue is smallish, but adequate seats and wide aisles. Lighting and acoustics were decent for the minimalistic stage props. For this evening's performance incorporated 'too much cleaning' and 'going to the fair' randomly contributed from the audience. Lots of laughter and a great diversion! The theatrical group pulled it off with these non sequiteurs. Afterwards not having eaten since lunch, darn the street fest was closed, but plenty of places to get takeout at 930pm in the ID!

Steve and Kristy Smith are great owners and really kind people. Steve is very knowledgable and his…read morejoy in helping his students succeed as drummers is apparent in every lesson. He is also an excellent player and that translates 200% into his teaching. In my years studying with him I learned an incredible amount in terms of complex musical concepts applied to percussion, simple straight ahead groove and feel, and the art and science of professionalism. Everything he taught me is extremely valuable and directly applicable to being a better drummer. 35+ years after taking my first lesson with him and I am still using his original material religiously in ways that I never dreamed of. I just can't offer enough praise.

I've been taking drum lessons here for years and love it!! Steve Smith is an amazing instructor!…read more He's a talented drummer and does an excellent job teaching and coaching me. I enjoy my lessons because Steve challenges me and my drumming skills have improved exponentially over the years. I recently started taking voice lessons with Natalie and she is also an awesome instructor! I've really enjoyed her teaching style. I'm not the most confident singer and was a bit nervous when I first started; however, Natalie has helped build my confidence. Even though It's only been a few months, I feel a lot more confident and am a better singer. The staff at the school is top-notch! KZ handles everything at the Georgetown location. She's very patient, super smart and funny! She adds a fun energy to the school.

I've been coming to SANCA for various adult workshops and Cyr wheel classes. It's wonderful that we…read morehave a facility like this where we can explore and learn all kinds of circus apparatuses. The instructors are all very knowledgeable and patient. Parking is easy since there is a parking lot.

What a fun and engaging space! Tho you need an invitation by an employee/teacher to try any of the…read more"toys", it's a wonderful experience once you do! Everything from aerial bands, trapeze, juggling and floor work, trampolines, unicycles, balancing equipment (tightrope, slack line, balance beam) and so much more. While the front desk staff seems to be less enthusiastic and more stand-off-ish, the children's class teachers are full of encouragement, support and love.

I feel totally ripped off by Seattle Men's Chorus. I bought 11 tickets at $84 each for the Dec. 23…read moreconcert at Benaroya Hall. Then the icy rain struck that morning and there was no way to get away from our house. One try ended with the car acting like a bobsled until a bush stopped it. According to the chorus, there are no refunds -- full or partial. Obviously, non-profit is a misnomer.

I just got home from the Seattle Men's Chorus spring concert - the 80's. It was so so so…read morefantastic! I hope that they didn't mind that I helped - it was so good that I couldn't help but singing along! The dancing, choreography, and special performances (Cruz Control) were all super. But these things are just the icing on the wonderful cake that is the SMC. This most recent show was just foot tapin' fun - "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun", "Rock me Amadeus", and "Its Rainin' Men" were all winners - the retrospective of the years of greed also featured a well-done piece about the AIDS crisis. Fun, funny, irreverent, musically interesting and challenging, and delightful - I highly recommend the SMC concerts to all!

took a class on a whim to create fun experiences in my life and this class was a memory I'll never…read moreforget! I signed up for the beginner class and was thrown into the fire in the best way! A clear and super instructive first couple of minutes and then a self demo to the instructors so they know you know what to do. There was no pressure, no expectations. The support was insane, I felt so comfortable like they were all my friends I knew for like months LOL. The encouragement as others go up is so sweet. Cheering each other on and getting able to review your flights right after, coolest thing ever! Will DEFINITELY be back when I'm in town!

I've taken a few silks and flying trapeze classes here, and yesterday, I tried aerial straps for…read morethe first time! The instructors are always welcoming and knowledgeable. I love the high ceilings and really enjoy the environment, facility, and overall culture. I'm excited to take more classes and continue getting stronger and more flexible. Thank you! There are designated reserved parking spots in the parking lot.