Our son has been in this school for four years, and will likely go for all seven. A great fit for…read morehim, and a vibrant community of artists. The school is in a good place financially, having expanded their campus and programs. I can't say enough about the faculty and staff - they're dedicated public school instructors that truly care. Their Executive Director, Mike Oz is an Oaklander through-and-through, and has been there 20+ years.

If your child is interested in theatre, DO NOT COME HERE…read more The theatre department used to be awesome many many years ago. It is now and has been a wreck for years. They are understaffed and there is a huge turnover in teachers. They will hire just about anyone these days. There are only a COUPLE shows they put on every year and they are a train wreck. Honestly if your kid is interested in theatre or musical theatre, look elsewhere. They are better off getting their talent recognized and appreciated by a place like Berkeley playhouse. Somewhere where they actually put on good productions. You don't believe me, ask every other parent with a kid in theatre. Better yet, ask a student. They will tell u the same thing.

My kids have been going to Circus of Smiles for around 3 years, and they still love it, still…read morepassionate about it. They come home and show me all the tricks they've learned! My youngest son used to be very shy, and this class has definitely helped him come out of his shell and find his self confidence. This is a great program with great people behind it!!

We were so luck to have Circus of Smiles with us at San Anselmo's Country Fair Day this year. Both…read moreColin and Amelia were amazing additions to the event and we would love to have them both back next year! The Town of San Anselmo has had nothing but wonderful experiences with Circus of Smiles so thank you guys for all that you do to make this world a better place.

My nieces dance here, so I went to their Christmas show and had such a great time. The show and…read morechoreography were AMAZING.

We made a group outing .. called them and they said bee do t need to make a reservation... came at…read more7pm and to find it closed ... we were 20 ppl deep ....total disappointment

They're not closed; they just moved to Lincoln and Grand, still in Alameda. They are now at Lincoln…read moreand Grand. My now 11-yr-old took classes there for a couple of years when she was in preschool/K. Marnell had lots of energy and focused on teaching steps and routines and doing a big performance every June. (Costumes are an extra cost.) She graciously lent out past dancers' tap, jazz, and ballet shoes when my daughter outgrew the ones she started with.

YASSSSSS!!!!!! This show is so campy and extra, I LOVE it!! The Hostess, Miss Roma Holiday, is so…read morecharismatic and is so fun when she interacts with the audience. Please come to a show, bring your friends, and be ready for a great time. It's loud, over the top, with just the right amount of talent and sass. Roma does a great job gathering perfomers, from near and far, to give you a fabulous monthly show. So go out and get ready to have a great time.

Soooooo happy to have this show back in our community after a bit of a COVID break. Roma Holiday is…read moresuch a delight as hostess and gathers the best performers around every month. Food is good, drinks do the job, atmosphere is fun and lively - what more could you want to treat yourself?

I decided to try the summer teen program. That was a mistake. After the first class, I had health…read moreissues that did not allow me to attend the classes. Being that I only was able to attend one class, I asked for a refund. I tried to explain, but they were extremely unaccommodating. They said that I should have filled out a form. How the heck was I supposed to fill out a form while in the hospital? I had other issues to worry about. If this was not bad enough, this program was not even as described and mainly consisted of little children and not teens. They started ignoring my emails after I tried to explain my situation. Dance 10 was a lot nicer. These people are extremely greedy and do not care about their students. They just want money. Avoid this studio at all costs.

This kids are cute but unfortunately the instruction was just alright, and they use hard sell…read moretechniques. The classes did not appear to have been thoughtfully planned out before each class and the parent visit day felt haphazardly done. The children did not seem to learn much in the months they were there. There also turned out to be many hidden costs aside from the outfits, bags and shoes, such as a spring recital (not in Alameda) which you learn about later (with additional costs for participation, costume, photography, recital tickets, flower bouquets etc which they pressure you into purchasing e.g. by parading the children during class to show them what costumes they would be wearing if they participated, and measuring everyone regardless of whether or not you are participating thus making it more difficult for parents to explain if you can't do the recital). Overall I really wanted to like ABA, however selling was prioritized above the children's long term love of dance. I appreciate the school needs to make a profit as a business, however I would have been more persuaded if costs were transparent and if they did not reduce themselves to using unkind hard sell techniques especially with young learners. Thank you.

John Scott is the voice and singing coach for the voice and signing coaches in the Bay Area. He's…read morefantastic. If you are like me, and started out as a person who wanted to take his voice from semi-pro to pro, then you need to call John. I never thought I'd have the chance to audition one day for some serious gigs, but what do you know - that's exactly what I'm doing. Can John Scott asap if you want to take your singing to the next level.

Frankly, I'm shocked there aren't more current reviews for this talented Seth-Riggs trained coach…read more John has catapulted my semi-professional singing, giving me a strong foundation to audition with the broadest of musicians. I came to him as a "singer" with a ton of intuition and heart and he's graduated me into a trained VOCALIST. I feel I can hold my own with some serious players, lose my inhibition and bring a truer "me" to the stage!

My daughter has been with SingOut Theater throughout this entire year. She auditioned in to the…read morekids competition and performed 'Junglebook' with her team in Sacramento. An intense, exciting time! They won an award for choreography at JTF West! She also did Triple Threat and High school Musical this summer. So to say the least, We Are FANs! We feel so lucky to have Chelsea teaching our daughter! A lovely personality and mentor, a highly skilled dancer and choreographer, a patient and kind Director. The Music Director Kevin warmly and patiently builds the student's musical understanding and performances. His contribution keeps musical standards high and performances enjoyable. The Business Director/Producer Rachel adds the no nonsense behind the scenes taking care of business ballast for all this creativity. We are grateful for her expertise to keep SingOut thriving. My daughter is attending a performing arts school in the fall. We will still be attending Tue/Thurs Musical Theater at SingOut. It is top notch and she loves it!

There is something confusing about the discussions regarding the Diablo Light Opera Co & Diablo…read moreTheater Company. They were one and the same. Originally named DLOC in 1959 when they formed a company performing Gilbert & Sullivan Light Operas. Eventually they changed the name to Diablo Theater Co. They had a youth program called STARS 2000, which continues to this day to operate. Diablo Theater Co. that use to produce large scale Musicals & Light Opera productions at the Lesher Center For The Arts in Walnut Creek, is no longer in business. STARS 2000 continues as their own company. There is no other youth program that is under the auspices of the Diablo Theater Co. and in fact their studios were sold and are under the ownership of Performing Arts Academy.

Erica taught my daughter Milena for about 2 years on and off and it was a great experience. I hope…read moreto get them back together at some point.

I have a wonderful and high energy 6 year old son. He started asking for violin lessons at age 2;…read morewe waited until he turned 6. When I first called Alameda String Academy, I was greeted by Erica and she was very understanding about my son's passion and my concern about whether my son could focus enough to make headway. Erica is so professional and aware of her program that I felt confident that we found our match. Erica convinced me that Sarah Wood would be a perfect match for our son. She was absolutely correct. Sarah works so well with our high energy son and I am constantly impressed with his progression. He is learning the violin, he is learning tempo, he is tuning his ear, he is learning the value of paying attention, he is learning the value of concentrating, he is learning the value of sticking with something and seeing the rewards. This is all possible due to ASA's committment to doing the best for my child! As the parent, I am exceedingly impressed with ASA's administrative availability. Erica and ASA are able to keep everything very personal, there is always an individual feel, even with the administrative requirements.

My children love the School of Rock! No matter their mood coming into their lessons / rehearsals,…read morethey always leave beaming, inspired, and excited for their next visit! The staff are friendly, helpful, kind, and on top of everything; the teachers are intelligent and fun and are great at accommodating the needs of all the students no matter their age or level! The concerts the kids put on at the end of each season are fantastic! I'm so thankful for this place, and I can't recommend it high enough!

From the owner: School of Rock Alameda is the leader in performance-based music education. We provide in-person…read moremusic lessons and group rehearsals (bands) for students ages 6+ through adults. Our bands rehearsal weekly to put on seasonal live performances at local venues. Reach out to schedule a free lesson!