There are so many reasons I love this place for my girls, but the biggest one is how comfortable…read morethe teachers make my children feel when they dance. I've got a kiddo with major anxiety, who loves to dance. Her first few classes were spent crying in the corner. The teachers were AMAZING and went at her pace, didn't pressure her, and didn't give up on her! Now she runs into the studio with joy everytime it's dance day. Other reasons I Love B'Dazzled: Super fun classes Affordable My kids learn and excel without feeling pressure to be perfect Professional set up with shows, costumes, performances etc! The teachers and staff are the best around!

I love dancing at B*Dazzled! It is such a warm-friendly feeling when I'm with everybody. We are…read moresuch a tight group yet super inviting! The teachers are amazing and loving.I have danced here for twelve years and it's became my second home. I couldn't imagine dancing at a better studio.

Great to have Practiced with Kumu Mark and his son. A most wonderful safe place to have excercised…read moreand be around a good community of people just like me.

I have no idea why I received this opportunity to do a review, except perhaps it was because I went…read moreto YouTube recently to see if Merrie Monarch 2022 happened and I found myself watching approximately 2 hrs of performances by AHA. This was actually the 2nd time I binge watched several AHA Merrie Monarch performances from back in the pre-pandemic days. Each and every student under the tutelage of Kumu Hula Mark Kealii Hoomalu has received an unforgettable gift because they have been educated by the VERY best! After watching several videos and personal interviews, I can clearly see that Kumu Mark is constantly driven to pursue excellence. His vision, passion, dedication and creativity has allowed AHA to flourish for all these many years and I wish continued success to him and all of the AHA family.

It was my pleasure working with you Desiree, thank you is not enough for the hard work you give on…read moremy daughter's dance number on her 18th birthday. The amazing performance of her court was all because of you. Also for the help you gave me preparing and organizing on her big day. Thank you so much. I really appreciate your hard work. Highly recommended.

I could not recommend Desiree enough to couples who want to choreograph a first dance for their…read morewedding. In fact, I've already sent 2 couples her way! Desiree was recommended to us by friends who got married a few years ago. We were hesitant to book dance classes with her just because of the drive. We live in the peninsula and she's based in the East Bay. We are SO glad that we decided to book with Desiree. She is worth the 40 minute drive across the bridge! She helped two very amateur dancers perfect their first dance. From the first time meeting her, she's always been patient, open to feedback and friendly. She is great with breaking down hard moves into digestible pieces. She listened to us when we told her we weren't feeling a move and replaced it with something that felt more natural to us. Our wedding guests were wow'ed by the first dance. We felt so comfortable and had so much fun dancing!

It just breaks my heart how the Art Programs have always been in danger of being cut. I can't…read moreimagine a world without Elmo and Super Grover 2.0! And if Daniel Tiger went away, who's gonna teach my threenager "to try new food cuz it might taste good"?!?! It would be dull without music, without the singing and dancing, or painting, drawing, and all the other art forms that make the world a beautiful... and a sane... place to live. If Game of Thrones is going to be affected by these proposed budget cuts, I'll be really pissed! The high school students at CVHS are fortunate to have their Arts Program, and an exceptional one, I might add. I've seen a couple of musicals since my nephew has been in them, and recently my fambam watched Disney's Mary Poppins on a Sunday afternoon. I'm a fan of Broadway musicals and I thought the high school students were indubitably as good as those professionals. I tried to watch the original movie twice, but I fell asleep both times as I did not find it exciting. These high school kids killed each song and dance, and I mean K I L L L L L E D it (and that's a good thing)! The costumes were bright and colorful, each set was simple and cute, the choreographic sequences were fun, the songs played by the hs band were lively, and the performances were SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS! The cast deserved a standing ovation. Hopefully, these high school students will continue to explore their creativity while expanding their imaginations. And I wish other children will have the opportunity. Save the Arts. As Mary Poppins would say, "Anything can happen if you let it."

First, this review is long overdue…read more My daughter began her journey with CVPA approximately one year ago. She has been dancing ballet since the age of 3, which she has continued to grow in. Two of the things she has been training in are jazz (3rd year now) and hip hop (2nd year now). Prior to this last year before joining CVPA, she was not taught proper technique, vocabulary or even how to count correctly with music. The studio she danced at before joining CVPA never corrected or communicated any concerns. Janet (CVPA owner) took my daughter in and has personally spent time retraining her and reversing the poor and bad habits that were never corrected where she danced prior to CVPA. I have witnessed her do this for all her new students. I cannot say enough good things about the teachers, owner, and students in Castro Valley Performing Arts. My daughter has been on an emotional journey this past year, and CVPA has given her the tools and communication to help get her in the right direction. The teachers and Owner are wonderful communicators, and they truly take the time to instill correct form, alignment, technique, dance vocabulary, good attitude, amazing choreography, and so much more. Specifically, Ms. Janet, Ms. Gia, Ms. Kim, Ms. Kristina, Ms. Hannah, Ms. Michelle, Ms. Karisa, and Ms. Jenelle have all greatly influenced my daughter through this transition. Thank you all for believing in my daughter and welcoming our family to your studio. Ms. Cassidy, who recently began teaching at CVPA is also amazing. She has instructed my daughter in the past for ballet, and I feel was the only reason my daughter maintained good ballet training during our time prior to CVPA. Ms. Amanda is also absolutely amazing. While my daughter did have a hard time learning Latin Jazz, as it was something I'm not sure she was able to comfortably embrace, it is clear as day that Ms. Amanda is a wonderful instructor. I am so incredibly happy that she is working with such a strong team of teachers. If you are looking for a studio that teaches proper technique, etiquette, dance vocabulary, amazing choreography, and how to properly train their dancers, then this is the place to be. I would like to add that I drive all the way from Livermore for my daughter to attend this studio. I never imagined commuting my children for a sport. Worth every moment!

I've been taking classes here for about 6 months, and the studio is so fun and welcoming. I've…read moretaken Dorothy's "Polynesian Dance Conditioning" drop in class, which is super fun, and adult Tahitian dance ('Ori) with Makana. Makana is so incredibly kind and supportive, and she's a beautiful dancer and a great teacher. The other students are also lovely. There is a wide variety of skill levels, ages, and bodies, and no judgement. Students can participate in performances if desired, but if you don't want to that's also fine. I would encourage anyone to try out classes here.

I moved to Alameda from Hawaii in July 2011. I was really homesick in September and started to…read moreresearch halaus in the Bay Area. After reading a YELP review and contacting Kumu Lani via email, I decided to give it a one-month try. Upon entering the studio, I realized I came to the right place. Everyone was so nice and welcoming. Kumu Lani is a very talented hula dancer and teacher. I enjoy learning from her and taking in all the mana'o she shares with the class. I prefer to dance hula, but she offers all types of classes at her studio--from children and adult hula and Tahitian, to ukulele classes, sewing classes, and much more. A list of all updated classes are available online at www.halaumakana.com. If you want to try something new, or get back into hula or Tahitian again (like I did), or just want to learn more about the Pacific Island cultures, you should check it out. She's really a no pressure kinda teacher, but if you put in the time and work, you'll learn a lot. I've been dancing with Halau Makana for 7 months now. Every week I look forward to my Tuesday night class with Kumu Lani and all my hula sisters. They are 'ohana to me.

We took five classes with Lucy before our wedding, and it was the perfect experience! She…read moretransformed our song into a beautiful waltz, incorporating lifts and elegant elements while always valuing our input. Despite our lack of dance experience (though we had plenty of enthusiasm!), Lucy choreographed a routine that was easy to learn and practice, yet incredibly impressive to our guests. We received countless compliments on our first dance! We'll certainly never forget the "Lucy hook" or her reminders to keep our posture straight and elbows up. Lucy brings so much expertise from her time as an instructor at UC Berkeley, yet she remains fun and patient with beginners. These lessons became an enjoyable highlight of our wedding planning rather than a source of stress. Thank you so much, Lucy!

Wedding & Salsa Dance with Lucy was the best experience I have ever had choosing Lucy as my dance…read moreinstructor to teach me private lessons for a good cost for learning a dance lesson for wedding! I highly recommend Lucy to everyone who is looking for a wedding dance lesson, salsa, or just want to learn dance with Lucy as she is a phenomenal and very patient and private lessons one-on-one. I am a beginner and have never danced before, and Lucy taught me patiently and slowly with compassion to learn the dance. I have 3 dance lessons with Lucy for a good price and she was very good at communicating and teaching patiently! I would come back to learn more dance lessons with Lucy! Also I realized Lucy is a professional dance instructor at UC Berkeley and other college campuses around the Bay Area, she is truly trustworthy! Thank you Lucy!

Dropped into a class with Shereel today and was absolutely delighted with her spirit, prowess and…read moreteaching. I thoroughly enjoyed the class, full of movement and the enjoyment of dance but also encouragement to be slow, connected and mindful. It was wonderful. I loved it!

Come celebrate life in Shereel's amazing dance class!! Whether you're brand new or an ascended…read moremaster, Shereel's infectious energy and inclusive non-judgemental approach will get you moving and sweating with a whole lot of joy to the rhythm and with the flow you never knew you had! She fully unpacks and breaks down complex poly-rhythmic moves into bite-sized do-able pieces so that you can easily explore your learning edge, whatever that may be. She masterfully and subtly builds complexity and quality of movement so that by the end of the class, you're like "wow, I did that!" She provides individualized feedback and positive encouragement, and shares the cultural context and stories of the movements. Best of all, she's aiming for injury prevention and longevity, which is the most important thing for me at age 53. I haven't found anything else like it, which has kept me coming back for more. Shereel is a community gem, I highly recommend you give her class a try, stick with it, and see how you grow!

Fantastic local gymnastics place. Just threw a triple 5th birthday here for my daughter and her two…read morebest friends and it was perfect. Gigi the owner was great to work with from the start. Her staff, Reese and Brooklyn, were wonderful and very good with the kids and parents. The facility is clean, safe, and really fun. The area in the back is spacious and extremely functional for parties. There is a fridge and freezer for party needs and two large tables and 4 benches for parties. Lots of counter spaces and additional benches along the walls with small round tables and little stools for more seating. Lots of cute decor already up for birthdays if you don't have anything. Will definitely consider this place again for future parties and highly recommend this place for gymnastics classes and parties!

my darling grandbaby's 2-year birthday party was held at this location…read more though we had more than 50 guest present, because we expressed dissatisfaction with buckets being needed to capture rain due to a leaky roof, the owners daughter showed up at the party & told us to leave. totally disrespectful behavior.