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!

Just Dance Academy has impressed us in every aspect. The studio director and staff exude warmth and…read morea love for dance. Jenna, the owner, is a graceful and enthusiastic instructor, and also an incredibly responsive and diligent administrator. She manages the studio with great care and professionalism, communicating quickly, paying attention to details, and always going above and beyond for her students and their families. Most importantly, my daughter loves dancing at Just Dance Academy. Her instructors have been outstanding, and the performances we've been a part of have been fun, innovative, and inspiring. The classes bring her immense joy, confidence, and excitement. We are so grateful to be part of such a nurturing, well-run, and inspiring dance community.

Artistry, Inclusivity, Athleticism, FUN and JOY! These are all the things that make Just Dance…read moreAcademy a spectacular community! My daughter started in 5th grade when we moved to Marin, with only one year of dance under her belt. Today as a 7th grader, she does Jazz, Ballet, HipHop, Contemporary, and Competition Team. She is learning creativity, resilience, artistry, and commitment -- dance has boosted her body confidence and helped her make a bunch of new friends in our new community. And then there's the shows (oh, the SHOWS!)...the winter show and spring shows are incredible! High production value and absolutely incredible choreography. Jenna and all of the teachers create a warm, welcoming, encouraging, and inclusive environment for all abilities and interest areas. Highly recommend!!

I was one of the older students in the open division adult classes for the last 2 years or so. I…read morehad never taken ballet at an early age so while I lacked the proper body training and preparation and attempted to start ballet at age 60 (15 years ago) I nonetheless had redeeming qualities, that being grace and good musicality and sometimes good form in certain movements. I could keep up with the speed pretty well, am fairly intelligent and enjoyed the rigorousness of the classes and the excellent teaching, as hard as it was for me at times to "keep up" because of my aging memory. At one point, 2 other women in my class (at least 50+ years of age) ganged together to bully and intimidate me because I wasn't dancing "in form" across the floor. One of them accused me of never having been in a performance before, and she was wrong--I performed at the College of Marin Dance Concerts as a student there. They had no right to gang up on me like that, and the teacher had never said anything about it. I was insulted and angry. I took the matter up in a private meeting with the teacher and executive director of Marin Ballet. I didn't expect much results but at least the offending party stopped going to that class for awhile. The bad news is, the instructor became suddenly very unfriendly towards me afterwards like he was angry at me for "rocking the boat" or something. I was very sad about that, and took classes until the end of my 20-class card that I purchased earlier and then left for good. When I told the office manager that I wasn't coming back and why, basically all she said was "have a nice day". In my book, there is absolutely no excuse why anyone should be bullied in a dance class, especially an older person. We should all feel welcome in dance classes, and I certainly never had this problem in any other dance classes I attended at other Marin dance studios and College of Marin. In fact, I was often complimented by the teachers. So I think the students that bullied me were completely out of line, and I had no support around that. I'm surprised that Marin Ballet wasn't more understanding around this issue, even though I know it does happen more on the professional level. But we were not all professionals in that class!

A very special place. A Marin institution. My daughter studied ballet here for many years. She…read morelearned so much more than just dance. She developed lifelong friends. (She graduated over 10 years ago but still gets together with her ballet class mates) The facility is amazing. And I just love going to the Marin Ballet Nutcracker each holiday season even though I no longer have a child in the program. This place is magic.

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.

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!

Ena is an awesome teacher and choreographer as well. We used Ena to choreograph a ~4-minute-long…read moreFirst Dance for our wedding, mixing both Bollywood and Western music, and the dance Ena came up with was fantastic. It took us just three one-hour sessions to get it down (and some individual practice time after to perfect) but that speaks to how effective a teacher she is. She also follows up with extremely helpful video tutorials - it's a level of thoroughness I just have not seen. My wife and I would recommend her 100%!

We can't thank Ena enough for all of her help with our Sangeet night for our wedding! She…read morecoordinated all our dances for our family and friends, choreographed them all, created videos for people to practice, and then hosted virtual/in person practices the week before. She helped us to pick out songs and created the final song mixes as well. If you have any events or weddings upcoming and need a professional choreographer, Ena is definitely the one to go with!

My husband and I went to their first Wednesday of the month free beginner intro and had a great…read moretime. Friendly welcoming people and a good activity for both body and mind. Name tags for everyone and they indicate who is new vs experience which is helpful. You can come with a partner or alone. They are relaxed about outfits and footwear which is nice compared to other dance environments. Plus there was easy parking, free snacks, and an epic view of the Bay. Highly recommend. We'll be back for sure!

I have been dancing with the Tam Twirler Square Dancers club for nearly five years, and I wanted to…read moreshare how much I enjoy the experience. I'm always looking forward to attending to the Wednesday night club dance. It is a fantastic environment for learning square dance while socializing with a kind and supportive group of dancers. Additionally, our caller, Eric Henerlau, is one of the best in the country; it is truly an honor to dance to his calls. Come to join the club and start to enjoy the fun!!

Great aerial class. The teachers are experienced, fun, and welcoming. The whole group was friendly…read moreand welcoming.

I had the opportunity to attend the Valley Fire Benefit Performance put on by Aerial Dance Marin,…read moreand now I'm completely enchanted by aerial dance. Aerial Dance Marin owner, Sheila Bannon, and her daughter Sophia are both incredible teachers and performers, and their grace and talent were remarkable. This is a great school for kids, teens and adults - really, anyone who ever dreamed of joining the circus :) or just wants to enhance their lives with more flexibility, creativity and play. Truly a unique art form, and a wonderful place to learn, connect with your body and bond with others who are passionate and inspired!

They have a passion for upselling and a high turn over rate for teachers. They don't introduce the…read moreteam on the website because the team is ever changing. But give them your money if you'd like or find a smaller business that cares more about their clients and and their teachers. The owners are more interested in a profit than a pirouette.

Highly recommend this gorgeous, huge studio for a date night idea! Specifically, I suggest doing…read morethe complimentary intro course then stay for the group class and dance party. They paired incredible music with various types of dances, which made the lesson more approachable and familiar. The instructors are loads of fun, patient and highly skilled. They will help to make everyone comfortable whether you are a beginner or advanced. I've taken lessons in SF in the past, but this venue and instructors make the experience very special. We're hooked, and will go back!!

An annual FREE event in June attracting artist from all over…read more Several blocks of amazing chalk art. An area for youth chalk art. Live music during the event from 9 am to 7 pm And of course there is food

Observing people create masterpieces out of chalk on concrete is like watching magic. Some pieces…read moreseriously blow you away. It is awesome to think that most of these artists probably don't use chalk as their primary choice of utensil, but they can pick up a piece of chalk and create the most unique, detailed, realistic piece of beauty. If you love art, you will hands down love this festival. And if you love music you will also appreciate this festival. This year they had a band called "Underage Records" wow. These kids must have been no older than 15 years old, and they ROCKED it. The band consisted of a guy bass player, pianist, guitarist/vocalist and a girl drummer. They were unbelievably talented. We couldn't stop watching them. It was almost surreal. It'll be cool to say I saw them way back when.