My daughter is in her third year at the California Ballet School (CBS). The instructors are fantastic! Their credentials and experience are quite impressive, and the choreography they put together is so fun to watch. My daughter absolutely LOVES it there and has excelled. I wish the photo policy at the all school concert would be revised to allow some non-flash photography, and if the cost of the DVD was reduced. $40 is a bit steep. Overall, we love this ballet school.

My daughter has been fortunate to dance at California Ballet for the last several years. There are so many reasons why California Ballet is simply the best ballet school in San Diego. First, the staff is absolutely first class. All of the teachers are talented, experienced professionals, each with very unique styles of teaching. They each bring a wealth of experience to the classroom. My child grows every time she attends class. Next, Maxine, the director of the company, established the connected California Ballet Company nearly 50 years ago. It is an amazing opportunity for a child to be trained by her. Furthermore, the children are given the opportunity to audition to perform in professional performances with California Ballet Company. There is nothing like performing the Nutcracker to thousands of people every Christmas with California Ballet at the Civic Center! A top-notch school. Know that your child will get the best here.

My daughter loves taking classes here! The instructors are fantastic and patient, and she her love for dance has grown considerably!

My two daughters have been dancing with California Ballet for more than 6 years now and it has been the best thing for them!! Their teachers are passionate, caring and dedicated - but most importantly they set extremely high standards for their students behavior, technique, and musicality. In turn, my daughters have been inspired to thrive and achieve their personal best in all of their classes (ballet, jazz, flamenco, tap, musical theater).They have had the privilege and opportunity to perform in several of the professional shows and have been exposed to the wonderful world of theatrical ballet, where my daughters have witnessed each adult involved (from dancers to stage crew) striving for perfection in their craft. Every experience with California Ballets productions has been simply MAGICAL.I would recommend this school to any family seeking to expose their children to the benefit of hard work, high expectations and a love for dance!!!

Visited from out of town, the drop in adult class was amazing 10/10 🙌

So grateful for the amazing teachers and staff at California Ballet, they have helped my daughter grow as a dancer in ways I never could have imagined!

My daughter likes the performance of the Nutcracker because she sang in the orchestra pit 5 years ago. Thats what its her favorite ballet performance.

We liked the Ballet Class with Miss Kendall at the Dance Studio. But the preparation and the performance at the Kroc Center left a very bitter taste with us and many of the Parents we talked to.Here is why: California Ballet is forbidding anyone to take pictures of their little one’s during dress rehearsal, rehearsal and even during the performance at the Kroc Center. We are talking about “snapshots” with your smart phone! During the dress rehearsal and rehearsal, they take the kids to another room with no access for the parents unless you signed up to help out. At the Kroc Center they hired a little team of guys walking around and ask anyone to turn off their phone and put it away. Yes they are taking it to an whole other level! All for the cost to sell their ow overpriced Pictures and DVDs.After waiting for 40 minutes in the line with my family, we sat down and waited for the show to begin. I decided to kill some time before the show and took some pictures with our Family and the stage with the curtain still closed when I was promptly and rudely confronted by one of their team member to put away my phone. After a brief argument the guys show up with a security person from the Kroc Center and asked me to leave the performance who had not even started yet. Thanks for the parents around us that witnessed this altercation and couldn’t believe what just. They stepped in and negotiated a deal were I would put my iPhone in the car and then will be allowed back inside. I dropped of the my phone at the car and when I got back to the main entrance the two lady’s from California Ballet had locked the door right in front of me. I couldn’t believe what just happen to me and thought someone is playing a prank on me. Even the Security Person from the Kroc Center couldn’t believe what just happen and went inside to talked to someone in charge of the California Ballet. After a couples of minutes the security person was finally able to get me back inside – Wow, for a moment I thought someone played a prank on me… it was so unbelievable.Last for not least, a week prior to my daughters performance we all went to my niece’s (6 years old) performance with Neisha’s Dance Academy at the Civic Center Downtown and we were all allowed to take pictures and videos of the little one’s as long as it is without a flash.Bottom line: If you have extra cash to burn and don’t mind paying an extra $150 for the digital pictures and DVD on top of $130 Dress/Performance Registration and the $15/Person/Show then go ahead, leave your phone and camera in the car and enjoy the show.#neishasdance #californiaballet #nocamera

I agree with other parents who have had traumatic experiences with the school. Performance at the Kroc Center showed that staff treated and discriminate parents and special needs kids —-even calling security on special needs child! How emotionally traumatic. The school only cares about making money and self-interest.

My daughter has been at California Ballet since she was 6 years old. The school has become the focal point of my daughters life. She is learning not only how to be a beautiful dancer, but about how to be a strong, confident and expressive young woman. The community that is California Ballet is a wonderful home away from home for her. And, as a mom of a teenage daughter, that outlet and support system is vital for her as she navigates the turbulent waters of junior high and high school. California Ballets community is always there for her, reminding her of her strength, her excellence, and her passion.I was drawn to California Ballet due to their prestigious classical ballet training under the founder and director, Maxine Mahon. Not only has my daughter gained the strong foundation through their ballet program, but the creative and talented jazz, lyrical, contemporary, tap, flamenco, and musical theater teachers add significant value in my daughters dance curriculum. She enjoys learning from each teacher who comes with a strong dance background and diverse teaching ability. All the teachers at California Ballet really care about providing a strong dance foundation for their students. They offer excellent training and most of all they help enrich a dance community where you can build friendships and create memories to last a lifetime. The instructors are simply the best around (we had tried other dance schools), the program is professional, age-appropriate, and developmentally outstanding for young dancers.The school is the best possible way I can think of for my daughter to spend her time after school...Healthy, positive activity; improving self-esteem; and, inspiring a sense of real accomplishment gained from hard work and attention to ones craft. California Ballet will not disappoint when it comes to providing your child with a strong ballet, and dance experience. My daughter is learning not only how to be a beautiful dancer, but about how to be a strong, confident and expressive young woman. Ive seen her gain not only skills and technique, but also self-confidence, poise, and a love for dance that I think she will carry with her throughout her life.My son has just started taking tap and ballet this year, and so far is loving the program and already feeling a part of the California Ballets dance community. It is my hope that he takes as much pride in his dance and the school as his sister does because simply put, it is an outstanding school, full of wonderful and caring teachers, awesome, friendly, and caring staff, and an amazing dance program. I dont think he would get this positive experience and atmosphere anywhere else. Thank you California Ballet for becoming such a positive influence in our family.

I believe in a “begin as you intend to go on” philosophy so when it became clear that ballet was my daughter’s passion, I brought her to California Ballet School, a studio that provides a strong foundation plus the opportunity to follow all of her dancing dreams.I was impressed by the pedagogy from the first lesson. Concepts are explained and demonstrated in ways that make them truly accessible. Steps are broken down in developmentally appropriate ways, and individual corrections punctuate group instruction. Her teachers have included the Artistic Director of the California Ballet Company as well as the AD’s assistant, a former prima ballerina of the CBC, the director of the junior company, and the director of the school itself. While every instructor is capable of producing beautiful dancers individually, each one brings specific strengths to class, which results in the whole experience being far more than the sum of its parts.The teachers have been generous with their time after class as well, always willing to answer questions or address a particular issue. My daughter is hypermobile, and several instructors have provided guidance in this area. When she developed recurring knee pain, they gave her strengthening exercises, checked on her progress, and explained when to seek medical attention. Their advice led to a quick resolution of the problem.Classes are open for observation. Not only can parents watch their students but students can also watch upper level and even company classes. My daughter is continually inspired both by the older dancers as students, teaching assistants, and mentors and by the company members when she has the privilege of performing alongside them on the Civic Theater stage.The encouraging atmosphere originates at the top and permeates the school. I have witnessed teachers praising specific achievements; I have heard upper level students applauding a classmate singled out for a compliment; and I have seen great friendships developing in a close-knit community. Because the students are striving toward the same goals—perfect technique, graceful movements, creating beauty—they are united by their hard work, dedication, challenges, joys, and even sorrows. My daughter has overcome severe stage fright, managed both elation and disappointment, and learned perseverance. This alone makes her experience at California Ballet School worth its weight in gold, but much like a beautiful overture, complete unto itself and yet hinting at riches to come, I am confident that this is only the beginning.