As a small, local, non-profit of 46 years, we rely heavily on your support to continue to be able to offer classes and employ teachers. BCB can't do this without you! Enrolling in classes and/or donating to our school here. We look forward to dancing with you! Register now for Session 2! Each Session is approximately 10 weeks.
Students enroll each Session. Free tuition for the 1st Session attending BCB (registration fees apply/not applicable to Pre-Professionals). Contact BCB for this offer. Established in 1974 as a non-profit, Berkeley City Ballet remains a consistent and enduring part of the city of Berkeley.
Students enroll each Session. Free tuition for the 1st Session attending BCB (registration fees apply/not applicable to Pre-Professionals). Contact BCB for this offer. Established in 1974 as a non-profit, Berkeley City Ballet remains a consistent and enduring part of the city of Berkeley.
Services
Berkeley City Ballet offers a structured learning environment with a curriculum that develops ballet technique (skills) over time from beginner to professional. As a non-profit for 47 years BCB has a prolific legacy at succeeding in preparing dancers to be competitive on a national and international level for pre-professional summer intensive workshops, professional auditions and college entrance auditions.
Reviews (16)
Kerry F.
Nov 16, 2019
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Ah, looks like the postcard for the Nutcracker just came out. Elizabeth put a member of the staff on the cover. God forbid she actually put a picture of a real BCB student. (Last year it was a picture of a dancer that didn't even attend BCB)
ttps://berkeleycityballet.org/about/faculty/katrine-dailey
ttps://berkeleycityballet.org/about/faculty/katrine-dailey
Faye Stevenson
Jul 09, 2018
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My son has been enrolled in the boys program at Berkeley City Ballet for six months and I'm very pleased to see his progress. His teachers are caring, engaging and, most importantly, patient given his high energy level. Teaching boys with his disposition requires a high confidence and constant emphasis on kindness which the BCB teachers certainly possess. It is wonderful for him to have the experience of channeling his physical energy into the discipline of ballet and I am grateful there is a place where he can do that without any sacrifice of his self-esteem.
Joi M.
Feb 10, 2018
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Love this place!!! I was a dancer in my day in grade school and picked back up in college. I know how good teachers work and these folks are freaking awesome. No you can't be a nosey Mom and sit in class but why would you want to, you're embarrassing your kids stop...just stop. I love that I can drop my little one off and go run and take my son to piano or whatever, then run to Berkeley Bowl and not worry as long as I'm back in time. They aren't babysitters either.
The other plus is they have a store...yay! Now I don't have to spend 49 bucks on shoes and tights I can
The other plus is they have a store...yay! Now I don't have to spend 49 bucks on shoes and tights I can
Caitlyn O.
Jan 11, 2018
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Brace yourself, this is going to be a long review. TL;DR: highly recommend BCB.
As a former athlete with no exposure to the dance world, I was very skeptical of the ballet world for my young daughter. What we have encountered at BCB has allayed any fears or concerns of the stereotypes that one might associate with dance.
The teachers take great care to set a disciplined yet caring tone in the classroom and for performances. The program is rigorous but the children are confident in their abilities from practicing their routines and receiving precise direct instruction. The teachers spend time
As a former athlete with no exposure to the dance world, I was very skeptical of the ballet world for my young daughter. What we have encountered at BCB has allayed any fears or concerns of the stereotypes that one might associate with dance.
The teachers take great care to set a disciplined yet caring tone in the classroom and for performances. The program is rigorous but the children are confident in their abilities from practicing their routines and receiving precise direct instruction. The teachers spend time
Gina H.
Sep 22, 2017
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Berkeley City Ballet is now offering adult classes with an amazing teacher, the ex-SFB dancer Raymond Tilton.
Mr. Tilton is passionate about teaching. He is very caring, and extremely patient with his students. . But the best thing about him is his absolute happiness to be there in that classroom with us.
His passion and love of teaching and happiness is contagious. After a long day of work, I am looking forward to his hard working, but immensely fun class.
Mr Tilton is an amazing jumper, so allegros are really fun. But, he is also capable of giving beautiful adagio choreography that moves me
Mr. Tilton is passionate about teaching. He is very caring, and extremely patient with his students. . But the best thing about him is his absolute happiness to be there in that classroom with us.
His passion and love of teaching and happiness is contagious. After a long day of work, I am looking forward to his hard working, but immensely fun class.
Mr Tilton is an amazing jumper, so allegros are really fun. But, he is also capable of giving beautiful adagio choreography that moves me
Anne P.
Aug 31, 2017
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Opin I.
May 19, 2016
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I am very concerned with the way this ballet school is run. I have been told by my daughter, (no longer a student), that water bottles are not permitted in the classroom because it makes the room look "too cluttered." Many of the best teachers come and go for no apparent reason. The director has no people skills and doesn't listen to the concerns of the students. The students are not allowed to attend dance summer programs elsewhere until they are in their junior or senior year. All of this is holding the students back from expanding their training and growing as a dancer. It
Raphaelle S.
Aug 08, 2015
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My 5 year old just finished a 1 week ballet camp at the BCB, and I can't rave enough about how nice the whole experience was for me and for my daughter. She loved the dancing, the atmosphere was relaxed and sweet, and the final recital was the cutest thing I've ever seen. They did nice crafts, and she even came home with photographs and a ballet slipper. Totally awesome all around.
Tish Q.
Feb 13, 2011
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Robin K.
Apr 20, 2010
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Our 10 year old daughter has been attending Berkeley City Ballet for the last few years, and she loves it. She has really bloomed, as far as her self-confidence and poise is concerned. The teachers, and the director, Elizabeth Godfrey, are highly qualitied and inspirational. They can be strict, yet they are very understanding and nurturing with the kids. The highlight of the year is the Nutcracker, which is a very polished and impressive production. Our daughter's work on this production -- in being part of a team and accomplishing something wonderful and magical -- has been enriching to our
Liz H.
Jan 21, 2010
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My teenage daughter has been dancing at BCB since she was 5. She spent a couple of years in the pre-ballet Saturday classes and is now in the pre-professional program, where studies 5 days/week plus performance rehearsals. She absolutely loves BCB - the teachers, the learning environment, and her fellow students. I love how the dance/ballet training has helped her become a confident, disciplined, focused, and physically fit young woman. I'm no dance expert, but as far as I can tell the teachers set high expectations for the students and support them with the strong fundamentals of classical
Deena L.
Jan 11, 2010
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As a former dancer and physical therapist I highly recommend Berkeley City Ballet as an excellent school for young dancers & aspiring professionals.
My 16 y.o. daughter has studied at BCB since she was 7. She has performed in BCB's professional level Nutcracker each year, advancing from "Ginger Snap" to the "Snow Queen" dancing the pas de deux with a professional partner.
The director & staff at BCB take great care to progress each student only when they are physically ready and strong enough to be safe and successful. This is especially important
My 16 y.o. daughter has studied at BCB since she was 7. She has performed in BCB's professional level Nutcracker each year, advancing from "Ginger Snap" to the "Snow Queen" dancing the pas de deux with a professional partner.
The director & staff at BCB take great care to progress each student only when they are physically ready and strong enough to be safe and successful. This is especially important
Keley P.
Nov 20, 2009
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My daughter has been attending classes at BCB since she was 4 1/2 (9 years). We looked carefully at a couple of schools before choosing BCB. We couldn't be more pleased with the training and grounding she has received at BCB. The school is strict and provides exceptional foundational training in classical ballet. They have recently expanded to offer modern dance as well, but the core dance foundation is still ballet. The teaching is balanced. There is a focus on being healthy and strong and thus foster healthy weight and body image. I highly recommend BCB.
Jena R.
Oct 30, 2009
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My eight year old daughter has been taking ballet classes at Berkeley City Ballet since the age of five. Each year, she has been taught by wonderful teachers, including Artistic Director, Elizabeth Godfrey. As a parent, I really appreciate the careful and thoughtful way young dancers are taught at this studio. For my daughter, the program has gradually progressed from being a mostly creative dance format with ballet elements to a more ballet-focused class. The upper level students are all beautiful dancers, both in their technique and in their lyrical qualities. The studio environment is joyful
Bumble B.
Oct 28, 2009
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It seems like eternity since Grace Doty left BCB more than five or six years ago. She was a great force and a great teacher at BCB, and the school has continued to offer great instruction since her departure. To say that there hasn't been any kink in the transition would be a lie as her departure was sudden and catastrophic at the time, but the Artistic Director Elizabeth Godfrey has managed to keep the school in tact and has kept it moving forward.
My daughter has been with BCB since she was six, and now she's a senior at BHS. She has been accepted into one of the very few college-level
My daughter has been with BCB since she was six, and now she's a senior at BHS. She has been accepted into one of the very few college-level
Amy R.
Oct 22, 2009
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I am writing as a parent and an ex-ballet dancer to tell you about how terrific Berkeley City Ballet is and how much this company means to my daughter and our family. I was one of the original dancers in BCB when is was formed more than 30 years ago and I danced in the first productions of their Nutcracker. When my 7 year-old daughter expressed interest in ballet, I took her there to take class. What immediately impressed me was the way Elizabeth Godfrey, the Artistic Director, both supported the kids but also let them know she had high expectations for them. I felt this was still a serious and
