Starlight Dance Studios and Theater - Martinez, California

Anita N.

My 6 year old daughter did a musical theater summer camp for 3 weeks. Don’t recommend this place for smaller kids, under 8 or 9 yo, at least for the theater camp.

The final performance was nice, but the little kids didn’t do much. Camp was 3hrs/day Monday through Friday for 3 weeks. The little ones only showed up on the stage kind of like background dancers, with very simple choreographies, for 2-3 songs. It honestly felt like my daughter didn’t learn much about music or theater. She complained that she just had to sit down and watch the older kids for most of the time during class. Instructions were so unclear for her group age that the week and fay of the performance I kept asking her: do you have to dance and sing? and she said, I don’t know, maybe both.

Moreover, they had way too many kids in each classroom. I don’t think they have the right space nor ratio of instructor to children. And of course it seems the little ones were not a priority… There was some drama with some kids misbehaving and parents getting upset, not in my daughter’s class, but even the police came over. There was no signing in or out during drop off or pick up.

The only good thing is that at least for the first 2 weeks my daughter liked the camp and she was still happy to be in the performance.

Kylie T.

The teachers are wonderful and we learn a lot. I have tried dance numerous times and have hated it. Then I came here and it was a sudden switch. I have been dancing for almost three years now and I absolutely love it. I have gone from not being able to dance to placing in the top 5 at a competition for my duo.

Athena J.

Starlight really taught my daughter how to dance. It’s been the most fun place in the area we’ve found. I’m the dances are well choreographed, but the classes are relaxed. They play current songs for the kids and have spice to their dances.

Abby F.

So grateful to have a local spot in Martinez that is so friendly and enriching for kids! I can’t say enough good things about the Minis musical theater program. Our seven year old had an absolute blast in her first theater class and performance, “Snow White.” She had so much fun making friends and singing/dancing with Ms. Jaimee’s class. We can’t wait to participate again in the fall and expect to stick with Starlight for extracurriculars for a long time to come.

Dana S. S.

I cannot begin to say how much we loved Starlight Dance studio. Last summer we enrolled our daughter in their Little Mermaid dance camp. My then 4yo was (and still is) very clingy. I never left the shopping center as this was her first experience away from an adult she knew well and she was having none of it. She literally cried for 45 min straight while I was at the Starbucks across the parking lot because she thought I left her. BUT, and this is a huge but, here we are 8 months later and she still talks about it and how much she loved it. Chelsea and her staff created such a calming and safe environment for her that even though she was scared she has only positive memories of the experience. My only regret is that we moved to the east coast a couple of months later. We were planning on staying with Chelsea and her staff for years to come.

John G.

Dropped by for a yoga class. Great space.
Beautiful wood floor. They also have lots of theatre and dance classes starting up. Nice to have this in the neighborhood.

TuhS T.

UNHAPPY!! not with the lessons but with communications.

We enrolled our daughter here in beginning March 2022 for kids theater and the management had a small event area set up for final performances. All our kids couldn't watch their sister perform and many such families were there we suppose coz the management promised to give out a video recording release for it free of charge to the parents. Its been whole 2 months since the performance, I have asked and asked and asked to no help, the company should've informed and let the parents know as to when they will share the performances, on their own specially since we requested many times. Once in the beginning of April they came back in response to my email and said end of this week we will get it but it's been another 4 weeks almost (apr end), we have nothing.

Update- After I wrote this review and sent a couple more emails, we finally got the video link.

Overall we aren't very excited and happy with their correspondence style.

Adrian I.

Pleasant play and audience. Wonderful people running a nice project, So many wonderful things to say! Enjoyable time that deserves 5 stars but... My seat was all the way in the back. Back seats are the closest of the ceiling - up on my feet, my head would touch the ceiling. Right there, all the way in the back, there is one of the 2 AC vents that cool down that room full with over 100 people. My seat war right under that vent, so close of it! My brain got frozen in my head! So shivering cold! I guess tomorrow I'll get a cold! Maybe they should not place a few chairs around and under that AC vent!