Grand Rapids Ballet

Grand Rapids Ballet put on a great performance. A friend invited us and we very much enjoyed the show. The theater is fairly compact, so everyone is close to the action. The dancers appeared to be enjoying themselves immensely and lots of expression to engage the audience. Parking can be a bit tricky, so plan arrival accordingly. All the staff and volunteers very helpful in getting to seats on time. Will definitely consider coming to a future performance.

Grand Rapids Ballet School is a wonderful place. The teachers understand the value of high level classical ballet training. I appreciate knowing my child is encouraged, she is spoken to in uplifting kind ways. Corrections are given in a positive, professional way that promote growth, not only in technique, but also keeping in mind to take good care of the mind and heart of the child. This style of teaching fosters an environment where the student feels safe and is able to grow in their best way with confidence. The confidence and quality of technique that I see in the dancers shines through in the performance opportunities, and is so inspiring. GRBS is a place that I trust has the best interest for the students, and desires to make a difference in each child's life. It's also such a lively, enriching environment during class, with live piano music, that enhances the experience for the students. It's a joy to be part of this classical ballet family. My child is thriving beyond my expectations and I'm so grateful for this opportunity.

My granddaughter and I attended the Nutcracker on Dec 10. First we ordered tickets and were sent the wrong evenings tickets. So we needed to get tickets that evening. We ended up in the balcony. That was not good. The noise of the toe shoes on the floor was horrible. The gentleman dancing with Sugar Plumb Fairy fell three times. With others also. We drive over an hour to see this and have been coming for about 13 years. We always sit in the orchestra section and dress up for this. We take this production very seriously. So now it looks like I might be out over $200.00 for the tickets sent for the wrong night and a very disappointing performance.

Me and my family went to go see “ballet + broadway” we did watch the first two parts, but then our whole family agreed to bounce because we were uninterested and hungry. The ballet was great, though I feel like the ballet should be put in one big performance instead of individual parts.

Love this place! This school is the best, with helpful staff, amazing dedicated teachers providing performance opportunities for students that many kids dream of.

Left halfway through jumpstart. Besides the 2nd set the rest were pretty weird. Shoes on the floor were really loud. Don’t think the tickets were worth 50$…

This is a wonderful dance company, and they get better every year. People who don't go to the ballet have no idea what they're missing. Go see it, and bring a friend!

Prefer the old choreography and miss Mother Ginger

This review is for the beginner adult ballet class that I took through SweatNet. The Grand Rapids Ballet is the only professional ballet company in the state of Michigan, which is so amazing to me. I have only ever been to one performance at the ballet, but have always been interested in seeing more at this theatre. I grew up taking dance, including ballet, and have always been interested in dance. Plus Center Stage was one of my favorite movies in the early 2000s, haha. The Grand Rapids Ballet also includes a ballet school for students ages 3-19, plus adult and Adaptive Dance classes. The beginner adult class is open to anyone and you can request a complimentary trial class. Beyond that, classes are usually $15 for drop ins, or you can get a 10-class punch card for $120. Classes are on weekday evenings from 6:30-8 pm. They also offer adult intermediate classes. Parking is limited in their lot, and the night I went there were lots of parents picking up kids so I ended up parking on the street. The class was taught by Attila Mosolygo, one of the instructors at the school. We started with warm ups and lots of barre work, focusing on strength, lower body movements, and flexibility. There weren't a ton of modifications given but with my limited knowledge of ballet I made it through as best as I could. We ended with a bit of floor work, including practicing chene turns and lots of jumping. My quads were definitely working hard and I worked up a sweat. I had a lot of fun and would go back for another class in the future.

From the start, the entryway of Grand Rapids Ballet shows you just what you'll be experiencing! The doors are lively and inspirational, and, once inside, the soaring, light-filled space, decorated with a large-scale photo of a dancer, fills you with joy. That's just a taste of what's to come. The most powerful, moving, and extraordinary dance I've ever seen? Aquatic hypoxia, choreographed by Nicolas Blanc, and part of MoveMedia: handmade... 7 new, original works, all world premieres. If this is the caliber of GR Ballet's shows, this company will go FAR. The dancing and choreography talent is tremendous. There is a spacious coat room, a closer men's bathroom, and a women's bathroom at the far end (why? I wished there was a closer handicap bathroom for either gender). The seating is pleasing, with plenty of leg room and comfortable chairs. I sat at the end of the row, and perhaps 10% of the stage was obscured by the side curtains. Luckily, most of the dancing occurred in visibility. One very smart thing inside the theatre: the lighting on the stairs is very clever. It is covered, so not obtrusive, but definitely lit up the stairs if you needed egress during the snow. Thank you! There is a parking lot in front (with 2 handicap spaces, so get there early if you need it), and a city lot across the street. We attended this as part of an official Yelp event, and I am SO glad we drove from Kalamazoo in a crazy winter ice storm!

I had the opportunity to attend the dress rehearsal for Move Media:Handmade. The lobby is beautiful as it has gorgeous photos of the dancers from different performances. The theater seating was wonderful as there is not a bad seat in the house. The seats are at a great incline so you can see over the person in front of you. The performance was 7 modern dances performed for the 1st time. The dances had gorgeous lines and the movements were very fluid. I loved all of dances except for one but i was entertained the whole time. I cannot wait to go back and see the next performance!