Ballet and Dance Classes for Kids in Marin and San Francisco

August 16, 2023

Photos: Marin Dance Theatre located in San Rafael and Corte Madera

Looking for a dance class for your kiddos? Here is our guide to ballet and dance classes throughout Marin County and the San Francisco Bay Area for kids of all ages.

Our guide to ballet and dance classes is sponsored by Marin Dance Theatre, whose young dancer classes are offered at both their San Rafael and Corte Madera locations. Learn more at www.MDT.org.

Marin Dance Theatre — San Rafael and Corte Madera
MDT’s Young Dancer Division fosters an engaging and encouraging environment for your child’s early ballet experience. Their nurturing faculty specialize in early childhood education, providing the opportunity for your dancer to develop initiative and inspiring a love for dance. Classes are open for ages 18 months–9 years at both their San Rafael and Corte Madera locations. For more info, schedules, and registration visit www.MDT.org, call (415) 499-8891 or email info@mdt.org
Marin Ballet — San Rafael
Marin Ballet offers classes from pre-ballet for ages 3–4 to level nine for ages 12–18 in its six practice studios in its 20,000-square-foot facility near Dominican University of California in San Rafael. Your first class is free! More info: (415) 453-6705 or www.marinballet.org.
Just Dance Academy — San Rafael
Classes are offered for students beginning at age 4 in ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary, and more. The Just Dance Academy produces several performances per year, offers a dance competition program as well as specialty dance workshops. More info: (415) 451-1734 or justdance.biz
Love2Dance — Novato
Love2Dance offers ballet and other dance classes for ages 2 and up. From Little Feet Ballet for the younger ones to intermediate-advanced ballet for the older kids as well as hip-hop, contemporary, jazz, break, and more. More info: (415) 898-3933 or love2dance.biz
Marin Conservatory of Dance — Mill Valley
Marin Conservatory of Dance offers classical ballet classes for kids ages 4 and up and offer a Nutcracker performance during the holidays. They are walking and biking distance from Mill Valley Middle School and Tamalpais High School, as well as Mill Valley elementary schools. More info: (415) 326-5117 or marinconservatoryofdance.org.
PAAM Arts — Mill Valley
PAAM offers a variety of of dance classes for all ages, including ballet, broadway, hip-hop, jazz, and tap. More info: (415) 380-0887 or www.paamarts.com
Presidio Dance Theatre — San Francisco
For over 20 years, Presidio Dance Theatre has provided high-quality training in Vaganova style ballet, character and folk dance, and professional performance opportunities for budding artists ages 5–18. More info: presidiodance.org

Photos: Marin Dance Theatre

Rhythms Performing Arts — Novato
Rhythms offers dance classes for all age groups, starting with preschool dance and Broadway for ages 3–5. Dance classes include ballet, tap, jazz, and hip-hop. More info: (415) 898-9717 or www.rhythmsperformingarts.com
RoCo Dance — Mill Valley
RoCo Dance offers a variety of dance classes, including hip-hop, ballet, modern, jazz, and breaking. For ages 4 and up, depending on program. More info: (415) 388-6786 or www.rocodance.com.
Pre-Ballet at the San Francisco Ballet School — San Francisco
Kickstart your child’s love of dance with Pre-Ballet classes at San Francisco Ballet School! Classes will introduce young children to the fundamentals of classical ballet, from proper body alignment to crucial ballet techniques. Visit their website to learn more about their new Creative Movement classes, as well as the rest of their Pre-Ballet curriculum for ages 3–7. More info: www.sfballet.org
Splitz Dance Academy — Novato
Splitz Dance Academy offers a variety of ballet classes for ages 3 and up. Choose from Tiny Toes for the littles ones to advance ballet classes for older kids and teens. More info (415) 598-7732 or www.sfballet.org
Stapleton School of the Performing Arts — San Anselmo
Stapleton School of the Performing Arts has been Marin County's hub for inclusive dance and theater education, public performances, and community arts since 1988. They offer early childhood creative movement, pre-ballet, and a full schedule of ballet classes for older children, as well as hip-hop and musical theater/jazz. More info: (415) 454-5759 or www.stapletonschool.org
Tutu School — Larkspur
Tutu offers ballet classes from 18 months to 8 years. They offer classes from tutu toddler to primary ballet prep. Additional Tutu School studios are located in San Francisco and the East Bay. More info: (415) 380-0887 or www.tutuschool.com