The Performing Arts Academy of Marin

My daughter has been taking classes and performing at PAAM for the past few years and just loves it! The teachers and staff are super supportive and the level of instruction is by far the best if any dance program we have tried in Marin.

PAAM is a special place. It is a labor of love for the passionate director and her well-​chosen staff, and it shows every single day in the quality of the instruction across all disciplines of the performing arts. Our daughter has grown as a dancer, singer, actress, overall performer, and person since starting PAAM. The PAAM culture strikes a well-​orchestrated balance between striving for excellence and having fun. Our daughter looks forward to every day that she goes to PAAM classes and camps. She makes friends, learns, and builds confidence that spills into other parts of her life. We can say without reservation that the PAAM community has been one of the most positive influences in her life to date. PAAM’s new space (opening in the next 3 – 5 months) will provide a whole new level of opportunity for kids and teens to develop their talents and foster relationships with the instructors and one another.
Five stars without a doubt!

PAAM is a true Marin gem that provides children and teens with exceptional performing arts training. The teachers are creative, fun loving and passionate about their work — each adding individual life experience in the performing arts world to their classes. Each class at PAAM is well planned and always executed with fervor and enthusiasm. Notably, attention and feedback is given to the class as a unit as well as to the individual performer. My teen daughter’s friend base at the studio is fantastic mirroring the studio’s philosophy of supporting each other on and off of the stage. She has become an accomplished dancer and performer at PAAM as well. I am extremely grateful to have such a supportive and creative learning environment here in Marin.

My 9 year old daughter has been attending PAAM for nearly six years and it is truly her home away from home. The staff has a real talent for sharing their craft that requires focus and dedication while simultaneously making the experience a whole lot of fun. Annie, the owner, is professional, compassionate, and a true role model for my young tween who has gained immeasurable skill, confidence and self-​worth in the PAAM conservatory and summer camps over the years. We are beyond grateful for our extended PAAM family and excited to start a new chapter in the competitive dance program this year!

I unfortunately feel the need to downgrade my review, as one of the instructors at PAAM, Alicia, doesn’t have a healthy teaching style and I don’t think she should be working with kids. She uses threats and intimidation (fear) as her motivational style, which is very archaic and proven time and again in research to be the worst teaching methodology for any subject. Kids shouldn’t be threatened with excessive exercise and singling out within the crowd (a shaming method akin to the old dunce cap and standing in the corner). Punishing through push ups and wall squats is very, very inappropriate for kids (or anyone for that matter…). This isn’t the Army, these are kids, and parents are paying for their kids to have a healthy experience and to hopefully grow a love for the performing arts. Such punishments will have the opposite effect and eventually the only kids who’ll be attending her classes at PAAM will be those who’s parents approve of and use themselves the motivation through fear, intimidation and threats style. This is really unfortunate as previously this had been a great place for kids to learn dance and musical theater. I highly recommend that parents with modern, progressive parenting styles make sure your kid doesn’t have this instructor if you intend to use PAAM.

I was walking across the street with my 4 year old granddaughter who saw the dancers in the window and she got excited, so we decided to stop by and check it out. The lady at the front desk was less than pleasant when I told her that my granddaughter saw the dancers and wanted to check it out. I was thinking great, maybe she would want to come do dance classes. The lady at the desk said they had a policy about people being on the dance floor which I could understand but then she wouldn’t even let us watch from the door. I could understand if it were just me walking in wanting to watch kids dancing but there I was with my little one in my arms trying to nurture her creative energies. Maybe I’m way off base here but if it were my studio I would have allowed a four year old with her grandpa to view a class from the door.

Excellent performing arts studio, offering acting/​singing/​dance. My 12-​year-​old daughter has found her passion here. She took three summer «camps,» one-​week intensive training for shortened versions of the musicals «Grease,» «Mamma Mia,» and a cleaned-​up version of «Rent,» and is now taking Broadway Jazz dance and Triple Threat classes. The instructors are young, hip, positive, committed. Class sizes are small, so kids get individual instruction. They expect dedication, but are very kind and encouraging. It’s not for those who want to goof off, but for those who really want to build confidence and the skills to perform in front of an audience. All skill levels are welcome. My daughter started out with no training and has grown tremendously. They are moving to a larger studio in downtown Mill Valley in January 2013. I highly recommend PAAM and wish them tremendous success in their new location.