Portland Festival Ballet

My five year old has been attending PFB for a year and a half and she’s really blossoming under their patient instruction. I love that the program is ballet focused, classic, and modest.

I am so surprised that anyone could ever complain about this place. Amazing teaching from everyone. A loving environment for the children. The administration is so understanding and accommodating to every need. This is a giving organization with a heart for those who can’t afford to send their kids to ballet. And the quality speaks for itself. Check out their shows! And their outreach programs! Don’t believe the negative reviews. It’s sad that Unilocal is so often a forum for unjustified complainers, haters and trolls.

Decent studio with ok floors though a bit sticky. The improv teacher, Melissa, and the modern instructor, Selena, are wonderful, dedicated instructors that know how to bring out the best in their students. The tiniest dancers get to work with Ms. Elise, a lovely instructor, but she doesn’t teach beyond level 1. The primary focus of the studio is ballet, however. Under Artistic Director, John Magnus, the ballet training and productions of PFB were some of the best in the country. Advanced dancers came from all over the country to train with Mr. Magnus. Unfortunately the dysfunction of the school’s administration (including questionable financial issues and according to their 909, the nonprofit has no functioning board) and politics within the school resulted in the best asset of the school, Mr. Magnus, leaving. Several families, us included, experienced double charges on their tuition, some for several months repeatedly, we paid for uniforms through the studio and never received them, manipulation, and families had to fight for the return of the afore mentioned artistic director’s costumes following an emotional and drama-​filled Nutcracker where security escorted the beloved director from the theater simply for asking for his costumes back following the production. Compared to most other programs, including some of the leading programs in the country, the cost of this studio is very high, however, with Mr. Magnus gone, the focus doesn’t seem to be on the students any longer. The unhealthy environment of the studio has left my children traumatized.

Great facility, and potentially great program. The atmosphere, however, is completely dysfunctional. Every ballet school has drama, but I believe they have set the bar to new heights. Manipulation, bullying both within the school and the administration, what appears to be very bad management of funds… It does not feel like the students are the top priority at Portland Festival Ballet anymore. There are healthier places to get great ballet training.
This USED to be a great program. Very sad.

PFB has a great floor, and Les Watanabe is the BEST teacher. He is patient, kind and complimentary even when you know your moves are rusty&not quite what you remembered… Not having danced ballet in over 30 years, it was quite an experience to be moving my body in that way again.
I am totally going to go for it: I LOVE BALLET! Thank you Les!

I purchased a Groupon a while back that PFB had offered for 10 or 20 drop-​in classes. From my first class it was great experience. It was the Adult Intermediate Ballet class on Sunday morning and was taught by Les Watanabe. I’ve since purchased 2 more punch cards for drop-​in class because I love it so much! Les is a great teacher and I get an amazing workout and am thrilled to be able to take great classes again!