As America’s first and oldest professional ballet company, the San Francisco Ballet is a must-see for anyone looking to truly experience the American style of ballet. It is among the world’s leading dance companies and one of the three largest American ballet companies, and is the company responsible for premiering ballet staples like Swan Lake & Nutcracker to American audiences.

The company presents more than 100 memorable performances annually, from new works by today’s most prominent choreographers to new interpretations of classic full-length productions. Led by world-famous Helgi Tomasson, the company consists of a diverse international repertoire that is always presented with finesse and elegance.

The company is currently based in the beautiful 3,146-seat War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco. With its elegant lines, vaulted ceiling, marble foyer, and sweeping balconies, the opera house complements and completes the breathtaking experience that is the San Francisco Ballet.

Take one glimpse at the majestic carved doors of San Francisco's Orpheum Theatre and you'll see the sparkle of an architectural gem. Designed in the 1920s by renowned theater architect B. Marcus Priteca as a showcase for the silent films and vaudeville productions of impresario Alexander Pantages, the elaborate Spanish-style Civic Center cathedral boasts all the ingredients required to cook up an evening of glitz and entertainment. From the baroque, vaulted ceilings to walls brimming with folkloric lion figurines, the palatial venue is well-deserved of its designation as a San Francisco Historical Landmark. Though the theater's delicate balconies endured years as a first-run movie house, it's been reinvigorated by some of the nation's most acclaimed Broadway shows. These days its rich red carpets and chairs accommodate crowds of musical enthusiasts for the box office record-breaker Wicked, but this beautiful building has also set the stage for Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Rent and The Lion King. No doubt, it has a long history to come as host to the most prized performances.

If the images of elegant ballerinas or hip-hop DWTS contestants come to mind when you think of dance performances, ODC Dance Company will blow your mind. Since the beginning, it has pushed the envelope of avant-garde dance, meaning the choreography, music, and narratives are completely out of the box and original.

But it's not all creativity without meaning here, ODC has a commitment to maintaining interesting story lines (something not all avant-garde performances do) and outstanding technique. The company has been widely recognized for its fusion of modern techniques and ballet, as well as star-studded collaborations with actors like Robin Williams and visual artists like Eleanor Coppola.

ODC Dance Company proves that West Coast dance is as innovative and technically accomplished as any traditional East Coast company.

Glowing like a beacon over the Castro District, The Castro Theatre marquee is not only a symbol of the city’s gay rights movement (as featured in the Oscar-winning film Milk), but the city's favorite venue to connect with the community in a way that is colorful and meaningful.  For decades San Franciscans have come together in this lavishly decorated historic theatre for live and screen performances, even participating in cult films such as The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Little Mermaid sing-alongs, Dionne Warwick concerts, and every single film festival that comes to town. The Castro Theatre is old-fashioned and intimate, right down to the original brass ticket booth out front that's big enough for only one vendor.  Inside, the Spanish-Oriental influence is apparent in the scraffito wall murals, but the gold art deco details make it familiar.  The 1,400 red velvet seats throughout the main floor, mezzanine, and balcony are new, along with the PA, sound, and lighting systems, but have stylishly retained their early-century charm. The theatre also functions in the mainstream, as each month it features top box office movies.  Some recent favorites have been the star-studded Nine and Milk, which ran for almost two months.

If you think of opera as long, boring, and hard to follow, you haven’t been to the San Francisco Opera.  From the bellbottoms to ball gowns dress code, and with subtitles above the stage, a night at the opera isn’t just for the world-traveling elite anymore.  The San Francisco Opera does justice to this classic art form by making it accessible and entertaining to modern society. In the heart of The Civic Center next to the Capitol Building, every grand staircase and facade of the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House seems to have been carved out of marble and gold, and the set designs are always elaborately impressive.  Taking in the spectacle is even better while enjoying a pint of beer or a high-end wine.  And don’t think the crowd is going to be boring either, since the opera is attended more these days by 20-50 something’s in the peak of their social lives, with great fashion sense to boot. Tickets can range from $10-$120, but if you’re looking for an old-fashioned night out on the town don’t be afraid to play “Pretty Woman” dress-up, make reservations at one of the many nearby fine restaurants (like Absinthe), and go all out with a box seat and opera glasses.