Not sure how anyone learns anything here…read more I took an adult Performance Tap dance class here, with the intention of taking a few others while I am here in London on holiday. After this class experience, I have definitely changed my mind. The instructor played the music so unbelievably loud that we could barely hear him speak or dance. Also, the other dancers did not listen to each other at all. Everyone just danced to their own rhythm without any regard for what their fellow dancers were doing. They were not at all in sync; which was incredibly ironic for a Performance Tap class. Part of being a successful performer is situational awareness; being in tune and in sync with your fellow performers on stage/on the floor at all times. Moreover, I expected more discipline from adult dancers. There were entirely too many times during the class where the teacher was speaking or trying to review steps, and other dancers were off tapping and doing their own thing, making it almost impossible to hear what the teacher was trying to teach. I almost can't fault them though because the class was quite unstructured. There was no delineation between warm-up, technique review, and actual choreography. We were just doing whatever the instructor did, whenever he did it. His hand cues were only slightly less awful than his counts and his verbal cues. Only a handful of people were able to keep up with him... I'm guessing they're accustomed to the dysfunction. Suffice it to say, Derek was definitely not one of the best instructors I've had. I found him only slightly less arrogant than his bio implied. At one point during the class, a student asked him a question about the choreography because he seemed to have changed the rhythm of the choreography that we were learning part way through the class. Most of the people in the class seemed to notice it (and it was a point of frustration and spirited conversation among some students after class). The student said something to the effect of, "It looks like you've changed the rhythm a bit," at which point he scoffed at her and replied, "Oh, *I* changed it?" in this condescending "How dare you imply that I'm wrong" kind of tone. As someone who has both taken and taught countless tap classes over the course of my life, I can say from experience that teachers and choreographers forget what they've choreographed all the time...especially when you're choreographing on the spot. We're human. It happens. But apparently not to Derek. Hmm. Classes are cash only, and are payable directly to the teacher at the beginning or end of class. There is also an extra £4 fee for drop-in classes, which are to be paid at the front desk by either cash or credit card. Why they have not made it possible for students to pay for classes with card is beyond me. If you find yourself without cash, not to worry. There is an ATM down the block near the Five Guys. Exit the studio and turn left, then turn right onto the street. It's about 2 to 3 minute walk, and the cash machine will be on the left side of the street. Overall, I am not certain that this experience was worth the frustration. The website is incredibly convoluted and it makes it almost impossible to effectively filter down the classes one wants to take. The website also does not have a long-term class schedule (I think it's only posted week-to-week), so you have to check back every few days to see what's available. Ultimately, I ended up waiting until I arrived in London and called the studio directly to see if they had the style and level of instruction that I was interested in. I am only giving this place an extra star because it was a catalyst for helping me to check off one of my bucket list items; taking my lifelong love of tap dance to another country.

Pineapple Studios is one of the most notorious dance studios in London and really has that 'Fame'…read moreesque vibe to it. I went here for a Musical Theatre training week almost a year ago and the place sported a minimalistic 80's vibe back then and has hardly changed since! Fear not however as the wide range of classes vary from beginners to advanced meaning there is something for every style and ability so you will never feel self conscious. I go every Wednesday evening to Street Jazz with Nicky Bentley which is not only brilliant fun but an amazing workout. Be warned, the tutors work you hard but you feel the benefit. I'm not a member and so pay £2 for a daily membership and an additional £6 for the class. I would advise that if you go to the more popular evening classes, get there early to get a good spot in the studio. Oh and take a towel as it gets quite sweaty if you participate in the more high energy classes! These tutors are the best in the business and I love it as an alternative way to get fit.

Awesome dance school I do burlesque and aerial hoop there…read moreand it is awesome Professional teacher Excellent customer service thanks to the use of a good booking platform A lot of amazing types of classes Prices super ok regarding the service

From the owner: London Dance Academy is a pioneering studio in Old Street offering classes in dance, pole dancing,…read moreyoga, aerial, circus, acrobatics and fitness. Studio, streaming and on-demand classes for all levels.

This place is great. I felt so welcomed when I dropped-in for a Flamenco class. The teacher was…read moregreat and I stayed for two classes. If you have been to other studios, you know what to expect regarding coming into the class at the right time (as people are leaving the previous class), tucking your bag away, and stretching in a space of your own. This studio is really cool. It was an old bath house! It has loads of space. You feel like you belong, and it just runs like a great dance studio.

I went along to a breakdance (yes, you heard right, breakdance) class at my local dance studio and…read moreboy was I in for a workout.... I'm a pretty fit kind of gal - go to the gym regularly, eat my veggies, all that kind of stuff, but nothing prepared me for this. I arrived, somewhat sheepishly, at the Fame-esque studios and became gradually more terrified as I walked past room after room of people, perfectly in time, pulling some moves I could only dream of. I arrived at my studio and found that I was not the only person whose age began with a 3 - thank the Lord. Everyone was very friendly and soon swapping stories of their dancing experience. Luckily many were practically nil or fell into the 'I haven't done anything since school' category. To be honest, once you get in there, you're concentrating so hard on remembering the routines and trying not to break your legs/arms that you really don't care what everyone else is up to! Lana was our instructor - a half-woman, half b-boy phenomenon who really looked the part. Bandana, cap on sideways, baggy pants - she had the whole look down pat. And she was lovely. By the end of it I was exhausted, my knees hurt and I certainly wouldn't be pulling any of those moves on a dancefloor near you, but I was on my way. I'm looking forward to the next class already.

Danceworks is probably the less intimidating version of Pineapple studios. I have been here a…read morecouple of times for jazz classes and feel very comfortable. The studios are bright, modern and airy and it is geared completely towards all levels - you don't tend to get too mixed a group in terms of ability so no chance of feeling like the one who can't get it! The range of classes are great - yoga, pilates, jazz, contemporary, ballet....something that everyone can benefit from and most importantly, enjoy. They tend to stick the standard classes as opposed to the more quirky and trendy classes but do sometimes introduce styles such as Cheerleading and Bollywood. It is also fairly cheap to go - around £8 on average for a class plus a couple of pound entry on arrival.

Danceworks is an amazing studio offering a wonderful variety of classes and programs in many types…read moreof dance. The ballet teachers are the very highest caliber and my daughters have enjoyed every program they have attended there. The studio even offers opportunities to join some master classes online. The administration is also excellent. They are always prompt and courteous and make coordinating enrollment very easy!

BOLTMAN Style ZUmba on Tuesday 8.00-9.00 pm is amazing.... High energy, PUMPED up dance workout…read morefeel the burn, enjoy the sweat!

From the owner: The Academy creates musicians. Born out of a belief that music is for everyone and developed to…read morechallenge those who disagree. We strive to commit every music lesson to enhancing, inspiring and teaching the next generation of musicians.

Sex, high heels and rock 'n' roll wooh!!…read more Ahem, ok not quite... but now that I've got your attention, anyone thinking pole-dancing is all posing in heels and sticking your tush out needs to think again! This 2hr class for a friend's hen gave me a whole new perspective on how fit you need to be, and turned into the funniest, naughtiest and also toughest work-out of my life! This is Polepeople's own dance studio, a bit of an industrial warren of corridors with no signs so don't wander off. Wanted to review it for how awesome our instructor was - Jai, a washboard-stomached pro who remembered all 11 of our names after only one mention and quickly put us at ease. She had us in stitches at 'what not to do' and got even the quietest of the group strutting their stuff, despite the mirrored studio of poles initially looking a bit daunting. The class lets everyone go at their own pace so suited all coordination and fitness levels, from the gym bunnies to those who had barely exercised since school PE (I'd put myself somewhere in the middle!). You'll soon be using muscles you didn't even know you had, and by the second half everyone seemed glad there were more girls than poles as it gave you a rest between goes! In 2 hours we learned how to pull off several tricks and moves (once she'd broken them down into baby steps) that actually looked pretty impressive and sexy (well, at least when she did them!). Turns out I had a natural talent for 'The Corkscrew' - who knew?! ;) hmm, prob best to keep the pics under wraps methinks... For about £20pp (or less for more peeps) I highly recommend this session of high-heeled girly fun - can't put a price on the feel-good factor from getting active to awesome tunes, lots of giggles and letting your inner minx out for a bit! A word of warning though: not sure whether it was the fact that I missed most of the warm-up, or got overenthusiastic with the tricks or whether I'm just hopelessly unfit, but ohh the pain the morning after - my thighs and upper arms actually didn't work for a week :-$ So err warm up properly and give it a go - after all, it's healthy!

Polepeople is awesome!! A quaint, well lit studio with plenty of mirrors. The lighting is welcoming…read moreand great for pictures and videos. I've been pole dancing for 3 years in California. I was traveling through London, and was looking for my pole fix. I did a afternoon mixed level drop in class and it was perfect. It was an hour and very reasonably priced. My instructor, Aneta, was great at teaching a pole trick and breaking it down into different levels: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. It felt like all the students were getting even attention. All the students were super welcoming and supportive. I had a really fun class where I learned new tricks and also perfected the classics. Will definitely visit again next time I'm in town!

There are so many styles of salsa it is easy to get confused - La Cross Body, Cuban, New York etc…read moreetc... Is one better than the others? Not according to sensational teacher Alastair. A full day of salsa led by this rather enigmatic gent, led to fun, laughter and a historians wealth of knowledge on the subject of salsa. His teachings transcends style, taking the best from Cuban and the other styles to create a system of learning called Salsa Rapido. This system of teaching is less formalised than the way many Mambo teachers lead a class, culminating in a style that I believe helps a student make a faster transition to freestyle dancing in a club. There are a huge number of intensive courses that run every weekend, from specialised turns and travelling workshops, beginners courses and even full day Rueda workshops that can run for up to 5hrs. The Bar Salsa club is tailor made for salsa, without being huge there is enough space for a big lesson. If you need to learn salsa in a hurry, it may be the best £40 you spend. If you have time, Salsa Rapido, runs drop in classes at The Cuban in Camden on Thursdays and Mondays at The Salsa Cellar.

We went here last week and had a good laugh. There are not many Salsa clubs in London (this is the…read moreonly one I know) but this one did the job. It's all downstairs and smells a little bit (quite a bit) of sweaty bodies but that's for a reason. The drinks and cocktails are decent and of decent value. They're are regular classes but they're quite hard to follow and involve the girls and boys being separated. I preferred to freestyle it.

I've only been to Maria's classes twice, as I live pretty much on the opposite side of town from…read morewhere most of her teaching takes place (Fulham). But if you check out her calendar on her webpage, she also has classes at Virgin Actives, in Kensington, and in Holborn. Anyhow, I am a big Zumba snob. Embarassingly so. And I have also taken dozens of classes in London with different instuctors, and I can safely say Maria is one of my absolute favourites. She is a great dancer, is sexy as hell (which, consequently helps you magically, if not falsely feel like a sexy fabulous dancer as well, even if the accurate description is probably more like 'awkward cat in tutu') and definitely makes you break a sweat. She picks great music, is friendly and encouraging, and conveys (through, um, expression and movement) that she loves her job. Plus, since she is so gorgeous, hers is one of the few Zumba classes I've been to that regularly have straight men involved. You can tell that she has a really dedicated group of 'regulars' who follow her. Too bad its too far away for me.

From the owner: Zumba is essentially Latin dance aerobics, a fun and somewhat sassier alternative to the treadmill!…read more Zumba4London offers fun and invigorating Zumba classes. Men and women of all ages and all levels of fitness are welcome to come join the only party where you burn between 600-800 calories per hour! So, grab your trainers, grab your friends, and come join the party!

I've taken a lot of reformer classes in San Francisco, and I thought this one was a good workout,…read moreand challenging. Location: Located in Covent Garden, it's actually located inside the "Gym Box", so make sure you look for a big yellow sign. Walk in, check in at the front desk and they'll send you downstairs to a room without very many directions. It took me a few extra minutes to figure out where the gym & class were, so if it's your first time, make sure you allocate at least 5 extra minutes. Class: More focused on core and legs, and didn't do too much with arms. It was fine for me, but if you're looking for a more upper body workout, you may not be getting much with this. The class is pretty fast-paced, so not the best if you're a beginner or have never taken a reformer class. Instructor: I had Jess, who was great. High-energy, friendly, and was paying attention to correct posture/form. Music: Pretty high energy music that you may find in a dance club in Europe (but with vocals). I like this type of music, so I appreciated it, but if you don't like this kind of music, you may want to avoid it. I'd definitely come back here again on another visit in London. Happy that they are on Classpass, as it makes it easy to try the class out.

INTENSE! I've taken a variety of reformer pilates classes in London and I have to say this has…read morebeen one of the most painful ones I've been to. I think it's constant repetition and very little time to recover and had most of my body shaking within an hour. It is quite a small studio (max 7 participants) and feels a little cramped. The studio is located in the Gym Box so bring a lock with you if you need to store anything.