I have danced at a lot of different studios around Seattle. I was frustrated because there weren't…read moremany in South Seattle, and it also isn't easy to find awesome classes. Not only is Studio 206 close to my home and in an iconic Seattle building (Old Rainier Brewery), the classes are so fun! There are so many talented and engaging instructors to match any flavor of dance you are looking for. Classes are accessible for first time dancers, and also satisfy those who like a little more choreo. The community at Studio 206 is also amazing. So many wonderful people who support each other and have a blast, while getting a great workout. If you have been looking for dance fitness and are just now discovering Studio 206, then be very excited. You're going to love it!

This is the greatest Dance studio in the history of the world. Nicole is amazing. She is a positive…read moreand fun and she makes us sweat!!!! She has created such a wonderful community of amazing people and I'm lucky to call all of them good friends. I don't know what I would do without these amazing people in my life. Plus, she has gotten the best people together to instruct other classes and there is truly something for everyone. Don't miss this studio!!!! It's literally what I look forward to. It's my therapy. If you hate the treadmill, give this a shot. You will love it!!!!!! On top See you there!

OK, so I decided to surprise my partner with salsa lessons before our commitment ceremony. She…read morewanted to do a first dance and I always wanted to learn how to lead, so... Thankfully, Balorico came up when I searched for lessons in the West Seattle area. Vanessa (the instructor) really put me at ease from the start (I can be shy and a little neurotic). She is incredibly good at breaking down the steps/movements in ways that are appropriate to your style of learning. She is very good at knowing when one should be challenged further and when to pull back. She pays very close attention to detail and hey, she even laughs at my lame jokes-my partner and I are full of those. How she gets thru a lesson with the two of us I will never know, but we always have a great time and somehow she managed to make us look pretty damn good. It's really cool to see how much pride she takes in what we learn. There is genuine excitement when she sees that we are putting things together. I really can't say enough. We got a lot of compliments on our dance and that was really cool, but even cooler still is the fact that I can't wait to learn more.

I bought Salsa lessons with Balorico for my wife as a birthday present. We had recently taken a…read morethree week trip to Cuba and fallen in love with Salsa music and dancing and were eager to learn how to dance Salsa ourselves. After doing some research about classes offered in the South Seattle area I landed on Balorico and booked a beginners package with Vanessa Villalobos. At first I really liked Vanessa and was optimistic about what we would learn under her guidance, but would unfortunately find her teaching style frustrating and ultimately discouraging. Vanessa uses a rapid-fire method, introducing a new dance step, running it a few times, and then quickly moving on. I have some experience with dance lessons and am used to strongly incorporating a move into our muscle memory before moving on, which was an opportunity I rarely got with Vanessa. What was increasingly aggravating were her regular proclamations that we were "getting it!" or excited announcements like, "You got it!"... as I looked around at my fellow students that seldom seemed like the case. It was my impression that the majority of my fellow students were equally lost. Overall, I felt very rushed through this course and was so unhappy with it that we didn't even bother to go to the final class. In addition to not feeling like we were being effectively taught Salsa, Vanessa was regularly promoting other classes and events as constantly up-sales. Considering my frustrations with the class this was particularly irksome. I feel the focus should have been on delivering what we had already paid for. Vanessa clearly knows how to dance Salsa and while it was fun to watch her execute moves I don't feel she was very good at passing that knowledge on to beginners. Perhaps her methods are better suited for more advanced students, but I wouldn't recommend her for those starting out.

I want to share my gratitude towards Anna Banana Freeze. They are an amazing dance teacher and my…read morefamily learned a lot today. I also want to share my deep appreciation for everything that the dance crew has done and continues to do for the community. I was brought back to breaking at Jefferson CC and seeing Anna practice with Turf. I'm so happy that the next generation of dancers (toddlers plus) can benefit from the amazing fundamentals that breaking and dance provides.

From the owner: The Beacon is a safe, inclusive and fun place that interacts with the community through arts-based…read moreprograms that include dance classes and community events. Through our programs we engage people in fun activities that encourage creative expression and positive change. One Love! -- The Beacon Family

I signed up for an introductory pole dancing class because it seemed fun and I wanted to switch up…read moremy exercise routine! It was a class that started at 8:15, on a Friday. The company sends out emails that gives very explicit directions on where to park and how to find and access the studio, in addition to linking a video with visual and audio directions, so I had no issues finding anything as everything was really well explained! My taught by Dani, who was a great instructor. Dani went around to sign everyone in, as for our pole experience one on one, so the class could be best tailored to all of us. We were also given a clean exercise mat with plenty of cushion, along with an ethanol spray bottle and towel for cleaning/drying our poles and hands. We then did a very extensive warm up to begin with, followed by working on a spin, during which Dani went around individually to everyone to give tips and help out with modifications as needed. This was very helpful for me, as I was able to ask explicit questions about what muscles to engage and general body positioning. Afterwards, we did a mini choreography a few times to practice what we learnt, followed by a cooldown. During the session, we were given ample opportunity for water breaks, along with cleaning our poles as needed, which I appreciated. The minor cons--the studio is extremely hot. As a result of this, there are several fans always blowing which is very nice, but they tend to be loud. That plus the music, which was turned down during instruction, made it a bit hard to hear Dani at times. Luckily I was towards the front, and didn't miss anything major for directions. The studio itself is extremely nice otherwise though! A great little cubby area for shoes and bags, and a couch/table for waiting for your class to start. The ambiance with lighting and music is also very nice, and there are mirrors everywhere so you can really see yourself getting into different positions. I had a really fun time at the class, and would definitely be a studio for people to consider if they're interested in one of their classes!

Ahhh how exciting it was to serendipitously end up at Pole Fitness Seattle! Because I didn't have a…read morecar, I picked this studio for its class selection, instructors, and proximity to my hotel. It's pretty easy to book classes online (surprisingly Seattle studios aren't really on Mindbody) by purchasing a class pack and applying it to sign ups. The email reminders are helpful. It's a little difficult to locate the studio in the alleyway of buildings, but they do a great job of providing directions. I arrived early via Uber/Lyft and was greeted by the instructor for Pole Conditioning & Stretching. It was an all-levels class, and the instructor (can't remember her name!) did a great job of explaining moves and providing modifications for each student. Then I took Pole L2 & L3 with Beau, who is a fantastic instructor! Turns out, we have mutual friends. The pole community is such a small world. Definitely more advanced of a class than I expected (good thing I didn't sign up for L4!) and enjoyed the safe and friendly class environment. Will definitely be back here to train next time I'm in Seattle!

Came here for a bach party, and we had the best time! The instructor was so kind, patient, and…read moreencouraging. It was most of our first time taking a pole dancing class, but she made everyone feel comfortable and confident from the start. The class was so much fun, the atmosphere was welcoming, and the pricing was very reasonable. I'd definitely come back for another class and highly recommend it for a girls' night or bach!

I know this place has been around but I only just found it. I'm an aerialist and not a pole dancer,…read moreso my review won't have much to do with the pole half of the studio. Pros: - I prefer aerial sling, so it delights me that this place has sling as a priority type of aerial. - Plenty of parking. One of my major dislikes of ECTA is their extreme lack of parking, which is enough of a headache that I'm often discouraged to go. Not so here! There's a number in front of the studio, but the lot across the street is also easy parking, and crossing the small street is pretty safe because not many people go through there. - Classes are pretty nice price- I got an intro class pack for 4-for-$40, and the regular priced class is about $25/class if you buy a ton of them. They also take a year to expire! - They have enough rigs/apparatuses that there's plenty of time on the fabrics, which I enjoy. - The goal in the class is to do a short routine, which I highly prefer over just practicing fundamentals Cons: - I guess it's because they don't have a front desk room area, but I've had to stand outside in the cold several times before class because I arrived early, because the doors are literally locked during class. The reason I aim to arrive so early? - Because their lateness policy is bizarrely unforgiving. Ten minutes late = locked door, no entry. So only solution is to arrive SO early that you're inevitably locked out, in case of things like...traffic. accidents. whatever. - I was feeling mildly sick once and wasn't sure I should go in. Figured eating the cost of the $10 intro class was okay... until I saw that there was an *additional* fee for no-showing. Why isn't eating the cost of the class enough?

The teacher, Elaine, has moved her studio to Columbia City. It's a tiny space shared with a gift…read moreshop. I am an elementary level dancer and I found Elaine to be a wonderful teacher for me. She worked me hard but with sensitivity to my strengths and weaknesses. Under her instruction I found myself able to do steps and combinations I hadn't been able to nail down with other teachers in larger studios. The tiny class size means loads of individual attention. Cost is $18 for a 90 minute class or $17 if you take multiple classes.

After struggling to find detailed, professional information on what this place offers and whether…read moreit was even open, I am now a believer. In this day and age, we're used to the MindBody app, online scheduling, updated Facebook pages and Google Maps entries, and Instagrams, but you're not going to get any of this with Belltown Ballet. You're getting an elderly woman named Elaine who runs this thing herself, seems to be doing it for fun, and doesn't have the patience for technological updates. This is a great, fun, tough workout. I have been interested in trying beginner ballet as an adult, and this was a perfect introduction for me. Elaine is such a lovely person, and she makes ballet enjoyable and accessible to all types of people. There were about 10 people in the class I tried, a good mix of men and women of all levels. The atmosphere was relaxed and somewhat social in between exercises, with a lot of laughter throughout. I have been to other all-levels or even beginner dance and workout classes, and I often find myself frustrated by the lack of instruction and attention to people who had no clue what they were doing. Not so at BBC ballet; everyone felt seen. The classes are all levels, and there are students who have been dancing for decades, as well as true beginners like myself. The more you learn, the more you understand the proper technique and what you have to work on, so every student finds it challenging. Here is the logistical info as of August 8, 2022, as they don't seem to update their website or social media: BBC Studio AKA Belltown Ballet is doing live, in-person classes. (There are also online and hybrid classes, but I haven't tried them and won't comment on them here.) Live classes are Monday and Wednesday, 6-7:30 p.m. They take place at the Seattle Armory in Seattle Center, 4th Floor, north end, Puget Sound Theater spaces. Classes are $16 for drop ins, and you don't need to register or anything, just show up. There is plenty of space, so come, bring friends, etc.

Have you been looking for a Zumba class, but are hesitant to take one, because it sounds like a…read moregroup of Jazzercise fanatics? Do you love Latin music, but aren't unsure about your dance moves? Or maybe you're like me, and you want a way to burn loads of calories, dance your bum off, and actually feel like returning for another workout? This is the class, friends. An intensive evening class (so there's no sweating before work), taught by the best Zumba instructor in the city. You can take my word for that, because I've made the Zumba rounds. She knows what she's doing, has a passion for Latin music/dance (so you don't need to worry that you'll suddenly have country music, or old school rock show up in the playlist), and keeps things interesting. At first, you'll probably find yourself thinking..how do I keep up? It will seem like everyone is super invested in the routines (which is kind of a good thing, as they don't notice if you're straggling along). But the key is in persistence. After a few classes, things get recognizable, and you're able to get a deeper workout with each successive class. Next thing you know, you're pretty sure you're a backup dancer for Beyoncé. And thennnn...she changes up the playlist, and the challenge begins again. But that's what we want in a workout routine--a challenge--right? The great thing here, is that she sticks to dance...none of that crazy aerobic, choppy, robotic stuff. That being said, you will get a very good workout. It will make you want to return. The front desk guy told me that after one class, I'd be hooked. He was right. (He was also right when he explained that the monthly pass was a much better deal than the drop-in rate).

If you are over 40 or any age and feel you need more guided gentle movement to increase mobility…read moreor strengthen your body and bones . This is the studio for you. Offerings such as gentle yoga, gentle restoratives , private sessions to work on specific concerns or limitations and Pilates make it a special place for "Every Body"

I started out feeling as though this was a waste of my time, but once I was able to understand it…read morewith the guidance, it has helped me tremendously. I am able to feel the cause of the issues much better on my own and just making slight adjustments on my own makes such a difference. I do still need help, so I continue to return for more guidance as needed and it is well worth the cost. Beth is an amazing teacher and knows the body so very well.