I love it here! Parking can be a bit difficult, but Paola makes the class so fun that hunting for a…read morespot is worth it. She is a big ball of energy and keeps the night going with all the laughs. Now onto the actual lessons - they are great. She really breaks things down, teaches you safety, and makes sure you look good when dancing. I'm currently only a beginner, but I know with this dance company's help, I'll be showing off before you know it!

Awesome classes that break down the movement so well. Tons of positive energy. Paola makes…read moreeveryone feel welcome. I totally agree with other reviewer that parking is tricky, so get there early; BUT TOTALLY worth it. Her Friday night events are really fun too (and NO issues with parking :) ). I love how she brings in guest instructors from other cities/studios too.

Some of the best movement teachers in Philly can be found at the Whole Shebang, a little studio off…read morethe beaten path in South Philly. Class prices are pretty reasonable, and even more so if you've got student I.D. or a Philly Dance Pass. They've also got this great deal if you bring a new student with you, one of you comes for half price.

From the owner: We specialize in being a clean, beautiful, blank slate for artists, and we work hard to be…read moreresponsive to the needs of our renters. We put a lot of love and care into our space and find that it translates into making Shebang a great place to be.

I went to my first class last week! The logistics of signing up, signing the waiver, and getting…read moreinto the building were fairly easy - the studio space was great. And the most important part - Mastah Tee was great - great energy, great choreography, and made me feel right at home! This is setup as more of a cardio dance class than a workout-oriented class, which I really liked - some more complicated steps to keep you engaged, but some slower steps where you can really work on your style. Great studio space too - very bright with great mirrors!

Fun, encouraging, high energy, full body workout. Trina brings the energy you need to get it done!…read moreGreat facility.

We have taken a salsa / bachata group class before at SHDA, and we really enjoyed it. However, we…read morehad an even better time taking 1:1 lessons with Masha for our first dance. We started with a box step and then the second class, she went into choreographing our dance and teaching us the beginning parts of it. She was so patient and gave really helpful directions. We also made some adjustments to the dance midway through based on personal preference, and it was not a problem for her. We took 6 classes (in addition to the first free one), but we felt pretty confident after class 5 thanks to her and just added a 6 for one last practice and to figure out our transition from the entrance to the first dance. She really made it approachable and always asked if she could touch you to demonstrate a move, which is a small but important piece of making her students feel super comfortable. Definitely make sure you ask for Masha for your first dance lessons!

We couldn't have done one of the most important part of our wedding without Masha! She made sure…read moreour first dance was absolutely perfect. Both my husband and I have no experience in dancing whatsoever but by the end we felt much more confident in our abilities. Plus being a member also gives you the opportunity to join group dance classes for free, which were so much fun! Totally a must do before your wedding! Picture features the perfect lift Masha taught us! :)

The Broken Mirror trauma-informed teaching approach is like an antidote to all the scary,…read moreegotistical teachers that feed actors' insecurities. I attended a one-day mask workshop, and followed that up with a five-week intro to the nondominant approach. The strategies are actionable and the learning environment is nothing but supportive. It's a real change to actually feel free and safe in an acting class, with no pressure to "perform" or do things the right way. Excited to sign up for my next course!!

Ben works hard to create a space where all perspectives and experiences are welcome, which provides…read morea foundation for vulnerable performing and useful feedback. The group full of strangers quickly became warm and supportive cheerleaders for one another. A great space to explore and learn, and meet potential collaborators.

I have been to this dance studio a couple of times now for the tap class and it's very fun! It's a…read morecute little studio with few rooms, but they're well air conditioned and clean. I felt very welcomed by both teachers I had and the classes are a good level of challenging while also being easy to keep up with.

For the past several months, I've been taking dance classes at Philly Dance Fitness to get myself…read moreback into the workout routine. Shedding the pandemic pounds isn't easy, so I'm glad the instructors here do an amazing job at masking the calorie-burning exercises in the disguise of dance routines. For personal favorites, I love the hip-hop classes with Maya and Ricky. With both instructors, you'll learn to move your body in the way you didn't know you could. I'm a fan of hip-hop choreography and both of these fine instructors are great at creating fresh routines to match with the good beats. Aside from hip-hop, Zumba classes here are also great. Regardless of the class you choose, you'll be leaving the studio drenching in sweats.

On Super Bowl Sunday, instead of the Puppy Bowl, a few friends and I attended the Taste of Philly…read moreDance Fitness Workshop here and it was awesome! Totally justified all the mac and cheese and wings I ate later... PROS For $25 (it was $20 earlier than the week of) we got 2 hours of nonstop dance workout classes. We tried 8 different types of dance including hip hop, ballet, jazz, modern, zumba, and banghra blast! We were greeted with a nice spread of healthy snacks-fruit, hummus, bruschetta, etc. and a coat rack for our things (there are also lockers further in). All the instructors were awesome, music was upbeat, and classes were fun! CONS The room was PACKED. They rotated rows every few songs, but I was seriously afraid of being punched/kicked in the face for most of the hip hop routine. The last session-powerjam stretch- involved a lot of being on the floor, which was really hard and there were not mats. It was hard to keep up with some of the instructors, and I know they tailored this to beginners, so I can only imagine (fear) what the regular class is like! Definitely recommend attending similar events like this and checking this studio out.

If you're into booty poppin', intense workout, and the fact that your instructor wears silver…read morespankies this may be the place for you. I attended Philly Dance Fitness for their Beyonce Twerkshop held in April. Make sure you bring water and comfortable clothing because you will move and you will sweat! I will say that I've honestly never had so much fun in a dance class, especially one where I didn't know what the hell I was doing 35% of the time. PDF really encourages a no pressure keep going type atmosphere which I think will make even a novice feel comfortable. The session was high energy and little to no breaks so it was essentially a full 1.5 hr workout. 3 different instructors participated in this workshop going through different routines. As most instructors have different teaching styles, some would go through the moves whereas others did a type of "crash and burn" style where everyone just went for it. Also, because this was a Beyonce twerkshop, popular Bey routines (i.e Single Ladies, Partition) were also incorporated into the class. For the boring stuff: class was $25, completely worth it to me (especially for 1.5hrs) but may still be expensive for some. Class was COMPLETELY overcrowded which may also be bothersome for some but wasn't really a huge deal for me. They did rotate rows so anyone who desired to be be in the front got equal opportunity to do so. They may want to look into offering several time options for a particular workshop so it doesn't get so overly crowded. As mentioned before, it's very high paced. You're probably better off if you've had some type of previous dance training or catch onto routines quickly but once again, no big deal. Mess up? Just keep dancing. I'm not sure how other classes with PDF are but if you're into reppin for the '99 and 2000 with booty shakin' hits such as Juvenile's "Back that ass up", Ludacris' "How Low", the 2005 hit, "Ms. New Booty" and other anthems to get you moving a twerkshop should definitely be in your near future. Kudos to the attendees that really showed their skills Diplo-esque and all of what else went on that day (if you wanna know go and see!). The dance tracklist was awesome for whoever came up with that as well. Totally an open and creative atmosphere that's not for the faint of heart.

Before coming to Major Moment I hadn't done any ballet in about six years, and to be honest it had…read morenever really been my thing. Now I'm a total ballet addict, and it's all thanks to Beverly, the studio's owner and ballet teacher. Beverly does a wonderful job welcoming newcomers to the studio and making ballet accessible to those who haven't done it in years or have never tried it before. At the same time she manages to challenge her regulars. Classes are drop-in but she spends each month or two working on developing specific skills through drills and short choreography sequences. Every class is a little different. I constantly feel challenged, and I feel like my dancing is always improving. In addition to the regular ballet classes there is also BalletEXTREME, a high-intensity ballet fitness class, and small group pre-pointe lessons. Some women in the pointe class used to do pointe when they were younger and are returning to it years later. Many, like me, had never done it before (and probably thought they would never get the chance, like I did). If you ever wanted to try pointe I highly recommend these classes. Ballet isn't the only option at Major Moment. There are many great classes offered at the studio including Zumba, hip hop, and tap (all of which are offered through Philly Dance Fitness, reviewed separately). But ballet is my favorite!

I had been going to Philly Dance Fitness (previously reviewed) classes held at Major Moment Studio…read morefor a few months, and never thought to review the studio where the classes are held until now. I took a ballet class offered through PDF with Beverly (Beverly is the owner of Major Moment) this past Monday, and WOW! I had taken a few classes at Koresh to try to get myself back into the ballet game, but it was way too intense for me, a lowly "use to be a ballet dancer in high school". This class offered by Beverly was great - she went through the basics including the positions, tendus, degages, ronde de jambes, etc, with some barre work, then we moved to the center for the last half hour of class. I can't stress enough how amazing this class was - it seemed that most people around the room who were doing pretty well, and I know there were some beginners in the class. Beverly has a great personality, with absolutely no attitude - she is simply interested in furthering people's interest in dance while having fun! An added bonus - even though the class seemed slightly easy at the time, I woke up the next day feeling absolutely sore! It was an awesome feeling :) I can't wait to take another class with Beverly!

On a whim I booked tickets to see "Today is my Birthday" on preview for $20. I generally am down…read morefor a theater performance but I had never been here, or even heard of it. Now that Theatre Exile is on my radar, I definitely want to come back. Small shows can end up being gems and this was one of them. The show itself was geared towards late 20's but I think anyone can enjoy it. Told through a series of phone conversations, it was an interesting play. The theater itself was easy to find. They had strict COVID restrictions that included showing your vax card and requiring to wear your mask. I think people who enjoy theater don't have a problem with this kind of request but if it does bother you, go elsewhere. The riser seating section is not very big so it's a pretty intimate setting. They had all gender bathrooms that were clean. Very close to the BSL so easily accessible to most people in the city. I can't wait for another excuse to come see a show here.

I can't say this enough for Philadelphia Theatre: Prepare to be surprised by the performances and…read morethe venues. Theatre Exile put up a great production of "Glengary Glen Ross" in Spring 2007 and the space was another hidden treasure. The cast was filled with tenured actors that gave unique performances that came together in a singular production. It was my first show with this production company and if it was at all representative of their other shows, you'll definately see me going back to see more productions in the future. The mission of this company is to "produce risky and challenging plays that contain a sense of true Philadelphian grittiness and passion" by staging both new and established works. In addition, their focus is on letting tenured and up and coming artists work their craft while trying to find themselves as theatre artists. After speaking with someone on the phone over at the Theatre Exile box office, it was confirmed that they have and will probably continue to use the theater at the Christ Church Neighborhood House at 20 N. American Street. Ready for another suprise venue like Latvian Society theater (see my review for Pig Iron Theatre Company)? Well, on the THIRD floor of this church, there is a former basketball court that has been transformed into a black box theater. Imagine, the half court line is the edge of the stage. One half of the space is a platform with folding chairs as seats (nearly 100 or maybe more), and the other half is all space for the actors to play. It was rather stunning as the bare wood frame for the building is exposed and painted black. So, now for the things to watch for: This theater is NOT handicap accesible. No elevator and a lot of walking (check to see if everyone in your party is capable of walking up several flights of stairs). Bathrooms for men are located in the basement meaning that you'll be going down four floors. Late seating is often not possible as the stage is only 5 feet away from the front row. This company is one of the major players in the Philadelphia area. Make sure you make it to a show if you're in the area. Tickets are normally priced between $15-$40 and there are discounts available for students/seniors as well as Philly FunSaver discounts.