While Oh La La appears to have great reviews for group classes, I would NOT recommend them for 1st dance lessons for a wedding. First, I did not find the scheduling/payment process to be professional. We negotiated for a package of 10 lessons for $700.00 (1 per month up until our wedding). Suzie, the owner, asked us to pay this entire amount upfront via Venmo. I informed her that having never met her or the instructor or even set foot in the studio, I did not feel comfortable paying up front via Venmo b/c if they were running some sort of scam, they could run off w/ my money, & I would be SOOL. I said that I would gladly pay up front via credit card b/c if they ran off w/ my money that way, at least I could dispute the charge. To Suzie's credit, she was understanding of this concern, & she allowed me to pay for each lesson, one at a time, 48 hours in advance via Venmo. Thank GOD, I had the foresight to be concerned about this b/c as you will read below, our instructor abandoned us after lesson 4, without ever completing our dance, so if we had paid the $700.00 up front via Venmo, he could have run off w/ our money. My 2nd issue was the lack of organization & professionalism in scheduling. Because we wanted to do 1 lesson per month up until our wedding, we asked our instructor, Mehmet, several times if we could book all of our lessons in advance on the same day of the week each month (e.g., every 2nd Wednesday of every month). Every time we asked this, he just brushed us off & told us to text him whenever we wanted to schedule, which just made a lot of extra work for us to have to text him the week b4 every time we wanted a lesson rather than already having it planned. Next, on our 1st lesson, Mehmet spent several minutes trying to talk us out of the song we picked for our first dance, which frankly, I very much did NOT appreciate as I put great thought into selecting it. Thankfully, I stuck to my guns & did not change the song, & eventually, it won Mehmet over, & even he liked it. Given we purchased 10 lessons, I expected we would spend more than 1 lesson on the basics, but by lesson 2, Mehmet informed us he had decided to be a flight attended again but assured us (1) it would not impact our dance, & (2) we would leave that day w/ the 1st minute of our dance complete (which seemed rushed for lesson 2 of 10). He even offered to fly back for our lessons, but we told him that was NOT necessary, & if he needed to, he could pass us off to another instructor. Lessons 2-4 seemed pretty rushed, & frankly, seemed like we were going to finish our dance way too quickly, with way too many lessons left, but we figured it would be good to have lots to polish the dance. We had lesson 1 in Oct, 2 in Nov, 3 in Dec, & 4 in Jan, but we never ended up having lesson 5 in Feb b/c Mehmet was not responsive to our texts. This could have been resolved had he agreed to see us on a consistent night each month like we originally requested. He finally responded after I followed up 3x & asked if we could do Wed, 3/2. Even though it was a bad night for us (we had my mom's birthday dinner), we said yes b/c it had been so hard to schedule w/ him. It was also a little disappointing that he asked us to send him the video he took of our dance b/c he apparently, forgot the choreography. 1.5 hours before our lesson, he texted us that he was sick & had to cancel. While are 100% glad he would cancel if sick, he said nothing about re-scheduling & merely asked us to call the owner, Suzie. My fiancé called her, & she said Mehmet had told her the choreography for our dance was done! We still have over a minute of our dance left that has not been choreographed!!! My fiancé asked if she could complete the dance, & she said she had too much on her plate to fulfill Mehmet's obligations. While she did offer to try & find someone else to finish the dance, we informed her that we have been so disappointed w/ the whole experience that we would rather go somewhere more professional. Now, we are behind on our scheduled lessons & having to find a new studio. We have a 1st lesson w/ another studio this week, where the lessons will be $15.00 more per lessons, but we are fine w/ paying more for a studio that is more reliable & trustworthy. Long story short, Oh La La seems to have great reviews for group clases for children, but planning a wedding is stressful enough. We thought our dance lessons would be something fun to do together, but thanks to Oh La La, it's turned out to be one of the more stressful parts of wedding planning. For anyone looking for private lessons for a wedding 1st dance, please heed our cautionary tale & go elsewhere! I'm giving 2 stars b/c we mostly like the 2 minutes of choreography we do have but are very disappointed that Mehmet not only lied to us when he promised to complete our dance but then also lied to the owner, Suzie, by telling her he completed our dance when he never did! read more

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My 5 year old Just started going to Ooh La La. She loves dance and had begged me to be a ballerina! We did their summer camp and are now taking classes on Mondays and Wednesdays and a part of their competition team, Mini Mob. I was looking for a studio that was welcoming to a child with little dance experience, but still willing to give them a chance and work with them to perform on stage for competition. A competing dance studio said their try outs were demanding and wasn't sure my kid would cut it. They also played music that wasn't very age appropriate. At Ooh La La, the owner's biggest belief is to provide a welcoming place for all. She made all the parents sign a commitment form stating there is no drama at this academy. She said we applaud every dancer's successes and help those who need some extra TLC. It is exactly the right philosophy for how I wanted to introduce my daughter to her first sport. And a couple of weeks in, I already see. The teachers are working with me to help get my daughter her extra TLC and my daughter is learning from older teenage dancers that she thinks are just the most beautiful ballerinas. Thank you for having a great studio! read more

The reception was awesome, informative and returned my calls as she indicated. I would not hesitate to go back to take dance classes at Ooh La La Dance Academy. read more

I have only been to this studio 1x on their Grand Opening day. They offered free classes all day. I took the following: -Yoga with Karroll- Sweet lady with a (French?) accent who teaches a less popular traditional form of yoga. She usually teaches women and kids, but everyone can take her class. She tries to focus on every day stress spots (i.e. wrists due to carpal tunnel, shoulders/neck), balance, back. She only teaches at the dance studio 1x/week and charges $10/session. -Foam Rolling with Susie- Owie, but still alive. This was unlike the time I tried it in pilates to stretch my shoulders and hips. This was like doing acupressure with a firm cylindrical foam on our backs and legs while getting an upper body workout to support myself. I think the idea is to release tension in the tissues. It would b interesting to see if taking this class a couple more times would be less painful for me. I was happy that I was not in pain nor sore after the class. -Salsa with Susie- I have been a salsa dancer for years and Susie reminded me to watch my technique. Definitely helpful. -Zumba with Bonnie- The instructor was full of energ.I liked the choice of music with a variety of dances (i.e. latin, bollywood, aerobics). The challenge was just right for me. I liked how she rotated all around the class to make sure all the students could see her steps. The studio is 1 room surrounded by mirrors on 3 sides and windows on the street side.The studio is ADORABLE with its french theme. Susie (the owner) is ADORABLE too. She's a perky petite girl who really tries to make you feel at home. I'm not sure how parking is usually, but I was lucky to find several street spots within a block early Saturday morning. I think parking got worse later in the morning. read more

How can I count the ways we just love OohLala Dance.... my daughter has been dancing at this studio for 4+ years and every year I see an improvement in her skills. My daughter has taken a range of classes from Hip hip, Ballet, Contemporary, Hula and more! This studio has very talented instructors and they work very well with the kids of all levels from beginners to advanced dancers. We love OohLala read more

This is a great school to learn how to dance Salsa and other Latin Dance routine. I joined the school in December. It is really great fun and very affordable too. I highly recommend it. read more

Ooh La La Dance Academy - Ooh La La Dance Company - Performing Arts Near Me - San Diego, California

This place is absolutely amazing! I planned a burlesque dance class/photo shoot for one night of my sisters bachelorette weekend in San Diego and this was definitely a hit. Everyone had an absolute blast! Suzy (the owner) is soooo fun, patient, kind, and talented. She helped me plan the night when we spoke over the phone. She encouraged us to bring champagne, which was such a great idea. She was so great with posing us for the shoot, the pictures came out beautifully. Now the dance....talk about a super fun, low stress, active way to spend a couple of hours celebrating. None of us girls ever felt as if we were doing bad or stressed. I would highly recommend this for any girls night for something different or a super fun bachelorette party! You will not be disappointed! read more

Ooh La La Dance Academy - Performing Arts Near Me - San Diego, California

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I contacted Ooh LaLa with not a lot of time. The response time was quick and I was speaking with Maddelleine about private wedding dance lessons. She was inviting and excited so I felt really confident she was our girl! I sent her our song and we picked 2 nights (90minutes each) to learn our dance. Of course we didn't know what to expect but as soon as we arrived we got right to it. Maddelleine was professional and patient and set amazing boundaries for us all. We were in GOOD hands. We had so much fun! We left with video to practice with and a ton of confidence. Our wedding is next week and we are going to drop some jaws for sure! read more

I started with Ooh La La 4 years ago at their La Jolla studio and have loved it ever since. I've taken a million different classes including samba, salsa, ballet, jazz, Tahitian, bellydance, and more, there's seriously something for everyone. They also have a new studio in PB that is even more conveniently located! As someone with zero prior experience with dancing, Ooh La La has been the best place to grow for me and last year I finally had the courage to get out and perform on their dance team. Being up on stage was so much fun, and I wouldn't have been able to do it without the encouragement of the Ooh La La family. Teachers are friendly, helpful, and want to see you succeed, and being a part of the team introduced me to some truly incredible and talented women. If you're looking to try out dancing, with prior experience or no, I highly recommend Ooh La La! read more

VICTOR was really fun and skilled in helping us prepare for our wedding first dance, which was to a faster-paced song. He came to each lesson prepared, having listened to the song dozens of times and brainstormed ideas to go with it. Victor is patient and talented, and I highly recommend using him for lessons or wedding prep! read more

I was fortunate to snag a groupon to this place because I've always wanted to check out their burlesque class and I finally had the chance! For a month I tried burlesque, belly dancing, and samba. I already had experience in belly dancing, samba was tire & cumbersome, but burlesque was my shit! It feels so good to "dance like a whore" with class like Beyonce with no judgement. As usual, I was the largest person in the class and couldn't move as swiftly like the other students; however like great instructors, they modified some moves just for me. When we would do the whole dance routine, you couldn't tell me NUFFIN! I gave my all and felt liberated. I'll keep it funky and say this: I've taken classes at various studios and I would have to say at this one here, it was the most intimidating... only because most of the students grew up with formal training (ballet) and have the common dancer's body. Obviously there's nothing wrong with that because they're here to learn as well, however I'm just used to being amongst inexperienced students with diverse body types like mine. No shade, just an observation. Overall, if I could afford it and the location was more convienent for me, I would still continue with the burlesque class because one day soon i would like to put on my own show. read more

I discovered this place through their Groupon deal and was surprised to find out it's owned by Susie Nguyen, an amazing dancer I met about 10 years ago in my salsa days. Susie was a fantastic dancer back then, and now there just aren't even words to describe her. She's created such an awesome place for dancers of all ages and levels to come express their creativity. My Groupon gave me unlimited classes, so I've been taking as many as I can. Let me tell you, every single class and every single instructor I've encountered have all been fantastic. The burlesque is super fun - it almost feels like a girl's night with friends, even if you don't know anyone in the class. And they have so many different types from technique to contemporary. They've also got a class called cardio salsa which kicks my butt every time but I keep going back for more. I've seen a couple of kids classes too and it always looks like the kids are having fun. Don't worry - they aren't doing burlesque, just some really high quality dancing. They even have a summer camp for kids. If I had one, I would enroll him/her for sure. read more

This is not a studio for Adult beginners. If you know the basics you'll be ok. Bellydance class has a good paced learning curve. Burlesque is definitely a modern style. Samba has fast paced choreography. It would be great if they swept the floor between classes read more

My daughters were coming to this studio for three years. She has learned the ballet, salsa, ballroom dancing, and many other dances. She loves coming here. She comes to her three times a week. Susie, the owner, is talented, extremely graceful and sweet and funny. The instructors are patient and caring and really know their stuff. read more

Ooh La La Dance Academy - Oil la la - Performing Arts Near Me - San Diego, California

They offer a wide variety of dance classes that you wouldn't find at any other studio. From burlesque to ballet and belly dance to contemporary there is literally a class for every one of any age. Salsa Susie is the sweetest and most wholesome person you will ever meet. She makes you feel right at home and takes the time to get to know you on a personal level. It's a fun, pleasant atmosphere from the moment you walk through the doors. read more

this dance group is awesome, I first attended when my friend performed last year and I absolutely loved it, it was very entertaining with a great atmosphere. I only hope the venue is different in the up coming show- it was really hard to see everyone who was performing if you were sitting in the back rows. I can't wait for the coming show in march. read more

Such a fun place! All different types of dance styles provided with flexible class schedules!!! Also, for all ages! Get your dance on! My favorite is the Hula/Tahitian dance classes. I have seen the hip hop - looks fun; can't wait to try it out! And I think they even teach samba! They are so willing to work with beginners - so nice, because I have not danced in years! I found this place through Groupon and plan on continuing with the dancing because they have reasonable pricing for their classes. Check them out! I would love to see their success so I can keep on dancing. :D read more

Fun Energetic exciting... If you want to learn to dance with fun people in a non pressured environment give salsa susie a call... they have classes for kids, teens, salsa, latin and other cool styles, If you are a guy with no rhythm do not worry loads of other guys are taking classes so relax and learn to dance.. read more

My wife & I were taught to salsa in only 3 lessons before our wedding. We had so much fun every class. They are great! You can't find any better dance instructors around. We had the time of our lives!! read more

Ooh La La Dance Academy - We had the time of our lives! - Performing Arts Near Me - San Diego, California

I reached out to Susie in regards to setting up my daughters 8th birthday party here. She was very easy to work with and help me in reserving the date and time. When I went in to check out the space she introduced me to the instructor for the night of the party. Great atmosphere, vibe and energy. We are looking forward to having the party later this month. I also signed up my daughter for the month variety classes. So far she has been to two classes and loves it. She is looking forward to trying all classes they have to offer to test out which one she wants to enroll in. Prices are really affordable. Another plus is the cafe. Its such a great place to hangout while waiting. Great family vibe. Totally trust this place! Check it out for yourself. read more

This place is magic! I can't say enough about the owners Susie and Damien, staff and dancers! Ive danced with ooh la la since jan 2010 and performed with both Hot Tamales salsa team and the Cosabellas girls only butlesque team. since i moved to orange county i havent been able to find anything like this. They have a huge variety of classes with professional teachers. I love this place and highly recommend! read more

For my bachelorette party, we had a two hour session at Ooh La La Dance Academy! It was an absolute blast. Our party included about 12 girls (they can hold up to 20), some not too sold on the idea of learning burlesque as they were a bit on the conservative side, but within seconds everyone was embracing the burlesque idea and enjoyed learning new moves. The minute we arrived, we were able to "dress up" from their two trunk of boas, corsets, gloves, and other accessories. Then it was picture time including a chorus line. We had one instructor and another instructor took pictures of us throughout our time there. After our outfits were ready, we learned some basic moves, did a group dance number, and then each showed off one of our dance moves as we struck a final picture pose. When we were able to leave, we were able to do a toast as well. Overall, AMAZING! I love to dance and did not want to go out to the bar scene. This was the perfect option for my girls and I. I highly recommend this to others! read more

Ooh la la is a great time. Fun music and a great variety! I would love to take sime classes with them. Makes me miss dancing. read more

Ooh La La Dance Academy - Performing Arts Near Me - San Diego, California

I signed up my daughter for ballet class yesterday. I really liked the class and the teacher! My only complain is that the studio floor was very dirty. It looks like the floor was not cleaned for days. The red couch was sitting on was filthy. I saw crumbs in the floor and my daughter new ballet shoes, when the class was over, was full of dirt. It would nice to have the floors cleaned before each class. Most studios I have visited were sparkling clean. Not the case here! Overall, great ballet class but the owner needs to pay more attention to the cleanliness of the studio. read more

I met Susie way back in the summer of '07, while she was still teaching lessons out of her home. What I thought were just going to be a few fun classes to help a white boy find his inner rico y suave (ok, I'm still looking for that) ended up being a life changing series of events. I can honestly say I cannot imagine a world without Ooh La La Dance Co. I had never, ever danced before. Zero experience. With Susie's drive, patience and ridiculously positive attitude, she took me with her on her adventures to fulfill her own dreams, quitting a high paying corporate job to start her passion of choreographing, teaching people to dance and guiding them to performing. I went from being so terrified of getting in front of people to dance (to where I thought I would not physically be able to make my legs move me up to the stage) to feeling just a little nervous, almost excited to get out there and bust out our newest routine. I am starting to be able to smile and enjoy our time in front of an audience, and I know it's only going to get easier and more fun as it goes along. I traveled to Indonesia, Phuket and Bangkok in '09 as part of one of Ooh La La's many world salsa tours to teach and stayed at 5 star resorts, all expenses paid. Not only is Susie an amazing performer, teacher and choreographer, she has surrounded herself and her students with some of the best teachers you can find, including the exquisite talents of Joanna L. for Cosabellas and the amazing Kris Babao for the HT Pro team and hip hop classes. Susie wants her students to grow so she is constantly inviting top talent and some of the best social dancers to come teach. Because of Susie and Ooh La La, I have seen things, done things, met people, discovered foods and music that I otherwise never would have. My experience with Ooh La La has enabled me to push beyond my own self imposed limits to experience things I never would have had the guts to try before. I know you might be thinking " How the hell does a dance company change your life??" Give it a try. I hope your experience is as good or even better than mine. read more

Bought a groupin for five classes and had such a great time! My girlfriend and I took their burlesque classes and let me tell you, the instructor was hands down the bomb! I loved her routines and she did a great job making sure that everyone was able to keep up. I'll definitely be back again. read more

New dance studio in La Jolla. They offer so much dance variety through out the week. My daughter love Hip Hop class on Wednesday afternoon with Chris. Great place, you feel like family! The owner, Susie, is a sweetheart. read more

Fantastic energy! If you're looking to start salsa or bachata, this is the studio for you. All levels, all ages. There is even more advanced classes for those that want to learn a few new tricks. Dance teams are amazing! read more

I have so much to say about this studio! I danced for years when I was younger and it has always been a struggle to find adult drop-in dance classes. Let me say... I am unbelievably HAPPY that Ooh La La is now in my life. What started off as one or two classes a week quickly turned into and unlimited membership and I go to classes almost every night. Every single one of the Ooh La La staff welcomes you with open arms. They were able to create an environment where your fellow dancers feel comfortable and like family. I felt like I had been dancing with it everyone for years. The studio has so many dance styles, from ballet, hip hop, to heels, contemporary, Flamenco, and Samba. Not to mention, I was able to drag my boyfriend to the salsa classes with the amazing Salsa Susie. He has never taken a dance class in his life and was a bit nervous to feel uncomfortable and out of place, but in true Ooh La La fashion, he went a few minutes into class and completely forgot about his fears. You really are family here:) Now even he looks forward to every Wednesday night on the dance floor. Thank you, Ooh La La for bring me back to life! read more

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this studio! I am a person with zero dance experience and have found a place where I feel comfortable trying new things. This is not to say that if you won't find classes for the more experienced....because YOU WILL. Susie offers a great variety of classes from beginner to intermediate to experienced. The instructors are patient and fun and class is never boring! All I can say is GO GO GO! read more

I found the studio with a Groupon deal for 5 classes and had so much fun! I never thought I could actually dance a style that did not have a partner, but I took their burlesque classes and had so much fun. I would love to return if I could justify the pricing in my budget, which right now I cannot. But in the future they will be top of my list for somewhere to take classes. Their pricing is very reasonable compared to other studios I have looked into though, which is nice. Adorable location, and the staff is so friendly, they really are a family and try to bring new people in. read more

I'm in love with this studio! That have a great range of classes including ballet, salsa, jazz , burlesque, contemporary and even samba! . They also have pre school classes for my three year old in ballet and salsa full of fun ! I like that the classes are for all ages and all levels !! read more

I attended a bachelorette party and have never taken a dance lesson- it was SO FUN! Feather boas, corsets and other costume items were provided, then our instructor posed us for pictures. We learned a few moves, then a 1-minute routine all together. One member of our group uses a walker to get around, and our instructor was very accommodating and she didn't feel left out. Joanna suggested that our hostess bring champagne & glasses for a toast at the end of the evening- how thoughtful! My only regret is I live in Tennessee and don't know when I'll be lucky enough to go back to the studio. read more

Booked six private lessons with Suzie for our wedding dance and was the best decision we could have made!! She is fantastic, creative, patient and caring. I highly recommend her!! Our dance went off without a hitch and was so much fun! We received compliments all night. Choreographed first dances are a rarity and are definitely appreciated by your guests. Plus, it was a great experience for me and my husband to go through. There is a magic in dance that you don't get elsewhere. Book Suzie now!! read more

We just had my daughter's 5th birthday party at oohlala. If you are looking for venue for a kids party (or any kind of party for that matter), this is great option. The dance and party area are big enough to accommodate a big group. We fit 34 kids and 30+ adults easily in the dance and party room. Although the space is beautiful, the most impressive factor is Suzy and her staff. With all those kids and adults, they never lost their cool. The instructors kept the kids entertained with a fun hip hop/circus class. If you have any experience with 3-5 year olds, that is not any easy fete. All the kids loved them. Both kids and adults had a wonderful time! Suzy went above and beyond what we expected! I appreciated she listened to all my concerns beforehand. During the party, she could sense when I was stressed and was always there to lend a helping hand or asking what she could do to assist. We had a couple hiccups during the party, but luckily Suzy and crew were there to help. One example was during videoing of the birthday song, the recorder ran out of memory. Thank goodness Suzy had the foresight to video everyone singing happy birthday to my daughter! I'm really happy to have my daughter's party at oohlala and would highly recommend them to anyone! Thanks Suzy and crew for the wonderful memories! read more

I had the opportunity of taking several classes. very fun and professional teachers, the studio is really cute, they are very welcoming playful AND will work your body! I highly recommend OLL Dance Company :) read more

Fun place to take burlesque/jazzy dance classes, and they have a dance team that performs and competes if you want to show off your new moves. read more

Ooh La La Dance Company is a fantastic dance company to be a part of. I've learned some much from Salsa Susie and her team of extraordinary teachers. It is a pleasure and honor to call myself a Hot Tamale!! Highly recommend this studio to anyone who's looking to learn Latin dancing no matter what your level. Amateurs to expert dancers will be challenged. read more

This dance studio is fantastic. They have great teachers and a wide variety or classes to choose from, including my favorite, Burlesque! It is great for beginners too, since they break everything down and do reviews on past routines. It is the most fun I've had in a long time and on top of that, taking the classes has built up my confidence. I highly recommend this place and the deal for the unlimited monthly classes is a must!! read more

I am a big fan of the Wednesdays Hip Hop / Burlesque class with Katie. It's a smaller studio and you get to know the other dancers and the instructors. Everyone is friendly and welcoming. You can be at any level and still feel like you belong. It's a great work out and tons of fun. read more