Dance class for serious dancers. You ll work up a sweat. Not a lot of beginner exercise classes for inexperienced people. I recommend trying it out first before buying a package to see what level you are. Very experienced instructors. Easy to find. Located in a great neighborhood. read more

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Wonderful and inviting staff. Inspired instructors. Comfortable space. Nice folks in my awesome tap class with Micah! Given I'm not a dancer, I still felt very welcomed by everyone I encountered. Would definitely take another class read more

SADC is by far the most welcoming dance studio I have ever been to! I started classes here back in 2016, taking intro to ballet and modern. This past year I've started taking advanced level classes and it has been a joyous experience to learn dance from the ground up! The teachers are incredibly supportive and the students cheer each other on. Another bonus: this place is super queer! Students, teachers, the community as a whole--if you are a queer person looking for a safe place to move your body and soul exactly as they are, dance here! read more

I have been attending classes and performances at Shawl Anderson and always have a wonderful experience !!

I'm addicted to this place and wish I could carry it in my pocket everywhere I go. This place wins the prize for the sheer number of professional dancers and instructors regularly taking each other's classes. I attribute it to the welcoming community atmosphere that is cultivated and the consistent high quality of instruction. read more

REVIEW FIVE HUNDRED O__O What better way to celebrate this than with a milestone review for one of my FAV dance studios of all time. yes, of all time. FUN FACT: I've been dancing since I was 12 (18 yrs of dance)! So, I've been to my fair share of dance studios over the years. Sadly, my experience at Purdance in South Bay last year left me feeling like I didn't know what I was doing. I felt confused and a bit humiliated from not being able to pick it up. The instructor was teaching a beginner class with advanced choreography (y tho?). Read my review about Purdance if you're curious to know how that went down. Despite that, I was on the lookout for a place I felt would give me the confidence to get back into it. And find it, I did. My first hip hop class at SA was in June and it was beyond memorable. I still remember the dance moves a month later! **SHOUT OUT to Amanda** Love, love, love her class + choreo (dance talk for choreography). She is one of the most talented instructors I've had so far. Mainly because she teaches without judgment and makes sure we're all on the same page. Super patient when it comes to repeating moves over and over. And that's what it takes to get it down. It's also super fun to practice at home, esp when you get it down and your partner does it with you. I've gone to 3 classes with her and will continue taking her class as long as she teaches it. I think I've also learned not to care that anyone's watching, which makes the class so much funner. **Just enjoy the music + vibe** At $17 a class, it's the cheapest per class considering boutique fitness studios in the area offer classes for $20+. I've been to PurBarre, Cycle Bar, Hella Yoga + SolCycle all in Berkeley and all regularly priced at $20+/class. Ya you could probs hop on a deal, which is what I did for those boutique fitness studios, but they only last you for so long. After that, you're eventually going to have to pay regular price. The class is on Thursdays at 7:30p if anyone's interested! And maybe I'll see you there ;) read more

I've taken modern and ballet classes at Shawl Anderson and I love the different perspectives that the teachers bring! There are many different class times and dance levels to suit you, and I'd highly recommend it! There is also a work study program, which I've used in the past to pay for classes. I can't wait to return to Shawl Anderson later this year. read more

Amazing studio. The adult Advanced Modern class is so easy. Not easy like you're not challenged and it's for everyone to take. I meant easy like an easy relationship...it came through so very naturally. It makes me love dance even more. read more

I just started to learn to dance and took Robins class Intro to modern... and she is an amazing teacher. She teaches the movements so they are easy to remember, super patient, extremely friendly, very warm and open. When trying something new, it can be scary but Robin creates a perfect environment for someone out of their comfort zone to feel ok even when tripping over their own feet! This was a beautiful class and I learned soo much! I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to learn to dance... for all ages! Sometimes I think I am crazy at 43 wanting to learn how to dance... but who cares if you are having fun! This is just the beginning for me... I am totally hooked! read more

Shawl Anderson is such a friendly, welcoming studio, everyone who works here is just incredibly nice. I've been taking beginning ballet classes here and I found that whilst some teachers are great and give lots of corrections, others don't take adult classes very seriously. The teacher I'd absolutely recommend for beginning ballet is Neela. She remembers everyone's name in class as well as her students' strengths and weaknesses. Her classes are very well organized and I love that even though her class is a beginning level, she always teaches a bit of intermediate material at a slow pace in order to prepare students for more advanced classes in the future. She gives lots of individual feedback and you can tell that she's very passionate about teaching. Her classes are full ballet classes with barre and center including allegro (most other teachers I had classes with here cut the allegro part). Another teacher I'd recommend is Kaori, although I haven't taken her classes at this studio yet, I've been taking her beginning ballet classes at another studio and she's a wonderful teacher. I found most of the studios to be a bit too small, but there's live piano accompaniment in ballet classes which is awesome! read more

We love this place. Stuff and teacher wonderful. My 3 years old daughter loves attending the ballet class! read more

Absolutely incredible place!!! It's where I have found my dancing community. There is a divine energy here. A truly special place. I am honored to be a part of this thriving community. Shawl Anderson is full of love and support. Come join us! read more

Shawl-Anderson Dance Center-SADC - Dance Schools Near Me - Berkeley, California

I love msbeesknees x's review. All I have to add is that it's right across the street from Royal Ground coffee, A Cuppa Tea, Noah's bagels, A Chocolate store, A burrito stop and Yasai market where you can buy a fresh bouquet of flowers and dried mango! But only AFTER dance class. Discipline! read more

I took 2 ballet classes here. The first was Beginner Ballet II, and then the following week I took Beginner Ballet I. Both classes were conducted in almost exactly the same format and style, though it was two different instructors. Having had a couple of years of ballet a decade ago and plenty of other dance classes in the meantime, I thought Ballet II would be best -- not bare-bones beginner, but not quite intermediate. The class was 90 min long, which seems long for a dance class (aren't they usually one hour?). The first hour was all spent at the barre doing combinations of exercises to music. When I took ballet before, we did not spend most of the time at the barre, so this was surprising to me. I kept waiting for the class to get started so we could learn things and work on things. To me, barre work was always the warm-up, for maybe 15 or 20 min of an hour long class. I had a little trouble following the combinations of exercises, because unlike other classes I'd had, the instructor did not do them with us, just hurriedly showed what we would do, and then watched. But I figured that's why it's a level 2 class, and except for it being rather long, I mostly enjoyed the barre work and felt it gave a good warm-up, some good stretching, and use of my muscles. It felt good to stretch! Then, the remaining half-hour of class was spent practicing many different combinations of movements. Because it was a larger than usual class, the teacher split us into two groups so that half could do the movements at a time in the small studio space, a great idea. However, she seemed to be trying to hurry in as many different sequences as possible. This seemed odd, because most dance classes focus more on technique and working on the movements, rather than getting in more of them -- quality over quantity. I had hoped to be able to work on turns, but although we did a few turns, it was very rapidly within a choreography, with no time to focus on them at all. I came out of the class thinking perhaps the level 2 is more to practice skills, and maybe level 1 would involve more teaching of technique and working on individual movements instead of hurried choreographies. So the following week I showed up for Level 1. This class also had 60 min of barre work followed by 30 minutes of hurried choreographies. The instructor did do the first part of the barre work with the students, but on a perpendicular barre such that it was difficult to follow her. When I had taken beginner ballet before, the teacher always positioned herself to be facing the same direction as the students, but so that everyone could see her, at least for the first part. I was glad to have the instructor to look at for parts, but the combinations of things were very hard to remember -- not just doing one movement in succession, but a series of different movements. The focus seemed to be more on remembering the sequence than on articulating the movements, stretching, or strengthening, though the instructor did do some individual feedback on positioning and movement. I expected afterwards to be led in some stretching, but the teacher told us to do stretches on our own, which I thought was surprising for a beginner ballet level 1 class; I know how to stretch, but why should that be expected? It also seemed expected that we knew the names of everything and how to do everything. Then we did floor work, and again, it seemed to focus on getting in as many different patterns as possible, and we didn't work on anything. There was no instruction, just a guided practice. Another woman and I were both new to the class, so the instructor did demonstrate the choreographies and was open to our questions, but she did not really seem to teach them. I would expect a class to involve doing a movement over and over, to work on it, rather than fit in as many sequences of movements as possible. The teacher kept looking at the clock and seemed to try to fit in as many as she could. Overall, I was disappointed by the lack of instruction or working on technique in the classes. Maybe these classes are meant to be more of a practice session than an instructional vehicle, and in that case they are probably very good. Though it does make me wonder how anyone new to ballet or dance in general could start at this studio. I was confident in the instructors and thought both were highly competent and friendly and nice. So I would recommend this studio to dancers or those with dance experience who are looking for practice sessions, but not for those looking to learn to dance or get instruction on technique. Other stuff: - Staffed reception desk with friendly, knowledgeable staff; easy to walk in here for the first time and feel at ease. - Nice lobby area with couches. - Two different small changing areas - Multiple studios to accommodate varied class schedules. Lots of classes to choose from. - Good location, easy to find parking within a block or so. read more

Twinkle Twos - the cutest class for your little tot. My 2 (now 3) year old loved this class with Marie. Marie is fabulous with kids of this age. Parents are invited to watch the final class of the season, and it is super cute. We re-enrolled our daughter again for this same class, even though she's now 3... because timing wise it works better for us. One complaint is that they don't allot enough time in between the classes for transition (at least on the weekends when we have class). So while our class is supposed to start at 1130 AM, the adult class that is in there beforehand consistently stays in the studio past 1130, so the little ones get short-changed. read more

I've taken modern class regularly for a couple years and just moved to the East Bay from SF. I tried out both SF Dance Center and ODC while in SF, and ended up regularly going to SFDC, although I couldn't find an intermediate level modern class in the early evening. The only place recommended to me in the EB for adult modern was Shawl Anderson, but after trying it out, I don't think it's for me. Pros: * nicer neighborhood than SFDC or ODC; I'm not worried that someone will break into my car * parking Sat morning was free along Claremont, although studio didn't have its own parking lot (I can dream right?) * pretty friendly reception area; I actually got lost at ODC looking for reception and then my studio (in another building) Cons: * small studios as a consequence of being housed in a house-like building * modern selection was beginning or advanced with nothing in between, so i took beginning ii and it was jam packed * my class was entirely women, late 30's and after, and the movement wasn't very vigorous; dance is supposed to be hard and a workout - I barely felt warmed up read more

Great find of a studio in the East Bay with very reasonable prices. After sampling some classes - Morning Barre, Floore Barre, Yoga - a few times, I found this spot really special. Really great selection of classes for adults and kids. And the fact that it is a non-profit operation allows for great pricing and interesting programming. The front office staff is friendly and the waiting rooms comfortable. The only caution is that their relatively new "Conditioning & wellness classes for everyBody" - specifically the Morning Barre - were a bit advanced for the average adult exerciser, despite being billed as appropriate for all levels. IMHO, a background in dance and/or ballet was assumed & probably required to get the benefit of these classes. Otherwise you'll be lost and may not get as good of a workout. TIP: Stop by the nearby San Francisco Dance Company store and pick-up a promotional brochure for the "Conditioning & Wellness classes for everyBody" - there's a coupon for a free class or 1/2 off a bundle of classes. read more

After all these years, I'm still dancing here!! I absolutely HAD to write an update though, because now they take CREDIT CARDS! Thank goodness. No more worrying about having to pack my water bottle, my leg warmers, AND my checkbook. :-) And if you haven't heard, Dana Lawton is STILL changing lives every Saturday at 9:30am and 11:00am. Shawl is the best! read more

Took the beginning I/II modern class here Saturday morning with Dana Lawton. Loved it! She's an excellent teacher, who made dance class insightful and wondrous and fun. Also, since I'm usually in martial arts class, it was nice to move and sweat without worrying about getting hit or hitting anybody else (well, except for a few times when we were doing turns). read more

My daughter (almost 7) has taken three semesters of ballet at Shawl-Anderson and she LOVES it. She looks forward to her class as the highlight of her week. Both of her teachers, Ms. Neela and Ms. Amanda, have been phenomenal. The teachers make the classes so imaginative, playful, and engaging while also managing to teach the foundations of ballet. It's the perfect balance of fun and structure. read more

I agree with Vince on nearly every point. I took Savage's class four years ago and was belittled and then actually thrown out of class for stopping to get a drink of water. The warm up was a lot of fast repetition at the barre which was repeated more like an army drill than a ballet class. I don't know how center was because I left when he asked me to. On the flip side, Dana Lawton is great. She has a very positive energy, wonderful mix of movement and music. She gives lots of personal corrections as well as general corrections for the whole class. I also appreciate her "meet and greet" moment which gives us a chance to connect with the other dancers in the room. I have always been a jazz dancer and Dana has been very helpful in the transition to modern. LOVE her class. Another great one to catch is Nina Haft. She also has a very positive atmosphere with lots of corrections and assistance (I have lots of questions because there's often some really cool new thing to learn). She begins with a wonderful organic sort of floor barre. Lots of fun and really interesting! read more

If you have a boy that loves to dance then call Shawl Anderson and sign him up for Modern Dance for Boys (on Friday afternoons). The class is taught by the wonderful, Maurice Charriere. It is creative, athletic, fun, and full of boy energy. We are so lucky in the East Bay-- to have a class and a teacher that provide a place for boys that really want to learn dance (but don't want to be confronted by a ton of sparkly pink tulle.) My son has been taking Modern Dance for Boys for several years and he can't live without it. read more

I have had nothing but good experiences with this dance studio. I took their beginning ballet while Coco was substituting and really enjoyed the class. It was fast paced but everyone got individual attention and corrections to their form. I also took a three-week hip-hop workshop with Jessica and loved it. It was so much fun and she is such an easy instructor to follow. She will give you suggestions but allows a lot of room for individual variation. She takes the culture and history behind the dance very seriously and it was fun to learn about the diachronic view of the dance moves while doing them. I would look forward all week to going to her workshops and am planning on taking more classes with her in the future. read more

We love Shawl Anderson! Both my niece and I attend ballet class (her for 3 yr olds, me for adults) and the staff and students are wonderful. If you ever want to class in a warm, inviting environment this is the place to do it. I went all over the East Bay looking for a great ballet class and Shawl Anderson won hands down. On a side note- the person who wrote their review of the ballet beginner I and II class? I have no idea what she was referring to?!! Ballet always begins with bare minimum an hour at the barre, how else would you warm up? And all the teachers make sure you are doing the steps correctly -not simply making sure that you can learn the steps, but rather how to do them properly. read more

The closest thing to ODC in the East Bay. I have had the pleasure of taking class alongside the owner and it is truly his passion. The teachers are incredible. It is a place for professionals and those aspiring to expand their experience. Coco is one of the finest ballet teachers I have come across and the others are top notch as well. read more

Shawl Anderson is an amazing studio dedicated to all kinds of dance and movement. I really like that there are classes going on all the time, so it's easy to find a class to take. I can't speak for the modern classes, because I'm a classical ballet kind of girl, but I love taking Coco Librion's ballet class. She is a generous and warm teacher who teaches you to love ballet! read more

Shawl Anderson is a great studio with so much to offer! There is a wide variety within each style of dance depending on which class you try. Yi-Lun D. - If you want a challenging modern class where you sweat... try Kat Worthington's Intermediate Horton Modern offered Tues/Thrs at 7:30pm. It's nonstop, and tough as heck! I always feel amazing after taking her class. I've tried two ballet classes both Beg II/Intermediate and they are each VERY different but both good. Coco's Ballet II on Friday evening at 6:00pm has complex exercises at the barre and she really emphasizes performing during any and all exercises in class. She is upbeat and the class is always fun, challenging, and NEVER boring. Carolyn Goto's Ballet II is taught at a slower pace, with simple barre exercises and an emphasis on proper placement and technique. I find this just as challenging if not more so than a more complicated barre. In just a few weeks I am noticing a difference in my technique and strength. Going back to modern, I also highly recommend Dana Lawton's classes. They are fun and have helped me to open up. Beautiful choreography! I must say I'm interested in trying the Savage Jazz classes. The mixed reviews have me rather curious. He seems to have made quite an impression on a lot of folks. read more

When I moved to the East Bay from LA five years ago, I'd had a fantastic teacher at Santa Monica College and I never thought I'd find such a great place for adult dance classes up here. The studio has full complement of strong ballet and teachers for every level of experience, and Shawl Anderson offers a uniquely welcoming and encouraging environment for beginners through professionals. I have made so many new friends by coming to Shawl. The teachers really believe in each individual's ability to learn, improve, and enjoy dance, regardless of age, physical ability, etc. And there are some fantastic live accompanists in many ballet classes. The studio is also a hotbed of creative activity, with many teachers actively choreographing and performing, and interesting workshops offered each quarter on topics as varied as baroque dance, a somatic approach to ballet, floor work, Gaga, interpreting choreography, etc. read more

I've taken a few beginner ballet classes here and have all been challenging, fun, and a little less rigid than some ballet classes, which I like. read more

I like the fun scene when I bring my children for dance classes. They love the teacher Maurice, and, generally have a blast there. He teaches modern for children. I have not taken adult classes there so can't comment on them. There is some indoor space to hang out, but would be great if there was a little more indoor space to sit ( I am there a long time since my girls are in back-to-back classes). read more

I've been to the Shawl-Anderson for a few times now and am loving it. I take the Yoga class with Nadia Oka on Sunday mornings and she is an awesome teacher! The class is small, so she is able to give lots of attention to the posture of the students. She is wonderful with movement analysis. She would remind me to drop my shoulders, and move my feet a little, or my waist when I was doing the positions, and I could feel a world of difference! I used to think that I know how to do yoga from watching DVDs, but now I think that having a teacher that could go around each student and see if they are doing each posture correctly is really crucial! I feel relaxed and refreshed after each class, and I highly recommend it for everyone. UPDATE (8/22/09): Unfortunately, soon after I wrote this review, the class was cancelled due to small turnout of students. In a way, it works out for the best, because I found Yoga Mandala on Telegraph Ave and have been going there weekly since! read more

I've tried two adults dance classes here and both have been amazing! What a gem! I can't wait to try more.

This is a great dance school/collective with a lot of variety and with good energy. I came here to study modern and ballet as a young adult, and was so pleased to learn last year that there is a class for Older and Returning Modern Dancers. After many years of doing just yoga for exercise, I tried Robin Nasatir's class and loved it! It is just the ticket to dancing again! She has very accessible movement, explains it well and puts it together with wonderful music. Each month she has a new theme and choreography, so one has a chance to return and build on the previous class. Options are presented for the vanilla version or "sprinkles", ie. embellishments, turns, etc. read more

I couldn't love this place more. Warm, welcoming, accepting of all abilities and levels. Professional but never snooty. The teachers are brilliant at their craft and the staff is friendly and accommodating. I am so grateful to have found this wonderful place that has brought Modern Dance back into my life. read more

I would definitely NOT recommend taking dance classes at Shawl-Anderson. Mothers with daughters interested in dance instruction should especially beware of this studio. My daughter experienced inappropriate sexual touching (fondling) by the male dance instructor on the first day of class. In addition, the same instructor was also extremely verbally abusive, using ethnic and racial slurs and trash talk. Surprisingly, the other girls in the class were not at all sympathetic or supportive, and in fact seemed to enjoy witnessing the abuse of their fellow students as some perverse sort of rite of passage or hazing. My daughter, who has danced since the age of four and is a very accomplished dancer, decided to take a jazz class at Shawl-Anderson. She and a friend took the class and left in tears ten minutes into the class and reported the incident to the one staff member present. Both submitted written statements describing what had transpired. I spoke with one of the directors of the studio numerous times regarding this incident and was assured that the studio took it very seriously and were thoroughly investigating it on their own. In the end, they were only interested in avoiding legal action. I also spoke with one of the studio's owners, but he merely rationalized the instructor's behavior as "old school" teaching technique. He was clearly aware of this particular instructor's reputation for abusive behavior, but would do nothing about it because "he produces such good results with the dancers". In the end, the studio refused to take any disciplinary action against the instructor and even refused to admit that anything untoward had occured!! Despite this studios reputation in the community for producing quality dances, I would definitely not recommend having young girls take classes there for fear of inappropriate touching or other forms of sexual abuse. Furthermore, the studio management's failure to correct (or even admit ) the problem demonstrates that they are not truely concerned with the welfare of their students. read more

My daughter has been taking modern dance classes there for several years now and she'll be in Ensemble next year. I cannot wait to see her perform with this amazing group. Dancing is her passion and Shawl will be the perfect outlet for her to thrive in this space! read more

This is a great studio. I took the beginner Horton Modern class. I have no experience in ballet, so I thought this would be good for me. However, the teacher, who started slow and patient for the first 30min suddenly sped things up and progressed through multiple routines and complicated moves very fast. She gave very little instruction and focussed on the 2-3 seasoned dancers in the room and ignored the rest. If I was rating just her class, I would give her 1 star, but for the studio itself has other options I have not yet tried, I will withhold full review. read more

Our daughter took classes at Shawl-Anderson between the ages of 6 and 7 for two years. Before that, she had taken classes at Berkeley Ballet Theater (before they moved to Tenth Street). The experience at Shawl-Anderson (and in the new incarnation of Berkeley Ballet Theater on Tenth) was very, very disappointing. Although in principle she says she likes dancing ballet, taking her to Shawl-Anderson for classes was like pulling teeth. She found the classes boring and unchallenging. Much of the so-called instruction consisted in watching videos, which were not used for the teacher to explain anything, it was just letting children watch a ballet video instead of talking to them and showing them things. I tried changing her class to improve the experience. The class changed, the experience remained boring. My conclusion is that Shawl-Anderson is not taking classical ballet for young dancers seriously. There is nothing about classical ballet as an artistic tradition that students learn. The five basic positions are sort of covered, but no more, and not in any depth. My daughter complained that she did not learn anything new in two years at Shawl-Anderson. Children were asked to listen to a story and dance it out with music, but it was all improvisation, no instruction, no goal to improve a child's physical ability or musicality. If you think that classical ballet for children younger than 8 or 9 ought to be more than wearing a leotard and prancing around, do not choose Shawl-Anderson. read more

I've tried other places to dance in the East Bay and this one is the first one I've been satisfied with. The entire place is warm and friendly, professional and competent. I am taking Beginner II ballet which is just challenging enough for me. They recently got all new floors and a new paint job on the outside so the facilities are looking good! If you want to learn good technique and support your local dance center, this is the place to attend. read more

I took my first Modern Dance Classes here from Robin - Great Experience! I was super nervous going in but Robin did a lot to explain the steps and help the entire class understand the movements while having fun. I highly recommend the studio and its classes. read more