Coming to Terps Ballet and taking Liezl's class is the highlight of my week. She is probably the best teacher I've had in my entire life. She excels at all things relating to teaching: technique, patience, clear instruction, and also cultivating a good class environment where everybody feels empowered to participate and give it their all. No judgment, except for Liezl's gentle and important corrections to make sure you're doing things right! If you're wary of toxic environments...this is definitely the opposite! Even when I've had a bad week and feel very glum, I always walk out of class with a sense of accomplishment and joy. I used to dance as a child, but only in rather unsavory environments (think not getting a ton of attention from teachers because your classmates were going to the Olympics and using dance as a supplement, that kind of thing). Then, college dance clubs were even more competitive to join! Thankfully, I found Terpsichora Ballet. We learn Vagonova technique, which focuses on building the strength and fundamentals necessary to dance in a beautiful, expressive, and safe manner. This was very important to me as an adult who's had multiple injuries in the past (stress fractures, knee strains, etc.) SF is so lucky to have Liezl and Terps. I've tried a few studios and this is definitely the best one! Liezl's students love her and she is in high demand, so make sure to keep an eye on the website so you can sign up on time before workshops sell out! I'm only halfway through Adult Beginning 1 and can already feel myself getting so much more knowledgeable and strong while dancing. read more

Ms. Liezl's classes for beginning adult ballet are second to none. She holds the entire room in her focus, often sitting at the back of the room, thus seeing everyone. She makes a stream of precise suggestions for improvement tailored to each person present. The Vaganova method is highly detailed and the classes are built to ensure the foundations are completely in place. It is not 100% clear to me what it is about Ms. Liezl's classes that makes them so good and so inspiring. Partly I see a combination of a nicely lit and simple space, the alignment of the barres (which makes it easy to see how others are dancing and learn from what they are doing, including their mistakes), the great atmosphere emanating from the dancers (there are a lot of genuinely nice people who want to develop, including those who already dance well). But I believe a lot of this orchestrated magic comes directly from Ms. Liezl herself. She is the real deal: fully present and moved by the music, the art, and the teaching she is doing. She sees the whole and all the parts. She analyzes fully while deeply feeling and expressing. This is also evident by how she talks about parts of well known ballets and current local ballet performances. I feel completely nourished whenever I take her classes, possibly because I just took part in an excellent and fully considered experience. read more

Ms. Liezl is the best! She provides individualized attention to each person in class, and ensures everyone feels seen and supported. Her classes are not only enriching but also filled with joy and laughter. The studio itself is bright, clean and welcoming. Initially, I started ballet as a way to complement figure skating, but I quickly discovered a newfound passion for the art form itself, thanks to Ms. Liezl. Her classes have also been so helpful in improving my flexibility, posture and expression on ice! If you're looking for a place to nurture your love for ballet or simply try something new, I highly recommend Terpsichora Ballet School! read more

This is an excellent ballet school in San Francisco. My experience is with their adult classes, which are fun, challenging, and based on the Russian traditions of the Vaganova methods. The atmosphere is friendly, supportive, and exacting in a way that seems to match each participant well. Liezl is one of a kind. Her corrections are always helpful. I advise you to find out for yourself because her special gifts can not be described in words. read more

Liezl is an amazing teacher! She makes ballet approachable but also gives you good amount of corrections so that you are learning the proper techniques. If you are totally new to ballet or want a refresher on the basics, I recommend starting with the level 1 workshop on Saturdays. Starting ballet as an adult is hard, but I'm making steady progress while having fun thanks to her! read more

I've taken ballet class with Liezl for many years since she taught at Lines before opening her own studio. After taking classes with many other dance teachers at different studios in various cities over the years, I've returned to her class again and again because she's the best ballet teacher. My classmate jokingly told me "children get better, adults get older." That's not true in Liezl's classes. Liezl teaches her adult students as seriously as her child students. I've been to adult classes where the teachers sat in a chair the whole time and did not correct students much less bother to learn our names. They treated the class as adults looking for a casual workout. Liezl gets to know each student, teaches proper technique, and corrects adults just as much as children because she believes that adults can improve too. I started ballet as an adult, so I don't expect to achieve what someone who started as a child can and have no expectation of reaching a professional level. But after taking her classes for several years, I've received several compliments on my dancing. Teachers at other classes have complimented my technique. One woman at another studio said I inspired her because she saw me dancing and knew I started ballet as an adult. I attribute that to Liezl's instruction. Whether you just want to try out ballet or want to study it seriously, Liezl will teach you Vaganova technique from the fundamentals to however far you want to go. I highly recommend attending her classes and workshops. They're fun and a great workout too. read more

Liezl Austria is THE best ballet teacher there is! Several years ago I took a ballet class from Liezl Austria and by the end of that one class I knew I'd found my ballet teacher. Liezl Austria is everything you'd want in a teacher and I highly recommend her! For the past 10 years, Liezl studied at the Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg, Russia. The classes were entirely in Russian, so she learned Russia while studying ballet so she can give her students the very best ballet instruction possible. Liezl Austria's mastery and understanding of the Vaganova Method is evident in everything she does. She structures her classes and private lessons in a thoughtful way that builds progressively on each lesson. There isn't a single unnecessary step, exercise, or movement in her classes--they all teach you a skill or strengthen you for the next, more advanced movement. This approach transformed my understanding of ballet and helped me see how everything fit together. The detail and precision in her demonstrations and descriptions of technique is incredible. She's able to deconstruct steps and movements and explain them in a way that's easy for me to understand. This helps me recreate the movement or position as it should look and feel. And, when I do a step or movement that's not working as it should, she helps me understand why and how to correct it. I'm hard on myself and this can counterintuitively make it hard for me to learn. Liezl helped me redirect my not-so-helpful perfectionist tenancies into healthier and more productive habits. As a result, I'm becoming a better dancer and I'm truly enjoying the process of learning ballet. This is huge!!! Learning ballet is marathon not a sprint, and you need to be able to go the distance physically and mentally. Working with a gifted and incredibly supportive teacher like Liezl who understands this makes ALL the difference! All of these things combined has meant that I was able to start ballet as an adult beginner--and now a few years later--I'm about to start my first pointe class! This is a dream come true for me! If you are looking for a first--or a new--ballet teacher I highly, highly recommend you take classes and private lessons from Liezl Austria! read more

Terpsichora Ballet School - Dance Schools Near Me - San Francisco, California

Have you seen male ballet dancers? Their bodies? the strength? https://www.instagram.com/dancersmale/?hl=en https://youtu.be/viL-HEis-h4 Well, I wanted THAT body. I am an adult yet handsome man (single & looking, if you're interested). Obviously I am short and growing old & wiser as years pass. As a sedentary male, I must admit I have limited flexibility, my bones & muscles are heavy, and my hips... oh my hips! only do this much. I needed HELP!.... HELP ME! So, since 2018 I started attending every single ABSOLUTE BEGINNER workshop (three levels: 1, 2 and 3 plus ponite) and classes that miss Liezl teach. As a result, OMG.... What a difference! Now, I have taken classes at the Washington Ballet in DC, London, UK, Porto, Portugal and the Ukraine (this one was harder as I don't understand Russian). IN SUMMARY: Liezl is an AMAZING teacher and very supportive. Detail oriented. I know. All those details, right?. But the Vaganova method works. Guys, if you're an adult, come to class! You'll thank me with drinks. Happy Hour conveniently starts afterwards. read more

I've been taking the weekend adult workshops for about 7 months now and it is the highlight of my week. I have years of experience but I took a LONG break. Now in my 40s, it feels amazing to be back at the bar and rediscovering my love of dance. Honestly, this has been such a godsend after Covid lockdowns and taking such a long break. Liezl is so warm and welcoming but also pushes us week to week to improve. If you are a beginner or an intermediate who is feeling a bit rusty, these workshops are for you! I find the Saturday class (absolute beginner) to still be worth my time as I can really practice my technique more slowly, there is always room for improvement! Sunday's class is definitely a step up but it's my favorite as it is challenging and at about my appropriate level. We do more challenging floor work, turns, and jumping. There are also evening adult intermediate classes on Monday and Wednesdays and I believe Saturday morning, which are tough but I'm nearly brave enough to start attending regularly after all this practice. Also, all the students are really wonderful, work hard, and are non-judgemental. If you are new, stand near (behind) someone more experienced, come ready to work, and don't be afraid to ask questions. read more

I've been taking adult ballet classes with Liezl for 9 months now, and wow what a difference! Her focus on technique is incredible, I can see the impact on my dancing. I didn't dance growing up and only picked it up as an adult, so I appreciate Liezl's ability to break down steps and her passionate support of her students. She's also cultivated a lovely community of adult dancers; the other students in her classes are friendly and supportive. Join a class or even better a multi-week workshop! You won't be disappointed. read more

Been coming here consistently for over a year now and I love Liezl's classes. I started with her beginner workshop because I haven't danced ballet in over 10 years. They help you lay a strong foundation to move onto the harder classes. With Liezl's help, I also achieved my dream of going on pointe as an adult. She will take you seriously and push you to new heights in dancing. I also love all the ladies I met through classes- everyone is supportive and inspire one another to improve. So whether you are a total beginner or looking for challenging classes as an adult, I highly recommend Terpsichora :) read more

I have been taking classes for several years now from Liezl and I highly recommend TBS. As someone with no experience coming in, her absolute beginner classes offered me an entry point where I could make meaningful progress and build skills. Liezl is an awesome teacher! - she is super supportive and inspires you to keep moving forward. read more

I'm super excited to have the opportunity to dance with Leizl again, albeit via Zoom given the pandemic and me currently living in Denver. I've danced with her for years at another school and am happy for her on this new venture. Liezl's passion for ballet and love and respect for the Vaganova method is infectious. She teaches you how everything you do has a purpose. From the way you tilt your head, to how you hold your hand in front of you while you "look at your diamond ring", to helping you improve your musicality. Liezl teaches and reminds you that everything you do is important in creating a character, a picture for the audience - even though for us adult dancers the audience is usually a mirror. But hey, we can still imagine ourselves onstage at the War Memorial Opera House, right? But one also has to remember that ballet is work, a lot of work. With Liezl, you should be sweating by the end the first exercise. One time I had missed two weeks and upon my return, my calves were cramping at the end of class when we were doing jumps. As long as you show you're ready and willing to learn and know Liezl is there to help you increase your ballet knowledge and improve technique to the best of your ability, my hope is that by the end of class you're sweaty and tired, but can say you had fun as well. I love having Liezl as a teacher and would gladly recommend her. read more

Take the advantage of smaller classes now! With limited attendees, you will have more attentions from the teacher. Leizl is so wonderful, she would thoroughly explain all the techniques for all levels of students. Her studio is safe, clean and all the students respect the safety protocols during the pandemic. Classes on Zoom is another great option to accommodate your location and schedule. I have traveled during several sessions of the workshop, without worrying missing out classes. Leizl watches all the students on Zoom and calls out our performance. I follow Leizl for many years, and I get all my ballet knowledge and techniques from her. I am a ballet fan since I was younger, the learning process helps me deeply understand performing art a lot. It is totally fine to start learning ballet as an adult, the studio provide the inclusive environment for adult students in all levels. You can see your body change and your strength building up, if you missed out your childhood learning chance, don't miss it out now! Leizl has a group of serious teens and adult dancers following her and taking her classes regularly. It is totally inspiring to share the same studio with the talents! read more

I'm so excited to start going to this ballet school! It's not open yet, but I signed up for ballet workshop classes when it's open. I've been taking from Miss Liezl for about 8 years now. The technical is amazing. You probably won't find that kind of teaching a lot in any other place. She teaches all the fine details. The next plus, there will be a sanitation protocol that will keep all safe as possible. I'm so excited to start. read more

I'm updating here because my original review somehow disappeared. It has been about two months since the studio opened. After taking Zoom ballet classes for months, it is very nice to be in a ballet studio. Right now, each class has very limited number of students because of Covid 19 guidelines. I cannot always reserve a spot and feel lucky when I can. Classes are hybrid with a few students in the studio and others on Zoom. Liezl Austria teaches Vaganova method of ballet. She started going to the Vaganova Academy in St Petersburg, Russia in 2010 and was certified in 2019. She is strict and detail oriented in class. This is the best place for people who would like to learn Russian techniques without going to Russia. read more