I always knew that I loved to dance, to move my feet with a passion, and let the music invigorate…read moreme. But I never really thought about watching other people do it, and certainly not professionally. Then about four years ago the girl I was dating at the time got me hooked on the show So You Think You Can Dance, which happened to be on its fourth season. From then on my eyes were opened to a whole new art form, one that I've grown increasingly fond of ever since. DC unfortunately has a shortage of outlets for taking in great dance performances, but once a year some of the best artists from the area gather at VelocityDC to showcase their talents at an incredibly reasonable price of $18 per attendee. This was my second year attending and the program was almost entirely different than when I came two years ago. While the acts vary on each of the nights that it's going on, The Washington Ballet Studio Company is almost always the "feature" performance, unless you come on the last day when they showcase a few other companies, but this year's routines seemed a bit shorter than before...unfortunate since they really are spectacular, but it allowed some additional time for more acts. The previous show I attended they did five dance routines all set to familiar Beck songs, a curious choice, but one which actually worked quite well. This year was a bit of a contrast, using three great blues songs as the backdrop for a bit more serious piece. Where else in DC can you see contemporary ballet squeezed in between tap dance, Flamenco, Bharatanrityam (the real reason I chose this performance, since Suzy has experience with several Bhangra dance styles), and African jazz, along with half a dozen other styles? If it exists in another place I've yet to find it. Even during the intermission there was a staged-impromptu break dance battle out in the mezzanine. Everyone involved in the production of VelocityDC truly loves what they do and it shows. Add to the event that it's held in the Shakespeare Theatre Company's relatively new performing stage at the beautiful Sidney Harmon Hall and you've got a value that is difficult to surpass in this city for entertainment. We even got an unexpected treat during our recent attendance in the form of a surprise proposal by one of the audience members, and after she said yes they were showered with a standing ovation from the crowd and weeping eyes all around. This is the kind of magic this event inspires.

VelocityDC is AWESOME. I highly recommend it for anyone that's a dance fan and actually for anyone…read morewho is even remotely interested in checking out dance. First it's $18 for any seat and you really cannot beat that!! It's at Shakespheare Harmon Theatre so beautiful, convenient space. I just LOVE that you can see all kinds of dance in one evening. There was step, ballet, african, flamenco, modern.... It was truly fantastic. It's really nice because you can check out a lot of different companies at once and then go see more performances of the ones you really liked. BRAVO to Harmon Center for hosting. Fabulous event!

Great dance studio located in Brookland area, in NE DC across from the Brookland/Catholic…read moreUniversity Metro Station. Great space for rehearsal, performances, dance socials, and plenty of mirrors. Good size bathrooms too. Plenty of large open windows so lighting is good. Came here recently for a Cuban dance social hosted by DC Casineros. Highly recommend this dance location.

Incredibly beautiful moving and inspiring show tonight- each dancer unique and yet a great ensembleread more

You don't have to be a dance enthusiast to know that The Washington Ballet is a preeminent dance…read morecompany both nationally and internationally. I've had the pleasure of seeing many of the company's performances and it is truly beauty en motion. They are impactful, emotional, and dazzling masterpieces. Their performances took on new meaning when my god-daughter started training at the Washington School of Ballet. She had years of experience under her belt, but this school challenged her body in new ways. After a few short months of intense training, her technique was elevated. Additionally, the opportunities associated with The Washington Ballet are vast. My girl performed at The Warner Theatre in The Nutcracker last December and she met the legendary soloist Misty Copeland in April. If you're not familiar with Miss Misty, check her out www.mistycopeland.com. +Tip: Fees to train at their ballet school (@ THEARC) are on a sliding scale. With philanthropy and families who can afford to pay more, economically disadvantaged kids (who may not have gotten an opportunity to dance) can do so here. Lots of love to The Washington Ballet for supporting the community!

A fantastic venue in SE (and not the gentrified part!) Love it!read more

This dance studio rocks. The owner and her team are professionals and very organized. Miss gaynelle…read moreputs on a show that is an 11 out of 10 each year. Her studio is the bomb each year!!!

From booking to day of entertainment communication is great. Our HOA has used Ohana of Polynesia a…read morefew times and look forward to booking them again in the summer. If you're planning a luau this is who you need to book.

I hosted a Luau in July! They absolutely did an amazing job! They were punctual and were the star…read moreof the Luau.

Batalá Washington is an Afro-Brazilian, all-female percussion band that plays Samba-Reggae rhythm…read morefrom the north east state of Brazil, Bahia. This drum corps is all about empowering women through drumming! We were lucky enough to watch them practice and perform while in the area - such great energy, and you can watch them for hours! Definitely check this percussion group out when you have the chance! +all-female percussion band +all about empowerment! +great energy!

So I am at the Barra Brava tailgate at DC United recently, and as I drink and eat I hear this…read moreincessant drum beat getting closer and closer. It cannot be the Seattle fans, no way they would have come here. Is it the Screaming Eagles? Have they suddenly persuaded 55 gorgeous female drummers to join them? In formation they enter the Barra Brava lot. A couple of the regular Brava drummers try to keep up with them but quickly realize they cannot match them for glamour, rhythm or spectacle, and they get out of the way. Silenced at their own tail gate by a far superior life form. We all stop what we are doing and for the first time since 1996 the Barra Brava admire something not on a football field. These girls are good. They are great. Batala is a women's drum corps, originating in Brazil, they now have a Washington DC chapter of 55 women, who play every Saturday on Farragut Square from 10.30 am to 1.30 pm and then they will show up for the odd special occasion. The recent Open Cup final was one of those and these drummers were fantastic.

We have been a family here for several years. Unfortunately, the bottom line and not the care of…read morestudents is what ultimately matters to this place. I am mad at myself for having stayed as long as we did. Unless you are willing to devote every spare second and spare dollar to CBA, this place is not for you.

We've been a CBA family for over 10 years. Our daughters love dancing there. They have made some…read moregreat friends and have excellent teachers that focus on technique and strength development. As a parent, some of the things I like about CBA is that dancers get to start performing as young as 3 and the pricing structure is one of the best around. Out of curiosity, I frequently look around at other studios in the area and find CBA maintains some of the lowest prices. All performances are optional for the younger dancers, but this does mean that there will be additional time commitments as required rehearsals are outside regularly scheduled classes. My girls actually see this as a benefit as it means more time dancing.

I have been taking classes here for over 12 years. Sahara has classes from beginner all the way to…read moreadvanced, with wonderful dance companies you can join if you are interested in performing, as well as weekend workshops and special events. Classes are available in person and some are also available online if you're unable to travel to the studio. The teachers are very knowledgeable about Middle Eastern dance, with a focus on Egyptian raqs sharqi, as well as Lebanese dance, and American fusion styles. Students of all ages, body types, with or without prior dance experience are welcome. This is a very supportive community and I have made many friends here! Highly recommend!

I was so excited to get back to Belly Dancing and was having a great time till I hurt myself…read more Unfortunately they have a no refund or transfer policy. After multiple emails with the owner and office manager where the answer was no; they finally offered a credit toward a more expensive longer session of the same class - meaning I'd have to pay them an additional $135. After having spent $320 and having only attended 4 classes that offer was offensive. After a few more emails they agreed to put $160 (8 classes) toward another class in the next session. OK, if that was all they would do I would have to accept. I was extremely disappointed that they refused a refund. You see, I had just purchased the new 8 class pack 2 days before I hurt my back. I never used even one class on that pack. It would have been super easy to refund the money as an example of customer care and value, but that never happened. The space is lovely but the customer service is single minded in favor of their bottom line. I'm better now but am still so angry that I can't bring myself to step foot in there. For $320 I could have done so much more elsewhere - ugh! Had the refund been granted, I would've felt that my continued patronage was valued. Knowing otherwise, I'll never sign up for a class again or recommend anyone to them.