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.

For Valentine's Day this year I treated my girlfriend to dance lessons here, courtesy of Groupon…read more 12 dance lessons for $50? Yes please! First of all I'm not a dancer, nor do I like to dance. My girlfriend loved the gift. We just had our 2nd lesson this past Friday and I've enjoyed it immensely so far. The instructor (whose name is escaping me right now) is extremely personable and friendly. His style to teach a group of 30 people in the studio impresses me! You rotate partners and really get a feel for perfecting all those steps! 10 more lessons to go! Also, street parking around this area I've found extremely easy, but the studio points out you can park at the Acme a couple blocks away if you can't find any!

Its been a wonderful experience! I've been going to CHI every week for a year and a half. Excellent…read morestudio space! Gorgeous, clean and welcoming.

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.

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.

I I can't say enough good things. My 3 and 4 year old did creative movement classes with Ms…read more Beverly and Ms. Ava on Sundays. My daughter bloomed with Ms. Beverly in way I couldn't have expected. She often struggles to focus, but she never took her eyes off Ms. Beverly and never felt as confident in anything as she did in dance. Ms. Beverly also gave me a lot of time and sound suggestions on next steps for my daughters dance as she gets older. My son had so much fun with Ms. Ava even though he started at 2.5, he felt like he got to be a big kid too and loved to show us his animal dances .The studio also is incredibly flexible-which is great for busy parents, and they definitely follow through on the fun part!

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.