I wanted to love this so bad, but it just wasn't it. Mind you, this is my first American dance…read moreclass. I just spent a month in Colombia taking 4 hours of bachata a week with a 1:1 teacher for 20$ an hour. I learned so fast because I was learning one to one with a professional competitive dancer. Learning bachata with a strong experienced lead makes a huge difference as being the woman, I'm supposed to follow. If the lead doesn't know what they're doing, as in the classes here, you not only learn a lot slower, but often learn incorrectly. I signed up for a full month of lessons here however, my first class was a turn off. The classes are extremely full. There might be 30 to 50 people in the room. I don't know what I was expecting. Maybe 15 or 20 equal men and women that you would get to know each other over the course of the month. Just something more intimate. I also thought you would also dance with the teacher kind of get the feeling physically of what the correct dance looks like, however, this is not the case, you're just watching. It is also very fast-paced, so if you're neurodivergent or take a little bit to get the hang of things, it's probably not for you. Especially since the class is only an hour you only learn a little bit at a time, once a week in class. There's also really no time for you to like invest in learning a specific step, the 30-50 or whatever people in the room are all on the same clock, and one step is rushed to the next. After my first class I was looking into the cost of individual dance lessons here however they are ridiculously expensive at $100 an hour. I have a decent job, but still cannot afford that. The location is also not that convenient unless you live in the general area and can walk. Parking is really difficult, it's not right off the freeway or anything so if you live in another part of town, give yourself at least an extra 15 minutes to park and walk to the location. I guess I will be back in Latin America soon to learn more one-to-one! Or maybe at a bar in Portland they'll teach us some steps

This place is run by amazing humans and the teachers are great. I really enjoyed their practicas…read moreand other socials. I also love how they put teh class videos online. As a background, I have done 20 years of partner dancing. I am physically fit and able. The classes usually start with a warm up for about 10 minutes. Tl;Dr version: you will not be able to learn salsa here unless you really really stick with it, have some innate ability and previous dance experience, have a good musical ear etc because salsa 1 is too crowded to learn anything and step up to salsa 2 is way way too fast and do not teach much things you can use in social dancing. More info: My issue with VMAC is that their classes are insanely crowded at level 1 (this was salsa). And I mean insanely crowded. Probably because they are also on PCC curriculum so there are lots of PCC people there. The only reason I was able to pick up things was because I knew a bit of salsa and a lot of lead/follow/frame. But I can't see the instructors half of the time (the class had I think 75 or so people!!!!). I went to practicas which means another extra hour which is also why I was able to do ok. But moving to salsa 2 was horrible. It is not because I am not a good dancer. I think I was one of hte better ones in salsa 1. But salsa 2 is 3x the speed and 3x the number of moves. They show 4 "shines" / solo steps but they do not really break it down, they just do it quickly, and then almost within minutes increase the speed again. And since these steps are done in succession throughout the class, if you do not get one, and mind you, you will not esp. moving from salsa 1, you are now trying to find a way to do the ones you can. And salsa 2 can be busy as well, at least the first two weeks of the session so these super fast teaching/immediate application can be frustrating because you might not be able to see it. I am not surprised the later weeks got busier as people dropped out, probably because of this. Then they will teach you a move. Usually it is complicated and involves swapping places with your partner which means you can't see the move very well half of the time. So now you are stuck with frustration of not being able to do the shines they show, and then you can't see half of the steps. Salsa 2 is a HUGE step up, and also is 6 months so now you are in a class with people who have 5 more months of experience (in contrast, salsa 1 is 3 months). And since you do not know many moves, going to a social sucks. My friend is a lead and he had very few things he could do and his follows would get bored. Shines are great if you already have the beats, the fundamentals, but I think the teachers have not been beginners in a long time and do not udnerstand, esp. for leads from what I have seen, that they will not do any of those 4 insanely fast taught shine steps since they do not have much other things to do at a social. Hard to do steps that you can do alone when you are doing a partner dance you are just learning. I do not know where else they teach salsa in Portland, but this is not a good place to take salsa classes IMHO. They are too focused on number of attendees and showing you things that you can't use and not showing enough of things you can. Stepping from salsa 1 to salsa 2 is just a huge step up, and with the way/speed it is taught, you have very little chance of picking up things. Pick a place that teaches in smaller groups. I also took bachata and it was a slightly smaller class and though they do also show things that you have not learned already at the warm up, it is a slower pace and they do go over it in other weeks. Sorry to be a downer, but this was a very frustrating experience and it can be better if they focused on things we can actually use on the dance floor to get more of a feel as relatively new dancers instead of this obsession with teaching us 4 different shines every class in a rapid way that is not being broken down and then we have to put them together, in the same class, at an even faster tempo. Also in practica one of the teachers would just chat with her friend the other ambassador instead of dancing with one of the leads who didn't have a partner and had to wait (I looked) 5 minutes for them to remember to rotate by which time they moved to another thing. John and Sophia are very fun to learn from in practica.

Took my first class with Shiloh. She was super welcoming, very on top of making sure we knew how to…read morebe safe (techniques and by warming up!). Shiloh's was super attentive and gave me a lot of one on one help and tips, and of course celebrating our wins when someone got something down! The classroom itself is gorgeous, love how they encourage you to record yourself by offering tripods for you to use in class. Would definitely love to take another class with Shiloh!

P&D is a fine choice but I recommend trying all the studios Portland has to offer. The p&d studios…read moredon't look as nice as other studios (not as cute, vibes are dull). Most of all people at p&d are extremely cliquey. Do not come here if you are trying to build community. You will notice they do have a nice community but it is closed off and not inviting.

Awesome studio with talented and encouraging instructors. If you are wanting to try pole I highly…read morerecommend aerospace!

I was sooo nervous to go here for a bachelorette party yet ended up having an incredible time. The…read moreinstructor was very kind, welcoming, and non judgmental. The music and vibes were great and the space was clean. I would love to go back in the future and Trey another class!

I went to a Sunday drop-in hip hop class with my friends. The class was quite popular. I'm not sure…read moreif there's a limit on the number of students for drop in sessions. It was labeled as all-level and the choreography was fun to follow. It wasn't too hard or too easy because the instructor offered different options for the moves, which made it accessible for everyone. All of my friends really enjoyed the class. The price was very reasonable compared to other drop-in classes in downtown. However, the check-in and payment process felt a bit confusing as a first timer since the instructor was just wrapping up the previous class at the time. It seems like they also offer more skill-focused classes that concentrate on specific hip hop techniques or moves, but I couldn't easily find detailed information about them. The studio itself is spacious and very clean and comfortable. Even after we worked up a serious sweat, it didn't feel stuffy or smell bad. Overall, I highly recommend the drop-in class if you're looking for a fun experience to express yourself with hip hop that also works as a great workout.

Awesome dance classes with great dance community vibes. Welcoming to all and breaking it down and…read moreteaching it in a way that makes it accessible to everyone! Even if you aren't sure you can dance... Mariecellla makes it fun and easy! And great workouts to get your heart pumping.

My daughter started here in September 2007 in the 3 year old pre-ballet and tap class. We chose…read morethis program because it seemed pretty relaxed (and it's close to our house.) We've been very satisfied with the studio and the teachers. There are about 15 little girls in the class (maybe more) with 1 teacher and 1 assistant and they do a very good job keeping the dancers focused and having fun. My little girl absolutely loves the classes and is learning some of the beginning steps. They do two recitals per year that are absolutely priceless. The studio itself is pretty dated and I think it may be a bit on the expensive side but it's convenient for us so we'll continue to send her.

This is by far the best, most low key, fun and supportive kids dance studio I have been with my…read moredaughter. If you live in NE it is a wonderful gem, and definitely worth the drive if you live in Portland. My daughter is in the 4-5 yr ballet and tap now. The teachers are teen dancers and are great roll models - breaking the stereotype of needing to be unhealthily thin. The prices are reasonable too!

Classes are fun and affordable. My daughter loves interacting with the other kids. These groups…read morereally stick to the age range specified which is nice. The kids really seem to remember and pick up on the routines of the class. The space is nice and clean. The class provides an outlet for my daughter to interact with other kids, burn off some of her excess energy and learn about routines, songs, and movement.

This was my daughters first session with Miss Claire and I couldn't be happier! She's amazing with…read morethe kids and has the best attitude. My 3 year old talks about Miss Claire all week and cannot wait to hug her when we get to class. The recital was quite possibly the cutest thing I've ever seen. If your looking for a fun dance class for your child, look no further, we will go until she throws us out;)

Susan is a no nonsense instructor who gets the job done. She's a wonderful teacher. Some of her…read morestudents have gone on to be dance hosts on cruise ships! Have taken lessons from this woman for years. Not because I'm not learning, because I am, and I can always improve. When Susan took a break from teaching, I went on to teach beginning lessons. Now, Susan's back!

I took lessons with Susan years ago and found she made it so easy, fun, and unintimidating. I knew…read morealmost nothing about dance then, and she offered all types of dance styles, especially geared (at that time) for partner dancing and social dancing.

Wonderful fun and challenging! Parking isn't great, but it's worth it! The teacher is nice and…read morecaters to different levels within same class very smoothly!

My relationship with flamenco is complicated. It all started with loves whose friends created the…read morecurrent flamenco community in Portland. And because of those loves, I pursue as audience every and any unusual or contemporary dance performance in our fair city. Flamenco has a long history. But it is open and evolving in reinterpreting that history. And you cannot beat the passion! Espacio Flamenco has lessons, they sponsor events and they have a big yearly confab, which I have attended, enjoy, and recommend to everyone! That's their Feria de Portland. It's a festival of performances, food, (maybe a little wine might be involved.) I was surprised to find a prominent startup investor I know was also a flamenco dancer, but in a way not surprised. The event is inexpensive, informal, packed and social. With their lessons, they also have a kids program. Along with our expanding Spanish food community, this is a node for Spanish culture and Spanish expats. It's where my Portland friend who fell in love with and married a Spaniard brought him to feel at home. So if you are interested in lessons, go. If you are interested in performances, follow. If you are interested in getting to know more of flamenco, go to the feria. They are a Portland outpost of Espania!