My daughter has been dancing here for almost 2 years now. We started with a summer program and she…read morehas been loving it ever since! My daughter finds her classes as the highlights of her week. She seemed like she was going to be shy, but when I saw her preform last year, she was beaming! Dancing here and with the amazing staff has really helped her with her confidence, among other things. She started when she was 5. She does Triple threat and Debuts and loves all of her teachers. I was very impressed with the Triple threat program last year and the Debut program and been a great warm up to competitions if she decide to audition. During shows, or rehearsals or competitions, the staff has been beyond helpful with letting the parents watch the shows, and taking care of the young girls backstage. They have answered all of my questions in such a timely manner, no matter how silly the subject manner is or if they had actually already told me the answer and I missed it. They have always been polite, friendly and professional. I can't express enough how grateful I am to this studio for helping my daughter start an active and healthy hobby as well as gain some confidence! Backstage has truly helped her find a love for dance! I would highly recommend this studio!

Quite honestly I'm surprised by the negative reviews. We've had such a positive experience since…read moremoving from California to Washington and joining this studio. They are professional. They are organized. Everything is communicated electronically which I appreciate, including billing. Also their spring show 2019 was the best student show I have ever seen. Very impressed.

The students' level here is quite mediocre, which makes the learning environment less effective. I…read morewould not recommend this school.

My daughter loves EBT! The teachers really get to know the kids and nuture their love for dance,…read morewhile working on fundamentals and offering new challenges to keep them strong and healthy. There's a focus on including everyone in productions and everyone is really positive.

This place has given me some amazing memories. My son has been in since he was little tiny, and by…read moreextension doesn't know he even has an option NOT to dance (but don't tell him that!). Mrs. Charmin is excellent. The parking is miserable. The annual performances are so cool that I want them seasonal. The staff is really friendly. There aren't many dance options but even if there were Eastside would still shine. (Except the parking... for the love of God.)

I've been going to Eastside Dance and took advantage of their first free class, along with the two…read moreweeks of unlimited classes for $45, which is an amazing deal! Their instructors are very knowledgeable about different dance genres and their history. The facilities are clean and well-organized, and both locations have designated parking spots. The only downside is that it can get quite hot during classes, especially when we're moving quickly and there are many people. It would be even better if the windows were open or if there were fans to help circulate the air in addition to the AC. Overall, the instructors and classes are great--I can't wait to come back for more!

Dropped my better half for the opening night, meeting some friends there. She says "Fun!" Seems a…read morelively crowd

We went there for a salsa/bachata social about a month back. Having been a regular at Chicago salsa…read moresocial.. I was a bit let down since the number of people who turned up were only about 12-15. The host was very gracious and welcoming - there was a beginner class too. Songs were decent too but I expected more people since greater the no. of people, more practice and more refinement of dancing skills.

Kora, Simeon, Atanas and the rest of the instructors are definitely some of the best in the Seattle…read morearea. Quality instruction by friendly, down-to-earth people who really know what they are doing. Highly recommended.

I can't imagine any ballroom being below 5-stars. I mean, it's the happiest kind of place there is,…read moreand something would have to be seriously wrong with one for it to be not-perfect. Aria is a great, great place for dancing - both to learn and for social dances. I am part of Swing Kids at UW, and one of the current instructors here (Ben) manages the place. I come here for swing dancing, and the price ($2 discount for UW students, yay!), the music (live bands!), the crowd is all on point. Details I love: the bathrooms are spacious and single-use only, which is a relief. As someone who positively hates using a cubicle with huge gaps at the door hinge, this is great. They have little lockers to store your belongings, and also a coat rack. The designers of this place clearly put a lot of thought into planning it! I also like the occasional free cake when it's someone's birthday :) Thanks a lot for all the fun music and dance.

Such a refreshing 1 hour of Bollywood dance/ fitness every time I visit. Kirkland location is…read morepreferable for me, and works out very well. Smitha is my instructor, she is happy , always smiling and encourages to have a great session every time!

I am so grateful to have found Arundhati and her group of instructors (Sandy, Ajit, Tessa and…read moreSmitha) at Bollyworks. If you're looking for a place that offers high intensity fitness lessons while also having fun, then look no further! Love the high energy and positivity that every instructor brings to each class. After every session, I get to go back feeling so pumped! I have already started seeing results (improved energy, stamina and sleep) just after attending a few sessions. In addition to these high intensity fitness workout sessions, they also offer choreography classes where you get to learn a dance routine with step by step guidance. They are so fun-filled and helps bring out the dancer in you, irrespective of the level and build muscle memory. Overall, I am super glad to have found this group and hope to continue my fitness/dance journey with them long term.

I don't make it out to ESS as much as I want because it's far. But ESS is my favorite swing venue…read morein the Seattle area. They bring in great musicians to play on Friday nights, the floor is usually crowded, they have a wonderful volunteer system, and the people who run it are some of the nicest people I know. Ben is very enthusiastic and cares a lot about his community. The location for fridays (have not been to Tuesdays) is pretty nice. From what I hear, their lessons are also a lot of fun. From what I've seen, the teachers are dedicated and passionate about teaching their students. You can't ask for a better swing venue in the area.

This is a review of a Tap for Lindy Hoppers class from Amy in March of 2014. Unfortunately, it…read morereflects Ben White (owner/operator) of Eastside Stomp. I love to support the local dance community, but I can't support bad business practice. I've been a Lindy Hopper for over 10 years and took a couple 1-day tap clinics that challenged me and sparked an interest in tap. When I saw Eastside Stomp was offering a Tap for Lindy Hoppers 3 month course for $150, I jumped on it! The class description sold the class with a wonderful description but did state no refunds. That's fair and I had no problem committing if we're learning. First class was like a tap class for children! We drilled a simple 8-count to death. Second class was worse. I had to ask Amy for more details (weight distribution, etc) since it she didn't explain basics unless asked. Horrible! I've taken enough classes to know a good teacher. Class did not deliver as promised, so I emailed Ben promptly to get a refund. He agreed, which was awesome of him. Problem is, I haven't seen the refund check (it's been over 6 months!). I've called, emailed several times, and even reminded him in person with no results. Poor business practice!! Even if they can't give a refund, a class credit would have been appreciated. But this is BS. I'm not rich enough to throw away $150! Recommendation: if you're looking for Lindy Hop classes, go to Chris Chapman of HepCat Swing in Capitol Hill. He'll take care of you! If they offer another no-refund class, I would suggest asking to audit the first class to see if you like the instructor/material before you commit the funds. *** Update on October 2014: Finally tried reaching Ben on Facebook and got a quick response (after no response via email). Check was in the mail for a full refund! Thank you, Ben.

If you want your kid to be a professional dancer there's no question, this is the best studio out…read morethere. No other WA studio can compare. That said, if you're looking for a fun extracurricular for your kid, or even a more serious one, but still one you don't expect them to make a career out of, I'd advise staying away. I attended for ~7yrs and suffer nightmares years later. It's a cutthroat environment. There are some good instructors (ex. Ms. Hiromi), but also some very unkind ones. The culture between dancers is not very good either, I suspect because of the students mirroring what is said to them by certain instructors. Bullying runs rampant and was, in some circumstances, pretty extreme. Outside of comments about technique and jealousy over roles, there were also a lot of damaging things said regarding weight, both by students and, rarely (but still enough to leave scars), instructors.

Take the negative reviews with a grain of salt!…read more My daughter is 14 now and has been going to IBA since she was 3 or 4 years old. It is one of the premier dance academies in the area with amazing dance teachers! My daughter started in the little girls class, progressed to intermediate, went on pointe when she was 11, and has been enrolled in the pre-professional program. Not only has she learned a beautiful art form, but the classes also keep her in great physical shape, giving her a drive and a goal to strive towards. She's also made some amazing friendships along the way. Even in the young 4/5/6 year old classes, she was learning ballet but in a fun way. IBA encourages even the youngest dancers to have good technique and a good foundation, but also making dance fun and enjoyable. IBA even has a children's production every year to ensure even the youngest dancers have a chance to get on stage and experience that magic under the stage lights. Yes, IBA does have expectations for ALL their girls including the younger ones - simple expectations of having a neat bun, appropriate attire and a good attitude. Expectations that are something the girls will need to be prepared for later on as they get older whether in dance (at any academy!) or simply in life. Some expectations also include volunteering in the shows if your child is in it, even the older girls, us parents are required to put in our time. The expectations for both the children and adults are laid out explicitly ahead of time and its not the fault of IBA should someone not adhere to those. I highly recommend IBA - smaller class size so more individualized attention and teaching, solid foundation for classical Vaganova style dance with emphasis on encouraging a well-rounded dance background so they offer classes in other dance disciplines like jazz, contemporary, character, flamenco, modern.