We stumbled on this by chance. A good price for two lessons on a postcard at a coffeeshop that we…read morethought was a good idea since our wedding was coming up. We called up and made the appointment and went in with honestly low expectations. One of us is not a good dancer. At all. Really bad. Our instructor was Rebecca and we explained our experience levels and what we wanted to accomplish.By the end of the first lesson, we were calling Rebecca the miracle worker. She got me dancing. When we weren't getting the step, she changed the instructions and see if we got it a different way. It was perfect. By the end of the second lesson, we were feeling great about our first dance and wanted to do more. We bought another package of four lessons after that and went from a simple box step to a full-on routine..plus an entrance dance AND a polka dance. We were all set. Wonderful experience, friendly and worth the drive (we were coming from Northeast Minneapolis).

We went to Costa Rica Ballroom for lessons on our wedding first dance. We worked with Eli, and…read morecould not have asked for a better experience! My (now) wife has a physical disability, and she was nervous about what dance lessons would look like - but the lessons ended up being her favorite part of wedding planning. Eli brought comfort and confidence to both of us, as well as humor and joy! We both truly enjoyed the experience, even though it was a bit out of our comfort zone. Our first dance went off seamlessly - we managed to remember all the steps and it was a hit! For anyone with physical limitations - please be aware that accessing the studio does involve a flight of stairs (there is a railing!). We have no doubt Eli would be willing to explore other options as necessary. Regardless, do not let any physical limitations deter you from taking lessons here!

Cassandra and BCP are as passionate about their people as they are about their DANCE! From novice…read moreto trained dancer - you can find your place at BCP and find a family as well. Cassandra and all BCP staff are so welcoming and believe that dance is for EVERYONE. The structure of teaching allows dancers to learn at their own pace in a welcoming environment that focuses on not only technique, but teaches the history of dance and musicality!! I highly encourage you to join BCP - you'll learn to dance and so much more!

This academy and teacher Cassandra are The Best !!' I started from zero and now I am dancing the…read morenight away after only 3 months. She is patient and her teaching instructions are clear and fun. She makes learning a complex dance feel very smooth to learn. Their social gatherings are a perfect opportunity to practice what you learn in class .I look forward every week to my class after work is the perfect way to unwind my stressful day . Long live salsa!

Authentic! HOD offers Hip Hop, Breaking, and Locking. Many studios in MN that offer Hip Hop are…read moreeither taught by their jazz/contemporary teachers or they're fitness-based. All of their teachers continually seek out growth by being involved with the actual dance community and industry so they give the best to their students. They not only teach counts, but give tools for dancers to freestyle/improv while bonding with their classmates, using their critical thinking and problem solving skills, and improving their overall confidence. Their students range from age 3-76! It's never too late. Tucked in downtown Hopkins, this studio is well-worth the commute from where I live. Plenty of free parking. Near many businesses so you can go shopping or go to a restaurant while you're waiting for your kid.

The idea of a Hip Hop for Tots class was really cool, but I would not recommend taking this class…read moreto anyone. We take a lot of toddler classes around the TC. Classes at Children's Theater, MacPhail, The Little Gym, Minneapolis and Edina Parks and Rec etc... Bottom line = not everyone has the skills to teach this age group. In our experience, HOD does not have the ability to teach this age group. We attended one class. There is a class for older kids going on at the same time and there is no acoustical separation between studios. They have a flimsy sliding wall separating the two spaces. This is not a good set up for any age group, but particularly 3-year-olds. Also, the teacher told my 3-year-old he was going to write him up. He did this because that was the best he could do with this age group. My son sometimes does not listen and has been in numerous classes as mentioned above - not one of those places has EVER said anything like that before to him. That they would give him a warning and write him up? Needless to say, we never returned. And of course they have a no money back policy (its a fine print thing). Many other places (listed above) have a prorated refund policy which I applaud.

I booked a moms' night out for my friends and I at the Pole Barn. We did the 2 hour aerial silks…read moreand pole dancing class. Rochelle was so welcoming and friendly when we got to the studio. She got us situated with all of our stuff, including the pitcher of margaritas I brought, and made sure we were feeling comfortable. We started off with the aerial silks which had us all dying laughing as we learned how to stand, sit, and hang upside down in the silks. Pro tip - definitely stretch before taking this class! I pulled a hamstring and had to stretch it out before proceeding. Then we moved on to the pole dancing which was also hilarious as we tried to dance, spin, and climb the stripper poles. Rochelle was a great teacher the whole time constantly reminding us "No THRUSTING!" on the poles. Rochelle even let us hang out a bit after class and finish our margaritas in the lounge area. The next day we were all comparing our various sore spots and bruises. We definitely worked muscles we didn't know we had! All in all, it was a fabulous way to spend an evening with friends.

This review is for a private party only, I have not taken any regularly scheduled classes…read more Four stars for two reasons: 1. They scheduled two parties back to back, with no buffer, so shoes were piled on top of shoes, and we had to wait for one party to exit (past our scheduled start time) in order to start our party. 2. We had to share poles/silks because there were too many people. It would have been nice to know how many poles/silks they had beforehand, or if they could split the group in two so we wouldn't have to wait to take a turn. Check-in/waiver signing was super easy and quick. You have to pay a deposit for 8 people ($37.50 per person) to book your class, everyone above and beyond that number can pay separately at the time of the class. Tips are appreciated, they can be paid in cash or along with the class fee. Pole dancing and aerial skills, the perfect bachelorette party. Even if you don't have any sort of athletic skillz, and are not in shape, the private party is still completely do-able. They are sure to do basics, nothing complicated, that lets people of all fitness levels enjoy at least a little bit of the class. The instructor, Zecky was very patient with my group of rowdy ladies. She made every effort to make sure everyone was being safe while having loads of fun, and corralled everyone in poses for some fun pictures. I would highly recommend having a private party here!

I've only been here once but my goal is to go again, I'd like to even get private 1 on 1... Essence…read moreof Prodigy is a Hip HOP dance studio in Minneapolis, run by the man the myth the legend PaZzAz - Yup that's his name! I know what you're thinkin', 99% of the world does NOT have tattoos and piercings allover their body, and have the foggiest idea what they're doing when the beat starts playing, PaZzaz is one of those types... but I assure you.. i felt completely welcomed and felt part of an elite club. Now for the dancin'... if you're alot overweight I'd maybe go some place else. This place will rock you to your core. You'll leave wondering if your heart has ever beat that hard before. It's face paced. Extremely ALIVE. ANd INTENSE! A month pass is dirt cheap so you can go a few times a week and should be pretty bad a$$ by the end of month on the dance floor. The moves you learn are very aggressive. Hip hop hippy to the hip hop you don't stop move your feet to the rythemy rop. :-)~ S to the D Chacha is me. HA

Essence of Prodigy Dance studio is amazing. I've been going there for years and it never gets old…read more I love the down to earth atmosphere, and the choreographer PAzAZz is a true genius at work. The moves he comes up with is impressive and I always leave the studio with a sweat. Also, the music he plays is GREAT! Sometimes, I just go there to hear all the hot new hip hop and dance tunes. Check it out if you have not done so already. You won't be disappointed!

I've been intrigued by the Paint Nite concept for a while now, and I'm glad I finally was able to…read moreexperience it. The first thing to know is DONT PAY FULL PRICE. These are always on sites like Groupon, and you can probably find coupon codes online for their website as well. The event I attended was at the Big Thrill Factory in Minnetonka, and due to the ambient noise from the rest of the building, I wouldn't highly recommend this venue. But the food looked good, and the wine/beer options were reasonable. There were parts of the instruction that I thought went too fast, and other parts that went way too slow. The beginning was a little stressful for me, in part bc I've never painted on canvas before. I am a pretty crafty person in general, but my skills are more from years of summer camp. Our instructor had music playing, and at times it was distracting and very loud. She also kept encouraging us to drink, which I didn't mind but I think some people will find excessive. Our instructor was cheerful, but there are things I think she should have repeated or emphasized more (like using a lot of water mixed with the paint for the first step, and how to do blending better. I have no idea how to do a lot of shading, or work with light) If the idea of painting appeals to you at all, I think you'd have a good time at a Paint Nite event, no matter what your skill level. I can see why some people go again and again! We were there for almost 2 1/2 hours. I wish she hadn't taken such a long break before the final part of the painting, bc I would have liked to stay longer to add more details during the last step, or allow parts of my canvas to dry before adding more things on top.

My cousin took me here for a my birthday gift. She got a Groupon deal, so there was some type of…read morediscount. Initially, we went online together to pick a date with a painting subject that we liked. I think it would be fun to paint with friends, but even better if I actually want to hang up the art piece on my wall! Paint Nite seems to hold all of their classes in restaurant party rooms. There were about 40 people in the class held at Andiamo in Apple Valley. We had our own server in the back private room for drinks or food. Drinking was encouraged, as that likely loosens up some of the anxious people who want to paint perfectly! People were encouraged to use their creative spirit and paint what they feel in the mood to make. Our instructor was named Lisa and she did a wonderful job. She took her time to go through the steps slowly, offered help as needed and had some music playing while the paint dried. Bring a few friends, have a wild time and go home with a handmade creation!

They have hosted many events I have attended over the years. Whether a holiday party or Hops 4…read moreHunger they have provided a welcoming space with great accommodations.

A nice event space. I went during Art-A-Whirl, they have Crave Catering Concession stand, a few…read morestanding tables and the rest of the space was filled with vendors. It was pretty loud and packed as it's a crazy big event but generally it was easy to move around and to get in and out. For sure seems like a good space to host events! There's a connection from here to Earl Giles, they share restrooms in the hallway.

This community/studio grows primarily through word-of-mouth. It's a gem and I love their growing…read moreroster of instructors and core of familiar faces. They have a referral-for-refresher model, such that when you invite a new student to an Uptown Swing class, you are allowed to retake a class that you have already taken. Mondays, Thursdays, and now Tuesdays too. I really appreciate their 4-leveled curriculum model for actually progressing in skill; as others in the lindy world, it can be rather opaque to navigate how to become a more serious/skilled hopper, short of traveling to allll the conferences/swingouts around the world... The swing world comes to the Twin Cities each year thanks to Uptown! Hope to see you at Uptown Swingout this August...

Wow.. this place gives great lessons, or Peter does. I've taken years' of lessons in Chicago at…read moreGalaxie whose Nicole I LOVE, and also at Big City Swing, whose teachers some here at Uptown Swing know, it seems. Small community I'm sure. The low-down: while I was in intermediate classes in Chicago, I was decidedly in Beginner A classes at this studio. I might be able to advance to Beginner B at this point though my husband might need a repeat or at least for us to review Beginner A moves a few more times. The teacher Peter is quite fun, and Really Really Good. Not sure if this guy was a musician or what, prior to his 2-year-path to World Champion, but he knows his stuff. 4-stars so far only because I think he sometimes misses some simpler ways he could actually -teach- the moves, but, he definitely gives some good pointers. My favorite so far is "imagine you are bouncing a ball with your butt". Hilarious. :) The studio space is a little echoey, so it's sometimes hard to discern what anyone is saying. If dancers crowded IN closer to Peter a bit more, it might be easier to hear as well as to ask questions as we go through moves, as has happened in other classes I have taken [in Chicago]. I'm really looking forward to taking more lessons here. Looking forward to finding some local swing spots out in the wild in this new town, which seems un-easy so far.