This is a small dance space that I've seen a lot of teachers use to host drop-ins or short series,…read moreand it works fine for that. The room itself is simple but does the job for classes or practice. What I don't love is that there isn't really a consistent front desk presence. If you don't show up exactly on time, you run the risk of being locked out, which has happened to me before. It's a useful space, but just know it's best to plan ahead and arrive early.

So I think I can dance…read more... When I was a young buck and studied dance in New York, and then moved to Texas, I thought, "I may never again have the quality of instructor, studio, or experience that New York afforded me." I was right for about 15 years. Learning how to tap dance under some pretty important people of the Broadway community left me with some coveted instruction and great memories. I have been starved for this sort of quality ever since. Upon entering any dance studio, your experience can go a lot of different ways. Here are some of them that Tapestry steers clear from: 1. Calling itself a dance studio, but really it's a romper room where kids learn to shuffle step and walk on tippy toes. They often get a sticker after class. 2. Posing as a dance company, but really it's a place where dancers teach classes in between paid gigs, which they'd rather be doing, thereby leaving students with uneven instruction in terms of theory or common purpose. They often make their money with their annual Nutcracker fund raiser, which is usually a snooze fest. 3. Working as a theatre and school all in one, but the dance spaces are often overbooked, and the whole operation disorganized, and possibly underfunded or under staffed. When you really want to study - from no matter what level you begin (for me, I am a making a return to the art form), it's generally pretty hard to find a dance studio, which is also a company, that teaches a consistent method across all levels, and all teachers echo this method. How is it that this jewel is among us in Austin, I must ask. In a few weeks, I have re-learned lots of old steps, learned at what level I can fully function, where I can be challenged, that I can weave in and out of different classes but remain consistent in style, and I can do it for a good price. Tapestry really affords every level of dancer - pee wee to someone like me (middle aged has-beens with delusions of youth), late bloomers to accomplished performers a very good space to get educated or re-educated. I am loving my new foray into the art form and that I can leave challenged but still thinking that "I still got it." Yes, I think I can dance.

Going into our 2nd year with Dance Discovery with the Fine Arts Preschool The preschool program is…read morelovely, the teachers create a warm and welcoming environment that encourages the kids to express themselves and explore. Pros: - Gentle, loving environment where children are treated as creative individuals. - Carefully thought out craft and activities. Day includes: Circle time, play stations, craft, yoga, story time... and then a full dance lesson. - Small program.. the kids get to know each other really well. - Because the kids are there 2x a week, the teachers are able to cater to their individual tastes Cons: - Limited days/hours. Right now it is Tuesday/Thursday 9:30 - 1:30 - Outdoor play is very limited - there is an outdoor playspace, but it is at the other end of the building, and the kids have to go as a group.

We recently started at Dance Discovery with high hopes, but unfortunately, our experience so far…read morehas been quite disappointing. My daughter (age 3) has attended four different classes with different instructors as we tried to find the right fit for her. As a shy new student, I expected at least a minimal effort from the teachers to help her feel welcomed and included--but that has largely been missing. In most of the classes, there was little to no effort to engage her, encourage her participation, or help her feel part of the group. Even in the few classes that had student assistants present, they did not step in to support her or offer any guidance. In one instance, my daughter needed tap shoes (which are available in a shared bin for those without), and rather than assisting us, the student assistant pointed me toward the bin to figure it out myself--something that could have easily been handled more supportively, especially for a brand-new child. Another serious concern is bathroom access. My daughter is still potty training, and after a 45-minute drive to get to class, we often urgently need to use the restroom upon arrival. To access the bathrooms, however, you must walk through two active classrooms, which feels disruptive and uncomfortable. On one occasion, it took us over 10 minutes just to get into a stall, which meant missing a significant portion of class while awkwardly waiting in a hallway right next to an ongoing session. Overall, I'm very surprised by the lack of accommodations or support for young children and new families. It's disappointing because I had high hopes for this studio, but at this point, I'm not confident that it's the right environment for us and we have already put in our 30 days.

A wonderful dance studio for dancers of all ages and skill levels! Whether you're just starting out…read moreor have years of experience, Alisa offers classes for every dancer. The atmosphere is warm, welcoming, and truly feels like one big dance family. The facility is always clean, organized, and well-maintained, and the staff is incredibly kind, helpful, and supportive. I highly recommend this studio to anyone looking for a positive and encouraging place to dance!

Ms. Bridget is so incredible and has my daughter (and all of the students) engaged and learning new…read moredances, the entire class. 10/10 recommend Alisa's and Ms. Bridget!

I have taken two classes at this studio and I absolutely love it! I am a novice beginner and I feel…read morethat the instructors are patient and do a great job of explaining the moves to you and will do so multiple times if needed. I recently took Jacki's class and while she is a pro, I did not feel awkward and she plays great music to relax you and get you in the mood. When I left her class, I was beyond sore, but in a good way. The sheer amount of upper body strength it takes to move on the pole is insane, but the pain is worth it. They offer classes 7 days week which makes it easy for you to find a class that suits you. I will caution you to book early, as the spots are limited and fill up fast.

Very beginner friendly, body-positive, and all-inclusive dance studio that will WRECK your arms and…read moreabs in the best way!

Great people. These are the folks you want to learn from in…read morethe greater Austin area put on your dance shoes and get down to see them.

I love Four on the Floor. Every Tuesday they teach lessons at the Fed. Lessons are incredible cheap…read more($45 for 4 classes) and a lot of fun. Most importantly, you don't need a partner. I repeate, you don't need a partner. While you're learning different steps, you rotate partners every few minutes. See ladies and gentlemen? If you want to learn, you can totally come alone. Now that I've belabored that point, Four on the Floor is a great resource for learning how to swing dance. I'm on my second class, and I'll definitely be back for another!

I currently have 3 daughters enrolled in classes at Synergy. They have been there for 10, 6 and 4…read moreyears and they have enjoyed each and every year. The studio is very well run and the instructors are very professional, qualified, and excellent at what they do. The focus is on nurturing the love for dance while learning correct dance skills and technique. My oldest daughter is also a competitive gymnast and Ms. Sherrie has been extremely flexible and supportive throughout the years. She has offered private lessons and make-ups for my daughter whenever she has had to miss rehearsals or important classes due to her gym meets. Ms. Sherrie has even gone to one of my daughter's meets to cheer her on! My second daughter has cerebral palsy and all of her teachers have been kind, compassionate and generous with her. They have encouraged her and focused on what she can do and not what she can't do. They have made her feel loved and important and every year she asks me to take dance again. Needless to say, our family loves Synergy and all of the staff. Two enthusiastic thumbs up for sure!

It's difficult to find adult dance instruction in Austin geared towards the older dancer, but…read moreSynergy's Silver Swan ballet program does just that. Theoretically, one should be at least 55+ to enroll, but exceptions can be made! The instructor, Maureen Slabaugh, is certified by the Royal Academy of Dance to teach under their Silver Swans model and does an outstanding job of making the class work for both absolute beginners as well as dancers with some level of experience. Currently classes are offered two days a week. I enrolled two years ago and really wonder why I didn't find out about Silver Swans years ago!! I hadn't taken a ballet class in at least 25 years and I simply love it! Highly recommend.

Dance Institute is an outstanding place to send your kids who are interested in dance! I moved my…read moredaughter to DI b/c of its ballet program. Having danced for many years, I was looking for a studio who would take ballet seriously. Ballet is the foundation for all dance genres and without proper instruction, a student will not master the proper technique to perform at his/her best. My daughter has improved tremendously under the instruction of Linda Holland. Her love for dance has exploded and now she dances with the Dance Institute Performance Academy, one of DI's award-winning competitive dance teams. DI also has a hip hop dance team called Street Heat. Its many talented hip hop dancers have also competed extremely well. The facilities and resources available at DI are not found elsewhere in Austin. If you are looking for a great studio to grow your child's passion for dance, Dance Institute is the place! Check it out!

Nobody puts Baby in a corner…read more Really, that's all you need to know. That and... come on guys, do you want to be Johnny's cousin manning the record player (excuse me, Ipod) again, or would you rather be Johnny singing "She's Like the Wind"? Er...ok that came out totally wrong. This is the Dance Institute, a beautiful brand new school built from the ground up specifically for the purpose of teaching you to shake your maracas or for your children's pointe preparation for Julliard. You might not think this is too special, what with dance schools all over the place, and Austin still not widely considered a bastion of dancing, despite the fact that Ballet Austin is the 4th largest ballet company in the U.S. But typically dance schools are constructed in preexisting spaces, and they do the best they can. This place is, well, bangin', from the design standpoint. Some pro dance folks have shown up here from out of town already to give workshops, and say it is one of the most killer dance spaces they have ever been in. Open, airy, that sort of thing. So if you care about that, voila! A very nice space to learn in. The Dance Institute's logo incorporates a couple doing a hot salsa or ballroom type number, and it is the partner dances that DI is primarily designed for (at least in terms of sheer physical space and adult classes), if you ask me. Their space is huge though, so really they can teach anything they want in there. In addition to the ballroom dance classes that start you on your way to Dancing With The Stars type stuff, and social dancing classes like salsa or two step, they also teach pilates and yoga. I am not familiar with their fitness classes, so I cannot comment on them, but they do have them. They also have regular social events (with byo beverages, last time Monichacha O and I attended) which are preceded by mini lessons in a variety of social dances that you can choose to pay for, or not, if you are already skilled in that sort of thing. On my 5 year journey to learn how to do some ballroom dancing here in Austin, I have taken lessons from many people, and at most of the schools in town. As I have improved, this has led me to become a picky picky bastard about my teachers. DI has several of the finest in partner dancing that Austin has to offer. And imho, Austin does not offer a whole lot of fine partner-dancing teachers (though I believe their number is slowly increasing). Teachers I like at DI: my faves there are Sabrina, Kat, and Denis. I do tend to favor the Latin dances, though, so these are the folks I have had experience with who I like, who do latin. Sabrina, the Ballroom Director, has had years of dance training, and uses a lot of crafty plain language descriptions to help you figure out why you can't seem to do a box step after 50 attempts Edison. Kat was a professional ballet dancer and not only teaches the ballet program for kids (I do not think there is an adult ballet program there now) but is a superb salsa dancer and instructor as well. Often she will get folks to go out to salsa dance at local clubs in town. Denis is a former U.S. 10 dance champion (this means that he and his partner competed against other people in ALL the dances they do on dancing with the stars, really really well) from Russia, yet despite being from a country that churns out seriously hardcore ballroom pros sorta like Bela Karolyi makes gymnastics champions, he is quite nice and caters to your ability without making you run through the snow like Stallone in Rocky IV. Additionally, you can take private lessons from all their folks rather than group classes, and they do lessons for couples getting ready for dancing at their weddings. Ok, so why not the 5 star? 1. they are located in BFE for a big chunk of Austin - you can see from google maps that Sitio Del Rio is near 2222 and 620. If you don't live close by, you are going to be burning a lot of gas to become Johnny Castle or Baby. 2. they are probably the priciest in town, though with the current state of the economy, perhaps they've got some deals going. 3. The number of truly intermediate to advanced dancers that are available at this point in time, in Austin, who frequent their classes there (or anywhere in town), to do Latin Ballroom, is still pretty low. This probably doesn't apply to most folks in the universe, but it does to me, so. The Dance Institute is pretty sweet. If they were closer to the heart of Austin, I'd say there is no good reason you shouldn't give it a shot to get your dirty (or Fred Astaire & Ginger Rodgers' style) dancing on.

We worked with AJ at Arthur Murray Dance studio to create the perfect, theatrical, fun and goofy…read morefirst dance for our November 5th wedding and were blown away by the end result. AJ, Hannah and the whole studio team were so supportive and fun to work with a few times a week in the buildup to the big day. Neither my wife and I considered ourselves particularly coordinated or gifted in the ways of rhythm or dance but that was no issue for AJ. She choreographed a dance to our chosen song that played to our strengths and gave us the confidence to go all out and rock it at our wedding. We felt supported and encouraged at every practice and were made to feel like dance rockstars. The results were more than we could have hoped for at the wedding. It was for sure a friendly audience but we brought the house down and blew everyone away. Many guests came up to us raving about the dance, amazed that the two of us had pulled off something as technical and complicated as that in full wedding attire. AJ got us there so we owe a lot of it to her guidance and choreography. Once we fully recover from the craziness of the wedding, we plan to go back to the studio just for fun because we had such a great experience with our wedding first dance. Thanks again AJ and team!

Overly aggressive and insensitive sales team. Screenshot speaks for itself. This is what I had to…read moredeal with while I sat with my dying father in the hospital. Unprofessional and I hope they'll reconsider their methods.