In 2004... Chris and Jon led me to Kaeshi. My guy friends are HANDSOME. Sporty, pretty boys. Chris…read morehappens to look like a handsome version of Brad Pitt and Jon like a handsomer young Paul Newman. Up to that time, my years in NYC were oddly plagued w random men cornering my grad school friends asking to meet me. So, women did not feel comfortable hanging out w me. When Chris, Jon and I bc friends, that attention was dispersed w women swooning for them, and attempts to corner and throw themselves at my friends as we went about the city. The three of us communed; We had jaundiced eyes for that kind of attention. We had enough of mismatched people pursuing us w lots of games, lots of pretending. So any hint of those games were turn offs, and got our scorn and ridicule. We were at the same fork in the road of fed up. So imagine my guy friends, who wouldn't trifle their attention w fevered women, excitedly rushing to tell me all about a woman named Kaeshi, and bellydancing w fire! (It was a presentation at Chris' school that I couldn't make.) Chris was all about the bellydance moves. Jon was all about the fire dancing moves. Both were all about Kaeshi! --And I just came from a medical appointment for childhood trauma symptoms resurfacing in my adult body. The nurse's last words were that I need to do lots of things w my hips. She said lots of dancing would be very good for me. At first Chris and Jon could only remember the name 'Kaeshi'. Lol! They did not know how to spell her name (so I could find her). Eventually, they found the postcard that said 'Bellyqueen'. I never told them I started bellydancing (thanks to them). Bellyqueen has been paradigm shifting. As a dancer, you learn about body illusion, body control, directing attention, commanding a room, pacing yourself, pacing others, and female friendships and mutual support amongst all women (Classes are always open for men to enroll in too, but I only saw the occasional martial arts guy try to stay a scant few minutes in the room w us.) Bellydancing is very therapeutic. It is full of virtues FOR THE DANCER. Of the coolest things that happened w regularity is the male-dominated martial arts class next door will often result in the men crowding our window to watch us, Kaeshi would pause class, nicely address them, then offer that they can watch but they'll have to bellydance too, with us. A smooth lesson in respect and mutuality. Why Bellyqueen in particular? The tone of class is about skills in a light but respectful way. (Outside of class is about the bellydance accessories.) In fact, when I got to intermediate, then advance, I sometimes impulsively dropped in for any class or for back-to-back classes. So I would be without my dance gear, not dressed right, but no matter. I was there for skills. (However one should especially have right attire as a beginner. Helps you see your movements better, at least.) Kaeshi and Irina are excellent bellydancers and teachers. They explain the various movements well, build the skills over the duration of a single class, and the class term. You have traveling steps, isolated moves, and layered moves. You learn some history of the dance within different cultures. The other women in the room are friendly, and openly admire each other. It is not a competitive, back-biting environment. It is supportive and encouraging. My desire for positive friendships with other women started to happen here. Zagareet for each other is always fun. The dance circle at the end was always fun. Bellyqueen's bellydance isn't about performing for others. You repeatedly learn that bellydance is for you. I value what I learned here, so much. I still drop in for a class when I'm in town (I moved away in 2008). I eventually started to pursue Hawaiian Hula and Tahitian dancing when I moved to Hawai'i. (But Hawaiian feels too servile to me, and Tahitian feels too restrictive to me.) When I moved to Houston and resumed formal classes, I was invited to join their troupe two months later. So know, you can acquire a solid foundation of dance skills that go with you for years from Bellyqueen. Lastly, I also had Elisheva and Amar as instructors once in my years w Bellyqueen. I just remember class was still good. I'm always a bit star-struck w Kaeshi and Amar. Very unfortunately, Elisheva passed away.

We just did a bachelorette event (10 girls) organized by Bellyqueen and it was honestly the…read morehighlight of the day for the bride-to-be and all the other girls! The instructors catered to the bachelorette, and organized little activities focused on her, while also incorporating other traditional belly dancing steps and moves for the whole group. It was so much fun and they also took so many pics and videos to cherish the memories and laughs for years to come. Thank you so much Kaeshi and all the instructors- you guys made our day and motivated us to continue our belly dancing journey and learn this beautiful, sensual dance!

I attended a Friday night session of BollyX dance class for free as part of a Brooklyn Fit series…read more I'm a dancer at heart but mostly in the salsa genre where I can "shake what my mama gave me" without hesitation. Though I was new to the Bollywood style of dancing, I loved every minute of class! It was a non-stop, head-to-toe workout, that left you wanting more even if you were wiped out. The instructor was high energy and the playlist was so fun. We danced about 5-6 songs and were instructed to follow our teacher's steps. Warning to those who haven't been to a dance class, the steps aren't broken down into segments. It's more of a watch and get right into the steps all at once. The class ended with a 5 minute ab series in sync with the music and a cool down. Classes are typically $15 for a drop in and they have a full schedule of classes ranging from ballet to Africand dance. I'll definitely be back for more!

Truly love the dance teachers and classes but having to interact with the weekend staff at the…read morefront desk is quite the opposite

Janelle teaches a high energy, well thought out bellydance class. Very positive, very well informed…read moredance teacher. No two classes are exactly alike and for someone like me who is tough to please I always find myself with a smile on my face during class and no matter how tough my work day has been by the time I leave her class my mood has been elevated to happy, and feeling free! Anyone looking to start to dance or at a professional level Janelle teaches all levels and you will always leave feeling that you learned something new since she stays current with what's new in the bellydance world and also with other forms of dance. This is a class( if your schedule allows ) should not be missed! Kathy Nekrasov one very happy customer!!!!!!!!!!!

Why does Groovefit stand out among other belly dancing companies and studios?…read more 1) Great teachers. No matter if you have two left foot or no left foot at all, is size -2 or size 38+, is under 18 or has few great grand children making more children, speak English or not, Jannelle will make a belly dancer out of you. Same applies to gals and guys. I think, for Jannelle, belly dancing seems to be about the celebration of body in all size, color and shape. She regularly invites dancers of other discipline - ballet, hip hop, for example - to co-instruct her workshops so the students benefit from more than 2 dancing instructors at the same time. Her ability to attracts topnotch performers and personalities directly put her classes at the crossroad of all dancing styles. Jannelle has a knack of knowing what to do and what to say to get you to belly dance before you know it. 2) Excellent variety of belly dancing. Jannelle is extremely knowledgeable in belly dancing styles from virtually all middle eastern country. Why? My suspicion is that she's got a musician's ear & soul insider her dancer's body. Her choreography includes styles of flamingo, Bollywood, Asian, and continue to expand at alarming rate you'd think she'd depart from belly dancing and start teaching Tango or Salsa. Her choreography are musically beautiful and she's got good rhythm. Thanks God for that - does any of us remember that dance teacher who couldn't keep the beat or follow the music? 3) More than dancing. A. In addition to dancing along, you learn the culture of middle eastern countries with Jannelle either by taking group drumming lessons, checking out affordable costumes in remote Queens area, tasting local middle eastern new dig, or joining her in some of the trips that she organizes for her student to Turkey, Egypt, Morocco and many more where they shop for costumes and souvenirs, visit museums & pyramids and (surprise!) take master classes from local belly dancing gurus. B. As an entrepreneur, Jannelle seems to be the kind of professional that is person-centered, meaning she cares about her student not just because of the blingbling but she honestly wants her students to dance well enough to enjoy belly dancing. The sisterhood of the Groovefit dancer is strong and there is no cattiness around. This is hard to explain, but you just have to experience it for yourself. Come see for yourself and feel the passion that Jannelle has for belly dancing. You won't regret it. P.S. The only "con" that I can think of is how crowded Jannelle's classes have become due to her popularity and interests from our society in belly dancing and middle eastern culture. Check out "Jannelle's Belly Dancing Technique Class" on meetup.com to sign up and make sure you RSVP prior to showing up at her classes.

WOW. Stripxpertease is such a awesome place! I took Stripper Strength: Dancehall, with Jillian and…read moreLap Dance 101 with Orisha. Jillian kicked my butt and kept the class so high energy and positive. The "level" of dance hall was perfect for everyone. Orisha's class was also fantastic. She was so patient and taught at the perfect pace for everyone to be able to follow and learn. I especially loved how she gave everyone a bit of individual attention because sometimes you have that total, "Am I doing this right?!" moment. Everyone in the room for both classes was feeling it and feeling confident. I will be back for sure!!!

I came here for my friends benchmark birthday and it was orisha teaching us. Oh my goodness what a…read morefantastic class. I really enjoyed the two hours and it went so quickly. And since it was a birthday party I love that they also brought the party favors for us to take pictures with at the end.

I can't recommend Dance Connection highly enough! My husband and I worked with Laurie for the first…read moredance at our wedding. We had so much fun in both the group and private sessions. We wanted to learn basic dance moves to look comfortable, but didn't want something too choreographed. Laurie created the perfect routine for us. She patiently taught us several new moves and made us feel comfortable enough that we didn't need to memorize the entire routine step by step. For others looking for wedding dance lessons - there are a lot of chains where the teachers are basically salespeople. They'll upsell you on 10, 20, and more classes and urge you to go with a routine that's not customized. Laurie and Dance Connection are the opposite. We had such a wonderful time, and we've even signed up for more lessons since the wedding.

The first dance was something my husband and I were very anxious about before we met Laurie. From…read morethe very first phone call, all of our worries melted away. Laurie is not only an amazing instructor, but she seamlessly connects with people to understand their comfort level, what excites them about the dance, and what makes the couple connect. Our choreo was fun, intuitive, and best of all, us. Our first dance is one of the highlights of our day and none of it would've been possible without Laurie and her love and passion for what she does. My husband and I's song is an EDM song, and I figured there was no way we could do a choreographed, formal dance to it for a wedding.. so I presented Laurie with a few options of classic songs we could use instead. Laurie encouraged us to go with "our song" and created a dance with us that worked perfectly. She is professional and organized but dynamic and able to work with couples in the way they need it. Can't wait to dance with Laurie again soon!

For someone who does not work out regularly I tried Dance Cardio as a great way to get my blood…read morepumping! This was not only a great workout, but the instructor (Elizabeth) made my experience that much better. Let me tell you, every muscle in my body was worked but I did not realize it as I was too busy jamming out to the music. Even someone with 2 left feet (like myself) could follow Elizabeth's instructions as they were thorough and encouraging. As a dancer you can tell she is so talented and loves what she does - her passion beams through this class. The only way someone wouldn't enjoy the energy of this class is if they don't pay attention or if they don't take this workout seriously . I wish I could give more stars, but I HIGHLY recommend taking this class if you want some fun as you sweat!

I tried this out because of the positive reviews and was more than disappointed…read more The class I took felt extremely thrown together last minute. The instructor was just screaming one word, ZERO instruction or encouragement. I left with a headache because of the instructor screaming "yep" over and over again. I also left filthy from rolling around on the dirty floor (literally dirt all over my body at the end of class). Extremely unhygienic!!!!! This is a shared space, not a studio. The only positive thing I took away from this class was a great workout, but I would have rather done it at home with a clean space, encouraging and instructive video. I would not come back nor would I recommend this to a friend.

My husband and I have been wanting to take salsa dance classes for a while, so we were super…read moreexcited when a friend told us about this place! First, it's very affordable! It's around $120 for 4 weeks of classes and each class is an hour and a half long. That's a pretty sweet deal, if you ask me! Next, it's important to know that they have a class schedule that is updated monthly. They offer both salsa and bachata classes and different levels for each one. They have 5 different levels of salsa classes and 2 different levels of bachata classes. So whatever your skill level currently is, you should be able to find a class that works for you! Also, you don't need to have a partner to attend! The class starts by teaching the basic steps as individuals. When it's time for partner work, they have us start with a partner but then we rotate partners throughout the room! That said, if you're wanting a class where you stick with the same partner the entire time, this ain't it. However, if you're looking for a fun time, this is DEFINITELY it! Our instructor, Felipe, has been doing a fantastic job of teaching us! He's got a fun personality, which makes the experience that much better. Oh! They also have social dance nights each month, which you can attend whether or you're not you're a current student for a set price. Anyways, I'm excited to keep learning and taking more classes here! Hopefully you'll feel the same too.

Went to an open house for a salsa and bachata class. There were about ten of us in our group. We…read morehad a blast. The muaic was great! We learned NY style salsa. The space is not huge but it was ample enough for us and the other dancers. The instructors were friiendly and engaging. They walked around and helped students. I live in Brooklyn, otherwise I would definitely take advantage of the dance lessons here.

I signed up for private dance lessons by Simone and I'm very glad I did, especially after watching…read morevarious other "First Dances" at weddings. Simone presented multiple options on how the lessons would occur and we opted for virtual lessons instead of in person lessons because my dance partner and I would have trouble commuting into NYC. I was worried about how effective these lessons would be, in an NYC living space with an instructor giving the lessons virtually. Relax, have no fear, Simone will be there! She even has a dancing dummy to demonstrate how Person A and Person B should stand/dance/act. Even with lessons conducted via video chat, Simone was able to catch the minor details that we would not have caught or even considered if we were to "learn" via Youtube (which a few of our friends did for their weddings, and it was obvious). For example, while doing a dip, Simone saw an opportunity and suggested that my partner (while being dipped) move her hand in a more graceful manner, a small movement added so much more meaning. We went in with no dancing skills and no idea what to do for choreography. All we had was our first dance song. After after lots of practice and guidance from Simone, when our first dance was performed, it was met with lots of cheer and practically a standing ovation from our friends and family when we hit the climax of the song and dance. Go with Simone. Don't underestimate the value of virtual lessons. She expressed patience and joy in helping us and I know she will continue to do so with all her customers.

Updating this review to provide feedback on the online dance and workout classes DTNYC has been…read moreoffering since the pandemic started. I've been taking the online lunchtime dance workout class over Zoom for the last year and a half now, and it has been a lifesaver while working from home. It's a great opportunity to get some movement going in mid-day when I otherwise would be sitting in a chair all day. After the half hour class, I feel energized for the rest of my day. Also, the workout itself is mostly low impact, so I don't have to worry about getting too sweaty and needing to get a shower right away before going back to work. The dance steps are very accessible and she offers various modifications to the dance and workout level for people of different abilities.