I remember searching last summer for pole dancing classes and not being able to find any. This year…read moremy search led me to hustle and flow -- tucked in the west end near Reiche elementary, this is a little gem on the third floor where you can try being J. Lo for an hour, and stick around if you really like it. Heather is the primary teacher and Victoria is her teacher aid in training. Both have their own styles and both are mesmerizing to watch. Their pole classes work a bit differently than their others -- you're required to take a few intro pole classes to see if you like it and get to feel your body and how everything works, and then they can recommend you to the level 1 class. I've been wanting to try it out since a friend of mine told me how sexy it made her feel. The intro classes are easy in a sense where you're not huffing and puffing, but hard in the sense where you're using and twisting your body in ways you're probably not used to. They start you off with some warm ups -- a combination of regular stretching with yoga and warming up the joint muscles, then rotate through several pole moves to try out. I don't look good at all, but it's quite fun! The classes are small but you do share a pole with one other person, which gives you time to take a break. Some people like bringing their 10inch heels and trying it out that way, but I like sticking to the bare toes. In the summer it's slightly warm so the feet stick more (making turns have more friction). Definitely try it out, the teachers are great and never make you feel bad about messing up!

I chose Hustle and Flow to host my bachelorette party pole dance class and let me just say IT WAS…read morePERFECT!! I had no idea what to expect when walking in, as I had never done a class like this before, but the pole instructor Victoria (Poletoria_Portland on IG) made us all feel so comfortable and welcome! The class was a perfect beginner course that also let us try out some pole tricks and even a sexy dance routine! If you are looking to take some pole classes for fun, or hosting a bachelorette do not think twice about Hustle and Flow! I would highly recommend this studio!!

How I found Michelle at Astaire is another story, but I am forever glad that I did. For years and…read moreyears I have wanted to find out if I have two left feet or if it was just something my ex-W insisted was the case. Turns out they are not a perfectly matching set (L+R) but with Michelle's sweet and patient help they are functional. When my daughter gets married, or when there is music playing in a piazza in Milan, I'll be ready thanks to Michelle. (In the interim I enjoy every lesson with my GF both because of Michelle's patience and guidance and because Corinn and I are often laughing at our "skillsets" so far.). Have to say that I am really shocked at how easy it has been to progress from shy cannot-dance-no-matter-what to almost fluid albeit a bit studied movement. It has helped immensely that Michelle is non-judgmental, patient, and quite a good communicator.

From the owner: Take the first step on your dance journey today, and discover a new world of joy, confidence,…read morehealth, energy and fun! Wedding Dance choreography from a simple First Dance to YouTube-worthy routines for the entire wedding party, we can help you make your Wedding Day even more special!

Great place with friendly instructors. We had a "dance party" for visiting grandchildren (ages…read more9-4). The children received an hour of hip-hop dance instruction in the studio, and we had a family party with children and parents in another room afterwards. A super event for our out of town visitors who needed a day away from the beach. A very professional studio; an interesting reuse of old mill space. Highly recommended.

I have 3 daughters who all dance at SFLADC. My oldest started when she was 3 and will be a senior…read morenext year. We are so happy with our choice in studios as they have helped us raise beautiful dancers and people inside and out. The studio owner always has the kids best interest at heart and offers so many opportunities for all ages...and it keeps growing all the time. The faculty is absolutely amazing in technique, creativity, & amazing role models for our kids! I would highly recommend any dancer or young one wanting to dance to join at this studio!

I have a daughter that danced 15 years at this amazing studio. At almost every discipline and…read morelevel. She was able to grow with the studio, dancers and teachers, developing at the nights level. The studio owner often opened and arranged for her to self rehearse on weekend mornings and late weekdays. To top it all off she and other graduates were honored and recognized at the recital (and all year!) We will both miss SFLADC

My now husband and I recently took a 5 session dance lesson at Ballroom Dance Portland and I can't…read moresay enough good things! We wanted to take some lessons before our September 8th wedding to feel a bit more comfortable. Our instructor was Merissa Newton and she was AWESOME!! My husband is a burly lumberjack and wasn't exactly pumped about our new hobby, but she was so easy to work with. She made us feel totally comfortable, started with the basics and taught us as much as we were comfortable with in the time we had. She didn't push us to perform at a certain level and reminded us that this was about having fun! The three of us laughed as much as we danced! We sent Merissa our wedding song ahead of our first lesson. She picked out a style of dance that she thought would go well to the beat and that's what we learned for 5 weeks. Once we got the basic steps down, she had actually choreographed some additional moves for us and by the end, we couldn't wait for the wedding, specifically the big dip at the end! Although we forgot a few steps on the big day, it didn't matter. We were so comfortable and knew the general moves and how to recover seamlessly. As we performed our dance, the entire room started to sing along as we moved through our dance! (Also, we nailed the dip.) This was absolutely one of the most memorable parts of our wedding and I would highly recommend this to anyone considering it... no matter your skill or comfort level! Thank you Merissa and Polina! You seriously rock.

I've known Polina in the dance world for over twelve years. My parents started taking dance lessons…read morewith her when we first moved to Maine and as I grew older I started taking private lessons with her. She has exceptional technique and the patience of God for sticking with us two-left-feet type dancers. I was turned off after encounters with the other male instructor she previously shared a studio with and would only take lessons with Polina. Now that she has been able to move studios I am looking forward to getting back in my dancing shoes!

"Sexy" makes me giggle. When I saw 50 Shades of Gray, I did so on a Sunday afternoon when I knew…read morethere would be a ton of Octogenarians tittering along with me at both the innuendo and blatant hot, hot, hot things happening on screen. As you can imagine, the idea of Red Hot & Ladylike - a studio where you can classes on cabaret jazz, burlesque, go-go, and hip hop dancing - makes me very nervous especially since their motto is "bringing sexy back one lady at a time." The idea of touching myself, letting my hair down, and being seductive makes me wanna cringe... until I met MissE, the perfect person to run this kind of place. She's outgoing, she's empowered and empowering, she's encouraging, she's all accepting, and I couldn't think of a better person to help women find their inner diva, goddess, and all around badass self. I've taken several classes here now and it's always the same: 1. Sign up for the class. 2. Immediately regret it - I can't dance. I don't do sexy. What the hell was I thinking? 3. Show up and feel the warm sunshine that is MissE's personality. 4. Dance (awkwardly), have a ridiculous amount of fun, and get excited to try it again someday. Doesn't matter if you can or can't dance, doesn't matter if you're a woman or a man, doesn't matter if you're already leading with your vagina or not (this makes more sense when you take class with her)... this is fun, fun, fun even when it's uncomfortably (for me) hot, hot, hot. Good for one off experiences, good for getting a unique and different work-out in, good for meeting new open-minded and friendly people, good for bachelorette parties, and good for spicing up your romantic life (she does a "Bring Your Human Prop to Class" that I'd definitely do again!).

Ended up here for a bachelorette party and it was SO much fun!!! I highly recommend to kick-off a…read morebachelorette or birthday party - it totally broke the ice and kicked off our weekend perfectly. Added bonus, this class actually really helped my lackluster dance moves. Miss E is hilarious and totally knew how to handle rowdy bachelorette girls and made sure to offered to take videos and pics of us as well. Sidenote: as a feminist who's taken the occasional Women's Studies class, I was impressed at Miss E's emphasis on empowerment and being inclusive. Very safe, accepting space.