So far - and thanks to Yelp Elite Norine's recommendation, I've been to 3 Burn Bhangra Fitness…read moreclasses at Studio Bizz Mont-Royal. I love that the studio is located across the street from metro Mont-Royal so I don't have to walk too much to get there. It is annoying that there are around 5 flights of stairs to walk up to the studio (I lose count every time)!! I really love the energy that the instructors bring to each class but I do find that Harsh brings more energy and difficulty in terms of movements and choreography to the classes. The music is very loud and gets you pumped and there's usually between 15-20 people per class. I've been to the Thursday night and Saturday afternoon classes. The vibe is definitely more rushed on the Thursday. Today we didn't even get to work on a choreography!! Usually that's what the last 10 minutes are reserved for. From beginning to end, we work so hard that we are drenched in sweat by the end of it. Would love it if they could turn on fans though as it gets really stuffy. For $30, you get to sign up to 4 classes and I'm so happy I did! It's a great workout and way more motivating than the gym. Looking forward to the next class and I might even sign up for more!

I discovered this little studio with my purchase of a walk-in class for Burn Bhangra Fitness on a…read moreThursday evening.The studio was conveniently located right across metro Mont-Royal next to the Jean Cotu. It was annoying to walk 4 flights steep stairs to get to the studio- but hey I am here to burn calories through cardio- guess that's not a bad thing! The reception area was cute with a little resto lounge for food purchases and a seating area. The studios are located in the same vicinity. Each studio is equipped with benches and a nearby water fountain. The Burn bhangra class was HYPED! a 5 min warm-up, 25 min & 20 min bhangra session, 10 mins of choreography had me sweating my pores out! Intense cardio but great for level fitness enthusiasts beginning to advanced. Our instructor, Harsh, was fantastic in walking us through the moves and his energy was off the walls! It took me back to my days when i did bhangra during my university days! Great song selection especially the fusion between bhangra tracks and music ft. The Weekend and Bieber! They offer flexible packages 10$ walk in class, 4 for 30$ or 90$ for 12 sessions for first time attendees only. Looking forward to my next session!

I went here a while back with friends and had an awesome time. I would highly recommend this to…read moreanyone that enjoys swing dancing and blues or jazz music. The instructors were energetic and bilingual for the most part. Don't worry about showing up with a dancing partner as everyone dances with everyone. Just be prepared to dance your sock off.

I think I'm hooked :) I first heard the concept of swing dancing from a friend who said it's really…read morea cool dance to learn. So with that seed planted in my head, it started to sprout. I had been search far and wide for "my dance" and tried cha cha cha, tango, salsa and watched bachata (definitely not my style) and nothing clicked. I was also looking for a dance where there aren't old creepy guys trying to dance with you. I was determined to find "my thing". So I Googled "swing dance Montreal" and they're the first option that comes up. They had a promo for Swing Level 1+2 so I said, "Why not?" and promptly signed up. I convinced a friend to switch over from samba to swing so we both took the 1+2 together. In the first class, we had 30-some people and it didn't matter that I went with my friend because the instructors make you switch partners every few minutes, there were some classes where I might not even have danced with my friend :p but the cool part is that everyone is young (20s-30s) and friendly (no creepy old guys here! yay). Warren and Kim were our instructors and I really enjoyed their easy-going approach to teaching. Watching them dance was like a light bulb turning on and I realized that I've found "my thing" :D It was fun and very accommodating environment for learning because no one is judging you for two left feet. The guided practice on Wednesday was only ok because the guy who was supposed to be coaching seemed more interested in eating his sandwich, drinking his coffee and chatting with people than to actually coach us. After taking the Level 1+2 courses, I still didn't "get" swing so I asked how to get good at swing and the instructors recommended going to the social dances on Friday nights. I had to summon 2 months worth of courage to actually go the first time early this year by myself and guess what? I had a BLAST!!! I'd go every Friday if I get the chance. They don't have lockers so you have to leave your stuff in the coat area. Also bring a bottle of water that is easily distinguishable in dim lighting. PLEASE put on a good antiperspirant or deodorant--nobody likes dancing with a smelly partner :p Don't dress too warm because all that dancing will make you sweat! You don't need a partner, just show up cause there's always enough friendly people to ask you to dance! Entry fee is $10 cash only and there's a beginner intro class at 8:30pm and an intermediate at 8:45pm. IMHO, if you're a beginner, it's better you take the Swing 1 and maybe even Swing 2 to really get into dancing. Try it!

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I cannot praise Cheryl enough! We came to her a few months ago, panicked that we hadn't come up…read morewith a first dance for our wedding yet. She created a beautiful choreography for us and patiently held our hands throughout the (not so easy) process. Her vast experience shone through. She always listened to us, knew where we would hit a snag and how to fix it. We will miss her and honestly- if you want to learn to dance she is the one you need to call!

I tried 5 classes with them, with 4 different teachers. Teachers all happy, caring, smiling,…read moreenthusiastic, and energetic. (They must be getting so much endolphine from this work-out. Look really really happy, even during hard exercise) They have two categories of classes/clientele. First is for general public, and the second is top atheletes. I tried the first kind. The second kind looked like real dancers, so I didn't dare to try those classes. :-) It feels like mixture of ballet, modern dance, aerobics, and pilates. It's based on techniques developed by Miranda (Classical Stretch). The atmosphere is very supportive. The class size varies depending on hours. Studio holds any many as 10-15 I think. The bathroom clean and generous number (and size) of towels available for free. They give a free trial class. So come see it yourself. Gender ratio is a little higher on women-side, a few guys in each class, but it is a good atmosphere for everyone. Age varies from youth to silver.

The best pole dance studio in Montreal ! Whether you're practice pole regularly or want to discover…read morethe sport, you can find the perfect class with amazing and professional teachers. There are many different classes as pole fitness, flow, heels, but also hoop, flexibility, hammock, and chair dance, so it's the perfect place if you like discovering and learning new things with a lot of fun and in the best atmosphere possible ! All classes are designed to ensure safety, with an appropriate warm-up and cool-down, and also with the support and explanations of the teacher throughout the entire course, which is perfect to bring confidence ! If you want to try pole dancing in Montreal, it's definitely the place you have to go !

What does pole dancing mean to me? A new shot at life…read more Let me explain. (CW/TW: The following contains topics related to suicide, mental health and such.) I've been battling with suicidal thoughts and multiple mental illnesses for years. Prior discovering pole, I didn't see any value in life. Every night, I'd cry myself to sleep hoping that I could end my suffering. I was ready to give up. However, my friend made me join a pole class with him. To my surprise, for the first time in a very long time, I felt happy. All the dark thoughts disappeared, and I was mesmerized by my instructor's skills. I fell in love with how pretty and captivating she made all the moves look. After that one class, I told to myself that I wanted to become like my instructor. In a way, that class saved my life. I started taking better care of myself and picking up healthier lifestyle habits in order to be able to become as good as my pole instructors. I'd highly recommend this studio to anyone wanting to try or get into pole dancing! The instructors are very nice and supportive, and the community is very wholesome

This winter I decided I want to do some sort of intense physical activity, and I settled on zumba…read more It seemed fun, so I tried a free class and now I'm hooked! I settled on Bamboofit because of location and fee structure. Bamboofit works on a card system: you buy a certain number of classes and they are loaded into an account. You are given a key fob with bar code and you scan it whenever you go to a class. The cost is very reasonable when you buy a bunch of classes and you have a year to use them. Perfect for someone who travels often and/ or has a highly variable schedule. The studio is large and bright. A word of caution however: there is no locker room. There's a curtained changing area and bathrooms, but no lockers or showers. You arrive, take off your boots and coat, and then bring your valuables to class with you. It works fine, but is good to know ahead of time. Between the energetic instructors and upbeat music, I never fail to leave the class smiling. Zumba is a little different from traditional aerobic classes as the focus is less on getting the moves right and more on moving and having a good time. At my first class I was a bit confused and missed the frantic calling of moves I was used to. Now that I'm used to it I love it. I focus less on doing exactly what the teacher is doing and more on the movements themselves. I'm not the most coordinated person, so sometimes I just focus on moving in the same direction and not crashing into anyone. But I have a good time doing it! The clientele, while varied, is primarily young and fit. I am by no means a small person (short yes, small no), nor a particularly coordinated one and I have always felt welcome and comfortable. If you're thinking about trying it out, DO IT!

So I checked out the other location tonight (1088 Clark - on the second floor) (and did class) and…read moreit was big and spacious, and I really liked it! (It's much bigger than the St-Laurent studio) It's in the Chinese cultural centre and I think it's worth trying it out.

As a child I wanted to be either a princess or a ballerina. Princess sounded like a lot of hard…read morework so I chose ballerina by default. Sadly, life got in the way of things and "perform Swan Lake" never got crossed off my bucket list. A couple of years back, ballet was the new yoga for a short while and I thought I should get back into the swing of things. I basically ran into a brick wall: no one wants to teach a geriatric teenager ballet! Think of all those stiff joints! So all the adults courses I found were a pale imitation of a ballet class or a mish-mash of ballet-latin dance-reaggaeton. This poor gringa can't do the "heat" of the latin dance, what I wanted was pure, hard ballet! Luckily I found the Academie de Ballet, which is actually in charge of training the future dancers of the Grand Ballets Canadiens. Their classes for adults are pleasantly tough and traditional: warm-ups, barre work, center work, diagonals and arms! Some teachers even prefer a dress code, now that's a great excuse to don those fuschia legwarmers! The price is reasonable and you can choose between 3 levels, between 1-3 times/ week. Classes are mainly taught in French but should the teacher be noticed, you can be given a parenthesis in English, since everything is physical work, you can pretty much rely on observation. I really enjoy that my teachers have always seemed genuinely interested in my progress and have never dismissed me as an adult (read: too old to dance). Plus, the school is attentive to the student's needs and schedules have evolved upon request. If you would like to send your children there, they also function as a full-blown sports-study school and do half-price rates for boys!

Trust me, the first time I approached this tiny pole dancing studio in deep Hochelaga at the back…read moreof an equally tiny hydroponics shop, I was skeptical. The painted murals of pole dancers, the stained bean bag in the corner, the discarded high heels in the corner that never move, the single room with four poles- the details really didn't make me confident in the space, at first. That being said, it'll come as no surprise that I've quickly become addicted to pole dancing and my little white trash heart has totally fallen for this studio. While I haven't worked with Marie France, Angel's classes are filled with wisdom, laughs, bruises, stretches, self-amazing moments, and constantly exceeding your personal limits. She takes the time to share the pole community with us, encourage us to go further (and to do exercises in the meantime!) and show us how it's really done. Studio Z28 often has great groupons available- if pole dancing is something that's ever peaked your interest, I recommend starting here.