During the first few minutes, I thought, Holy shit, I was overly ambitious to book an intermediate…read moredance class with a former Warriors dancer! To ease the nerves, I just laughed it off I loved how non-judgemental the instructor and the group of gals were. Had so much fun! Who knew, I would enjoy dancing to K-Pop? Looking forward to the next class

Had such a great experience here. Grew up dancing and was looking for a good class for someone who…read moreis not a beginner but also hasn't danced in years, and had such a lovely time. Atmosphere is cool, upbeat and judgment free. Highly recommend for all levels and styles!

First time dancing (in a studio) post-baby and what a great comeback with Hipline and warm welcome…read more FYI the entrance to Hipline is not street facing, there is a walkway next to Top Dog if parking on Lakeshore and signage pointing you in the right direction. I took an early morning class (Shimmy Pop, Indoor) with Nadiah. Upon entering there was a sign welcoming the newbies to the studio (including me!). After check-in, I received a newbie studio tour and joined the class shortly after. Absolutely loved the space, what the studio stands for, and the class format. SO fun! Great class and instructor. Would love to explore the other class type/styles, and incorporate into my schedule. To note, there is a newbie pass ($24) for unlimited classes for 2 weeks from start date. Can't wait to come back and explore Hipline more, thank you for the awesome experience!

I was going through a breakup over the summer and what better way to get over a man than to keep…read moremyself busy? I did the 2 week intro class pass because it was the same price as a single drop-in. I really took advantage of it because I was taking classes back to back every single day for those two weeks. One Saturday I took all their morning classes. That's like 5 in a row. It was amazing. I had so much fun! There's like a 15 min break in between classes. I love every single class that I took! The only downside to this is I live so far (South Bay) so to beat traffic on weekdays I would come super early (around 2-3pm) and sleep in my car parked at the Trader Joe's parking lot and wait for their 4pm class. I even considered moving to Oakland just so I can start taking their classes again and be in a closer vicinity. I love what they stand for (body positivity). I love the staff. Everyone is so friendly and welcoming. If you try one instructor and don't like their vibe or playlist, I encourage you to try another! There's always someone out there for you that fits what you're looking for. I cannot recommend this place enough and wish they had options for day passes. I wish I could come in for one day and take back to back classes again. Hoping they open a studio in the South Bay!!

I've been taking classes here for about 6 months, and the studio is so fun and welcoming. I've…read moretaken Dorothy's "Polynesian Dance Conditioning" drop in class, which is super fun, and adult Tahitian dance ('Ori) with Makana. Makana is so incredibly kind and supportive, and she's a beautiful dancer and a great teacher. The other students are also lovely. There is a wide variety of skill levels, ages, and bodies, and no judgement. Students can participate in performances if desired, but if you don't want to that's also fine. I would encourage anyone to try out classes here.

I moved to Alameda from Hawaii in July 2011. I was really homesick in September and started to…read moreresearch halaus in the Bay Area. After reading a YELP review and contacting Kumu Lani via email, I decided to give it a one-month try. Upon entering the studio, I realized I came to the right place. Everyone was so nice and welcoming. Kumu Lani is a very talented hula dancer and teacher. I enjoy learning from her and taking in all the mana'o she shares with the class. I prefer to dance hula, but she offers all types of classes at her studio--from children and adult hula and Tahitian, to ukulele classes, sewing classes, and much more. A list of all updated classes are available online at www.halaumakana.com. If you want to try something new, or get back into hula or Tahitian again (like I did), or just want to learn more about the Pacific Island cultures, you should check it out. She's really a no pressure kinda teacher, but if you put in the time and work, you'll learn a lot. I've been dancing with Halau Makana for 7 months now. Every week I look forward to my Tuesday night class with Kumu Lani and all my hula sisters. They are 'ohana to me.

Come check out 5Rhythms dance on Thursday evenings, 7:30-9:30pm up in Hall 1! I feel blessed and…read morehonored to have been teaching this class at the hall for 5 years now. So grateful to the City of Oakland for continuing to work with and support our evening dance programs at Lake Merritt Dance! For more info visit: www.sayrahgarrison.com Photo credit: Kerry Kehoe Photography

This is a beautiful building. The floors are excellent for dancing. One of the rooms looks out onto…read moreLake Merritt and is especially beautiful during sunset. Parking is plentiful and provided. Good customer service is needed here. The person currently in charge of handling phone calls for people who call in was very rude to me when I called to find out details on the sound system for the room I would be deejaying. When I called the number listed on the website she answered and proceeded to chastise me for calling before business hours. She told me that no one does business at 7 a.m. in the morning and that I should know better than to call that early. I was expecting an answering machine like most businesses have. I was shocked at how she spoke so loudly to me. It was appalling how she repeatedly interrupted me blatently refusing to answer my question. I asked if I had the correct number. I almost thought I had the wrong number because her speech was so fast and pressured like a homeless person on drugs talking to an invisible person. It felt as if I had reached a payphone by accident in a bad part of town. It was really awful. All I needed to know who is what kind of sound system the room came with. It was a pretty standard procedure phone call for a DJ to make but I'd never have been treated so unprofessional and rudely and in such a strange way over the phone or in person. I never found out the true answer to my question about the sound system. She ended up answering the question and having it delivered to me through a third party and the answer was that everything I would need would be set up for me in the space. When I arrived for my gig there were no working speakers or sound system. There was an amp that did not work. The floors in the room were dirty which was dissapointing because our dancers needed clean floors. We were cleaning the floors on our hands and knees because the maintanence man vanished with his broom. I saw her for less than five minutes the day of my gig and she was berating someone profusely for bringing a small live plant into the building. They kept apologizing as she threatened to raise their cleaning fees an extra 150 dollars. Naturally I did not introduce myself or ask for anything I needed, seeing as she was present only to bully, not to assist. I really hope that not everyone has this kind of experience with her because this is a space that really deserves to be supported. That said, No one deserves to be treated unprofessionally So just be aware and good luck.

LaurieAnn was a great instructor. We had a little over a month to get a dance ready for our wedding…read moreand she delivered. She was very clear and concise when teaching us, and helped us build the confidence to do it in front of everyone. We had many people complement us, and we had little to no training prior to taking classes with LaurieAnn I would recommend her to anyone who wants to add a little flair to their wedding dance. It's well worth it.

We loved working with Steps on Toes for our wedding first dance. The lessons were warm, fun, and…read morelow-pressure, and our instructor made us feel comfortable from the start. They broke everything down in a way that was easy to follow and helped us feel much more confident for the big day. Highly recommend for any couple preparing for their first dance!

We took five classes with Lucy before our wedding, and it was the perfect experience! She…read moretransformed our song into a beautiful waltz, incorporating lifts and elegant elements while always valuing our input. Despite our lack of dance experience (though we had plenty of enthusiasm!), Lucy choreographed a routine that was easy to learn and practice, yet incredibly impressive to our guests. We received countless compliments on our first dance! We'll certainly never forget the "Lucy hook" or her reminders to keep our posture straight and elbows up. Lucy brings so much expertise from her time as an instructor at UC Berkeley, yet she remains fun and patient with beginners. These lessons became an enjoyable highlight of our wedding planning rather than a source of stress. Thank you so much, Lucy!

Wedding & Salsa Dance with Lucy was the best experience I have ever had choosing Lucy as my dance…read moreinstructor to teach me private lessons for a good cost for learning a dance lesson for wedding! I highly recommend Lucy to everyone who is looking for a wedding dance lesson, salsa, or just want to learn dance with Lucy as she is a phenomenal and very patient and private lessons one-on-one. I am a beginner and have never danced before, and Lucy taught me patiently and slowly with compassion to learn the dance. I have 3 dance lessons with Lucy for a good price and she was very good at communicating and teaching patiently! I would come back to learn more dance lessons with Lucy! Also I realized Lucy is a professional dance instructor at UC Berkeley and other college campuses around the Bay Area, she is truly trustworthy! Thank you Lucy!

COVID REVIEW Lynda's…read moreclasses, including her Zumba classes, are now on-line through Zoom. Attendance at her virtual classes has been great which makes it fun, notwithstanding the fact that you end up using speaker view on Zoom to watch Lynda and not anybody else. Virtual classes has been great because you don't have to spent time driving to your workout. It's also great if you'd rather not have anyone else in the class looking at you because everyone is watching Lynda. Lynda has one hour classes as well as half hour workouts throughout the week at various times, so it's easy to catch a workout. i'm beginning to wonder if when the pandemic is over, whether she will still have workouts on-line because virtual workouts seem to work so well. What makes Lynda's classes special is not just her wonderful personality and enthusiasm, but the fact that she is a professional dancer with a degree from UCSB in Dance, plus a lifetime of experience in dance and Latin music. Go to https://www.lyndagutierrez.com/ for more information.

Lynda Zepeta Gutierrez is the BEST dance teacher I have ever had - no joke, even counting classes…read morein SF! Her dance background, her spirit, her music - triple threat!!! Now she is teaching 5 days a week at my favorite spot in Alameda - Rhythmix Cultural Center. Come check her out - drop in, buy a pass, try a class for free. She is the real deal. I leave her class grounded, sweaty, happy, ready...

Just Dance Event Center is a great place for a private party! The space is welcoming, spacious, and…read moreperfect for celebrations with family and friends. The decorations, setup, and overall atmosphere make events feel special and well-organized. It is a great choice for birthdays, weddings, receptions, and other private gatherings. I would definitely recommend Just Dance Event Center for anyone looking for a fun and convenient event venue.

Don't bother going on Sundays for dance if you expect AC - they never turn on AC so it gets very…read morehot and uncomfortable.