Leilani has been INCREDIBLE! We have been working with her on the first dance for me and my fiancé…read moreand the father daughter dance. We decided to go with the 7 dance package which seems like a great amount. My fiancé and I did 4 classes while my dad and I took 3. Leilani is giving us some great tips and tricks to make our dances look amazing. She is so encouraging with me and my fiancé and is also very encouraging and patient with my dad who does not have much past dance experience. I think 4 lessons is a great amount for a first dance since we are doing a minute and a half and we have a relatively good sense of rhythm. This will definitely be dependent on how quickly you can learn though (my dad and I covered in 3 lessons what my fiancé and I covered in 1). We had such a wonderful time learning from Leilani and now that our wedding has happened my husband and I have gotten so many compliments on how lovely our dance was. TLDR: patient and encouraging instructor, worth the investment

Going to a ton of weddings recently, I realized for my own wedding I didn't want to high school…read moreslow dance in front of all my friends and family for 5 minutes to start off the reception. Instead, I wanted something "cool". I don't know how to dance. My wife does a bit... but I move like a rock... We hired Leilani to help choreograph our first wedding waltz for our wedding. The classes were about once a week for about 8 weeks. Each lesson was 45 minutes and at the end we had a beautiful waltz which we presented at our wedding. Things I really liked: Leilani was super easy to work with. We basically told her what we wanted, and she built a dance routine exactly to what we were envisioning. She is also nice to a fault. Sometimes I messed up so badly, but instead of reprimand she always had something nice to say. I've never failed so badly yet have someone complement the gracefulness of the way I failed. She recorded the dance steps each weekly so we could study and emailed us the queues. I think the most impressive thing to me was none of the routine was recycled. We constantly moved across the room throwing in different movements. We got in a lift, a drop, and a really nice ending pose. The final result was a gorgeous routine. Everyone at the wedding raved about how awesome it was. Definitely money and time well spent.

We love it here. We look forward to continuing our dance studies here. I'm sure other ballet…read moreschools in the city are great. We will stay with our fav. =)

This is my daughters 4 year of ballet and we love this studio! This studio is a body positive,…read morehappy place to be. They are really great at slowly introducing the classical ballet style to young kids. Each year there are more expectations and rules for them follow, but they do it in a loving way. We will stay here as long as Josie loves ballet.

My daughters has been attending Moonstar Dance Studio for the past 3 years, and I couldn't be…read morehappier with the experience they're having. From day one, the staff has been warm, professional, and genuinely invested in each child's growth--not just as dancers, but as confident young individuals. The instructors are incredibly talented and nurturing. They strike the perfect balance between discipline and fun, which has really helped my daughter develop both her technique and her love for dance. She comes home from class energized, excited, and proud of what she's learning. I also really appreciate the studio's clear communication with parents, and commitment to creating a positive and inclusive environment. Recitals and performances are beautifully done, and it's clear how much effort the staff puts into every detail.

Since day one, we have felt included and welcomed by Shadow, Erika, parents, teachers. All of the…read moreteachers are amazing. We feel fortunate to have finally found a studio we can call home!

My dance partner and I had danced on Sunday and really enjoyed the Beauty of the Ballroom , the…read morepeople and the music. I have a new partner who I have interest in coming back to dance. I was wondering if they still offer the dancing on Sunday later in the evening. I really enjoyed it. Thank you. Keith Neuman

Moving your feet isn't so bad when you have a company like this leading the way. It's the…read morepractical way of pursuing one's Dancing With The Stars dream, only in a much slower pace just short of a Dance Dance Revolution. From the fox trot to the tango, they've got it all. Classes are going to range from $35-50 per month / 5 weeks, which I think is a fairly good deal considering all of the dance instruction. Most people who I've encountered here seem very happy with the whole set up. Facilities are top notch as there is plenty of room to dance and rest along the sidelines. Though class enrollment fills up quickly, the actual onsite classes have just enough people to make sure everyone gets some bit of individual attention. The instructors here are super friendly and specialize in all sorts of different dance styles. Not everyone is born with twinkle toes, but they seem to do a great job in being patient and helping people get to where they want to be. Fear not solo visitors, they're also very good at pairing people with the right skill level. For those interested in taking their dancing to another level, this is a place to also train for competition. I've seen some photos of locals who are now professionals after taking their first dance steps here as a beginner. Whether you're a notice or a professional, this is an excellent place to learn. And if that's not enough, this is an excellent alternative to the gym for people looking to get fit.

I have been dancing with Maralee's for over 10 years and have absolutely loved my experience here!…read moreStarting dance later in life at age 14 can have its challenges; however, the instructors and studio atmosphere at Maralee's made me feel at home. I tried other studios in the past, but ultimately felt a sense of family and belonging here. The instructors did an incredible job of challenging me while also allowing me to grow at my own pace which is not always the case at every studio. The Worthington's are truly like family to me, and I have made friendships to last a lifetime. Now as an instructor, I feel incredibly grateful to have had these experiences as I get to teach other kids during such formative years of their life. Confidence, musicality, kindness and connection are some of the attributes you can expect to gain from coming to Maralee's Dance.

I cannot say enough great things about this place and the family who runs it! I work for an…read moreorganization that provides advocacy services to survivors of human trafficking. I reached out to Tammy, at Maralee's, about the idea of hosting a survivor leadership event at their studio. She was quick to respond and so incredibly generous, offering not only their space but access to their tables, chairs, lights, sound system, beverages, everything we could ever want or need. Not only that, but the staff here were so helpful and supportive along the way, offering to help set up and asking nothing in return. Everyone had such a fun and memorable time dancing the day away. So thankful for Maralee's!

I wanted to take classes here. I signed up and was required to pay $165 to register, pay for a…read moremonth of classes, and buy a uniform t-shit. After paying I was sent a packet of materials which included a list of this woman's rules. A couple of the more egregious ones follow: - your cell phone must be off but making audio recordings of class are encouraged for home practice. (I would normally use my cell phone for this task ) - you are enjoined from studying hula elsewhere. If you wish to leave this facility and join another you are required to ASK PERMISSION from the director of this facility to do so, and you are REQUIRED to wait A YEAR before resuming the dance. If you do not come to an in-person class when you were expected and do not let the director know in advance, you are not ever allowed to attend an in person class again. I ran afoul of this as in spite of leaving 2 hours prior to class as I was not able to find the studio in time. I don't blame them for my crappy navigation software, but I had no way to let the director know that I wouldn't make it because I was driving and trying to get there so I ran afoul of the rule against in person class attendance. I did not think I would be allowed to return and ask for a partial refund of the monies I paid. Her response was crickets. I have been in numerous dance classes over my life and have studied ballet, jazz, modern, middle eastern, Irish step dance, ballroom and Scottish country dance. Not once ever have I run across a list of (insane) rules or such harsh, inhumane punishments for human failings. There are abundant on line resources for learning hula and another school closer to me which I may check out but to be honest I'm feeling a little gun shy. Despite not being able to experience this school, the red flags in the packet leave me quite confident in suggesting you look elsewhere for training of this sort.

Hello, Since we last…read morespoke I requested a refund for my costume, uniform, and slides. Can you at least send my uniform first? I will send you the rest the amount after I receive my uniform. I need proof that I am not being scammed before I send you more money. I've been deceived. I was told I was going to get these items and I'm confused because everyone in class had received their items and they did not finish paying. Instead of receiving any of my items I was told to pay more. I felt left out as apart of your halau from the beginning. It's not fair or just for me to send you hundreds of dollars and not receive anything. I payed you my tuition diligently there is no reason for me to be treated as an outcast. Especially when we were told that the remaining of the balance would not be due until after I received the package from you. Even after you continued to reassure me that it was coming, I trusted you and continued paying your class fees on time and participating. Regards I've messaged you privately as well by email and text. I look forward to your response either by email or phone as you have not responded to my previous requests for a refund with a denial or approval. I will take this down if not this will stay posted. As for the public I felt completely left out by the entire school. No one helped me take care of this and get my uniform. I watch new students come in and receive their uniforms and costumes and had not paid fully and I never received mine. My review is to not attend virtually at all. The experience was different for those that are in person obviously. I had friends and family chip in and help me attend this school and they looked forward to seeing me in my uniform and kept asking about it and never saw me in my uniform. I attended virtual private classes and group classes and paid for essentials to be a part of the team. Hula classes are expensive. I do not recommend this school. If you are looking for a virtual halau look elsewhere.

LOVING THIS PLACE. I've only had 3 private lessons and three group lessons so far, but I love this…read moreplace. The hubby and I came in with zero experience and are having a great time! We're getting better and better, and dance moves are starting to feel more natural. The place is very inclusive, body positive, super friendly, nonjudgmental...all of the things you need. And it does work! I am learning how to dance. When I mess up, they don't care, when I nail a move, everyone cheers. This is the place for positive-reinforcement, for shy folks to come out of their shells! In addition to group and private lessons, there's also plenty of parties they host on site for you to practice what you've learned. My hustle and waltz skills aren't yet what I'd want to do out and about, so it's great to have a safe space to practice and enjoy myself!

Our experience here was a mixed bag - everybody was great with one exception…read more Everything went pretty well except for the exception. It ended due to that exception in an rather awkward manner that could have gone down hill pretty fast.

It's an old building and was hard to find the entrance. Once you're in, you'll need to head…read moreupstairs. That's where Lenora's room is. There's an area to put your coat in before the main room. Bathrooms are located there too. The main room is spacious and there are seats by the windows to rest your feet. There are also benches along the back wall, but they were creaky and teeter tottered. I think they could update the benches / seats sooner than later. The floor is hardy wood. Not too slick or sticky. The sound system for the holiday blues dance was loud enough that we could still talk with our dance partner and understand each other. All too often music at these types of dance don't match the acoustics of the room, but Lenora's was just right.

I'm more qualified to review "Tuesday Blues" which occurs at Lenora's room every.... well, Tuesday,…read morefrom 9pm-12:30ish. The intermediate lesson is at 7:30 and the beginning lesson follows at 8:30. $6 gets you in for the whole night-- lessons and all! But you can also come at anytime and skip the lessons if you prefer. More info at http://pdxblues.com/tuesdayblues.html. Check it out! Your next question is probably "what is blues dancing?" That's a difficult question to answer-- i suggest you you-tube it to find out. After you do that be sure and search "portland blues dancing" and "seattle blues dancing" to get the feel of the local flave. It's basically a very intimate partner dance (a lead-follow type of deal), totally improvised and no set moves. Anyway about the venue-- it is very nice-- large, spacious, open, high ceilings, windows, a couple of little side rooms for lounging and whatnot. Good acoustics. The sink in the women's bathroom has only fallen off the wall once since I've been going there, so really I can't complain. It can often be too cool or too hot, but you can't please everyone, especially when people are dancing and gettin all sweaty and stuff. It seems kind of sketch the fist time you go-- you have to go through a random unmarked door (save for the paper sign posted on it) around the corner under the Melody Club, and then go up 3 flights of stairs. But it's not sketchy once you get up there, don't worry. Like I say I've only gone to blues dancing there, but it's a nice place and would be a great venue for events or bands or parties, too.