We visited on walking tour and the space at the movement emporium is amazing. This is a great…read moreresource for the community. The local art and mural is inviting. The native garden is beautiful.

I love Joe's Movement Emporium! We need more businesses like this that bring joy, happiness, career…read morereadiness programs, after school enrichment programs, and cultural enrichment programs to our community.

The Capoeira here is awesome! The introduction you receive here is very well done! Come to get…read moreyour spirits lifted.

This is a review for the ASA! African dance fitness classes offered daily at Adinkra Cultural Arts…read moreStudio. In short - I LOOOOOOOOOOOOVE THEM! I have been looking for a fun and sustainable way to get my cardio in, and nothing I've tried before has ever stuck! I've done Zumba, spin, belly dancing, etc. -- but nothing has held my attention long enough to get me to make a firm commitment to that exercise form. But all that changed when I found ASA! I knew from my time in Boston that I enjoyed African dance, but I had not been able to find a place locally that offered a good African dance class. I've taken a class at the Dance Place that I found severely lacking in instructional clarity and fun, and all the other African dance classes I'd come across were not conveniently located near me. On a whim, I happened to be searching Groupon for "Dance Fitness" discount classes, and I stumbled across ASA! being offered at Adinkra. Let me tell you, ladies (and gentlemen if you're so inclined) -- this is a FANTASTIC workout. You will leave the class absolutely drenched in sweat, but feeling so good and proud of yourself, and also elated at all the fun you had. So just what is ASA? Glad you asked! ASA! is an upbeat, high energy, low impact dance fitness program that fuses modern African club dance movements and exercise science. Designed for participants of any level, the individual movements of an ASA! routine target your core-stabilizing muscle groups -- allowing participants to improve their endurance, cardiovascular capacity, burn calories, tone up and have fun. It feels like one big dance party, and yet it is actually a tremendously good workout for those of us who aren't otherwise too keen on traditional cardio. I love these classes, especially when they're taught by the ASA! creator and founder Akosua Akoto. I plan to be an ASA! dancer for life now that I've FINALLY(!) found something that makes me excited about working up a sweat. If you, like me, want to give these classes a try -- be sure to purchase a multi-class pass on Groupon first so that you can get a discount on your initial visits.

I took a class with Diva Dance through Class Pass. The instructor was welcoming and explained the…read morechoreography really well. She did a good job of moving to different parts of the room to demonstrate the steps because the room was a little narrow and long so sometimes hard to see her with people in the way. I hadn't danced in a while so this class was good as a refresher If you are absolutely new to dance, the class might have been harder to follow. That being said, there were people of all levels in the class and it was really fun. Our choreo was to 50 cent " In Da Club". I plan to try another class and recommend this if you want to have a lot of fun and dance!

I LOVE divadance!! I danced for fun throughout college, and was missing it after moving a few…read moremonths ago to DC post-graduation. I found DivaDance in a random Google search of dance classes in the area, and my expectations have been absolutely surpassed in every sense. DivaDance is such a wonderful community, and every class is such a comfortable and judgement free zone (which is important when you are throwing it down and shamelessly trying new moves & choreo). DivaDance has been amazing for my work-life balance, and for pushing my homebody self to step away from my computer, get moving / trick my body into exercising, and meet new people!! As a side note, DivaDance classes always feature really amazing & wonderful women, as a woman in STEM I don't see a small number in my daily life, so dance has always been my favorite way to meet more diverse sets of people, and DivaDance has certainly been a great source of this in my life since they value empowerment and confidence.

We had the BEST time in our private lesson with Amina. She taught our group of beginners how to…read moredance. After just 1 1/2 hours we were able to do a spirited routine together. What a thrill! She's a fabulous teacher with such positive energy. Thanks for a memorable evening!

Excellent teaching skills. Classes are small so a lot of opportunities to watch you and correct…read moreyour movements if needed.

LOVE Eric's Zumba classes Monday-Wednesday. It's a fun, high-impact class and he is constantly…read morechanging his songs and choreography so you're never bored. Drop in rates are $7 a class as of 04/2015, buy an 8 pass class for $50. Just go for the 8 class pass, you won't regret it. However.... I am giving 4 stars (and almost gave 3) because of this facilities constant absence of hand soap. They NEVER HAVE HAND SOAP. For a dance institute that hosts hundreds of athletes (dancers) of all ages carrying lots of sweat and microbes, soap should be a necessity. I complained about this once and it the issue was addressed- with a small bottle of Softsoap that likely ran out hours later. DIW if you're reading this: please invest in some soap! Your (and my) immune system will thank you.

My daughter danced here today with her dance ensemble. It was a wonderful change of scenery and a…read morevery beautiful facility filled with so much history. Today was Day 5 of the Dancing in the DMV. This institute also shares their lovely space as a daycare/summer camp for the neighborhood children. The institute has been home of some of DC's elite dancers who gone on to train at Alvin Ailey American Dance Center. The staff were welcoming and the faculty was very clean. Restrooms fully stocked and smelling fresh because that's so important. There are a set of elevators if someone is unable to take the stairs. Beautiful inside. Nestled right in the park rd area of uptown DC. There's a parking garage located at 3100 14th street, one block up from the institute. Very reasonably priced and takes the worry out of getting a ticket.

My nephew is a passionate, energetic, competitive, HIGHLY intelligent (you know, that kind of kid…read morethat asks you huge existential/meaning of life questions while waiting in line at the drugstore) kiddo. The Lab has become his second home. I am SO SO thankful that he has found this community and art form. Breaking provides him with a creative outlet to be both competitive, and an expressive individual while maintaining an over all positive and supportive team outlook. He is no longer crushed by 'loosing'. He appreciates the skills of others and the teachers and older students both support and challenge him. His confidence, humility, physical strength, focus, patience, and empathy have grown enormously. As he is obsessed with break dancing he now has ways of connecting and learning about many other related topics. He has traveled to new cities to watch break dancing, he asks his uncle (my husband - a music producer) about the musical and cultural history of break beats. I also love that The Lab has exposed my nephew to teachers and mentors who externally are different from him (and our immediate family). He is meeting and learning from people of different ages, gender identies, races, creeds etc. Having a diversity of role models and teachers in your formative years is so important! Please keep doing what your doing 'The Lab'! Sincerely, A very appreciative Aunt P.S. It should be noted that The Lab has 29 "unrecommened" Yelp reviews, and they are ALL 5 starts.

Signed my daughter up for summer camp here with a few friends and not only did the kids (6) want to…read morecome back for more, I think even the parents were interested in giving break dancing a try. The instructors were patient, encouraging, and provided instruction on a variety of moves. Classes ended with students able to show their stuff, building confidence, and getting feedback and positive reinforcement. It looks like a lot of fun and great exercise!

Been coming to My Body Shop for almost a year now, and it's been great! I joined the studio for…read moretheir Lyra classes and their open practice schedule. For a while Colleen was the only Lyra instructor, but now they have Elixir and Lyra Bae as well. Each instructor's style varies and so do their difficulty level. With interest in Lyra still building up in the area, I think they'll have distinguished levels soon. I like to alternate between the Lyra instructors. What I love most about the studio is that it's very client/instructor centered. Schedules and class offerings are adjusted based on student interest and what the instructors want to teach. It really makes for a fun learning environment. Since joining I've gotten the opportunity to try many of their other classes, like Floor F@$?ery, Pole 1, Chair Playtime, etc. All the instructors are great at what they do and offer their own flair to each class. I have thoroughly enjoyed every instructor I've encountered. They really have me considering starting my pole journey! But I will say this: I hate their website but love the mobile app! Once you start at the studio, please download it bc it will make your life so much easier. There is also an online members only chat available. Their memberships are affordable and they constantly share specials and events on their IG.

I joined this studio in 2021 to support a Black woman-owned business, but I can no longer attend…read moredue to severe safety, hygiene, and management issues. I waited until my membership ended to post this due to a documented pattern of retaliation by the owner. Safety & Environment: * Crime: Multiple cars have been stolen or broken into in the lot. The owner did not warn members and was dismissive when another member and I were personally threatened by a man on-site. * Privacy Violations: Members were filmed without consent for the owner's adult subscription site. It took multiple requests to remove the footage, and one member was temporarily banned for complaining. * Harassment: A member used racial slurs and made death threats toward others. The owner did not cancel their membership until that individual was caught stealing from the studio. Facility Maintenance: * Hygiene: Roaches have been observed on site and the owner failed to notify the community. * Equipment: Poles are poorly maintained--some sway, creak, or have cracks. Chrome-allergy risks are ignored as poles are moved without labels. The bathroom is often inoperable (clogged toilet/shower used for storage). Poor Management: * Communication: Benefits (like unlimited open sessions) were stripped mid-contract without notice, and members were penalized for using them. Different members are provided with different resolutions for the same issue. Many are provided with no resolution at all. She has switched the app used to provide studio updates 3 times within the past year and is adamant about her being the one to disseminate information through it, but not receptive to members trying to communicate with her through it. Despite switching the app 3 times she expects people to inconvenience themselves by downloading the app du jour each time and as an incentive offers benefits to members that use the most recent app, even though we all have the same membership contracts and pricing tiers. * Volatility: The owner frequently engages in disrespectful conflicts with students, staff, prospective staff, and guests. She has threatened to call the police on a member for simply raising a system issue. Supporting Black-owned businesses is important to me, but I cannot ignore the poor treatment Black women specifically have faced here. Many polers around the DMV started their journeys at this studio, because it's one of the oldest in the area. Many in the DMV pole community have left for the reasons I shared and more. Please do your research and ask around before signing a contract. I wish I had this information before starting a membership. I never would've signed up if I had known. The studio owner has publicly claimed that she's always seen as the villain and the only members that complain are those that don't get their way. But I think if she took the time to sit and reflect, listen to the community, and not approach every conversation defensively it would be a valuable experience.

Fun fact-- as a kid, I was a technically trained dancer. From 5th grade through 10th grade, I was a…read morestudent of modern, jazz, African, and ballet. Fast forward to 2023, I'm a 34-year-old 240lb MAN, and I decided to tap back into myself by spontaneously enrolling into a drop-in ballet class on a random cold Tuesday night, and I'm glad i did! The venue is clean and the staff is friendly and inclusive. The instructor, Rachel, was great. The class was packed and for all levels, but Rachel created an environment that made me feel comfortable and took all my nervousness (and low key embarrassment) away. i enjoyed it so much that i took my (clearly out of shape) behind to her Modern Dance class immediately after. And I paid for it... i was sore for days. It felt GREAT! :) Although both classes were for All Levels, I would've appreciated if the instructor showed movements full out instead of marking the steps and throwing us newbies to the wolves. Also I would love for Joy of Motion in general to host more adult beginning-level ballet classes or a flexibility, conditioning, and strengthening class using ballet techniques. Joy of Motion is a beautiful venue conveniently located in the up-and-coming H Street corridor. Overall, I had an amazing first-time experience and i will certainly return.

Had a really great time in Tyrone's Afro Jazz class. The stretching and conditioning portion was…read moreintense for sure, but I felt great afterwards. The choreography was just challenging enough to give me a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day, but still have something to work on at home. I was lucky to be able to take Afro Jazz that day because the class had been cancelled online (I just saw it listed on the paper schedule and decided to drop in). Fortunately, two other ladies missed the memo as well, and we ended up having a wonderful class experience. I had to ding the studio a star both because it was freezing cold in the studio and because it smelled awful when I entered. I understand that many classes share these spaces, but a hit of Febreeze air freshener before and after classes would work wonders!

Visited from out of town and found this awesome pole studio. Signed up for an intermediate class…read morewith Daphna and she was amazing. She made me feel so welcome. I absolutely loved her teaching style. Had us all warm up together and prepped us for the move that we were working on for the class. I wish we would've been able to work on more moves, but nonetheless, such a great class. The way she explained everything and broke things down was very helpful. I'll admit I never liked working on the particular move we focused on for the class when I was at my other studio, but she made it seem doable. Thank you!! Very clean studio and it felt very spacious Only critique I have about the studio is responsiveness; I reached out via email and IG to ask a question about the class but didn't get a response.

City sized studio in downtown. Always grateful to try a new place and have the opportunity to take…read moreclasses while I'm traveling. They have several types of classes (even limited hoops). Poles are not spaced far enough that you won't tap feet (especially for taller folks) but they did have quite the number of poles in the larger room. I took the poletry intermediate/advanced and felt like the class was true to that level, the instructor paced the class nicely, broke down the choreo well, and was encouraging of any and all attempts! It was a fun time. First class is discounted. Easy to find the studio but not parking! Zero tolerance policy for tardiness.

Challenging, warm, and fun! And very reasonably priced. I had an intimate class with just two other…read morestudents last night for my introduction to momentum dance. I really enjoyed the owner and instructor Roberta Rothstein. The class moved at a quick pace, but there was absolutely no judgment. In fact Roberta and the students were very helpful. I got a good workout and a great mental challenge. This class was less expensive than most of the drop-in in yoga and dance classes in the city. I love the environment and I've been practicing my dance moves all day. Highly recommend!

I was in the Capitol Hill area for several months as an intern, and as a lifelong dancer, I wanted…read moreto find a studio that offered adult dance and/or dance-fitness classes. After finding other nearby exercise barre classes disappointing, I decided to try Momentum. I took Momentum Barre and Classical Jazz classes for the rest of my stay in D.C.! Roberta is not only a fantastic dance teacher but also super welcoming; she immediately made me feel at home in her studio. Every class was enjoyable thanks to the great rapport she develops with her students. I always left feeling like I had lots of fun and worked my body well. Strongly recommend this studio to all lifelong, new, and re-starting dancers!