We went to Costa Rica Ballroom for lessons on our wedding first dance. We worked with Eli, and…read morecould not have asked for a better experience! My (now) wife has a physical disability, and she was nervous about what dance lessons would look like - but the lessons ended up being her favorite part of wedding planning. Eli brought comfort and confidence to both of us, as well as humor and joy! We both truly enjoyed the experience, even though it was a bit out of our comfort zone. Our first dance went off seamlessly - we managed to remember all the steps and it was a hit! For anyone with physical limitations - please be aware that accessing the studio does involve a flight of stairs (there is a railing!). We have no doubt Eli would be willing to explore other options as necessary. Regardless, do not let any physical limitations deter you from taking lessons here!

Lovely ambiance, wonderful music, great dancing on a nice wood dance floor! I'd go back there…read moreagain. Eli, owner, is a beautiful dancer and teacher.

This community/studio grows primarily through word-of-mouth. It's a gem and I love their growing…read moreroster of instructors and core of familiar faces. They have a referral-for-refresher model, such that when you invite a new student to an Uptown Swing class, you are allowed to retake a class that you have already taken. Mondays, Thursdays, and now Tuesdays too. I really appreciate their 4-leveled curriculum model for actually progressing in skill; as others in the lindy world, it can be rather opaque to navigate how to become a more serious/skilled hopper, short of traveling to allll the conferences/swingouts around the world... The swing world comes to the Twin Cities each year thanks to Uptown! Hope to see you at Uptown Swingout this August...

Wow.. this place gives great lessons, or Peter does. I've taken years' of lessons in Chicago at…read moreGalaxie whose Nicole I LOVE, and also at Big City Swing, whose teachers some here at Uptown Swing know, it seems. Small community I'm sure. The low-down: while I was in intermediate classes in Chicago, I was decidedly in Beginner A classes at this studio. I might be able to advance to Beginner B at this point though my husband might need a repeat or at least for us to review Beginner A moves a few more times. The teacher Peter is quite fun, and Really Really Good. Not sure if this guy was a musician or what, prior to his 2-year-path to World Champion, but he knows his stuff. 4-stars so far only because I think he sometimes misses some simpler ways he could actually -teach- the moves, but, he definitely gives some good pointers. My favorite so far is "imagine you are bouncing a ball with your butt". Hilarious. :) The studio space is a little echoey, so it's sometimes hard to discern what anyone is saying. If dancers crowded IN closer to Peter a bit more, it might be easier to hear as well as to ask questions as we go through moves, as has happened in other classes I have taken [in Chicago]. I'm really looking forward to taking more lessons here. Looking forward to finding some local swing spots out in the wild in this new town, which seems un-easy so far.

I have been taking classes with The Cassandra School for about 8 years now and I am so happy to…read morehave discovered such an amazing Middle Eastern dance school that is so highly regarded. I started dancing in my adult life as an absolute beginner. Women anywhere from the ages of early 20's through 70's have been in my classes over the years. All of the instructors are professionals and have studied Middle Eastern Dance for many years, however the star of the Cassandra School is the founder herself, Cassandra Shore. Not only is Cassandra a marvelous dancer and choreographer, but she is also an amazing teacher, taking the time to break down movements and explain things so that you can work on developing the best technique. Instructors follow a curriculum so that dance steps and topics progress throughout the different class levels (levels 1-5). All the instructors are excellent and have their unique dancing and teaching styles. If you are looking for a workout, belly dance is a great way to stay fit as well. The first portion of class is stretching and toning exercises, much like Pilates. Beginner classes focus on base techniques and some musicality. Advanced classes are longer (2 hours) and can be a very good cardio workout. Classes are extremely reasonable considering the classes are 1.5 to 2 hours and cost only as much as most 50 minute to 1 hour yoga/pilates/social dance classes. The studio is a lot of fun to be around, it is a very friendly environment well suited to all levels. If you like Middle Eastern music, like to dance or have an artistic or creative streak, I highly recommend signing up for a class or a session to see for yourself how fun and inspiring taking classes at The Cassandra School can be.

My favorite thing about this place is the inclusiveness of all ages, body types, and level of dance…read moreexperience. From my experience as a beginner to more advanced levels, there has always been a range of bodies and ages from twenties to seventies. There have even been some belly men! Another big positive for me is that instruction is really grounded in a knowledge of and respect for the cultures behind belly dance. Especially as you become more advanced, you'll learn about different regional or folkloric styles of movement and music. Cassandra Shore is an internationally regarded dancer and you're truly learning a new art form. An example of art over fitness is that we practice moving with finger cymbals in every class. It's not always the most athletic thing, but it's awesome. In short, this isn't just about wearing sparkly tops, feeling sexy and getting fit (you could still do all those things, but that' s not the focus). That's not to say the instructors are uptight--they're extremely friendly and helpful and classes are always a lot of fun! You learn a lot of movements that are completely different from other forms of dance and you'll notice muscles you never thought existed. I have to disagree with something Kristen H. mentioned, though, about not wanting to jiggle your stomach to look like a fatass. I've actually learned to appreciate my jiggling from belly dance! Every woman's got something extra that moves, and while my instinct was always to hide that, from really focusing on wanting to get better at belly dance that changed. When you're doing something well, your body can make really neat jiggles and ripples that are rhythmic, that rise up from different parts of your body like waves. By the way, my name is Cassandra but this is not my school. I just take classes here.

We recently went to a pole dancing class for my friend's Bachelorette party. This class is located…read morebehind the gas station, there's a commercial area and parking lot in the back. Making reservations was easy, via online request and Sam reached out to me via email. I paid for the classes online as well. I was able to bring in food and non-alcohol beverages. Cute front room. Has the bar for food and drinks, you see the stiletto on the wall, and couches to hangout. Also a small room for photo ops. The pole class was ready for us with chairs and lighting. Our instructor was fun, she's definitely bringing the sexy out of everyone. It was a work out!! Fun and no judgements. Definitely recommend.

I have been dancing at this studio for about six months or so. I have never had the pleasure of…read moreencountering a more welcoming, supportive, and loving environment than here at Carousel Pole. The owner, the instructors, the students, and everyone in between is so very sweet, helpful, unique, and caring. I cannot recommend this studio enough and would welcome anyone reading this to give them a try. Coming here was one of the best, most empowering decisions of my life and I am so glad I did. I have learned so much and have had so much fun here. Thank you Carousel for all you do for your students, we appreciate all you do for your community so very much!

I love this dance studio, it's very good with very talented dancers, and some of the best teaching…read moreI've seen.

Best of the Best!!! Love the Larkin's the best dance instruction in the state and even better…read morepeople!

Had no idea how HUGE this place was on the inside looking at it from the outside. They have two…read moredance halls, one small, one massive. The dance we attended with my in-laws (English Country Dance) was in the smaller dance hall. Both had gleaming wooden floors. I was admittedly somewhat confused when I saw the sign on the door that was very prominent about taking off your street shoes before entering... yet everyone in there had their shoes on... So no one was following that rule? Anyway, I took my shoes off and stowed them (plus my water bottle) in the cubbies they have for that purpose inside the dance hall room by the benches. Speaking of, they had a good number of benches for sitting out a dance or two if you need a breather or just want to observe. There is also a kitchen area with a refrigerator, microwave, and sink, as well as a couple tables with chairs. They had plenty of bathrooms, a men's, a women's, and a gender neutral (that part made me happy). Nearby there was a billboard advertising lots of upcoming events within their space. I was disappointed to see that a couple of the flyers were obviously AI-generated, and I think this establishment should very seriously consider banning the use of all and any generative AI flyers. I would think that a dance studio that regularly hosts bands and musicians, as well as has lovely quilts hanging up designed by quilters would comprehend the utmost importance it is to protect artists and NOT allow gen-AI in any way, shape, or form! I did like their posted rules for engagement that focused on consent and autonomy. Apparently this place underwent a major renovation in 1999 when they bought the place and moved in, and I'm pretty impressed how well they must have been upkeeping it for it to be in such good condition still twenty seven years later. There is both street parking as well as a small lot off to the side of the building around the corner from the cactus shop.

Very friendly and welcoming environment. Lessons provided before dances start so beginners and…read moreseasoned dancers can enjoy the experience.

I signed up for Xelia's level 1 class not knowing what to expect. A friend and I joked we could…read morehave a lot of fun, or it could be like 10-weeks of gym class from hell. Gym class for me was trying to stealth to the back of the line until class ran out. I was not, and still am not, terribly coordinated. But, Aerial arts seemed like a great way to build core, and a pretty unique hobby to boot. First day of class, we trained on three apparatuses: web (basically rope from gym class); tissue (sort of like climbing on mom's curtains); and trapeze (at about 4.5' rather than atop a giant circus tent). There's no slow move into Aerial arts: we will get strong and do circus. (Xelia's motto: Get strong, Have fun, Do Circus) Yesterday was session 4 of the 10-week session. I'm sore today and likely will be for the next few days. I left class yesterday accomplishing moves I couldn't do at my last class. I finished moves I struggled with at the beginning of last night's class. That is worth all the sore muscles today. Classes at Xelia's are meant to be taken on repeat. Session I is a mix of new students and returning. We rotate in small groups among 3 coaches who spot us and offer encouragement. It's physically demanding, and if you're like me, not too keen on heights, pushes comfort zones. I am excited re-evaluate my limitations as I progress.

Began taking the beginner's aerial session about a month ago. Am impressed. The teacher's are great…read moreand the space is fun to work in. The classmates are friendly and interesting. While being supportive, everyone is coming from a variety of places in life and ages. I like it enough that I signed up for the upcoming Spring session. It's a crazy good workout. My arms are sore- but getting more accustomed to it all.

I booked a moms' night out for my friends and I at the Pole Barn. We did the 2 hour aerial silks…read moreand pole dancing class. Rochelle was so welcoming and friendly when we got to the studio. She got us situated with all of our stuff, including the pitcher of margaritas I brought, and made sure we were feeling comfortable. We started off with the aerial silks which had us all dying laughing as we learned how to stand, sit, and hang upside down in the silks. Pro tip - definitely stretch before taking this class! I pulled a hamstring and had to stretch it out before proceeding. Then we moved on to the pole dancing which was also hilarious as we tried to dance, spin, and climb the stripper poles. Rochelle was a great teacher the whole time constantly reminding us "No THRUSTING!" on the poles. Rochelle even let us hang out a bit after class and finish our margaritas in the lounge area. The next day we were all comparing our various sore spots and bruises. We definitely worked muscles we didn't know we had! All in all, it was a fabulous way to spend an evening with friends.

This review is for a private party only, I have not taken any regularly scheduled classes…read more Four stars for two reasons: 1. They scheduled two parties back to back, with no buffer, so shoes were piled on top of shoes, and we had to wait for one party to exit (past our scheduled start time) in order to start our party. 2. We had to share poles/silks because there were too many people. It would have been nice to know how many poles/silks they had beforehand, or if they could split the group in two so we wouldn't have to wait to take a turn. Check-in/waiver signing was super easy and quick. You have to pay a deposit for 8 people ($37.50 per person) to book your class, everyone above and beyond that number can pay separately at the time of the class. Tips are appreciated, they can be paid in cash or along with the class fee. Pole dancing and aerial skills, the perfect bachelorette party. Even if you don't have any sort of athletic skillz, and are not in shape, the private party is still completely do-able. They are sure to do basics, nothing complicated, that lets people of all fitness levels enjoy at least a little bit of the class. The instructor, Zecky was very patient with my group of rowdy ladies. She made every effort to make sure everyone was being safe while having loads of fun, and corralled everyone in poses for some fun pictures. I would highly recommend having a private party here!