I went here for my first dance lesson outside of college (because of covid, this was over a year ago!) for the Hip Hop I/II lesson that took place around lunchtime of Sunday. Although the instructor was a substitute, I felt the quality of the lesson was not diminished at all. Pace of the lesson is beginner friendly, and even though it took me the first half of the hour to adjust and remember the vibe of dancing, I was still able to pick up the fundamentals and feel confident in myself dancing a few 8 counts at the end without hesitation. I had a great time, even with the fact that the class was really small (about 6 people), as it normally feels a bit intimidating for me to dance in small groups, at least for now. The only issue for me is the commute as I don't have a car to commute from downtown Seattle, but whenever my friend with a car wants to do more dance lessons, this will certainly be the first place I will think of! Besides, this is one of my coworkers go-to dance studio in the past before he moved closer to the city, and he has mentioned that before covid, some lessons are so popular you have to pay in advance to secure a spot! read more

Multiple days a week, from about 11:00 pm until after midnight, the people leave through the back door, allowing it to SLAM shut. There is a man who lives on the first floor, right outside the doors, who is a senior with disabilities. I am on the third floor, and every time they wake me up. I've asked the dance studio to please deal with this problem, but they simply ignore me. Sometimes people stand outside laughing and talking as well. There is a quite simple solution: exit the front door after 10 pm. I have multiple videos of this happening. read more

I have taken classes here sporadically for years, I've even subbed classes here as well. This is home for many but the inclusive environment still allows you to come and go as you please without expectations. It's great for adult dancers who are either just getting started or are on the professional dance career path. Many drop-in-style studios can cause you to feel intimidated and left out of the dance family culture, I've never felt that way here. I highly recommend any of their classes, but I do have a special place in my heart for Amy's jazz and heels classes. read more

Hip Hop Level I/II Two studios for classes. Class schedule online. Many to choose from. Sent payment through Venmo a few days before to get registered for the class. The week earlier I was cramping very bad and asked if I can come a week later and they were accommodating. Mask required as you enter and when you participate in the class. They ask to wash hands when you get checked in. If it's your first time you have to sign a waiver. The class is with Jason. Class size was about 25-30 and it also provides a virtual class. Jason is very positive and energetic. I felt the vibe that he is very passion on what he does. The routine fits the class level- I/II. Repetitions was just the right amount. Overall grade 10/10 due to the exceptional customer service. A few suggestions: Wish the class size was a bit smaller to around 20; parking is limited (was lucky to find one, notice another vehicle was waiting for a spot); I wish I knew the song that we were listening to. The instructor said the song title was the weekend. I didn't ask about the artist because he was talking to multiple people. Otherwise Jason did a "lit" job!!! read more

Love WDC! The vibe is inclusive as well as professional. The instructors are employable dancers with real resumes. The front office is amazing! read more

If there was a chance to give no starts to this dance center I'd choose this option. The rate is not for the quality of teaching but for the way the staff treats their clients. A friend of mine was deeply offended but this studio, but she is shy to share, while I find much sense in sharing the concepts the center sticks to and make people aware of the way they may treat their students. A bit if intro: My friend is not an average dancer, she is a professional dancer, for many years she used to be a part of the old dance company famous for combining classical ballet elements, hip hop and other dance styles, the company traveled all over the world with shows and worked with power stars such as Michael Jackson and Mariah Carey. To be a part of that dance troupe means to be a dancer of the high standard with outstanding skills. Like any professional dancer my friend had injuries throughout her professional dancing career but she never stopped dancing, however recently she had another serious off-the-job injury and her recovery didn't come out good. Westlake dance center was perfectly aware of my friend's background as well as of her injuries, they knew that even though she continues dancing she goes through a lot of pain. Her peers at the dance classes always praised her technique and style, so did the dance-masters. But whenever Westlake invited their students to the classes where they filmed the practice, my friend performance was always cut out from the video. I find it rather strange strategy to invite people, attract them by the mentioned filming, make them pay, but end up with a video where the ratio of time for every performer being not equal. Even worse, it was not just unfairly distributed time among performers, my friend was literally cut out. I saw about 3 performance video Westlake had the nerve to tag my friend in, but all I saw was a split second with her heel in the corner. One may suggest the camera man was not professional, but judging by the overall quality of the video, it's clear he knows how to film the practice. Some may think my friend's performance was not good, but trust me, even with injuries my friends performs greatly. You may even assume she was not in line or there was no 100% synchronization with the others, but there was, and where there wasn't, it was a part of individual skill show. Besides the dance masters never said there was a certain performance strategy they want to film for everyone to stick to. It happened over and over again, they invited for a class with filming but every time they cut my friend out of the video. I don't know if they secretly pre-agreed and expected students to pay extra to be in the video, or they are just obsessed with their blue-eyed students and friends as to cut out all the others, or my friend's skills are vividly higher than the dance-masters' but the story is always the same. It happens not with one dance-master, but all dance-masters follow this scheme . In my humble opinion, what Westlake does is simply called discrimination, and my friend is a target of this utterance of disrespect. My friend tried to shake off this thought of being simply targeted, she decided to participate in the very recent class with filming hoping that she was simply overthinking, and her previous experience was no more than just a coincidence. But it happened again: there is a video, they tag her, but not a second of her in the whole video. The most offensive was that within a couple of days after that very class, the doctors said, my friend can no longer dance. She hoped to have a video of her last performance at least, but no, all she has is her name tag. She felt ruined. By not including her in the video, they proved to be discriminating their client, they show no appreciation to their loyal students, neither they show respect to the pain a passionate dancer goes through to put a good performance. As a person who spent more than a decade in the client relations I can say, that this behavior Westlake shows very often becomes a reason for a lawsuit. If I were in my friend's shoes, I'd sue them for discrimination. But I hope I'll encourage her to share this story from her POV at least. It's up to you whether to go there and check if you'll be added to the list of blue-eyed, or you'll be paying for others to be in the performance video, but I'd never recommend a business that treats its clients like this. read more

This studio is great place for drop in classes for all skill levels. A variety of classes with amazing teachers who encourage you and people who are there just for the love of dance. read more

Awesome song selection and the best choreography I have ever seen in dance classes till now.

I've been taking classes here for about 4 weeks and am a big fan. I will say, do not expect their 'beginning' level classes to really be beginning. Not that you shouldn't give this a try if you've never danced before, just don't expect it to be all a group of people who've never danced, the classes are mostly experienced dancers. That said, TRULY nobody judges you. The teachers can seem intimidating on the first class but they all do lots of repetition so stick it out and at least commit to trying 2-3 classes before quitting, promise it gets way easier. I'm surprised somebody said parking is hard, I've thought that's one of the best parts about this studio is that the parking is so easy and free. Classes are super cheap and the atmosphere is very serious (I don't mean not fun, it's just they take dance seriously), great teachers, friendly students and nice clean floors. read more

I've sporadically taken Hip Hop (I and II) and Open Ballet over the last few years. I wish I lived closer so I could take more classes during the week! They are great for drop in classes ($12) but also offer discounted rates for multiple classes/month. When I went most recently, Hip Hop I (which I would expect to be a "beginner" level class) was very fast paced. The moves weren't difficult, but it was a LOT of choreography in an hour. I had the same experience with open ballet. I kept up just fine since I have dance experience, but my sister who had never taken a ballet class was completely lost. Open Ballet with Kim is also great - she took the time to learn everyone's names and tailored the class to our overall skill levels. I got great feedback on my turns, and she was encouraging and friendly. The studio is a bit hard to find - its in the back corner of a random parking lot and looks sort of like a loading dock. Inside it's pretty dark and could use some updating. I would highly recommend taking a drop in class at Westlake. Expect to be challenged and to jump right in! read more

Good: classes are cheapish and drop in based. Wide open studio. Lots of parking. Bad: cold and dark industrial space with a musty dirty feel Ugly: Instructors are late and some are not very informative with their lessons. Teachers often substitute out and seemly poorly organized like everything is last minute. Teaching levels are not consistent. They make the point of having levels 1-4 on their schedule but there doesn't seem to be a tiered approach to learning. Not a place for beginners or those interested in starting dance. Students without a background in dance will struggle at this studio. read more

Great studio with a great variety of classes. I took the hiphop ii really liked it. The instructor was super nice and talented. Loved the choreography. She went over details and transitions really well. I felt a little old dancing around a bunch of teens but I'm not worried about it and so should you if you're over 30. I liked how one of the studios look like it's in an old warehouse with a garage door that opens to the lot. I really enjoyed my class here and staff was super nice and friendly. read more

I haven't taken the full variety of classes offered at Westlake Dance Center, but I've been going to the hip-hop classes for a while and find them to be a lot of fun. The instructors really know their stuff and the routines are interesting and challenging. I have noticed that for the beginning dance student the instruction might not always be as helpful as it could be--the teachers don't spend a lot of time breaking down the moves, but go through the routine pretty quickly. However, you do get to practice the different parts of the routine many times, and it is helpful to just dive right in and try it rather than thinking about it too much. The other classes I've taken have been jazz and lyrical. I noticed that there's a kind of "core" group of dancers in those classes who get extra help from the instructors. I didn't feel that everyone in the class was treated with equal attention. But if you're really serious about learning jazz and lyrical the instructors are good (at least based on the students' abilities that I've seen). The hip-hop classes are a bit friendlier, especially since part of the class is cheering each other on, and the instructors are more down to earth. read more

Westlake is seriously one of my favorite parts of living in Seattle. The teachers are all so kind and you can really tell that they know what they're doing. Even when I just drop in for one class that I don't usually take, the instructor always has some constructive criticism to help you improve. You never feel judged for not being on the same level as other dancers and it makes the experience so wonderful. I've been dancing here for three years and I can honestly say it's one of the best dance experiences I've ever had. If you're interested in Lyrical - I highly recommend going to Alaina's class. She's amazing and so helpful. All her dances are fun and she creates a really welcoming and judgement free environment. The person who said it's like a loading dock is totally correct. The outside of the building is a little foreboding, but if you take the time to go inside, I promise it is well worth your time. read more

This was my first ever hip hop dance class ever in life. I was nervous because I'm almost didn't go but am I ever glad it everybody seemed to be having fun and just like a good vibe there for me. Julianna was an awesome instructor. I'm looking forward to coming back read more

I took a Hip Hop class here for the first time this past weekend and, surprisingly, the reviews posted on here are 100% correct for both pros and cons. Cons: The studio is old and musty and looks like a shipping yard (though I hear they're moving locations soon), the class had a substitute teacher that the front desk was confused about, and the 'Level 1' class was definitely, ABSOLUTELY not level 1. In the class I took, at least 3/4ths of the people were there for the first time as well and were struggling like you wouldn't believe through the choreography (including me!). Some people would just stand there with this terrified expression on their face at the moves being taught and the instructor never modified anything to make it easier. He even said several times 'this is a level 4 move, this is usually a level 3 tempo', etc, which seemed weird to me. You've got a class full of newbies, and you teach them level 3 choreography, watch them struggle with the first four moves and don't think to turn it down a notch? Maybe it was just this instructor in particular, but he didn't take the level and comfort of his students into consideration, nor did he even stop to break down any of the moves (which you should be doing regardless of level, I feel). Pros: Despite the substitute confusion, generally old and falling apart interior, and dramatically not-accurate difficulty level, it was FUN. Oh my gosh, it was so much fun. Once I let go of being frustrated about the difficult choreography and just had fun dancing, it was an absolute blast and one hell of a workout. At the end of the day, the instructor was nice and really pumped up about dancing and 'feeling good about yourself' (despite him not being very good at actually teaching), and the regular attendees were so into it that it was impossible to feel awkward dancing in front of a mirror with a bunch of people you don't know. The front desk staff were really nice and friendly, and you can really see a lot of character in the center. Also, the classes are pretty cheap and are cheaper if you purchase them in a bundle, which I might do. Overall: If you just want to go dance and learn some moves and have a good time, Westlake is great. If you want something much more put together and organized, or if you're absolutely brand new to dancing, I might invest in a different dance studio. For me, the casual atmosphere and nonchalance of Westlake is just what I was looking for, so I'm definitely coming back to have my butt kicked by way-out-of-my-league choreography. Why not, right? (Fair warning, though, watch out for the obnoxiously bubbly groups of 19-year-olds that all have matching 'totally hip hop' outfits and squeal and hi-five each other after each choreo move. I'm glad they had fun, but holy moly Batman they were annoying.) read more

Two stars seems so bad, but Yelp tells me it's the "Meh. I've experienced better." Here are my reasons: The Not-so-great: 1) About half of the classes I've taken have been taught by a sub. Subs aren't posted on the website, so it's always a surprise when you check in, "oh, by the way, there's a sub in that class today." I took a class yesterday where the front desk didn't even know there was a sub. 2) The teachers of the classes are constantly changing, so there's not a ton of consistency. 3) Many of the teachers show up late, and run the class late, sometimes up to 30 minutes past when it's supposed to end. 4) The studio itself feels dark, old, and not clean. 5) Levels of the class are not consistent. The difficulty level of one teacher's level 1 is the difficulty level of one teacher's level 3. 6) All teachers are great dancers, but not are all great teachers. A good teacher reads the room, observes which parts of the choreography we're having problems with, and breaks them down. I mostly notice hip hop teachers overlooking this aspect of teaching. The pretty good: 1) Classes are very affordable. 2) Free parking 3) Alaina Dunker and Melanie Herring are friendly and sweet teachers. 4) Variety of styles offered. I personally prefer the environment, quality of teachers, and consistency of schedule of eXit space dance and velocity dance center. read more

I love it here! Everyone is super supportive and takes time to make sure everyone feels comfortable in the class. All the teachers are really nice and give you opportunities. And the desk people are always the best!! read more

I got taken to a "cardio funk" class with a friend last week. I was a bit weary since well, I can't dance AT ALL. She insisted it was all about the exercise, so I went along for fun, thinking I would hate it and NEVER want to come back out of sheer embarrassment. Man was I wrong. I have never had so much fun doing cardio EVER! So much better than being on a treadmill for an hour. It's not all dancing, they do abs and stretching and legs. They have some killer music and the instructor was fun and non judgemental. The class had only 6 people in it, 3 of whom knew what they were doing. The other 3 of us just tried to follow along and laughed at ourselves alot! No one judges you either! The class I took was 11$ and they have punch cards for multi classes. They take debit too! read more

I took my first dance class ever here. It was a horrifying experience for a klutz like me, plus dancing with a bunch of young talented people. I have watched a lot of the classes and they teach some nice moves, have a variety of instructors, and I think they teach a different choreography each time. Even though I feel as if I should take it from the baby steps elsewhere first before another attempt, I enjoyed the experience and would try again someday. read more

My first piece of advice is DO NOT go here if you have no dance experience. This place is designed for dancers. Pros -You will feel challenged and challenges are good. -The instructors are very good dancers and have much experience -The energy is fun -Marc Pacampara is an excellent Hip Hop teacher. Cons -The levels of Hip Hop don't match. I went to a Hip Hop 1/2 class with Zsa. It was taught so quickly and the instructor did not seem to be able to gauge her students (or care really). It was extremely difficult. Then I went to a Hip Hop 2 class with Marc and is was much easier and there was so much more break down and actual instruction. So, its hard to know what the criteria is that deems classes certain levels. -Classes never run on time. Sometimes they start and end 30 minutes late!!! Thats just rude to me. Its very annoying if you don't have a car or parents to pick you up. If you are serious about Hip Hop and have a flexible schedule, this studio is the way to go. If you just wanna have some fun and get good, thorough instruction, you'll have to find somewhere else where there is less of an ego and more interest in beginner students. read more

Westlake dance is AMAZING!!! It's a drop-in studio so it fits around your super busy schedule. Classes vary widely in ability level so a master dancer can go to a level IV class and a beginner can take a level I/II class the same day. Also, it's $10/class +/- so it's affordable. The teachers are quality and the culture is open and happy. What more could you want!!! read more

Really laid back, just pay and walk on in to whatever class you feel like. Hard to find, kinda looks like a loading dock. Wear your baggy clothes. read more

I have always loved dance and Westlake Dance Center is the perfect place to dance classes! Plus, it's in my neighborhood. They have two dance studios and are always offering master classes by hot choreographers. Although I'm a beginner in ballet, I take classes with professional ballerinas. How cool is that! I absolutely love this dance school. This year I plan to venture out from ballet and try hip hop and jazz. Wish me luck! read more

Great range of classes from beginner to advanced, in many styles. I mostly take hip hop, jazz, and jazz funk, but like to throw in ballet and contemporary for training as well. This is my favorite Seattle studio so far. read more

I love taking classes here! I always learn fun, challenging choreo. It is affordable, and there are a lot of drop in classes to choose from. Great place to get your dance on. read more

I've sat in on slow-intermediate Modern and Jazz classes here and had a GREAT time. We were warmed up in a timely, but efficient way. The movement vocabulary was challenging, but accessible. The instructors (I have forgotten names, sorry!) were encouraging, approachable, and knowledgeable. I definitely look forward to returning! read more

After moving to NYC, I really appreciate the community that WDC is. Cultivating dancers of all levels doesn't get any better than WDC honestly, in terms of prices and quality of classes. Just toughen out the intro courses and keep going! I didn't feel better until my 15th class here. Sandy is like the dance mom everyone should have. Can't wait to take a class when I visit home! read more

Great ballet technique classes. Knowledgeable and experienced teachers. Good atmosphere: generally friendly but still professional and challenging to a reasonable level. Each teacher has her/his own teaching style, but I recommend taking as many classes as your level allows. (I.e. don't take level 4 if you are a beginner.) read more

Coolest Dance Studio In Seattle!!!! Seriously, you won`t findd better dance instruction in Seattle, I`ve looked all over the place, been to like 15 dance studios in the Seattle area, this is the nicest/coolest/awesomest place ever!!!! First, their classes are awesome, the instructors actually CARE about you and will correct eact student individually ( Unlike at, say, Velocity where instructors only care to gather the money and then the actual class is just something to get done with)... At Westlake, you will actually learn to push your own limits....and I disagree with the previous post that they don`t spend enough time teaching the dance steps, everything is repeated until everyone gets it and you can actually ask questions along the way,....instruction at other places that I`ve visited is easier (ie the moves are easier and all), but I go to class because I want to learn something new not to do what I`m already able to do - therefore, I find Westlake absolutely awesome, you won`t even believe how far you can go and how good you can get.... Finally, the place itself is simply SWEET....the red walls and furniture create a cool feel and you can just chill.....the studios are great...they even have windows (mirrors from inside) so everyone can see the dancers from outside as well.... The staff is VERY cool ....they are like the nicest people ever....by the way, the guy at the reception desk is kinda cute ;) lol Everyone should come here, really, I have not seen a cooler place in Seattle or anywhere else.... the atmosphere is just great and their prices are very reasonable as well.... I LOVE WESTLAKE..... come and you will fall in love with this place too! :)))))... read more