Good sized dance room, nice that it has separate rooms. Also, having a cloak room is key! read more

You Should Be Dancing...! - Salsa/Mambo: Open Shine - Dance Studios Near Me - New York, New York

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Love the teacher. She is professional and while entertaining with her sense of humor she pays attention and corrects each and every one of us. She is a really excellent teacher, rare to see these days. The receptionist was kind and polite and the participants were so lovely. Also the space is clean and comfortable. Can't wait for the next class:) read more

I am still impressed with YSBD studio. And six years later after my first review I'm still going. The instructors are amazing and patient. Frankly, I don't know how they do it because I am a challenge. Kudos to everyone at YSBD. read more

Great classes with wonderful instructors and excellent customer service at the front desk. Also the dance studio is beautiful!

Stina is a great teacher, professional and fun. The classes are great because you are not alone if you don't have a partner. You are rotated with other singles ( leaders or followers) frequently enough that you are not held back by someone who is challenged, and at the same time, if you are the one challenged and ask for help, you are helped immediately so that you do not fall behind. So much fun, including sharing the learning experience with those who begin as strangers. It's not just the destination, enjoy the journey. read more

Loved my first time swing dancing here. Am a beginner, came alone, took the basic lesson beforehand which really helped: 1) got used to dancing with many different leads; 2) made it easier to ask some of them to dance later. Great live band (Eyal Vilner), crowd and energy. Very welcoming and energizing after three years of not dancing in a crowd. Most people were unmasked but, I assume, fully vaccinated. I'll be back, for sure. read more

Great music, great dancers, wonderful DJ and teacher! Shout out to Gene Eagle and Zachary Bandonaro.

YSBD excellence for Dance instruction and special classes with monthly dances to attend is a winning experence for all dancers. Senior gal still dancin' read more

Still a first class operation with great people, space and good times every time I come here!!!

I love the fourth Friday Abakua dance socials! The crowd is always fun and friendly with mixed age groups and profifiency levels. As a latin percussionist I also like to sit in with Jimmy, Frankie and the guys and play along with the great music! There's a small bar that serves beer, wine and water which is nice after a dance workout! The entrance fee is reasonable and coat check is free. Frankie Martinez is a great dj and the entire staff is top notch. I live upstate and plan my trips to the city to include a night with the Abakua salsa crowd! This month included a Cuban Rumba dance demonstration which was awesome! All in all check it out...you won't be disappointed! read more

The steps were broken down with patience and all the questions were answered by the teacher.

Stina is a fabulous teacher. Smart, patient, and wonderful. She's great. And the studio is beautiful and in a safe neighborhood with nice restaurants. read more

We've had a wonderful time preparing for our first dance for our wedding at You Should Be Dancing...! with Ricardo. He makes each lesson so accessible and fun! We are going to wow our guests! read more

A very positive experience. The teachers were excellent and everyone I met was having a good time.

We got married in June and did a super fun, swing number that Stephanie Shapiro choreographed for us. We had about 5-6 private sessions w/ Stephanie. She was absolutely amazing -- (1) she got my husband dancing -- the guy has never danced in his life! (2) taught us how to swing, taught us how to listen to music, created a whole dance for us within just a few session and (3) remained super fun and inspiring the whole way through. Planning your wedding is a whole experience that normally not many people enjoy-- but Sam and I tried actively to enjoy the planning aspect too and these dancing lessons were the highlight thanks to Stephanie and everyone else at You should be dancing! read more

You Should Be Dancing...! - Us, dancing in the park on our wedding day! - Dance Studios Near Me - New York, New York

I starting talking Cha Cha Cha and Salsa lessons with Frankie Martinez late this summer. So far I am happy with the studio. Check in is a breeze, the bathrooms are clean, rooms are adequately sized and they offer a nice array of various forms of dance to choose from. I'll be checking out West Coast Swing and Hustle soon. Updates on the other instructors to follow. So far, I've been pretty impressed with the Salsa expression and movement; it's a very unique feel that really stands apart from other studios I've been to. I look forward to checking out the other dance classes here. For now, Salsa and Cha Cha have been challenging, rigorous and inspiring. read more

I came for the Thursday Night Frim Fram Swing lesson at 8pm-9pm and stayed for the after party until 1am. Admission was $8 + $4 for the lesson. Drinks were around $5 and up at the bar. The lessons were fun and basic, a good starter but i learned best from applying it with the other students and more experienced dancers during the afterparty. A great place to learn to dance swing, have fun, and mingle. I love jazz music and dancing, so this was a great combination of the two. Good times! read more

Even as a "drop-in" student, I was made to feel very welcomed and even provided a little extra support. The instructor was very kind and patient and even the other students were very gracious. It had been a long time since I attended a class so I was very rusty so, it was even more impressive how supportive and kind everyone was towards me. I had a wonderful time and was able to pick up a lot, even though much more practice is needed. I want to thank all those in the class that made my first time back so much fun and educational! After 4 years, it was quite a dive back in but, glad I did it! read more

Came here during their Thursday night "Frim Fram jam" and I have to say that the dancers here are amazing to watch & dance with! I was a visitor from out of town and at least FOUR different follows (all locals) asked me to dance out of the blue. They must be a pretty tight (& outgoing!) community to be able to identify out-of-towners like me right away. They did a pretty great visitor/birthday jam (and even the Shim sham)while I was there read more

This studio is THE BEST! Before coming to YSBD, I had never danced at all! I took their beginner West Coast Swing lessons with Ken and Paula who are GREAT and then with Ricardo who is GREAT. Within a few weeks, I felt comfortable enough to attend the Wednesday social dance. I was terrified because I didn't want to look like a fool! I went and danced with a whole bunch of people who were understanding that I was new and we had a great time. I could go on and on about how great this place is, but if you're looking to for a place to social dance, a place to learn dancing from scratch, or a place to take your already amazing dancing to the next level, YOU SHOULD COME!!! read more

I've been going to YSBD for privates, classes, and socials for a year and a half, and now I can't imagine living in the city without this studio. What started as a hobby has turned into a full-blown passion thanks to the instruction, community, and wonderful staff here, who treat me like genuine family. I'm currently learning West Coast Swing and international-style ballroom with Sophie, a self-effacing competition dancer who could inspire anyone to dance. She is fun-loving but focused, a combination which has pushed my dancing farther than I ever expected--and she always has just the right metaphor to help me learn a new concept! Sophie and the other YSBD instructors I've worked with (Exenia, Julien, Stephanie, Rafal, and Ricardo, to name a few) all exhibit an obvious passion for both dancing AND teaching, regardless of instruction style. Not only does this summarize the high level of instruction at YSBD, but it also reflects the encouraging and inspiring environment here. Not to evoke 80s sitcoms, but YSBD literally is the place in NYC where everybody knows my name. From my first visit, the staff was friendly, welcoming, and even excited about my being there. Other students were equally welcoming, and encouraged me to dance in classes and at socials. I quickly realized that I didn't enjoy just dancing--I also enjoyed BEING at the studio! A year and half later, YSBD is my adopted family. I've attended baby showers, birthday parties, and moving days, and the staff and community has continually supported me in my dancing and career pursuits. It is not easy to make friends in New York and I don't take this for granted! Simply put, this is a wonderful, welcoming studio with talented instructors and a fantastic community. I really can't imagine living in New York without YSBD! read more

I love the Swing lessons with Stephanie! I strongly recommend them to anybody who wants to learn how to swing! read more

Our instructor was patient and clear with his instructions and provided some interesting history. He was also just an all around great human being!! read more

I went to Frankie Martinez' Level 2 Partner Class this Sat, Feb 18, 2017. He's a fine teacher in many ways, showing routines that can be used on the dance floor that aren't choreographed. My problem is with his demeanor, rather than his style of teaching. In the hour lesson he said to one of the female students that asked him about her hand position, "Well, if you do something that stupid . . . ." One of the women in his class kept forcing a hand position on me as I was switching hands from left to right for a simple cross-handed double turn. Only women who don't attend socials outside of their school do this. I'm sure Frankie saw this and he said to hold a women's hand that way was "garbage". Our hands were waist level and I used the same grip that you use on the "6-back" move or for the "umbrella" move for two beats to transfer hands and the woman was back-leading. I've been social dancing for 10 years and studied with Eddie Torres, Carlos Konig, Jimmy Anton, Karisma and Santa Rico Schools and every one of them have transferred hands in the same way as I've done hundreds of times at the socials. I told him so and he said that salsa dance wasn't "stylized" and that that hand hold can't be used in "advanced" dancing as he taught. He could have simply said, "That's the way we do it here," and dropped it, but it was more of a 10-minute diatribe than a conversation or suggestion insulting to me and other NYC teachers that teach and dance on the same level. He was rude and should recognize a simple hand transfer isn't the same thing as the hand position you use in closed position. Great teacher . . . just don't ask any questions. read more

I popped in to the You Should Be Dancing studio for an Afro Caribbean class with Frankie Martinez. Receptionist was genuinely friendly and helpful, answered every question with kindness and respect. Not typical at NYC studios. The studio was well organized and impeccably clean -- even the bathroom. The class itself was like nothing I had experienced before. Completely body centered instruction with no verbal cues whatsoever. The teacher's movements were jaw-dropping, perfection. As if he were dancing full out in performance while teaching. I had never seen that before. My body although stiff, surrendered to the movements and my spine was all a buzz the night and day after. Holy wow! Not a dance class, a spiritual experience. read more

I took salsa classes here for a few months earlier this year. I mostly took classes with Frankie Martinez (world-renowned salsa dancer/instructor) but I also had a couple other good teachers sub in while he was away. They also hold a great salsa social every other Friday (2nd and 4th Fridays, I believe) - $11, great music (mostly salsa with some cha cha), great large space, and good dancers. As for the classes, the Afro-Caribbean body movement/isolation class is my favorite but I've heard others complain that it's just watching and imitating Frankie for 90 minutes as he gives no instruction. Valid criticism worth mentioning. The spinning class was very challenging but definitely good to do on a regular basis. The cha cha and arm styling classes were a bit too advanced for me but I found the content to be very good. A few notes about the classes: - They ALWAYS start late. Sometimes 5 minutes late, often 15 minutes late. I found this very frustrating because I would rush to class then sit around for 15 minutes, waiting for the previous class to end. Also makes for post-class planning difficult since the start/end time varies - Occassionally, when the class would start late, it wouldn't end later so I felt I missed out. - Frankie is a funny guy but spends quite a bit of time talking and telling jokes which you may find frustrating if you really just want to learn a turn pattern read more

This review is for Frankie Martinez salsa class. This is where I get my salsa fix! The first time I took a salsa class was with Frankie about 3 years ago when a friend introduced me to his class. I think he is a great dancer and his classes are a lot of fun. You don't need to be a good dancer to enjoy it, I highly recommend it. I haven't been consistently taking classes so I'm just making my way to level 2 slowly. Some details about the classes (taken from www.youshouldbedancing.net): Schedule: http://www.youshouldbedancing.net/schedule.html Monthly Groups (Specific Group Classes- 4 weekly Sessions) Monthly Prices: 1 Group $60.00 2 Groups $55.00 3 Groups or more $50.00 *Drop-ins at $20 subject to teacher discretion Class Cards ( "punch in" to class as you attend*) - For busy people 5 Class Card (2 month exp.) $85.00 ($17 each) 10 Class Card (3 month exp.) $160.00 ($16 each) 20 Class Card (3 month exp.) $295.00 ($14.75 each) No, I do not work for the studio or Frankie! I'm just trying to be a useful yelper since I lost my elite status ;) read more

I've heard so many good things about Nourhan Sharif's Egyptian belly dancing class before.. since I was browsing the joining gym, wanted to try the class at least once.. my belly wanted it.. yeah, she needed it.. 'sigh'.. u can't miss the building.. it's just outside of Penn station... the dancing room looked like very simple.. and professional w/ wall mirror... after class, u will know.. u do not want to leave there.. or even the huge mirror.. believe me.. ;) as other body activity, dancing is very emotional expression.. especially, belly dancing.. being different person... the teacher made us feel like the hottest one on the earth.. she... she's so desirable and dynamic... she told us, understanding the music is important to dance.. she taught us the basic Egyptian rhythms and hands motions.. she's not young, and not even slender any more.. but her teaching was sooooooo sexy!!! U SHOULD BE DANCING!!! I recommend take dance shoes or off the socks.. if u don't want to clean up the floor.. kudos!! read more

For the past several years I've been a regular in Nourhan's Tuesday bellydance class, and am now studying with her on Thursdays at YSBD as well. She teaches HANDS DOWN the best Egyptian style class in the city. Her technique is superb, as is her warmth and attention to students' progress. She starts the class with a thorough, butt-kicking warm-up -- building both strength and flexibility with everything from squats, planks, sit-ups, and stretch-and-tone exercises uniquely suited to bellydance. Her across-the-floor drills are alone worth the price of admission. She presents challenging and fun combinations to hone your strength and precision -- and she gives her students a heck of an aerobic workout! She completes each class by teaching a portion of her signature choreographies. These are not watered-down routines, but works that she performs herself -- packed with the intricate, powerful, precise, and emotional movements that are essential to Egyptian dance. She even teaches the history of the music and artists involved and translates the lyrics, explaining how each move illustrates the music's intent. Whether you're new to bellydance, a hobbyist or professional, you will always learn something new from Nourhan. read more

Club 412 hosts the Frim Fram Jam, which is the best Lindy Hop in the city, by far. Every Thursday night, 9PM - 1AM. It costs $8 ($5 with a student ID). http://www.yehoodi.com/frimfram/ Frim Fram Jam is always DJed, but it's always high quality. Usually, there are 2 DJs per night, who alternate 1-hour sets. You can find live music at non-regular events during the weekends. There is always a lesson the hour prior to Frim Fram, taught by high quality instructors. There's always a ton of people, which leads to a lot of crowding. It features a bar, which is nice. read more

This is a review for Thursday nights Frim Fram Jam, a swing dancing event, and Wednesday nights Tango Cafe, an alternative music milonga. I've been going every week to Frim Fram for about two years. It is a welcoming environment for beginners all the way through the best dancers in the city. It's a blast every week. I only started going to Tango Cafe recently. When I started to tango I had some really bad experiences at some other milongas held at different studios. When I came here I immediately felt welcome despite the fact that I was still a beginner. All in all a nice change from my first experiences. I have taken a couple of lessons from instructors at the studio, but don't have much to say yet. read more

Can't believe this place only has 6 reviews when the place is packed with at least 75 people every Thursday night!? Come here for the insanely well-valued lesson at 8pm (level 4 @ 412 8th Avenue [31st St; SE corner]) and then stay from 9pm to 1am. Things get crowded sometimes beyond comfort between 10 and 11:30pm but otherwise it's good fun and the bartender ('Sevens' I think) is nice to talk to. Don't be scared if you're new -- that's what the lesson is for! read more

I have mixed feelings on this place. On the other hand, they have some of the best dances around, the floor is nice, and the location is convenient (at least, it is for me, and we know no one else matters, haha). On the other hand, the staff are comically, hilariously, award-winningly awful. I've met one nice person working there in the last several months. I get that dance studios are often staffed by failed or grudgingly amateur dancers who took up answering phones and putting hand stamps on sweaty people after their dreams of fame and fortune were crushed by the cruel fist of reality, but come on, y'all, at least PRETEND you're happy to see us. I have run into this issue at many studios--simply that the receptionists and so on are typically hired because they have an existing relationship with the studio, not because they have any particular willingness or ability to engage in customer service. Or maybe it's because where I'm from, most of the dances are in bars, pubs, nightclubs, etc. so that everyone is boozed-up enough to be REALLY happy to see you, I dunno. I once blurted out something like "how about you be less of a bitch?" (I'm not proud of that; I have, um, no inner monologue and it's a problem) to a staff member who was being really, really awful one night. So in a way I'll give them props for not asking me to leave after I said something like that (I wouldn't blame 'em), but on the other hand, if they weren't so nasty in the first place... I mean, I literally get paid to NOT talk to people, that's how awkward I am, but even I am more capable of successful client/customer interaction than this. read more

We are learning to dance! I probably should wait until we're further into this and more familiar with this new (to us) world of partner dance, but we've had four classes here (after two intro classes at a competitor dance studio, which wasn't as good a match for us), and I'm going to get some initial thoughts down now, which I can always add to later. We both always thought since we like to move and can stay alive on the dance floor respectably, partner dance would be within easy range for us, however we find this is a whole new skill set. Our fearless instructor, Cindi, has gotten us started with basic Rumba, Swing, Waltz and a little Cha Cha Cha, and it's been quite interesting. I find the process to be a challenge, and fun in moments when something clicks. I am finding it is a practice of humility and patience (in a good way) to work at letting go of having to be good right away. My wonderful partner, is also navigating similar challenges, though he is apparently more rhythmically inclined than yours truly. But I know I will pick things up, even if it takes some time. Ah but this is supposed to be a review of the studio, so let me refocus! You Should Be Dancing...! is a pleasant, sunny, clean, airy environment, run by friendly, welcoming instructors, and other staff. The studio is biggish, with three main dance rooms, and we've often had a whole room to ourselves for our private lessons, though that's not required. We have yet to participate in group classes, but have observed them and they always seem to be of manageable size. We met the owner, (Tammy, I think) on our first visit, and she was friendly and lovely. They seem to have a smoothly run, well organized operation going, and the check in before lessons, and settling up afterwards processes are always easy and efficient. In the evenings, the space transforms into a club environment, with practice party events held frequently, as well as showcases and and other dance events. We went to our first practice party recently, and since it coincided with my birthday, brought along some friends we'd been at dinner with. Fun was had by all. It was cool because after only three classes, we were actually able to participate here and there, and it was a festive, fun atmosphere, with good music and booze provided by the Blarney Stone housed in the first floor of the same building(which apparently owns the dance studio space and thus the collaboration). Our instructor, encouraged us to prepare for the party by getting a few basics under our belts, and this was a great motivator to stay focused and practice at home. And the prices are fair..slightly lower than Fred Astaire & Dance Manhattan, which I believe are their two main competitors. We liked YSBD! better than FA (though that was a perfectly respectable experience as well), and from the research I did, I had the impression that DM is a bit more hardcore, hip and young, and we were looking for a patient comfy vibe, so we may check out some of their workshops if/when we're a bit further along. So far, so good with our partner dance project, with the help of Cindi and YSBD! and I will update as things unfold. read more

Love taking classes here. The hustle workshops are amazing (and super informative) and the balboa swing classes are great and the people are awesome. So sorry that Elena's lindy hop classes no longer fit into my schedule. read more

Great teachers, super fun social dance events and reasonably priced! If you've always wanted to learn, don't be intimidated and don't wait, You Should Be Dancing will get you dancing in no time! And it's a wonderful way to meet people and hear live music too. read more

If you didn't know what you were looking for, you'd never find this place. It's unmarked from the outside (to my knowledge). Once you get upstairs though, the floor is really nice. I do agree with the other comments that the "expert" dancers typically stay on the left side, so if you are feeling a bit self-conscious the right side might be for you. I dance on "1" so am learning to dance with New Yorkers, who dance on "2". So, it was a bit intimidating. The music was great!! They played some cha-cha as well. The songs were pretty fast as well. It was fun. I had a good time dancing with my friend. I only danced with one other guy, so the guys could be more open to asking females, but you do get into that whole "studio" mindset where people only want to dance with really good "on 2" dancers. read more

Easy to miss, across the street from Penn Station, Madison Square Gardens. The elevator entrance is down the hallway, next to the Blarney Stone Bar. The dance studio is upstairs on the 4th floor, buzzer #7. West Coast Swing Dancing on Wednesday nights. $10. Long dance studio, great floor, two bathrooms. Great AC on those humid nights. A bar. John Lindo with the Gotham Swing Dance club hosts with weekly west coast swing dances. http://www.gothamswingclub.org/ Great dancers, many intermediate level and some advance level WCS dancers. On the night I went, easily around 100-125 dancers, so a great turn out. There were some out of town dancer's there, due to John Lindo's LibertySwing event that weekend. http://www.libertyswing.com/ read more

Highly recommend taking Frankie's salsa class as you will be challenged to work your brain off to execute these patterns.

This review is for Frankie Martinez: AFRO-CARIB Body Movement and Isolation class http://www.abakuadancers.com/classes/index.html To start, Frankie was very warm & genuine greeting me when I asked if I could dance barefoot... now onto the dancing: Frankie demonstrated precise, rhythmic & detailed body movements. Starting with head isolation's to shoulders, ribs, hips & gradually combining the movements. He never spoke, we just moved the entire 1.5 hours to fabulous percussive music. He started each isolation slowly, increasing speed to get in sync with the music, giving us enough time to be somewhat fluid in the difficult movements. Being a professional dancer, this class was still very challenging (in a good way). Excellent dancer & visual instructor who created a welcoming atmosphere. I will definitely attend his class next time I visit NYC! read more