Mark Morris Dance Group

I took yoga for dancers tonight and it was AWESOME! The teacher was great and I really felt a part of the group even though it was my first ever yoga class. I feel very blessed to be close enough to participate and plan to go back again as son as I am not sore… which is a good thing!

I attended a Friday night session of BollyX dance class for free as part of a Brooklyn Fit series. I’m a dancer at heart but mostly in the salsa genre where I can «shake what my mama gave me» without hesitation. Though I was new to the Bollywood style of dancing, I loved every minute of class! It was a non-​stop, head-​to-​toe workout, that left you wanting more even if you were wiped out. The instructor was high energy and the playlist was so fun.
We danced about 5 – 6 songs and were instructed to follow our teacher’s steps. Warning to those who haven’t been to a dance class, the steps aren’t broken down into segments. It’s more of a watch and get right into the steps all at once. The class ended with a 5 minute ab series in sync with the music and a cool down.
Classes are typically $ 15 for a drop in and they have a full schedule of classes ranging from ballet to Africand dance. I’ll definitely be back for more!

Sherille Grant is a horrible instructor and has said homophobic slurs many times. I will no longer continue going to this studio as long as she works here. Please do yourself a favor and get a better instructor who is well educated and not offensive.

Beautiful oasis of culture, diversity, music and the art of dance. A variety of classes offered, with a super nice staff.
Took Hip Hop classes here for several years, very much worth it.
A fun experience, with some very talented and experienced staff.

After a horrifying experience at Broadway Dance Center in midtown, I decided to come to Mark Morris. Boy am I glad I did that! They commiserated with my frustration and took great initiative to make me feel welcome & comfortable!
The first thing I liked was that regular people like me, neighbors/​friends/​young/​old etc were all around. Dancers were coming in and out of rehearsal or heading out to shows, moms were going into fitness classes, dads were picking up kids from ballet, artists were renting studios to work on projects together. The atmosphere was respectful, positive, and productive!
I decided to take the BollywoodX class because it was new on the roster, so I thought maybe the students would be less experienced movers like me or at least new enough to the style that I wouldn’t feel totally out of place. I was right! Yes, I was still the fattest/​slowest/​worst dancer in the class but I didn’t feel awful and embarrassed about it. Everyone was working at their own level. Women from all walks of life were there. The class wasn’t overcrowded either, so I didn’t feel like I couldn’t follow what was being taught or that my inabilities were on parade.
The only thing I didn’t like was that the locker room was very small and really dirty. Not gross, but it just hadn’t been attended to probably since the overnight cleaning. Kids had thrown craisins, glitter & scraps of construction paper all around. So because I don’t have children of my own it was an endearing kind of mess, like when I visit my sister’s house on Thanksgiving!

Great teachers, great classes at affordable prices! Conveniently located! Good atmosphere. Good for beginners too. I highly recommend it!

I love this place!
I went here for NYC dance week and returned for the open house over the weekend. The first time I went I took the brazilian samba class, and most recently I tried out the kukuwa class, soca dance class and the simonson technique.
The dance center is located conveniently steps away from the atlantic street stop (which has 8 train lines), is clean, spacious (5 floors) and each room (there are many) is also large enough for their class sizes.
Obviously when you go on free days there will be a lot more people than usual, but I imagine on a regular day you have more than enough room to see yourself in the mirror and luxuriate in the space.
As for the actual classes — all of them, with the exception of the simonson technique had me sweating like crazy. The music was pumping and the instructors were high energy and seemed to enjoy what they do.
Yes, it can get expensive if you try to take 3 or 4 dance classes a week, but if you love dancing and just want to throw something new into your regimen to mix things up for the week, I would highly recommend taking the soca, kukuwa or brazilian samba classes.

When Sia’s «Chandelier» was first released I immediately liked the song, but when the music video came out? — obsessed. The equal parts eerie and mesmerizing choreography really made me want to take a modern or contemporary dance class. I had always been intrigued by the dance style of Mark Morris, so I took a trip to his dance studio in Fort Greene.
This studio is as beautiful as Alvin Ailey’s and is conveniently located across from BAM (I felt so cultured). There are seven dance rooms with wood sprung marley floors and ceilings so high they make the rooms bright and airy. There are several showers, bathrooms, and lockers (bring your own lock) for your convenience. The main floor also houses a relaxing lounge space with several couches and tables.
I was initially scared to try the beginner/​intermediate modern class as I was quite rusty, but it actually ended up being a good fit. Joy, the sub for the day, was non-​judgmental and encouraged us to trust and listen to our bodies. We tried several small combinations that tested our flexibility, coordination, and spatial awareness. From sequences that were smaller and tighter (e.g. simple relevés and stretches), to an especially fun sequence that involved taking eight long counts to circle around the room, I felt so energized and light. She took bits and pieces of the earlier sequences and made a much longer combination at the end. The live music, in particular, helped make the class so much more of a full-​bodied, memorable experience; since she didn’t assign set counts for some of the steps, we were free to interpret the lovely piano music in our own way.
Notes:
*They offer six-​week programs at a discounted price, but any of the classes are available for drop-​ins: $ 10 (45-​minute class), $ 14 (1 hour class), $ 15 (75 – 90 minute class), $ 16 (2 hour class).
*They DO NOT accept the NY Yoga Passbook, even though there’s a pass in the booklet. Bloop. I came in expecting to get a free class, but had to pay.
Likelihood of another visit:
Likely! I’m interested in their popular Afro-​Caribbean Dance & Movement class (featured in many New York magazines) and their tap classes. Since I now have a Mark Morris student ID, signing in will be much easier next time (first-​time students always have paperwork to fill out).

I’ve only taken one dance class here so far but I truly enjoyed it. I was surprised to have amazing live music for the class which I have never danced to before and found the instructor to be wonderful. Beautiful space too !

Rented this space back in Nov. 2013 for 1 week. It just happens to be in Brooklyn.
However, the space is kept clean and it’s a
Beautiful dance center in the Brooklyn area as an option. Nice big classrooms and small rooms. Good setups for music and nice mirrors and bars. Staff is friendly.
Boys changing areas are cramped and in full view when opening the door.

This school has really progressed. Sydnie Leggett who took over managing the place has opened up the school for open house, reached out to people and handled things personally as well as expanded the classes and schedule. My daughters going there for 3 years and she really enjoyed herself, grew, and friends and although she didn’t turn into a great dancer like the singer Ciara she was able to have balance, walk better and execute simple moves. She had Mary Seidman and hands down she is the best so if you sign up a toddler put them with her. Also the adult classes are great and building is very comfy and spacious. the café is gone but at least they are close to stores and restaurants and a lot of transportation. It is pricey but you have options to pay and also they offer free drop in classes at times if you want to just look and see.

I’m currently taking the 6-​week Beginner Ballet Workshop on Tuesday nights and love dancing again!
Elisa is really nice and clearly explains the steps and moves, it’s great.
But the class is SO LARGE, 40 students for one teacher. It’s a struggle to find barre space and at times I felt lost in a crowd.
I highly recommend the classes at MMDG, but would recommend having a) smaller classes — 25 students would be just about right and b) have more variety in class times. I would become a regular if there were classes beginning at 7:30 or 8 in the evening

Easy five, but I didn’t know this at first when I walked into the choked up lobby at quarter to 7 p.m. on a Monday for the Beginner ballet class. After a recent experience to the Dokoudovsky New York Conservatory of Dance (separate review), the crowd of musicians/​actors/​dancers/​whatevers waiting just to pay their drop in fees or purchase cards already harshed my buzz. All the traffic of people to their separate studios on separate floors for separate classes also kind of freaked me out, and I started getting those feelings of «what the hell am I doing at a DANCE school at age 32…»
But finally, one of the two people at the front desks became ready to receive my $ 15 drop in fee for the 90 minute class (versus $ ¹⁰⁄₄₅ minutes, $ ¹⁴⁄₁ hour, and $ ¹⁶⁄₂ hours), and issued me a nice plastic card for loading up in the future if I wish to purchase 5-​class ($ 70 — $ 14/​class), 10-​class ($ 140 — also $ 14/​class), or 20-​class ($ 270 — $ 13.50/class) cards in advance.
The elevator was straight ahead, and I got into it with an American Apparel influenced girl. I’m sure she’s a lovely person, but I found myself irritated, and this irritation bloomed by a factor of the exact number of women I saw just sitting on the floor outside the studio as soon as the doors opened. There was a lot of conspicuous stretching and curious staring going on, so I let myself out to a little terrace, from which there was a stunning view of the Gatsbyesque desolation downtown Brooklyn, with the clock tower and its red lit hands presiding over it all. I stayed there until I saw movement towards the just-​opened door of the studio.
The dance space is huge — large floor area coated evenly in rubber matting with white walls and a lofted white ceiling and a whole wall of clean mirrors making everything even more expansive than it really was. Immediately, a bunch of women and one young man with a top knot set about moving so many bars towards the center of the room, evenly spacing them out as if they’d done it a thousand times. People found their places at the bar, and I began to be at ease as I realized no one was aggressive or catty at all, and that there was a spot right up front for me to have a central view of my own awkwardness in reflection. The girl next to me was very nice and humble and non-​annoying, and I’d follow her movies many more times throughout the class.
Not that I would have to; the instructor was absolutely incredible, and did every single movement herself throughout the entire class, inserting herself between different people at different bars, and at one point facing ME and asking to see my Port de Bras (basically, arm movements) and giving me Never Before Received Foundational Knowledge on How to Do it Right.
Her style of instruction was classical, technical, and graceful, but more powerful and assertive than anything I’ve seen out of any ballet teacher, and the idea of power, accuracy, and mechanics was something I could really get down with and ultimately began unlocking the gates to the more evasive concept of grace.
Moreover, a grand piano wedged in the stage right corner had a piano player who was like a younger, taller, less bald, less repulsive version of actor Paul Giametti playing REAL music and miraculously adjusting the length and character of the classical sounding accompaniment according to every nuance of our progressive exercise.
Each exercise was explained enough to get on the first try, and long enough to really FEEL what was going on. The exercises went through all basic moves, then advanced to sequences, and finally floor work, which has always been an overt weakness of mine but wasn’t half bad with the whole class and the trusty instructor paving the way.
We were all SWEATING by the end, and the class even went 15 minutes past the 90 minute mark, and of course we were all loving it. Even after that, the teacher stayed around, and, upon seeing my fidgety uncertainty as to whether I should stay or go, motioned for me to work on some leaps with her. I gushed forth with my admiration for her instruction, and she seemed genuinely pleased and introduced herself.
This is a place where I am excited to do the bulk of my learning, and I take special satisfaction in knowing that it’s in Brooklyn — close to my home and just more unsuspecting than general.
As far as I know, Mark Morris Dance Group ballet doesn’t profess to follow any particular discipline or method of ballet other than that of Mark Morris, the highly educated dancer/​choreographer who founded the Group. The way I experienced it, Mark Morris Dance is an assertive, unusually confident form of the ballet tradition. I like it, and specifically elect to devote myself to the craft here, however far I may be able to take it this late in life. ;)

I like that they offer beginners drop-​in classes.

I recently wrapped up my tap session at Mark Morris dance and I LOVED it. I took the beginners class on Tuesdays with Michela and she is everything you would want in a teacher. Cool, patient, and never makes you feel stupid for asking a question or telling her to repeat a move. Everyone in the class are there to try something new (those with some experience are there to have fun). It is a very welcoming and stress free environment.
I’ve been traveling but will enroll in the next sessions now that my schedule is more flexible.

I am a terrible dancer. I am also out of shape.
BUT I survived the Kukuwa class and I’m so proud of myself! My understanding is that it’s a blend of various African dance forms. The instructor was fantastic, very welcoming and warm without leaving me feeling like she was dumbing it down in any way for me and my two left feet. I got a great workout, had fun, and only spent $ 13. Totally worth it.
The location is also great — few steps from Atlantic Center. Additionally, I have to give props for the folks working at the front desk who were also extremely nice and welcoming. Overall, I could not recommend this place more.

I came here for a ZUMBA class and had a great time! The staff is extremely friendly and the instructors have great energy. Absolutely no attitude and cliqueness which is so important for a drop in class goer like myself. I can’t wait to try the ballet class out! It is close enough to the C that it is easy to get to.

Love it! I have taken their (adult) Intro to Ballet workshop twice and would highly recommend it. I was really nervous about taking a class (I hadn’t taken ballet since I was little) but after my first class I felt great! Elisa is a wonderful, encouraging and all-​around fun instructor. It’s only $ 78 for a six-​class series and the best part is that they have a live pianist to accompany the dancing! If you have never taken ballet, or haven’t taken it in years, I would suggest the Intro to Ballet workshop instead of the Beginner drop-​in classes. I took it twice because I enjoyed it so much and also, didn’t feel ready to move on (It takes people years to learn ballet– six classes will not make you a master.)
Just try it out! It’s so much better than running on a treadmill or taking Zumba (my apologies if you are a Zumba lover…)
Also, no need to wear a leotard and tights– leggings and a t-​shirt or tank will do just fine. You will need to get ballet slippers, although some people just wore socks or went barefoot.

Sick of your boring gym routine? Looking for a different type of workout?
I highly recommend taking a class at Mark Morris Dance.
I’ve taken African Dance class here and it was amazing. You will leave sweaty, for sure.
Now I’m taking a beginner’s Modern Dance with Chelsea and it’s fun as well. Having a live drummer and being in a professional dance studio makes you feel so pro (and I’m so not)! It truly is an incredible New York experience.
There are workshops which are series of classes and drop-​in weekly classes. I only recently learned that workshops can be taken on a drop-​in basis as well if you don’t wanna commit.
$ 13 for drop-​ins makes taking a class affordable as well.
Classes are offered at all levels. The beginner classes that I’ve taken at MMDG are truly for beginners. I’ve had the experience of taking a beginner class at Peridance that had more professional dancers in attendance than amateurs.
As others have mentioned, changing rooms are pretty tiny, so if you can avoid it, do. And if you’re taking modern dance, be prepared to do some rolling around on the floor.

I have 2 left feet. Can’t dance for the life of me. I wanted to learn how to be graceful since I’m totally clumsy and thought possibly taking a beginners ballet class could be fun and exciting! yay!
I was so wrong! The beginner class… not so beginner. At least half the group had some earlier ballet experience. Even if it was when they were 6 or 7… it was something. The other half had some other form of dance training. This left me a little jittery to start off with. Anyway… so we start with the basics… I’m cool with that. Don’t ask me to spell it though…
Then she has us frolic across the dance floor as we count our steps… people…i am no dancer nor a mathematician so this threw me for a loop. Couldn’t get it down. Not after 2,3,4 times. Whatever, its cool. I’ll stick to the running man and the cabbage patch.
Now…you’re saying to yourself.“why the heck did she give the place 4 stars if her experience was so bad?! crazy biatch!“
The answer is clear… the instructor was excellent. She was patient and wouldn’t quit until everyone got the steps down (except for me because I begged her to move on and spare my ego this one time). The studio is clean and easy to get to. I only minus 1 star because I wish they would put on their website exactly HOW beginner the classes are for those of us not in the know.
ah well. moving on…