Pineapple Dance Studio

After years of practicing yoga and meditation, I was looking for something different. That’s when I started taking Hip Hop classes with Chris Courtney at Pineapple Dance. I’ve been taking classes since September and love it. Ok, so I’m not a Fly Girl from In Living Color yet, but I’m not too bad. The class is fantastic for beginners with or without dance experience (like myself).
Chris is a very talented dancer and you can tell he loves what he does. As an instructor, he is extremely patient and supportive especially with beginners. His style is more laid back and fun. Each week we learn a new routine so it helps your memory and coordination.
If you think hip hop is too challenging, come see for yourself and drop in for a class. You’ll get a great workout, learn some moves, and have fun.

I love Erika’s belly dance classes. She is SOOOO PATIENT! God bless her, she can do things I cannot do. She truly loves the dance and learns from many of the most famous belly dancers in the world, including Randa Kamel and recently, Anna Borisova. She uses the knowledge in the class, which is the right thing to do rather than just make up stuff. I appreciate her passing on the history of the dance from Egyptians. Her class is fun, entertaining and the studio is very clean.

I absolutely love my classes. Erika is an amazing teacher. She teaches us the dance and history of the music which is very cool. The women in my classes are all different ages and abilites, but we all have fun together learning the new steps and movements. It is a fantastic workout with a great atmosphere. Definite recommend for anyone looking to improve their health and skills.

The Zumba classes here are awesome – a great workout, nice people, and fun music. The hour flies by and I leave feeling happy and refreshed. Cheaper than therapy!

Erika is an awesome instructor! I wanted to try Zumba after my sister-​in-​law was able to lose a significant amount of weight with a three day régime of Zumba. After trying many different instructors I fell like I finally found the right one. She keeps her classes fresh and upbeat. There is ample space to move and get a great work out.

I started bellydance lessons here in March of this year. The teacher, Erika is extremely knowledgeable and has a great ability to interpret the music and choreograph dances that fit to the music. I live over an hour away, but the drive is sooo worth it!
Ive been to other studios, and wish i had started here first. Im very happy at this studio.

I became hooked on Zumba classes here this summer and go frequently. Erika, the owner and main teacher, is really nice and encouraging. The music is fantastic and really makes you move, and Erika creates dance/​aerobics routines that are fun, challenging, and innovative; she’s a talented choreographer. I feel like I’m learning new dance moves in the class! Zumba is really fun; I do Zumba when I wouldn’t otherwise want to exercise. The other women who attend the classes are also really nice and supportive. You’ll recognize familiar and friendly faces there after going for a while. The studio is also a beautiful space with great atmosphere – red walls and lovely decorations. Located conveniently on the Madison St. strip in Forest Park. There are many morning and night classes at different times for all your Zumba needs!
Also check out Piloxing (combo of kickboxing and Pilates) with Evita on Sunday mornings at 11. It’s challenging at first to get the moves that require balance, but it gets a little easier each time. Evita is really friendly and encouraging, and the other women in the class are nice and supportive.

So, this is my first non-​food review. LOL… you see where my priorities lie. Anyway, I’ve been meaning to right this review for over 6 months to say, yep, I’m a fan. I’m bummed that I missed the groupon deal, but I’m glad that I found this place anyway. What I love about Pineapple dance is the inclusiveness. Any given night you can find 16 yr old teenyboppers shaking a leg beside a 60 yr old grandma. Love it! There is absolutely no judgment here (unlike some other studios in the area) as everyone shimmies and shakes to the groove of the music. By the end of the 45 minutes we are all sweating, yet smiling as we have let go some of the stress of the day! Drop in for a $ 10 class or be on the look out for the next groupon! The Wed night class is where it’s at!

I had always been interested in taking a Zumba class and when this studio offered a Groupon deal last summer, I bought in. I just got around to cashing in this Groupon and I am having a blast! The studio is bright and open and the class is a lot of fun. I’m not one who generally participates in any kind of exercise class, but I always look forward to going back. Erika is a great instructor and keeps the class moving, but the pace is slow enough so everyone can keep up.
If you’ve ever been curious about taking a Zumba class, I encourage you to try one here! You won’t be disappointed!

The space at Pineapple Dance studio is gorgeous — red and orange walls, mirrors, glittery lights and shiny stars. You want to dance the minute you enter the room.
I have been taking a Nia class there — the owner is renting the space to my teacher — and I really appreciate the effort that was put in to make it beautiful. However, it also needs to be functional. The music system hasn’t worked for weeks, and each time I’ve been there I see dust bunnies rolling like tumbleweeds across the floor.

Belly Dancing? Me? When a friend suggested that I take up Belly Dancing, I could barely talk I was laughing so hard. After all, what the heck would I do with my hips?
Well let me tell you– hips and tummy rule in this class and once you learn to isolate your core and move only the right parts, you actually feel like you can do anything. As for me? I didn’t even know my hips could move like that. Somewhere inside all of us is a hip swiveling, gyrating dancer just waiting to get out! And once that music starts– you are hard pressed to do anything but move!
I rarely tie anything around my hips (after all– they really don’t need any more attention!) but here in this class– tie on a sparkly hip scarf and you are transformed!
Classes are offered throughout the week with a beginner class on Wednesday and Saturday. And don’t fear if you have never done this before– the instructor makes everyone feel welcome and trust me– there are others in the class who are worse belly dancers than you! Shocked the heck out of me!
This has to be one of the most fun ways to get exercise that I can remember. My arms looked like twining snakes, circling my body and while my shimmy needs a little work (might be the age of my chassis– Ha!) by the end of the class I was one with the music! I can’t wait to move up to finger cymbals!
If Belly dancing is not your thing– Pineapple also offers Zumba, West African Dancing and Piloxing which is sort of a hybrid between Pilates and boxing. Dance classes run $ 18 each with the exercise classes costing $ 10 or you can buy a series at a savings. Also know that you need to pre register for the dance classes but you can drop in for Zumba and Piloxing.
Belly dancing is the oldest recorded dance form. As Shakira sang in that song from a few years ago «The hips don’t lie! But trust me– in this class — they are certainly telling quite a story!

I went for my first Zumba class a few weeks ago and I am now hooked! Ive tried other dance classes in which I end up making a fool of myself. The little girl who did tap, ballet and gymnastics is so long gone. ZUma is something I can actually follow and have a great time doing it. Ericka is fantastic! Even though her soft voice is hard to hear over the music the moves ar easy to follow and she gives hand cues as to what is coming up next. As a bonus to the fun she reminds us to smile.
The studio is very welcoming and has mirrors on more than one wall to make it easier.
Theer is also an online scheduler that is a super time saver! I dont have to wait for business hours to schedule my class.

I love dancing here. I’ve been taking belly dance classes with Erika for about two years now. Erika is not just a dance teacher but an inspiration.
Aside from our lovely teacher, there are other classes at Pineapple, too, with amazing instructors. Chose from tribal belly dance, hip hop, West African, Zumba, Piloxing, and even more than that coming up in 2011!
The studio is a nice big space, very close to the Forest Park Blue Line. Or, if you prefer to drive, free street parking is always available right outside. (Gota love the suburbs for that! If you can even call it a ‘burb, it’s so close!)
Try out a class or come in for an open house! You’ll be hooked!

Erika Ochoa has always been an awesome friend! Her true love for belly dancing shows each time she performs! She is an inspiration and a wonderful dancer!

Taking classes at Pineapple Dance Studio is a wonderful experience! I’ve been studying with Erika Ochoa for a little over a year now and feel that I’m improving my style and method of dance. Classes are run in this very comfortable atmosphere and with a lot of fun thrown in!
Consider taking belly dance (Egyptian or tribal), hip hop, Nia, African dance, or Zumba! Regardless of the class you take it’s a wonderful experience!

I love bellydance classes with Erika! She’s amazing and really nice. She really knows how to encourage her students and make everyone feel comfortable. If you love to perform this is a great place to start because Erika has many opportunities for you to showcase your talents. I barely started taking classes with her this summer (for one 6-​week session) and within that time frame my class appeared on a tv special about things to do in the Chicago-​land area. It was awesome!

Anyone who can teach a physically dyslexic goof like me how to shimmy, rock the snake arms, work a veil and even finger cymbals is a belly dancing goddess, that’s Erika!
Erika makes everyone feel welcome, no matter your size, age or background, and makes everything seem possible. It’s the one workout that is always fun and I never miss a class if I can help it.
If you’ve ever wanted a reason to wear those cute jingly hip scarfs and break out the sassy hip swiveling dancer deep inside (deep deep inside in my case), I highly recommend Pineapple Dance.
The prices are very reasonable and the studio is easily accessible from the Blue Line. You can also check out hip-​hop, salsa, yoga, Nia, and West-​African dancing at this studio. Check the website for free classes during open-​house weekends. (I believe the next one is in January.)