In the Groove Studios

I was not going to write a review for the studio because I like to keep my favorite places secret… but I feel like this place deserves a bit more Unilocal fame! I started going couple months ago to beginning hip hop with Daniel. So far, I’ve been to about 15 classes total. I don’t have much dance experience, but I love hip hop and I was looking for some real hip hop (…with maybe some k-​hip hop twist?). I think I was really lucky I found this place. I like how the studio is small; I don’t like huge classes where I can barely see the instructor. Most of all I like Daniel’s choreography and swag. I think it’s easy to just do the moves but that swag is hard to learn. I’m going on a vacation for a month but definitely will be coming back until I get that SWAG! :D

Tried a class. The instructor was fine and I like the location (plus, it’s next to a bomb burrito spot) but did not like the crowd, who all seemed to be in their early 20s. I don’t know where all they came from but likely won’t go back as I prefer a more mature crowd. Probably a better studio for young people.

My COMPANY has been a CLIENT OF IN THE GROOVE STUDIOUS SINCE NOVEMBER 2014. Every month, without fail, they either had no one there to open the door for the class time I’d paid for or they’d double booked the space (AFTER I PREPAID) in order to cash in on more money. In their absences I was forced to relocate my class to my in-​home studio or to one of their smaller, very inadequate spaces (ceilings were too short for my taller dancers!) and In The Groove DID NOT GIVE A REFUND FOR THE DIFFERENCE IN RATES, EVEN WHEN THEY FAILED TO OPEN THE DOORS, or the inconvenience to my students or my business reputation.
July 2015 I moved my class to Saturdays 2pm-​3pm with the understanding that In the Groove Studios would honor this new pre-​paid time slot. August and September they bumped my class 50% of the time TO TAKE MORE MONEY, WHICH THEY ADMITTED TO ME IN AN EMAIL. That is UNFAIR! I paid the rate that was advertised. I posted that information on my marketing material. It is NOT supposed to be a BIDDING WAR.
Today, just 2-​months into the agreement, was the last straw. A CO-​OWNER, LISA, INTERRUPTED MY CLASS 15-​MINUTES IN to force our class to move to the smaller, non-​ventilated space even though I PAID FOR THE SPACE MY CLASS WAS IN! This made me look unprofessional, as if I’d attempted to usurp a space! I asked CO-​OWNER LISA to give me a few minutes to bring the class to rest and I’d come speak with her in her office. Instead of being professional she was rude, condescending and told me if I didn’t like it then In The Groove Studios is not the place for me and I could walk my class out and leave immediately. Even my students spoke to her about how unprofessional she was treating our class. She then feigned ignorance, «Oh, I didn’t know. I was just told you guys are upstairs today.» HELLO!!! I PAY FOR A SPECIFIC SPACE! THAT SPACE IS NOT UPSTAIRS WITH NO A.C. AND TOO CRAMPED TO FIT 12+!
DO NOT HITCH YOUR BUSINESS IMAGE TO IN THE GROOVE STUDIOS, THEY WILL UNAPOLOGETICALLY MAKE YOUR DANCE COMPANY LOOK UNPROFESSIONAL WHEN THEY ARE THE UNPROFESSIONAL ONES. I AM GLAD I HAVE A CLASS OF STUDENTS AS WITNESSES. #BadBusiness

Bodywerk with Momo is awesome! The class is a mix of different skill levels so don’t be shy — it’s a super welcoming environment. Everyone is just there to get a great workout and have fun.

One good thing is that I really enjoy the Wednesday 5:30 hip hop at the Grand Avenue location. It’s not beginning hip hop, as advertised, more like Cardio Hip Hop. But I find the routines entertaining, and the instructor Mario is patient if you need things to be broken down.
So why the one star? Really, it has to do with Leslie, who I believe is the co-​owner. I took a few Beyonce dance classes she was leading, and she always seemed like she had some place better to be, never even tried to introduce herself to me. But the real kicker was that my sister and I decided to check out a class on a Thursday evening. It was very difficult to figure out where it was because it was not in the big studio downstairs, and even after we sat on the couch in the back for a while while Leslie was in the office, she did not come out to assist and seemed, of course, very important and very busy. We asked where the class was, and she told us it was upstairs, then continued to ignore us. At the time class was to start, we went upstairs and were the only two students in the class. Regardless, the teacher barely spoke to us and instead spent a good deal of time trying to figure out the sound system, ultimately to no avail. He called Leslie up to help, and they continue to ignore us for close to 10 minutes while they tried to figure it out. Leslie was able to make a pretty snarky phone call to ask about the system, but my sister and I had had enough by that point and decided to leave. No problem for the always classy Leslie, who announced loudly to the person on the phone, «Well, I guess it doesn’t matter because the only two people in the class just left!» Great. I asked her if I could have a refund for the class because we had already paid, and she very quickly and coldly scribbled something on a post it to hand it to me, not even bothering to apologize or even make eye contact.
It’s difficult for me to want to support this business because the service was just so rude. I’ve taken many dance classes in my life and never been treated close to as poorly as that. I’ll be checking out some of the other Hip Hop studios in Oakland.

Darnell! WOW.
I was looking for a place that would motivate me to do *some* sort of exercise every other day between my really hard days. I’ve been to several hip hop classes in SF and Campbell, and the energy and moves and fun of this class is 100X what I’ve ever experienced. He loves to dance. or at least he’s really good at it and seems to love it. I went on a bad day (the last day of the month, which is basically «finals» day since they’ve been taught the steps all month), but I had fun and still had a sweat.
ONE EXTRA STAR for Darnell: The studio has cubicles next to the entrance of the studio. When a random guy walked in from the street and sat in a chair in the studio, Darnell said he couldn’t be there. I was really glad he did that, mainly because I was afraid the guy might run off with some of our stuff when we weren’t looking.
ps — maybe I’m new to downtown, but if you are driving, it’s all metered parking in the area

I went to the ladies only class a few weeks ago. I was definitely nervous as I haven’t danced in a while but the instructor was very nice. They picked up where they had left off on choreo from last week but there wasn’t any review so I wasn’t lost as a new-​comer, all fresh stuff.
I had to ask people taking the class where to pay and what to do before-​hand so that’s why I marked stars-​off. If I hadn’t already bought the online 10-​class pass I might have left. There was no announcement as to what class was starting or any signs to point to the back office where you go to pay. Nos that I know how the process works, I think I would give 4 stars on a return trip.

Fun class!

I took the Cuban salsa class. It’s definitely a fun environment to be in but I think the teacher was going a little too fast for beginners. I think the teacher should’ve divided the groups by followers and leaders and displayed each foot work to make it easier to follow. I believe the music restarted every 10 minutes. 5 minutes to teach followers and then 5 minutes for followers and then get with your partner. I’ve taken a lot of dance classes and it’s just easier to follow. The teaching technique could’ve been a lot better so it would’ve been easier to follow. Overall, the class was fun and music was definitely fun to listen to.

I started taking dance classes here about a month ago and it’s been a really fun and challenging experience so far. I’ve taken No Boys Zone with Lynz on Wednesdays at 7, Sexy Hip Hop with Cera on Fridays at 6:30, beginner hip hop on Mondays with Daniel at 6:30 and Open Level Hip Hop on Thursdays with Samara and Jenay at 6:30. I have taken two advanced classes (that I really didn’t belong in since I’m not an advanced dancer but the instructors and people in the class are so friendly that I didn’t feel too out of place). All of the instructors are great dancers and I think they all dance and perform with dance crews. Every choreographer goes at a good pace and you can tell they all love to dance, and have been for a long time. I love that they incorporate moves from the choreography in the warm ups. The other attendees are very nice and helpful too.
Lynz’s class was the first class I took and her choreography is challenging and fun. She was the hook that got me in! I can always count on being introduced to my new favorite song of the week when I take her class. She’s very nice and is a super talented dancer and choreographer!
Cera’s Sexy Hip Hop class is so much fun! I love watching her dance! I happened to walk into a rehearsal she was having with her dance company and I loved the song and choreography and wanted to take her class. Her class is a newer class so there are not as many people (I kind of like smaller groups because you get more attention). I like that she uses dancehall moves in her choreography. You can definitely learn some sexy ish when you go to this class!
Daniel is the owner and is very nice and talented. I like his choreography a lot. The beginner class is awesome for beginners and challenging too for any level dancer. He teaches other classes too and doesn’t go too fast with the choreography. He and Lynz teach a training class on Sundays for people who want to become professional dancers.
I took Jenay and Samaras class once and will go back when my schedule permits. The particular night I went Jenay taught the class since there were only two people and Samara wasn’t feeling well. Normally that class is really full. What I liked about this experience is I felt like Jenay gave it her all even though there were only 2 people in the class. She’s a really good dancer and choreographer also.
Advanced hip hop is taught by many different instructors but out of the two I attended my favorite was Joey Dominguez. His class was really challenging and I liked that he talked about his intention and inspiration for the piece before he started teaching. I could tell that he dances from his soul and it’s awesome to watch.
Overall this place is a great place with great music, choreography, and people!

Tonight has been my third time taking a dance class at The Groove Studios in DT Oak & so far my experience has been nothing but a good challenge & tons of fun. I haven’t taken a dance class since I was in HS, about 6 yrs now, so I felt the need to start doing again what I love most. The dance instructor for the Wednesday nights — No Boys Allowed Class — is super talented, sweet and helpful. I wish I could take more classes through out the week, but given my busy schedule this is what I can do for now. I will definitely try to catch a sat or sun class from time to time. As you can guess, I really recommend this place! =)
Oh & i purchased the deal Unilocal has, the 5 classes for $ 40. Worth it!

This place is nice.2 story with the 2^nd store loft ish feeling, and upstairs had a studio with mirrors, not as large as downstairs. Through the dance floors there is an office, restrooms, and a small area to dance on with mirrors as well. They have a lot of reoccuring dance classes with great teachers who are great at what they do. Workshops are also held here by great dancers. I believe you may be able to rent the studio by the hour (in case you have a dance crew or similar situation).The people here are very nice and friendly, and some are very well rounded as far as dance styles go. Some are great choreographers who can also freestyle. Worth going to, and bring a friend! Drop ins are welcome. Parking is on the street so come early to find parking (you might have to pay depending on whereand when you park).The neighborhood isn’t the best, but perhaps not the worst either. Just like anywhere you go, hide your belongings, take what you need, lock your door, and be cautious with your surroundings.

Go:
–Because you’re bootylicious, baby
–To redeem the Unilocal deal on the app! $ 16 for two drop-​ins
–Because you have no excuse to be scurred of Oakland when it’s like 2 blocks from BART, silly city folks
This is a fun studio for all levels. I went to the K-​pop class last night and loved the instructor and choreography, even if I wasn’t in full Sasha Fierce (Sashay Fierce?) mode. It’s $ 12 for drop-​in regularly, and you can PayPal this on the website in advance, or just pay in-​person. Get there early to get a good spot. There are cubbies for your stuff and bathrooms to change in, though you have to walk through the main studio to get to the bathrooms. Your routine may be recorded and posted on their Facebook page, so prepare for that (or stay on the sidelines if you’re camera-​shy). Overall – a great way to push yourself out of your comfort zone or show off your mad skillz.
Excited to come back to try Ladies Hip Hop and find out if «Waacking» is as fun to do as it is to say.

I really like In The Groove Studio’s on Grand. Mario is awesome, fun, and a great teacher. Great music too. Highly recommend the class!

I’ve been taking the hip hop class with Mario at the Grand Ave location. He is absolutely awesome! He keeps the class interesting and does a great job of explaining the moves for those of us that need the play by play. The workout is enjoyable and you will leave there feeling like you had the best workout.
My friend and I ended up buying a 10 pass class and will continue to go as long as we can. Definitely recommend!

Yeeeeeew! That was my self esteem shooting through the third floor apartment this morning!
Although this was not a New Year resolution, Hip Hop dance has been on my radar for a loooong time coming. I have danced since I was two and always enjoyed it, however I haven’t been a participant in an actual class since I was 18. So it’s been a while and I’m rusty and a little out of shape and I looked a little Gumby-​ish when I danced last. Guess what?! Nobody cared, everyone is much more concerned with their performance than worrying about what you do or don’t do.
The class I took was: No boys allowed, Ladies only Hip Hop. It was open level. Open level just means all levels welcome from beginner to advanced and everything in between. I found it challenging, but definitely not something completely out of my league. When class was through (time flew) I found myself in disbelief that it had really been an hr! I noticed some girls rolling into other classes. For instance I showed up as the 6 o’clock class was ending and noticed the girls stayed for my 7 o’clock class then even after for the 9 o’clock class! Deaaaamnnn, I can tell I am going to be hooked!
I can’t remember the instructors name, but she was awesome. She took time to go over moves she could tell we– or I, were struggling on. She answered all questions concisely and really adjusted well to everyone and their specific needs. It was amazing. Her choreography was a so sick too. She only teaches the Wednesday 7pm class and I’m sad to say I usually work Wednesday so it will be difficult to return. I’m already signed up for other beginner hip hop and hoping all of the instructors are just as amazing as her!
Can’t wait for the next class!

I’ve been taking the Bodywerks dance fitness classes with Momo and he is amazing! Beginners are welcomed and a large emphasis is put on learning and practicing different moves, not just «following along». Incredibly positive, highly charged atmosphere. Momo is so passionate about his dancing that you can’t help but feel the same (and I’m speaking as an incredibly self-​conscious person). Drop-​ins are allowed and classes run $ 12 per session. The location is really convenient. There is a free shuttle from uptown Oakland that drops you off just a couple blocks away and 12^th St. BART and City Center are also within walking distance.

Everytime I’ve come here since my first, I’ve had nothing less then excellent experiences. The other studio on grand I highly recommend. Parking is free usually after 6 on certain days and it’s a much friendlier neighborhood viewing lake merrit.
Again, studio was clean, staff have top quality choreography, and great music. Highly recommend cardio hip hop.

I took Zumba with Melody two days ago and am still incredibly sore, yet for some reason I am drawn to returning tonight for some more pain. Melody, played some great zumba beats, better than most classes I have been to and even incorporated a little hip hop, which I never knew I could zumba to and rather enjoyed. She killed it on the squats over and over again but mixed the routines up so you didn’t feel like you were over working the same areas. The class was pretty easy to follow and was diverse with people all ages and ethnicities.
Maybe it was an off day but Melody didn’t seem very approachable or welcoming in the beginning of class and I also noticed she didn’t talk that much during the class, just random screams and hollas. I’m not letting that discourage me though cause class was bomb and maybe that will change the more I go :)
Another annoying thing was that Melody had to keep stopping class to tell people to walk to the back of the studio to register or to get to the other class, which was going on as the same time as our class. Of course, the only way to get to that class is by walking through ours.
Great studio, a little on the small size but perfect for the class size, which was small (maybe 10 people). There is a huge mirror on one of the walls, which made it so much easier to follow what the instructor was doing.
Very public transit accessible, just wish the class started at 6 so I didn’t have to pay for parking. P. s neighborhood is a little sketch, park on a main street

First time here, amazing experience!
It was a little present that I can give to my cousin since she loves to dance and her birthday is near! Daniel, who is the instructor or the teacher or manager whatever is super nice and friendly! He’s definitely very caring too, especially about kids! I really appreciated his kindness towards us on our very first day; makes me feel so welcomed and warmed and definitely come back again!
Even though my cousin was expecting to learn hip-​hop with her best friend today, but instead they learned popping which was a bit difficult for them! I was watching them trying to learn the moves such as wave, tut moves and popping their body, it was really difficult for them! Overall, they told me they had a very fun time!
My cousin is thinking of coming back here for dance lessons and Daniel offered to give a good deal for her to learn hip-​hop! Loving this place so much! Highly recommended.
If you’re not comfortable dancing, you can always sit on the side and watch! Your family members are welcomed to stay and watch you perform! There is a little area that makes you feel like home (a living room like). Very clean place, you guys must join!
They have different style of dancing, even workout dances like Zumba! They let drop-​ins participate too, so it’s a good opportunity for you and your kids to join! No matter if your too old or too young, you’re never too young or too old to dance and show off your moves!