Urban Artistry Inc.

Thursday, 7:30 PM.
Quickie:
+ Great instructors
+ Class variety
And then???
It’s clear that Urban Artistry has goals beyond just teaching dancing. Their staff is trying to build a community, and use different dance styles as ways to pass on important cultural traditions. They have a curriculum flexible enough to handle youngsters and people with two left feet (like me). Check out Urban Artistry and see what they’re trying to build!

Being a visitor, I was given a warm welcome by this exceptional community. Highly skilled and truly passionate dancers and teachers, a well-​considered pedagogy encouraging one’s individuality, embedded in a powerful mission — Urban Artistry’s classes allow for an amazing holistic experience!

Urban Artistry is an amazing community of dancers whom I’ve been blessed to jam with for the past four years. I started taking classes with UA in early 2011: I was 33 at the time, had been doing folk dance regularly for a couple of years, and had been dancing to electronica since I was a teenager — but never with any actual training in house/​hip-​hop/​urban dance movement. I was the kind of person who would go to a club, see a dance circle form, and watch the skilled dancers ‘going in’ to the center and doing their thing, as I stood on the sidelines in admiration (and often in awe!). But I never, ever dreamt of ‘going in’ myself.
I decided to take that first UA class in 2011 because I wanted to partner with the group in producing a community dance event and felt that going to the UA studio (then in Bethesda) would be a great way to get to know the dancers. What I found was a community of people who welcomed and encouraged me to learn and persist — especially in the beginning, when much of the movement being taught was new and challenging to follow. But persist I did, and within a few months, I had joined the UA dancers at one of their favorite DC dance venues and actually mustered up the courage to enter a dance circle, or ‘cypher’, for the first time.
Since then, I’ve been training with UA on a regular basis — at least once a month, and occasionally several times a month (if I had the time, I would be at the studio once or twice a week!) Thanks to the training, I’ve opened up my movement in ways that I hadn’t imagined before. In a nutshell, I’ve been liberated on the dance floor, and UA has provided the inspiration and the education — not only in the actual movement, but also in the history of urban dance culture. I believe this is what sets the UA folks apart — their commitment to educating dance students about how, when and where dance styles originated, and who were the dancers who mentored and motivated them back in the day. By learning about the traditions and dancers who came before me, I feel inspired to be part of a community that’s dedicated to keeping the culture thriving into the future.

IF I COULD GIVE THEM 10 STARS OUT OF 5 STARS I WOULD!!!
If you want to learn from scratch, or you’re already an expert and want to sharpen up your skills THIS is the one and only dance studio (and i’ve been to A LOT) I would go back to! Even the most advanced dancers aren’t vain or dumb enough to think they have nothing left to learn. There is always more and this place will get you there.
It is run by some absolute legends and the teachers are all not only amazing dancers but more importantly amazing teachers. They travel around the world sharing their craft because they and their company (urban artistry) are so well respected in the dance world. These men and women are nothing short of prophets spreading the gospel of good music, good vibes, and diverse dances. The place is real, authentic, and genuine. It’s welcoming, warm, friendly, and accessible. I’m a pretty shy dancer and typically don’t like doing this kind of thing (I feel like ppl are watching me and it makes me self conscious) but here I didn’t feel any of that. I felt open to dance without judgement, ask questions, and be corrected one on one. That’s right, ONE ON ONE! The teacher to student ratio is awesome so you actually get lots of personalized attention and it feels like a private class but without the price tag. I also loved the camaraderie, at the end of each class old students and other teachers would come in for an open free style dance cypher, each one hugging and catching up like a big family! They are close knit but not cliquey or exclusive, they seem to find joy in inviting new people into their special place with open arms and giving them a chance and the space to be part of the community too.
Another word about the teachers, these aren’t just people with day jobs who teach part time to make extra money, they are PROFESSIONAL DANCERS who make a living off of their art and who are very well respected in the dance community. So you know you are getting professional quality lessons from people extremely passionate and experienced.
This is the kind of place where you won’t just learn the dance, but you’ll also learn the history, the music, and the terminology.
One last note, every single one of the classes I went to I had to remind staff twice (before and after) to take my money for the class I took. I basically had to beg them to take it before I would forget to give it to them. So I don’t know where this Chetayia V is getting her info or why she gave it 1 star for asking her for money. Also, judging by this persons review, they have never even danced (any of these styles) before and only went to 1 class. No real dancer says «street styles of dance» hahaha what a joke. Oh wait and this person actually just admitted in their review that they only went once! shesh, it’s people like that that are ruining Unilocal.Also if you have ever taken a dance class before in your life, you know their prices are extremely reasonable and far lower than most places in the DC area. Sounds like Chetayia watched «step it up» once and decided she wanted to be as good as channing tatum in 1 class, then was disappointed when she found out she had no rhythm and it was impossible. what a poser.

Authentic as it gets in terms of culture, dance, and conscious movement. A great workout as well. I wish I could go weekly as I really miss it.

Talent, Culture, Professionalism & Friendliness, that’s Urban Artistry in 4 words. I began taking dance classes with Urban Artistry 3 years ago as a way to learn about and explore music from another angle. I stuck with it for the past 3 years because I found the individual tutelage and their passion (authenticity) to be rooted in a genuine desire to help their students grow into their own comfort level as a dancer. Prior to my first dance class with them, I had never danced a single day in my life (not even at friends’ weddings). Within 2 years I was confident enough and competent enough to begin entering competitions in house dance and open-​style (free-​style) in DC and NYC.
Urban Artistry certainly has world-​class talent among a wide variety of dance styles and that will be obvious to you from the first day (they’re an amazing bunch to watch). More importantly, they are able to craft their classes to meet the individual demands of the students, in that the classes are structured to allow for individual progressions. They offer classes for beginners and advanced, but neither class is too elementary, nor too intimidating.
Inside of the studio, out in the dance clubs, and on the street with their street performances, they carry their professionalism with them, all the while creating a very welcoming/​approachable atmosphere. They’ve forged friendships around the world because of this friendly environment and it’s helped me feel more welcome in the dance community as I vacation around the country. Plus, if one of the UA teachers sees you in the club, there’s a chance you’ll end up with another impromptu dance lesson.
They offer free classes on occasion as well as free open-​dance sessions during the week, which can be another chance to get some lessons. They also offer some discounts on long-​term packages. I certainly have a deeper appreciation for musical styles, instruments and dance now.
Mike

I have been taking classes from Urban Artistry Dance Academy for the past 5 months. I am currently taking Wushu, Applied Hip Hop, and Intro to Locking. This company and great group of people have opened their doors to me and showed me the core values of what culture means through movement. I have grown as a person and gained new skills and great confidence in myself through their dance programs. Their pedagogical skills are top notch and they honestly care to see me succeed outside the studio. The classes are fun, challenging and very well explained. They take great responsibility in building a dance community that respect history and welcomes everyone. Besides the classes, they have thrown some amazing battles and jams at their studio, where I have met new people and had some of my best time! Their prices are affordable and worth it, and some more :)

Although it was my mistake to visit the school prior to researching or simply watching a class (and allowing my assumptions on quality to lead me there), my experience was regrettable and rather upsetting. The school might work for those who are completely unfamiliar with street styles of dance. The dance studio personnel (who are extremely friendly and very dedicated to the school) seem to have a focus on making money than on ensuring that its students are learning valuable skills. Under the guise of ‘teaching the culture’ of the dance by packaging and selling it, the focus is more on talk about common sense topics and practicing of existing dance skills. If you are still willing to try the school beyond learning for free through youtube, make sure you go watch the classes first — for free.