Joy of Motion Dance Center

The Dupont location is no longer there :(

One, Two, Three and Four, Five Six, Seven, Eight… Keep it tight, Keep it Clean and bring the Energy!!!
Ok so if anyone knows me then they know how much I LOVE too dance… if you just met me then you would be shocked because I don’t look like I like too dance (not sure how one is suppose to look like when they don’t know how to dance… LOL) Anyway,
Joy of Motion is an AWESOME place… I mean they have so many different style of dancing that fits EVERYONES preference. I personally am in too Hip Hop & Breakdance so when I took there Hip Hop class I was hooked!!! I mean I came home practicing the routines as if I was getting ready for a performance.
I really like this place… you can do what you love to do as well as get your exercises on. The prices of the class are fairly reasonable but I’m sure if you stick it with you will probably see those reasonable prices add up.
I am seriously considering going back so I can take breakdance class…
YES I AM A UNDERCOVER «B» Boy…

I am taking a beginning belly dancing class here. This is definitely a more formal, structured environment than other dance studios I’ve been to. Only certain classes are available on a drop-​in basis, for most you must sign up for the entire session. This can be good in that you have a consistent group in your class and can build skills from week to week, but bad in that you have to pay even if you miss a class.
My instructor Haidi is great. I like that she has gotten into some of the more technical aspects of belly dancing rather that just urging «Shake what your mamma gave ya!» She really seems to know her stuff.
The Dupont location is very convenient, but you do have to go in a sketchy alley door that makes me feel like I’m on my way to an illegal high-​stakes poker game rather than a belly dancing class.

Why I love JOM:
— Thank you for Drop In Classes w/​out forcing me to enroll, meaning I can be as active or lazy as I please.
— Yay for multiple locations all around town.
— Thanks for making most of your adult classes after 6pm
— And can we say variety?
What could stand to improve:
— I think you raised your prices this Spring… were you really always $ 17/​class?
— Student discount is $ 12/​class but then I can’t buy classes in bulk?
I’d been a dancer for 10 years or so (not professional, but studied at a ballet studio then a theatre conservatory) before going ‘dormant’ for 4 years. Seeing as I hate the gym, JOM is a fantastic alternative for exercise, and one that actually teaches you a useful skill.
I’ve tried several of the ballet classes (ranging from beginning to intermediate) and all the teachers have been uniformly great. Some pace the classes more slowly than others. Some are more upbeat. One of them has an odd tendency to play instrumental versions of Disney show tunes for both Barre and Adagio. In some classes, you will be doing turns and leaps across the floor in pairs or singly. Just relax.
The hip hop classes are a mix of styles, definitely some funk, some video stuff — not a lot of krumping or lock & pop (thank God, because, you know, my bones are not bendy like that). Personally, Juli Calderon’s class is a fave — it feels a little more jazz influenced to me — but try Aysha Upchurch for an upbeat, high energy time. These classes move quickly but feel free to show up if you don’t know what you’re doing. Everyone is really warm and supportive. The class does break up into groups to do choreography for the last 30 minutes but at no point will you be dancing by yourself, if that makes you nervous.
JOM also offers Modern (which I’ve heard is great), Floor Barre, Contact Improv, African, Ballroom, and God knows what else. When I get up the courage to have random strangers pick me up and throw me around, I’ll be trying Contact Improv. I’ll let you know how that goes.

I didn’t grow up social dancing, so last year I decided to take a couple classes here and catch up. Luckily for me, JOM does a great job in teaching the basics.
The salsa classes are fun. About one-​third of the people in the class were couples; the rest of us had signed up on our own. We rotated partners every few minutes, which is important for learning social dance, and the instructor was part of the rotation. The instructor (Orlando or Anthony for the classes I had) kept things moving and pushed us. Overall, a good experience. My only complaint (aside from my incompatibility with salsa) is that the gender balance in the classes can be very skewed. For the enrollment series, JOM doesn’t tie you in to any specific class time. It can be frustrating when there are so many guys that the women have to sit out every other rotation. Fortunately this wasn’t a problem in all of my classes.
I also took the intro to social ballroom series. The class covers the very basics of waltz, foxtrot, and swing. Again, a great instructor (David Norton) who really emphasized teaching the guys how to lead. I also appreciated that he focused on making sure we could find the count in a song in the first class… lousy rhythm makes for a bad dance partner. Except for a handful of us, most of the people in class were couples who I suspected had come to brush up for their «wedding dance.» The instructor mostly kept couples together, and the unattached people rotated among themselves (and the instructor). In my opinion, this is not ideal for a social dance class. The gender balance in this class was actually pretty even — the instructor made an effort to make sure there were enough leads. This is a good intro to social dance, but don’t expect to be the belle of the ball after just these classes. Use the series to get the basics like rhythm, frame, leading, and following, and to figure out what style of dance you like best.

I just went to a Hip Hop class here for the first time this evening (with Juli), and boy was it a rude awakening. Really, I can dance, but apparently I no longer have a knack for learning choreography quickly. I took a beginner class and it moved a lot faster than I was expecting, or maybe more appropriately, was ready for. Have you have ever seen the episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air where Vivian takes a dance class for the first time in a long time? Well, I kind of felt like that. I talked to Juli after class and she assured me that after a few classes I would start picking things up more quickly. Therefore, once I take more classes, I will probably amend this review.
In any case, this was my first visit to JOM and also my first class. The dance studio was smaller than I expected, but one reviewer said it was the biggest of all of them. Perhaps it is the fact that it IS a rectangle that makes it seem small. There were also a ton of people in the class. Although I felt like I was making a mockery of myself, I did have fun and I am looking forward to improving my skills at following choreography. Juli was fun and had good choreography, and I definitely plan on continuing with her class.
At this point I think that JOM has a lot to offer with a wide variety of dance classes, including yoga, and several locations. The prices are reasonable, though I wish they offered a membership option rather than flexicards. Flexicards give you the option of purchasing a certain amount of «drop-​in» classes at a slightly lower rate by paying up front. I am really happy that I have found a place to take dance classes in the city.

Its great that there is a dance studio in the heart of Dupont — I just wish that the entrance wasnt down a dark and scary alley.

The Dupont location has the largest studio; unfortunately, it is a long rectangle so movement is from end to end or in place. Classes are always changing, but I’ve taken modern here (with Helanius) and hip-​hop (with Joseph and Juli). Sunday morning with Helanius has a warm up with a lot of jumping and power walking. Combinations are fairly slow (lots of turns, side-​to-​side) and easy to get. Hip-​hop with Joseph is fast and lots of illusion type moves — super smooth. Hip-​hop with Juli is super fast and lots of power moves — girl power. The hip-​hop combinations are advanced, so best to be prepared.

I am shocked that there are no reviews of the JOM in Dupont Circle.
Shame, shame.
I have taken two types of classes here. Salsa and hip-​hop.
My salsa classes (i took beginner I and then beginner II) were enrollment classes where you pay for X number of classes (i think around $ 70 for 5 or 6 classes). My teacher Natalia was great (though I have heard the male teacher is better, but that is arguable). I loved the classes and they seriously can teach anyone how to dance. I ended up taking semi-​private classes for intermediate dancers at her home studio, and recently found out they offer drop-​in intermediate salsa clases on wednesdays, which i need to check out!
I have also taken the drop-​in hip hop classes offered on sundays… what a way to humble yourself! If you know me, you know I am a pretty decent dancer… but following actual choreography is a skill I lack. Taking these classes is fun and a definite work out. Guys and girls take the classes, too.
Overall, JOM is awesome… they offer tons of classes from yoga to belly dancing to ballet and even breakdancing (though not at the dupont location). che-​che-​che-​che-​check it out!