Ballroom Dancing At the Cubberley Pavilion

What: This weekly dancing has been around for the past 20+ years. I remember coming here when I was 13 years old (20 years ago) with my aunt and uncle and of course being the youngest one here with the average age of attendees being 40 years old. 20 years later… I come here and it hasn’t changed at all. Still an older crowd.
How: Inside is like a big gym like being at a high school dance haha. Outside parking like you’re parking at high school and walking in to go to PE. You can go on the website for a calendar of what dance they’re teaching for that week.
Overall: A-​OK in my book… it’s definitely not a spot for a crazy night out and you will feel out of place if you’re any younger than 40 years old. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but that’s the reality of the population that frequents this venue.

I went to the Friday night dance to learn waltz. It was $ 9 for 22 year olds and up. CASH ONLY. It is a community center after all.
The class was slow-​paced but you should at least know the very basics of ballroom to get your money’s worth since you don’t get any one on one time. If you are lucky you will dance with a more experienced dancer who can help you through it. I kept up fairly well because I know other dances.
After the class session is over, there were a couple of open practice with the lights on. After that the lights dimmed and they opened the floor for other styles. They display what dance is being played as well the upcoming ones which is very useful. I learned swing from a very patient man and had a blast. It is very laid back but there are many experienced dancers moving quickly so be aware of your surroundings.
They also have a nifty water fountain that has a spout specifically for filling water bottles as well as the classic school yard spout. The water was crisp and delicious! Always refreshing after a work out.

This weekly dance event has really gone down the tube. It’s run so unprofessionally, it’s a joke.
DON’T WASTE YOU TIME going there on SATURDAY NIGHT!
Haven’t been back in a while, I decided to go there last Saturday night to dance a little without confusing my brain with more dance steps. I typically prefer to gp there after dance lessons have concluded, paying the after 9:15 door fee, dance for about an hour then head home.
The drinking fountain machine was broken & removed for quite a while now, the only water you can get is the water on the counter.
Last Saturday evening we were surprised with a NEW rule that if you come after 9:15 and ONLY paid the $ 3 per person fee to come in, YOU BETTER BYOW (bring your own water). When I went to the counter to get some water from the water bottle they put on the counter, the fee collecting woman (& self proclaimed bouncer) insulted my friend in her face. She came over & told us that the $ 3 per person I paid is ONLY for dancing, the fee does NOT include drinks or snacks on the counter (nothing fancy & we did not touch the late night snacks) Note that there’s NO water anywhere in the dance venue except water tabs in the restrooms.)
The staff and event owner’s behavior was stupid and absurd. The «peace» loving event organizer/​owner (Phil Mast? per web site) was standing by the counter when I questioned the fee collecting woman: «AM I NOT supposed to drink water?» Phil just played dumb and remained silent.
If you have no interest learning endless more complex dance steps and just want to dance stretch out a little after the lessons are over, DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME. You are better off go to any dance clubs in town, you could get a beer or cocktail and enjoy the ambiance better.
If you still insist on going to Cubberly ballroom to dance, DO NOT DRINK THE WATER ON THE COUNTER! DON’T EVEN GO THERE.
I advise the event organizer post their new rules notice ON THE COUNTER and notify people who are paying the entry fees as they come in.
WHAT A JOKE.
Side note, I just checked the web site again and noticed they removed the wordings about coming after 9:15 for $ 3 per person which they have been doing for a long time. If they changed their policy, they should POST it openly on the web site AND at the door! DON’T TAKE door fee and be rude/​insulting customers.

It supposed to be a spacious place to take class and to dance out a fun night. Unfortunately they can’t stop a bully problem on Saturday night dance there –
Instead of asking, a regular male guest tends to just grab woman to dance with him, and he even harasses you if you dare to refuse him and protest. Whoever runs the dance just responded about our complain, «I want people come here to be happy… I want peace.» How though? Not by allowing the same misbehavior for sure at their place for sure.
You’ll see him — one the tallest and biggest guys there, with black hair and black mustache, in black T-​shirt, black pants, named ‘Robert’ according to the lady at the gate, who knew whom we referred to right away once we started to share with her regarding this guy.
It is too bad indeed…

If you live anywhere near this place, you need to come try it at least once, just to see what we’re talking about. And if you like people, especially really friendly people, who miss you when you don’t show up, and smile and patiently teach you dance by dance, step by step, the whole time telling you how good you are (when you aren’t yet), people who plan regular parties and outings and get togethers and activities outside the dance, and will send you emails about concerts and dances and shows, free ones, and prefer that it’s NOT a snooty place where only people who are into competing go. Yes, if you’re youngish and are more comfortable around the under 50 crowd, bring FRIENDS with you… hey we were thinking of offering price breaks for new comers who bring others… Just know that, at least for me, the FUN starts AFTER the lessons stop and they turn the lights down low and the music doesn’t stop… and the ladies don’t pee on the restroom seats the way they do at those snooty studios. Young ladies, don’t be concerned about the older dudes… they won’t chase you into the parking lot (and all of the women are more than willing to walk with you). Young men, be gentle… you’re stronger than you think, be even more gentle if you think your lead is late… yanking her faster isn’t the solution; never yank. Both of you: brush your teeth, no perfumes or body sprays, and just WALK RIGHT UP and ASK everyone to dance… sometimes us old folks are just plain tired from the day and can barely get up from chatting with all the other old folks… but we WANT to dance, really… it’s why we dragged our asses there in the first place. Come meet one of the crazies.
Oh and other dances you really need to go to if you like West Coast Swing (and some country and nightclub 2step): Michelle Kinkaids once-​a-​month Sunday dance at Imperial in RWC
And Samy Makar’s SALSA RUEDA… EVERYONE must RUEDA!!! Learn it first at the class at the Los Gatos community center Wednesday nights. We do it every time they play a salsa at Cubberley
UPDATE: i have to agree with the Mandy C. reviewer now… havent’ been back in a year. this is what i just sent her: i have to agree… not about that ONE alone… and NOT just the men… i haven’t been back there in a year… once the BITCHES who run that place decided they didn’t like me for some reason… they were HORRID bullies to me. physically harming me… and COWARDS. would NOT discuss it with me

I’ve been going to this dance for over 20 years. When Robin retired and Allen and Pamela took it over, I was afraid that they would make major changes, but so far they really have kept the friendly feel and wide variety of music and dances. And the free snacks have even improved, including home baked cookies!
Some people confuse the Friday Night Dancers with the Saturday night dance run by Phil. These are two separate businesses with different owners, so the review below that complains about the advertised free admission and the requested «donation» is for a different night and has nothing to do with the Friday night dance.
I really like the large floor, friendly atmosphere, and variety of good dancers. And the intermediate dancers aren’t snobby about dancing with beginners, which is great when you are trying to learn. There is also lots of free parking, so overall I think this is a great value compared to some of the dance studios that have small floors and try to convince you to buy lessons.

We’ve been coming to this place for over 2 years, almost every week. My partner progressed from beginners to solid intermediate. The lessons are really good for the price, and you don’t pay for any fancy stuff like mirrored walls and shiny floors. Also, no worry if you didn’t bring a partner, the partners get switched.
There is a 1 hour lesson, then a party. I dance with my own partner during the party but switch partners during the lesson. It really helps to progress as some people are very experienced dancers. Mostly they are older and retired people and come in all shapes and sizes, but it’s really irrelevant to how they dance.
There are 2 groups in this place, like 2 businesses — for Friday and for Saturday. Friday teaches 2 groups, Saturday 3. We come more often Saturdays. For beginner lessons I would recommend Phil on Saturdays, he’s very good explaining even for people who got 2 left feet. He also teaches on Wednesday nights in Lucie Stern. For intermediate/​advanced lessons I would recommend Tim. He teaches on Saturdays but sometimes on Fridays too. His steps are challenging enough for experienced dancers not to get bored, and his teaching is good to make the steps work.

Review #200. It is supposed to be for something special. I guess I could tell you all about the wonderful time I had at this ballroom dancing venue.
I was sent here by my instructor at a ballroom dancing class I am currently taking. It was a Friday night and they were having intermediate west coast swing, beginning and intermediate waltz classes. I was there for the beginner waltz class. There were a lot of people from my class there and it was a bit difficult to hear the instructor because of the echo in the gymnasium. At the end I still learned a few new steps and the waltz social mixer afterward was fun.
The party afterward was interesting. I only wish I know more dances. People were friendly and there were quite a few advanced dancers there. I had fun just watching them dance.
The dance floor is nice. It is huge and you have a lot of room to move around. It is really perfect for those traveling dance. Don’t worry. It has decent lighting even though is it just one giant gymnasium. I can’t wait to check this place out again once I have learned more. I would say this place is more suitable for people that are serious about ballroom dancing. If you are just looking for a social dance party to mingle and meet people this might not be the best place.
$ 8 for the lesson. $ 5 if you are a full time student with a valid ID. Free (non-​alcoholic) refreshment provided.

If you’re young and inexperienced you may enjoy yourself immensely or want to leave immediately. The price, however, is a total bargain for students. I went with a group of six girls and three guys. Don’t expect this to be a glamorous affair with gorgeous men whisking you away to dance. If you do expect this, you will be let down. It’s mostly seniors who come here to dance and have a good time. Be open minded. I don’t quite know what she was thinking, but one of our girl friends was sorely disappointed and demanded that we leave. However, at that time the majority of us were have too much fun to leave. Sucked for her.
There are two types of lessons: beginner and intermediate. I did the beginner class and found that the lessons were easy to follow and a lot of fun. We came for the West Coast swing night. It was a themed «sock-​hop.» You have to trade off partners, so don’t come here thinking that if you come with a partner you will not have to dance with strange old people-​you will. Once the lessons are over, the party begins, so to speak. They play a variety of dances. I swear, you won’t know all of them. Lots of older men will ask you to dance. Don’t be nervous. They are very nice (most of them) and they know all the moves. I had this one man who asked me to dance a waltz and I had no idea what to do with my footwork. So he thought I had no idea what waltz time was and pounded ¾ on my shoulder. Needless to say, it pissed me off.
Overall, this was a great experience. We stayed like four hours! Come with an open mind, comfy dancing shoes and a water bottle.

4÷8÷08 Update
Went on Friday, price is now $ 8 for the lesson and dance. Michelle Kinkaid was teaching the intermediate West Coast Swing lesson and Robin Rebello was teaching the beginning at 8pm and the dance started at 9pm. Attendance was around 200 for the dance. Nice and cool since it is still the springtime.
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This is a huge gymnasium, 12,000 sq. ft., so for traveling dances, you can really move but is does have a cavernous feel since it is so open with the basketball lines on the floor and tall ceilings and the music can sound echoey (if that is a real word). I remember on a Friday night, there could be as many as 400 dancers and on Saturday, a little less. Mostly beginner and some intermediate dancers.
The cost is pretty cheap compared to Ballroom studios. For $ 7, you get a lesson and the dance. Going rate at ballrooms are as high at $ 15 in the area.
Ample parking next to the Pavilion, the women’s restrooms were around 3 – 4 stalls, but no AC in the Pavilion, they use large fans to move the air around, so in the summer, can get warm. No drinks allowed in the dance area, must drink in the lobby.
So for a non ballroom studio feel, less intimidating, this might be for you, on the other hand, there isn’t much atmosphere inside the Pavilion.