ODC School and Rhythm & Motion Dance Program

This is a great dance school. ODC teaches a lot of different styles and has so many classes for adults. You can indulge any day of the week! I have been to a few different classes at ODC and loved them all, with the exception of Tika’s Reggaeton Fusion class. She is a rather arrogant, almost rude instructor, which takes all the fun out of the class. If you are not at an advanced level but just want to have fun and learn, I don’t recommend Tika’s class. Other than that, ODC is an adult dancer’s dream come true.

If you’re ever in a rut or just plain bored, I’d recommend getting your booty over to ODC and shake out all of your stresses and frustrations. I had heard about this gem through friends’ word of mouth (s?), but didn’t get to explore it on my own until I was on Classpass. The 3 visits I made each month were by far my favorite of any Classpass offerings. From Bollywood to Latin Vibes to Modern Dance Fusion genres, I was always kept on my toes with new moves and combinations, and everyone in the classes always seemed to be extremely happy and healthy. Those positive vibes are contagious, and my mood was always boosted every time I strolled into the Shotwell studio. Can’t wait to go back and be ready for the next big SF flash mob!

I have been following Jenya at her various hip hop classes around the Bay Area and swear by them. Since I started taking her class four years ago in a packed small studio, I have watched her following grow and fill bigger dance floors like ODC. I have always loved Jenya’s cool, easy going style combined with her fun, challenging choreo and solid music that has hooked me and many friends. I have been wishing to see her teach in a bigger studio for a while and would love to see her regularly at ODC!

Check out Jenya’s hip-​hop classes on Fridays 6:15. I was attending her classes at other location for over a year and loved it!
She is very good at breaking down and teaching moves, very funny and creative person. Her classes are very well structured and include working out part, basic steps/​moves part and the routine itself.
You will like it!

Like celebrating women on International Women’s Day (today), praising ODC on Unilocal is something I cannot do enough and should have done earlier! Thank you Mom, Susan B. Anthony and all my female teachers from ODC!
For beginners and intermediate hip hop students, ODC offers a Friday evening class that is truly differentiated for both beginners and more advanced students. It’s not one of those «all levels» dance classes that is code for «beginners are welcome to get trampled in the back», or «Intermediate students in need of an ego boost might benefit from the boring routines they teach», but instead is a class with routines broken down into arms only, feet only, and differentiated routines for different levels.
I have taken this class from both Jenya Lum and Shereen Prince.
Jenya’s fun, unassuming yet playful personality makes class feel like you are hanging out with your best dance friends, even if you just met them that day after coming late to class. She teaches two bars of 8 during each class, and continues to build on those each week, so that after a few weeks you have a long routine under your belt, and you are always learning something new.
Shereen teaches a routine that she builds on for about 3 weeks, and then teaches a new one. Her class is fun, structured and welcoming! She is always clear about when she is reviewing steps and assures newbies that previous students have had more exposure to the routine. She welcomes questions and breaks down the mechanics for how to pull off those oh so sauve hip hop moves that look ridiculous the first few months you try them.
Thanks to these ladies I have people in night clubs assuming that I am somehow a naturally confident, sexy dancer, but the truth is that practice with good teachers makes perfect! If you want to be one of the cool kids, who loves your cardio routine, get this Friday class on your calendar (and I suppose some of the other classes are worth a look;)

5 stars hands down.
On one hand, sharing is caring. On the other, I want to keep it a secret to prevent it from being overrun by demand.
Salsa Rueda classes with Ryan and Sidney? Fantastic. Come on Sunday for a more intimate and laid back lesson, or on Friday for the real deal (a.k.a 3 ruedas in the same room madness). That’s what got me hooked in the first place.
Also, did you know you can study drums & percussion here? Big shoutout to Alfie for building a community of budding Brazililian percussionists, blasting Samba beats for those dancers! It doesn’t stop there though, he gets you involved with even more musicians outside of the school if you stick around.
For me the best part has generally been the attitude of the students and the teachers. They’re really welcoming and will get you through to the level you’re working towards if you put in the time and effort.
(oh, and the first lesson is $ 5, for real)

Really great, clean dance studio with a lot of great options. I’ve taken the Monday Hip Hop class and the Thursday Intermediate Hip Hop class with Micaya. My first time there, I loved peeking in on the different sessions. You can tell that the instructors are professional and that they teach well.
I will say though that the Monday Hip Hop class is more like Hip Hop Cardio than it is a hip hop technique class. It said that it’s for all levels… but it is really like an intro-​level hip hop class. The warm up was very long/​repetitive and there was an ab workout section. I was a bit perplexed, to say the least, for my first introduction to ODC.
However, I gave ODC another chance and took Micaya’s Intermediate class. This is definitely a more true intermediate class although I will say that Micaya’s style is a bit more commercial than say, some of the City Dance hip hop instructors which are a bit more technical and style-​specific. Micaya’s class is popular and she taught fast but clearly. Micaya teaches through 8-​counts while most of the City Dance instructors I have taken classes teach off of sound effects that I have to interpret from the track. She also was not shy to call people out and give them advice to adjust their form. At first this was a bit intimidating but actually, if you really want to improve as a dancer, you need to be open to direct feedback. Sometimes though, given the size of the class, this one-​on-​one attention can be limited. Overall, it was a great and challenging class.

This dance studio is legit.
I’ve taken a «rhythm and flow» and“hip hop” dance classes so far, and I think I will be back for more.
The rhythm and flow class is pretty intimidating (I probably won’t come back for this one). I knew I would struggle in this class as soon as I peeped a pair of those nude, ugly (IMHO) heels that only dedicated dancers invest in. I quickly got the feeling that just about everyone else in the class had a modern/jazz/some-sort-of-dance-that-I-don’t-even-know-the-name-of dance background. I definitely free styled it 95% of the time. Don’t worry, the 5% of the time I was able to follow along was during the warm up stretching and 5 minutes of ab work at the end.
The hip hop dance class, on the other hand, was significantly more doable. Jenya came in as a sub, and she is AWESOME!
There’s a bhangra class I want to take and probably a bunch of other fancy schmancy classes that could be fun.
Street parking, but a stone’s throw from BART!

An amazingly warm and welcoming dance community provides fun and fitness for any dorky, fitness-​minded, two-​left feet, rhythm-​challenged, uncoordinated person. Primarily me. And maybe you, too? I’m a graceful dancer, but only in my head. I’m truly dorky, but my bf is strangely okay with that. Thank you to all those who smiled at me when I got in their way during the Rhythm and Motion class, because I was feeling absolutely out of my element, and even more thanks for those who tried to help me along. Good times!

So, I recently decided to amp up my interest in dance and begin taking classes at a real studio — a friend suggested I check out the House Basics class here, and it was love at first sweat. I’m not used to house dancing techniques, but JenAy is very good at breaking down the steps and her class is just a lot of fun. A great way to break it down outside of a club setting and minus any liquid calories!
I also really enjoyed taking the contemporary dance classes here, though the beginner’s class with Kristin is a little too crowded. Hiphop with Micaya was also fun, but again, the class seemed over capacity. Her style reminded me of the hard «You Got Served» vibe, whereas Shereen’s classes are more TLC/​Janet Jackson-​esque.
There’s just something about taking classes at a real dance studio that changes everything if you’re interested in dance. I’ve never had formal dance training, and I really wish I had pursued this interest earlier on. You’ll find that everyone who attends class here has a vested interest, so there’s a lot of inspiration/​competitive energy to thrive off of.
HIGHLY recommend — also, they offer a sweet new student package deal where you can try out 4 classes for only $ 24. What’s not to love?

I’ve never danced a day in my life (beyond solo shower dance parties), but always itched to. I’d put it off for many years, because it seemed incredibly intimidating. I am neither coordinated nor experienced, but I’m very glad I took the plunge.
ODC’s location and facility were great, and the $ 5 first class price + class pass rate are hard to beat.
I took the beginning contemporary class taught by Kristin Damrow (Saturdays 12:15−2pm). I believe they recently changed instructors, but a quick Google search revealed that she has a small dance company that does shows in the city and also teaches at Dance Mission Theatre. Her class was amazing. She did a great job of pulling apart choreography for a complete beginner, without making it feel dumbed down. The movements were challenging and engaging enough to sustain my interest for two hours – a rare feat in most environments I associate with working out – but never so difficult I felt frustrated or lost. She focused on the body’s natural momentum and movements, pointing out areas of improvement while keeping up a supportive and positive mood. Her playlist was also great.
The experience was extremely freeing, especially given that I’m used to working at a tech company 9 – 5. If I wasn’t spending the next year on the east coast I’d continue to take her classes. When I come back to SF (and I’m sure I will) I’d love to take these classes every day of the week.

I echo everyone else on ODC’s Unilocal page here.
Every Saturday I’m in town, the best thing I can do for myself is make Micaya’s noon Beginner Hip Hop Class. She breaks things down so any one can learn & does so with so much humor and finesse, that sometimes it’s almost like watching an improv & So You Think You Can Dance or Americas Best Dance Crew at the same time. She’s so fun & funny, you get over your fears & just try moving your body in new ways. That’s so good for your brain to create new pathways. I grew up with music and sports so dance is not something I ever had much experience with. She does new choreography each week so you keep exercising that brain in new ways. It’s like my weekly Dance vitamin. Haha.
Great core warmup & by the end of class, you’ll surprise yourself. I love the diversity in the class. All ages, shapes and sizes. I want to say Ive seen from 12 to people in their 50 & 60s in that class.
If you’re one of those people that says, ‘I can’t dance,’ you should def give this class before you make that conclusion.
Love you Micaya!
Thanks for opening me to new possibilities…

Love this place! Many great dance classes! I have took some Afro Brazilian dance classes here. I am don’t have much prior dancing training but felt comfortable in the class.

So I’ll start by saying that I’ve been a dancer all of my life– growing up taking jazz/​ballet/​tap at a studio, and later going on to minor in dance in college. When I moved to the Bay, I didn’t know where I’d be able to keep dancing.
And then I found ODC.
I took advantage of their first 4 classes for ~$ 24 and I was hooked. Maybe it’s just me, but I always walk into a class the first time super nervous. I didn’t know if the Advanced classes would be way out of my league, and in the dance world, it’s very easy to feel judged. ODC is NOT like this AT ALL. Advanced contemporary classes with Katie and Christine (who are INCREDIBLE teachers btw) were not full of pretentious professionals, and are totally manageable for a range of intermediate-​advanced level dancers. Every time I take a class with these teachers, time just slips away and I feel so ~in it~ and just enjoy every second.
I tried beginning hip hop with Micaya– I can see why every one loves her so much. Definitely a beginning level class (took us 1 hr to learn 3 8-​counts), but incredibly fun nonetheless.
Saturday release classes with Lizz are FAB. It’s a mix of contact improv, yoga/​pilates/​strength training, and phrase work.
One day I’ll get my butt to ballet…
ODC is a tiny little haven, and I don’t have 1 bad thing to say. There’s street parking and also a parking lot 1 block down ($ 7 for all day on the wknds). The studio is only a few blocks from Mission, so you can take Bart, too.
I have an office job and was worried there would only be beginning classes on the weekends but that’s definitely not the case.
If you’ve been waiting for the right time to take a dance class, just do it. Go online, look at their class schedule, and go. You will feel incredible.

One of ODC’s unique offerings are the Rhythm and Motion classes. The class is not just dance-​inspired, but true dance made accessible to the masses. It’s a deceptively intense workout, but a liberating experience that will make you believe that exercise can actually be fun. And you’ll never feel out of place. The students are so incredibly diverse that you’ll feel comfortable whether you’re a complete newbie or a seasoned athlete.

ODC is one of the best places in the city to try all kinds of dance classes all in one location in a friendly, supportive, and non-​competitive environment. If you like to perform at one of the student showcase concerts, ODC offers adult dance workshops that you can sign up for. There’s a time commitment to the workshops, but it’s worth the experience and you can invite family and friends to cheer you on.
My favorite class at ODC is Tika Morgan’s Reggaton Fusion class on Sundays at 1pm. Her class is pretty popular and full each time I go. Music is upbeat and her choreography is fun and challenging.
Tika is a one-​of-​kind dance teacher giving us a dance lesson and life advice at the same time. I love her honesty, sense of humor, and real seriousness about wanting her students to learn to dance and to go beyond our comfort zone. Her best students, who are regulars, are amazing dancers, would dance in the front. Tika would encourage newer students, like me, to position ourselves behind regular dancers to learn from them. I love her phrase «don’t get jealous, get busy!» Another Tika tip is to learn from others dancers by «shopping» (seeing what you like or don’t like) as we watch groups perform before our turn.
Tika’s Reggaton Fusion class is mostly dominated by the ladies with one or two guys in the class. Guys — don’t let this deter you from trying it out. ;-)

I am becoming quite fond of ODC after 3 classes (two Reggaeton and one Flamenco). They hooked me in with a half-​off 4 class pass and I am hooked completely. What a great release to learn so many different types of dance under one roof, and depending on the class, they welcome all levels and blend you in with the regulars. I love Tika’s Sunday 1PM Reggaeton class so far and I really enjoyed the Saturday 4PM Flamenco class — so fun! I’ve always wanted to take Flamenco! Try it and you’ll get hooked too!

The ODC facility is a dancer’s dream come true!
From beginning to advanced, all students will find a class they’ll love. There are 5+ studios dedicated to every imaginable type of class: ballet, jazz, modern, hip hop, belly dance, clogging, Afro-​Cuban and many more.
First time students can purchase a class for $ 5, and if you want to sign up for more, you can buy 4 classes for $ 24. They’re in the ClassPass network too!

While many of the teachers and facilities are fantastic, I find the reception is consistently rude. They failed to honor my class passes which they sold me to «save me money» and then told me expired? So I’m out $ 60 and don’t get the service I paid for? Seems wrong to me.

The classes are great. The performances are great (I saw Boulders and Bones, I really hope they bring such awesome choreos and concepts again). Nuff said.

This is a review for Patricia Jiron’s beginner contemporary class.
After watching all the beautiful routines on SYTYCD, I became determined to learn contemporary dance. But it seemed impossible — almost every studio only teaches intermediate/​advanced contemporary, and for good reason — contemporary is very technical and requires good body awareness, strength and flexibility. It seemed I would never learn contemporary, until I stumbled across ODC’s Beginner Contemporary Saturday noon class.
In all honesty, I’m an avid yogi and ballroom dancer and trained briefly in ballet. But this class was tough. It is definitely not aimed at the true beginner dancer. Unless you are really ballsy and have thick skin.
I can see why there are negative reviews about Patricia’s class on Unilocal and how much you enjoy the class will definitely depend on your expectations. If you are a serious dancer who wants to improve your technique and learn beautiful choreography, this class is a fantastic addition to your dancing repertoire. If you are coming to try something new or just to get your sweat on doing something fun, you will most likely hate this class.
CLASS: Patricia starts out the class with a long warm up and conditioning session with small choreographed pieces which eventually make up the body of the choreography you work on for the day. Her classes move quickly and are cumulative so you may feel lost at first especially if you don’t have any dance background.
Note Patricia is super passionate about teaching, so usually the class is 2h instead of the advertised 1h 45min. Today we even stayed for an extra 15 min to finish a routine. I love being in a class where a teacher genuinely loves to teach dance, and is willing to stay overtime to make sure everyone gets it right.
TEACHING METHOD: Patricia is a serious, passionate and strict kinda like an old style Russian ballet teacher. Patricia is a hard teacher; she will make you shut up when she’s talking, she will curtly tell you to watch her instead of copying her, so you get the choreography right. She will sternly tell you not to do a more difficult variation if it is clear you aren’t doing it with the right technique. She will single you out in the middle of a dance segment to offer corrections, staring at you until you get them right.
If you’ve been in any technical class before you know this is by no means to embarrass you, but to ensure you are learning and getting better. This may be really unnerving for some dancers, but I enjoyed knowing I was at a class where a teacher cared and actively tried to make my dancing better. I tried my best to absorb everything she said, and always received a warm nod of approval after.
Her genuinely excited smile and words of encouragement when I fixed my floor work made me so pleased and proud of myself. Although she does move quickly, if you ever want to clarify a move or technique, she is patient and will do it with you over and over again until you get it right. Don’t be fooled by her tough exterior, she is actually really nice.
Overall: I really enjoyed Patricia’s class, it was a fantastic and challenging introduction to contemporary and I am looking forward to attending regularly! I learned so much and I think she teaches really beautiful yet beginner appropriate choreography. Anyone who’s wanted to seriously try contemporary and improve quickly should definitely sign up.

LOVE at first drop in. Just took my first rhythm and motion class yesterday and I absolutely loved it! The space is beautiful and spacious and there are tons of adult classes offered. I went with the essential rhythm and motion class and it was so much fun. Nancy was a great teacher, she had a great energy and broke down the moves so it was easy to follow. The moved ranged from hip hop to lyrical to brazilian, just a lil bit of everything. Great class to test the waters if it’s your first dance class. Plus, it’s a great workout! You’d be surprised how sweaty you get dancing your heart out. At $ 14 per drop in it’s such a fun and affordable way to get some work out for the body and the soul. Classes are cheaper if you buy a package as well. If you ever wanted to take adult dance classes, this is the place to go. They have a great community, the teachers are very welcoming.
If you sign up for classpass, you’ll only pay $ 1 for the first month of unlimited classes at various studios and ODC is on the list. Such a good deal!

This school is extremely nice and artsy. I’ve only tried one adult class, I didn’t realize until class started that it was «basic hip-​hop» I didn’t break a sweat. However, I look forward to trying out a few more classes. I wished they had a jazz class without the hip-​hop technique. I also wished they offered more classes for adults. I am currently taking lessons from Grace in Dance which is an awesome start up company!

As a kid, I used to take dance classes. I loved to dance. It made me feel free. It made me feel happy. As I got older & busier with school and life, I became less and less involved in dance.
Recently, a friend of mine invited me to take a class here. Instantly, I fell in love with the place! The state-​of-​the-​art facility brought me back so many memories. The receptionists at the front were very friendly. It only costs $ 5 for your first time! There are some exceptions, so this discount doesn’t apply to all the classes. Make sure you check the websites for add’l info and the class schedule:
. It’s $ 13 with cash & $ 14 w/​out cash after that. They also offer class cards. You can find all the info on the website provided. I signed up for the rhythm and motions class, but the instructor didn’t show up, so the class ended up being cancelled. We ended up getting a voucher to come back for a free rhythm and motions session.
Luckily, we were also able to drop in to the beginning hip hop class two doors down. It was AMAZING! Sheree is such an awesome instructor. She is sensitive to everyone’s needs and doesn’t mind going over the moves multiple times. The best part is she comes up right in front of you & does it. She’s super nice, so don’t be afraid to ask her to repeat the steps if you get lost. We learned 3 8-​count sets, which were pretty easy to learn– nothing too complicated. It’s a workout! YOU WILL SWEAT, so make sure you wear light clothes & sneakers or dance shoes.
I will be back! If you’ve never been, give it a try! It’s always fun to try new things.

It’s my secret dream to be a dancer but I’m completely uncoordinated so I’d never tried.
If you feel the same: I suggest you take the Rhythm and Fusion class. The instructor (Wendy) was fun-​loving and supportive. The other students in the class offered encouragement when I’d turn or dip in the wrong direction. The Rhythm and Fusion class is structured more like a workout class – instructor at the front, students following along but largely left alone to learn at their own pace. The routines and songs rotate weekly but the regulars seemed to remember the choreography from previous weeks. I was lost but had fun shakin’ it anyway. There was a great mix of young and old, experienced and newbies. All different genres of music
I had a terrible experience with a type-​specific dance class, albeit still a beginner class. The instructor singled me out for screwing up a move. Then when I got quiet she repeatedly STOPPED CLASS to ask whether I specifically was «still not enjoying myself». In the type specific classes you learn a routine, memorize it and perform it in front of people – this is tough for beginners and I didn’t think the instructor grasped how scary this was for me. When the class time was officially over, I couldn’t wait to get out. I went to leave and the instructor literally said I was «not allowed to leave» until I stretched. Obvi I left anyway since I’m an adult. If you have a tough skin you’ll fare much better than I did.
I’m working up the courage to go back to Rhythm and Fusion which is a great workout, reasonably priced, offered at many times throughout the day, and an overall fun way to learn how your body moves.

I have heard good things about this school, and attended a class that I thought was pretty good many years ago during national dance week. However, this past weekend I went with an out of town dancer friend who was excited to check it out and had a pretty awful experience. I will not go back to any Contemporary classes taught by Patricia Jiron. Maybe she was just having an off day, but she spent the better part of two hours scolding, criticizing and infantilizing us. We also spent the entire class doing warm-​ups, without learning any choreography, after she admitted she hadn’t prepared for class and was just winging it. Frustrating.