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Allegro Ballroom
Rating Details »
Category: Dance Studios
5855 Christie Ave(between Powell St & Shellmound Way)
Emeryville, CA 94608
(510) 655-2888
- Good for Kids:
- No
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- Category:
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28 reviews for Allegro Ballroom
my boyfriend recommened the place so I took some salsa classes here during the summer.
really great instructors who you know really care about what you learn. they really teach you from the ground up.
love this place.
(This review is specifically for the post-lesson salsa party on Sunday night.)
It's all too easy to focus on the glass-half-emptiness of this place, which is that the music leaves much to be desired. To do so, however, would be unfortunate, since it's one of the most popular salsa venues in the Bay Area (and has been for a very long time), and since it has a refreshingly diverse, casual, all-accepting and laid-back vibe. For one thing, it's really the only salsa night in town where Cuban-style and LA/NY-style dancers are both represented in large numbers (though it might be an exaggeration to say that they mix freely).
The reason I can't give it more than 3*, apart from the music, is that it's no longer a good place for advanced LA/NY-style dancers to go and expect to have a high-calibre night of dancing. Though it's close to home, I tend to come here no more than once a month now, and more to socialize than to dance.
Very Cool!! $8 cover for non-members
Water/Coffee/Tea available inside in the back near the rest rooms
No alcohol served here, and trust me you don't need it here!
Free Parking!
HUGE dancefloor.
We left Jelly's and came here afterwards!
Salsa and Merengue!
It was a very mixed skills crowd. from Super professional to those dancing for fun and not giving a damn!
A great place to just people watch too.
The saturday morning salsa lessons were OK. no partnering up. just basic timing and steps, no patterns. I suggest going to lessons where you have to partner up!
This is for the Thursday night salsa class. I've gone several times in the last few months. Solid, thorough instruction in basic through advanced moves. Do not expect ANY help after class, though. They expect you to pay for additional classes before even answering the question, "How am I doing?"
I usually have more fun learning at any other salsa club (Monteros in Albany comes to mind). Plus, you get to watch great live bands and drink (if you want), for basically the same price. Allegro is strictly for learning how to dance.
Allegro's Salsa Sunday nites are the best!
Ladies: If you are an intermediate, I suggest you skip the lessons and come right in for the salsa party.
Guys: If you're a novice I'd recommend taking the beginner/intermediate lesson to get some moves under your belt.
Sunday nights are crowded and lively so be ready to have high energy and dance the night away!
lovelovelove Allegro Ballroom! Welcoming atmosphere, challenging group classes, and beautiful decor to dance the night away (ok, dance, like, 2hrs away, b/c it's tiring!)
I've taken Arentine Tango on Sun afternoons (with Julian), and on Tues nights (with Nora) , and have always walked away having learned something new. The instructors are so knowledgeable and attentive, and their technique is breathtaking! The teaching styles are very different-Julian has a great sense of humor, and focuses a lot on the rhythmic aspect of the dance, and Nora is a bit more serious and intimidating, and is very embrace-technique-focused, although both teachers really go over everything.
I've also taken a couple of Friday night ballroom dance classes with Scott, where he basically teaches half hr group lessons of various techniques (they change each week), and then the opportunity to practice them at a dance party afterwards. This is ideal if you'd like to try out different dances, and decidedwhat you'd like to pursue and what just may not be for you. For example, I had no idea the hustle was so fun, or that the cha cha was soooo difficult!
Friday nights are also a great way to learn the basics of every ballroom dance, so you never have to sit out, you can strut your stuff with any dance and to any song!
Highly highly recommended. A safe, comfortable, welcoming dance studio, so glad I found this place!
I went last night to check out the salsa sunday hoopla. The beginner lesson starts at 6:15 and it's too short. The extreme speed of the partner change doesn't help either. I know the instructors are pushing their private lessons, but let's call it what it is.
The crowd is varied to say the least. Some people are there to have fun, but there were some individuals with a creepy factor. I guess it's one place where if you can dance salsa, you have a chance to handle some willing beauties.
I'm going and getting a "real" lesson, and go to a "real" salsa club.
Hot, hot, HOT! The dancing, the dresses, the decor, and the deal were all smokin'.
My roommate suggested we come last night for a Cinco de Mayo salsa dance and, despite having been out salsa dancing the night before, I agreed. (Today my hips are reminding me that I overdid it a bit.) The ballroom is only a couple blocks off I-80 at the Powell St./Emeryville exit, so very convenient.
The deal was great--$12 for lessons and dancing. The beginner lesson was 6:15-7:15, followed by either a review or an intermediate/advanced lesson until about 8:30. Then the dance runs until at least midnight. Can't say I was too impressed with the lesson, however. They moved really fast and tended to skip over steps in the directions; also, the instructors keep including fancy flair moves into their demonstrations of how to do stuff. That's just distracting!
Decor was nice, with streamers and dark red lights creating a sultry, nightclub atmosphere without the hook-up pressure or drunken idiots.
Dresses were very hot, by and large. The ladies were dressed for show (and some were showing quite a lot) with high heels and flaring skirts. There was certainly a range from summery to classy to downright sexy. Vivre la difference!
And of course, hot, hot dancing! Most of the beginners clear out by about 9pm, since 3 hours of dance is enough for most folks. So by that time it's mostly intermediate and advanced dancers who came after the lessons. Most were patient and willing to dance with a beginner at least once, and I certainly had a great time just watching them play and work each other over.
Sunday nights are salsa nights, with other ballroom styles throughout the week. Group and private lessons for kids and adults are available. All in all, a good night and a fun, inexpensive way to celebrate the holiday.
Trivia: "Allegro" is a musical tempo meaning "fast and bright" or a "march tempo". It's characterized by 120-168 beats per minute. Dancing at that pace is sure to be a good workout! (And my hips will attest to that fact.)
I have a hard time dancing in couples. I am a one-woman show and a control-freak...you want me to...{gulp}...SUBMIT... to a man!?!?
Here I was, strutting into this club as if I knew what I was doing, cuz gosh darnit I've danced to salsa music a gazillion times before...um...BY MYSELF, and WHAM, I get asked to dance by a few unsuspecting guys. I tried to warn them: "um, I've never done this with anyone else before, I'll need your help," and they just smiled all cute with disbelief as they whipped me out to the dance floor. Slowly their smiles turned to looks of horror when they realized I wasn't kidding.
At any rate, even though I wasn't the prettiest or the skinniest, and certainly not the most skilled, I didn't feel judged. In fact, I was my own worst critic. I definitely plan on going back here, but first I need a few lessons...
Allegro saved me from being a "City Snob."
I live in SF, work in SF, and have lots of yumminess and fun right outside my doorstep. Also, I ain't gonna lie, I am one lazy mofo. All the ingredients for Insta-City-Snobbery.
Thank god for my salsa friends and instructors who encouraged me to check out Allegro Ballroom. I would gladly cross bridges and tunnels to get here!
The instructors for Sunday's salsa lessons were great. I caught the end of the beginner class and all of the intermediate class ($12). The class was WAY too large for my taste (maybe 60 people?) but the space was large enough to accommodate.
And after the lessons - Salsa Party Time! Like my beloved Cafe Cocomo, the crowd here is friendly and diverse.
Cafe Cocomo is the place to go for the live-band-&-dress-to-kill-&-show-off-yo'-salsa-mov es thing. But the learn-and-improve-your-salsa-game thing is hot too and Allegro is definitely the place to do it. I got some great tips from fellow dancers and had tons o' fun.
Who knew Emeryville was so happenin'? (IKEA doesn't count).
I took a class here a while ago (intermediate) because my salsa partner made me (I wanted to take the beginner class). It was challenging but fun (they insist you have mastery of 11 basic moves before taking the intermediate class).
FYI I went to the Thursday night class. I liked this place because after class, you can practice afterward for several hours in the large dance hall, or you can sneak off to the private room and practice in front of mirrors.
The really good salsa dancers come out on Sundays as they play some merengue and cha cha cha as well as salsa.
Most girls I talk to love this place since there is no alcohol served and people are there to dance for the most part...
Oh yeah - class sizes are way too big here.
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Best Salsa Sundays anywhere in the Bay Area !
I am reviewing only their Salsa nights...although I hear that the tango lessons here are also worthwhile.
Being a ballroom, as opposed to a club, it's nice to dance at a place where folks aren't anywhere from buzzed to blasted (although personally, a Margarita in me usually increases my bravery to ask ladies to dance...). Also, one of the few venues an underage person can learn how to salsa.
The best thing about Allegro:
~ the teahcers....flat out, if you wanna learn to Salsa and cannot afford private lessons, go here ! Gary and Isabelle on Sundays are the BEST group teachers anywhere in the Bay Area. They connect with the crowd, are genuine and warm people, and really teach the moves clearly and very well.
One of the FEW group salsa lessons where the woman teacher/partner actually gets to (gasp) SPEAK !!!! (What the hell's up with that anyway ?)
These two have a great system developed...start with the footwork...then get into the entire move. Very personable...they stick around and invite you to ask them for one-on-one help throughout the evening.
And Isabelle's outfits, alone ...not to mention her occasional unintentional double entendres and freudian slips.... are worth the price of admission right there....
Sundays beginner lessons are at like 6:30, intermediate at 7:30 then it's a dance party from 8:30 'til 1 usually. A very well-attended venue.
As the night progresses, beginners tend to filter out and hardcore dancers tend to filter in.
However, all in all, the people here do not have attitude...it's a very safe and inviting place to dance...the crowd is diverse in all meanings of the word....age, skill level, culture/race, you name it.....
Dancefloor is huge, plenty of seating, free water/tea/coffee...nice place.
Only drawback is...on Thursdays...which is a way, way, way smaller salsa night (sometimes leaning towards "not happenin' ")...Allegro double-charges you, basically. They charge for each group class separately (if you come for beginners and wanna stay for intermediate, you have to pay both for beginner and intermediate) while on Sundays, if you pay for one or the other lesson, you are in for the entire night.....
This review is for Allegro's Sunday night salsa party.
Allegro = timba all night.
Timba is kinda what you might call Cuban salsa except they mix in hip hop and songo and all sorts of other elements. What you end up sounds kinda like salsa's younger scruffy, edgier brother. If you listen to bands like Los Van Van and NG La Banda, and then listen to groups like El Gran Combo and Oscar D'Leon, you should be able to hear the difference, even if you can't quite articulate it.
DJ Antonio, who DJs the party here, spent years in Miami spinning so that is what he brings to the Bay Area. He is himself a good Cuban style dancer - I always enjoying watching him on one of his short breaks getting down.
This is a dance studio/ballroom. The floor is much nicer than your average club, and there are no spilled drinks. The dancers are mostly clean and well-scrubbed people (there are of course always a few exceptions to this). There is seating all the way around the ballroom for you to take a break and catch your breath. In addition, there are two back rooms where you can get a little more privacy (whether it's because you're self-conscious, or you want to get down with your honey). Clean restrooms with a variety of supplies (breathmints, mouthwash, deodorant).
Dancers - Cuban style is definitely the vogue here, although there are also standard LA on 1 dancers and NY on 2 dancers as well. The "slot dancers" tend to stay on the far wall (farthest away from the main entrance) in the corner.
Garry and Isabelle teach Cuban style salsa. The class is huge and will give you the chance to rotate with many, many partners. Isabelle is one of my favorite followers in the Bay Area and will make any leader, from beginning to advanced, look like a star with her. I've never danced with Garry but it looks like fun. ;-)
Allegro offers lots of free water. It's not cold, unfortunately, but hey it's free! They also have a soda machine.
Cover is $10.
Parking can get a little crowded. I often end up parking near the Kinkos a little further down and walk over, just to avoid having to search in the parking lot.
The -1 star is because I sometimes get tired of Timba all night and would like to hear some more mainstream salsa (there are some nights that Antonio does indulge me though).
On holidays (i.e. Monday is a holiday), this place can get UNBELIEVABLY PACKED, like line out the door down the block. For a huge dance studio this is crazy.
If you are coming from the city - keep in mind that with all the Bay Bridge construction there are frequent closures which make the commuting a pain.
I've danced at the Allegro quite a bit. What is important to know about it?
~Big, high quality dance floor, plus several smaller areas for smaller classes, private lessons, etc.
~Lots of classes and teachers from which to choose. Try several.
~Free parking.
~Close to 80 freeway, close to Bay Bridge.
~Overall, very well-run facility.
~You don't need to bring a partner for group classes.
This little secret is the place when I learned salsa about two years ago. Salsa is offered thursday and sunday nights...I would recommend sunday if you wanna have fun and thursday if you are so bad that you dont want too many people to see you.
Ballroom status (no bar, no food, no people under 25)
Complimentary sweat absorbing paper towels (YOU WILL SWEAT PROFUSELY) and water
Comprehensive lessons
Great DJ
A place I have gone by myself bc all my friends are too embarassed to salsa...no partner necessary!
As the case with monteros, ladies, watch out for sleazeballs.
I have been to Allegro Ballroom for Salsa a few times. I like the place since I'm there to dance and practice my moves. The dance floor is big and there aren't people stepping all over your toes (i.e Montero's. . .don't go there for dance. . .EVER).
I've been there on Thursday nights for the lesson but the rotating with other partners (yes, I know your supposed to learn better that way), but sorry it's just a bit gross on the girl's end when some guy with moist hands is trying to dance with you. So I like to go afterwards and dance when the music is playing.
Sunday there is a pretty substantial crowd. The average person there is pretty good and there are some really good dancers also. I'm not sure how the ballroom is for any other dance.
I'd give it one more star if the ceiling was nicer decorated.
I've been to Allegro a few Sundays now for Salsa lessons. The beginner lessons are at 6 followed by the intermediate lesson and it costs $12. The lessons are really good and you don't need a partner since they rotate you around. After the lessons, they turn down the lights and turn up the music for open dancing. As a beginner, it can be pretty intimidating but everyone is very friendly and it's a great place to learn. The dance floor is pretty big and it usually fills up around 9 or so. The music is decent, they play a lot of Cumbia and a lot of weird techno-salsa. I definitely like this place, that's why I keep going back!
I went to Sunday night salsa and I got 3 dates out of it!
It was definitely happening with a BUNCH of good dancers. Also, there were some okay dancers so I didn't feel too out of place.
The best part is that they will take a pause for Rumba and Cha Cha and you can see the professionals get out there who know what they are doing.
I totally want to go back as I'm currently in a dancing with the stars obsession.
This is the best West Coast Swing dancing you can get for the month. This is California's State dance! Hosted by the Next Generation Swing Dance Club, http://www.tngsdc.org/ The dances draw over 300 dancers from across the bay area, from as far as Sacramento, Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz, all converging in Emeryville at the Allegro Ballroom the 1st Saturday of the month.
You will see the best of the best WCSwing dancers from Northern California. These are some of the top competitive and social dancers. There are plenty of beginner and intermediate dancers too.
There is a WCS beginning lesson at the dance at 7pm and each month it is a different WCS instructor and different WCS DJ spinning the tunes. The dance starts at 6pm til 9:30pm in the front/large ballroom then moves to the smaller ballroom after 9:30pm til 12 am. Ballroom dancing takes over the large ballroom at 9:30pm.
If you like dancing to top 40's, Motown, Blues, R & B and jazz, you'll like West Coast Swing dancing. The dance can be smooth, sexy or funky, depending on the music, your style and who you are dancing with at the time.
Plenty of eateries nearby, including Denny's, in the same parking lot and hotels for out of towners. A food court at the Emeryville Marketplace a mile down the road.
They need better intermediate classes. It's so hard to follow with the class being too popular. Bad enough that I am trying to follow the instructors that I have to duck from my fellow classmates.
The set up of the room is intimidating too. Could use more resting/hang out areas.
Not a big fan of Allegro Ballroom.
Went on a Sunday nite with a Friend and we both did not find it that great. Not very many good dancers on the nite we were there. Too hot, not the greatest atmosphere.....feels more like a high-school basketball court converted to a dance floor. Again, too hot, not enough fans and I would not go again....especially because I live in the city...its not worth it.
I'm a fan, too. I'll be honest, I'm a lindy hopper at heart, but it's hard to find lindy near public transportation in the East Bay, so I settle for WCS and the company satisfies my palette. All of the regulars are friendly and the big hotshot dancers don't mind dancing with the intermediates so there's no good/bad dichotomy going on. I usually arrive near the end of the ballroom time, because 1) I can't really get there sooner and 2) I like the small room when it's moderately crowded, as opposed to the ballroom when it's insanely crowded.
If you're inexperienced, there are lessons before the social dancing starts, often taught by highly experienced amateurs or professionals. It's like a big family. Or a cult, but I prefer the family idea.
Large dancing space, with multiple areas. I did the beginner lessons on sunday, $12 for two lessons, although the first lesson was way too advanced.
This is where to go if you want some serious salsa dancing on a Sunday night. There is no bar here and they don't serve food or drink, so you are going here for the dancing. It's kind of a cool practice place. There are three rooms, one main dance floor room, one practice room, and another smaller room with different music. There isn't a dj or a band, someone plays music in a cd player. You can really practice here because there are some good dancers and some of the music they play, like cha cha cha, is really challenging to dance to. The water is ample and the atmosphere is very chill. One drawback, one of the reasons I like to salsa dance is the music. I love the music and hearing live music or awesome djs is exhilarating. You won't get that here.
I like this place for salsa right after Cafe Cocomo. It has less of the "it" vibe, probably cuz it's a bit more antiseptic without alcohol and it's in Emeryville & not SF. Still, it's a great place for salsa practice. For beginners like me, the dance class and instructors are thorough and helpful. The main dance floor is super spacious (plus 2 private dance rooms in back to get away from the crowd), folks are friendly, and it's got a nice, relaxed vibe on a Sunday nite. Girls were never wanting for partners - in fact, if we wanted any rest at all, we had to run away & hide. Great place if you want to just salsa, salsa, salsa!
This is yet another one of my favorite salsa places. I like to go here on Thursday nights before I hit up Cocomo as a warm up place. On Sundays there are really good dancers in the back corner really doing their thing. Im not to big on the music but the scene is cool. What I like most is that they dont serve alcohol so it doesnt draw a club crowd and you wont be dancing with anyone thats totally wasted. Actually I was going to this place in 2005 as well and Garry, Viola and Isabelle were there at that time. So I really dont know what Kris was seeing. lol They are all extremely good dancers. Even Cheryl Burke of Dancing with the Stars has been at this place. Her autographed picture is ther on the wall. If you really want to learn salsa, this is a great start.
I used to come to Allegro Ballroom for their dance floor to practice and I usually head out there to dance to their Allegro Invitational parties. The dancing floor is alright, larger than many other ballrooms studios in the area and smaller than the few special ones. But what I really love about Allegro Ballroom for is that it's the only place where I can find a large group of ballroom dancers of my age (20's) dancing ballroom socially. On a monthly basis, during their Allegro Invitationals, you can find a large group from Berkeley and Stanford ballroom teams, along with the regular older crowd dancing everything from waltz and cha cha to salsa, bolero and Argentine tango. It's a great crowd and it's really laid back and fun. And they have a dancing show case half way through the party.
so, we were definitely the youngest at this dance school, but if that's not an issue to you, the school actually provides high-quality lessons (we were at a group lesson) for very reasonable prices. they are a non-profit, and very invested in the community, which is pretty awesome to boot!
