LA DanceFit Studio

One of the best dance classes I’ve ever taken. Zumba with Jhon was amazing!!! He’s the real deal and brings it! We came down from Oakland and wanted to keep our dance classes up even though on vacation. We found this studio and took Casie’s hip hop yesterday which was great. And the today this class was so excellent I can’t wait to come back down. Thank you!

Took Saturday Zumba with Heather and loved it!
Great teacher — always prefer when teachers just blast music and dance it out rather than stopping midway through to teach you moves.
Friendly reception staff.
Nice mix of all ages/​dance levels. Felt really comfortable and not judgy like some LA dance studios.
First class free with Unilocal check in.
Parking was easy — got a spot right in front of the studio.

I love dance classes, but it’s been a while since I’ve taken one. I was terrified going into the class because I have not had a good exercise routine for a while and the idea of starting was unfavorable. The class was so accessible, fun, and a great workout. I am so glad I went and I highly recommend it!

Wrote a different type of review previously that the business was SO nice about hearing out… Then karma brought me into Wilson’s class… For the record, it was great.

Uncovered this studio through class pass and ohhwee is this a hidden gem in SM. John Gonzales’ cardio hip hop renewed my love and appreciation for dance. Often times, cardio hip hop classes have outdated tracks and repetitive movement. But naw, not with this class. It had so many sick new songs and you can tell he really builds musicality into his routines. I had the mistake of going a bit too hard the first 15 min so I didn’t pace myself for the rest! Haha. It was overall such a sexy 1 hour of cardio and you best believe I’m gonna be allocating time for this class & instructor for the weeks to come! :)

I went to LA DanceFit studio to meet Tara Romano and take her class. I’ve been following Tara on YouTube for at least 2 years, doing her dance routines at home. I’ve been meaning to take her class since she moved to LA but my schedule is always hectic whenever I drive down to So. Cal and since her class is on a Wednesday, it makes it harder for me.
Since I was in So. Cal (Orange County) on a Wednesday last week, I sent Tara a fb message to check if she’s teaching that night. Not only did she respond right away, she responded with a fb voice message confirming that she is teaching that night. Her response took me by surprise. I was more thrilled to meet her after that.
Because LA traffic sucks, I decided to leave OC at 4pm and got to the studio after 2 hours, around 6ish. I ended up taking Jhon Gonzalez’s Latin HipHop class while waiting for Tara’s 8pm class.
Tara’s Cardio HipHop class was amazing!!! It was such a thrill for me to be able to do her routines with her in person. She truly is an excellent dancer and a great instructor. I was very impressed. Not only is Tara an excellent dance instructor, she was incredibly nice, very welcoming. She made me feel like we’ve known each other for a long time.
Both instructors, Tara and Jhon, did not disappoint. They were both worth the 2 hour drive. Both were phenomenal dancers and instructors… loved both their classes.
With regards to the dance studio — it was Excellent!!! Received great customer service from the guy in the front desk whose name I believe is Matthew (sorry I can’t remember). He was at the front desk at around 6ish on Wednesday (¹⁰⁄₇). He was very courteous and helpful.
The only sucky part was parking but then that’s typical in Santa Monica. I didn’t let the parking affect my rating because the person in the front desk told me about the 2 reserved parking spaces for customers in the back and I got lucky to park in one of them.
I would like to thank Tara for that amazing, sweat fest Cardio Hip Hop class but most of all, thank you for welcoming me to that studio. Meeting you and dancing with you in person was a very humbling experience. I look forward to meeting and dancing with you again.

John is just amazing. I love his energy, choreography and music. I also get a great workout! I leave so happy and full of energy. His class has a wonderful group of students who love hIm. He keeps everyone pumped and is so easy to follow. I wish I could take his class every day! John, you are the best!!’

I am not a big fan of lifting weights, but IKU’s «Cardio Pop &Pump» (Wednesdays @ 6pm) is awesome! She combines cardio pop dance and weight lifting in a very fun way. If you get bored taking weight classes, come and take this class! You will never be bored! I love how she alternates dance and weights to keep us busy. I sweat A LOT and it feels great! I am going to keep taking her class to get rid of my flabby arms (+ other parts) :)
FYI: You can always find parking!

I’ve become a huge fan of this place. I stumbled into this place because I’ve been looking for different types of cardio exercise I can do. I used to run long distance regularly, but ever since I had hurt my knee, I needed to find something different to do. I think the cardio hip hop and zumba classes here are a perfect alternative. The choreo is easy to follow, and you definitely get your heart rate up.
Wil-​son, Jhon and Heather are my favorites. Though Jhon’s moves are a bit more complex, and harder to follow. I think his classes would be great for someone who already has a hip hop background. Wil-​son and Heather really break down their moves, so it’s easy for anyone to follow along, regardless of your dance background. This studio is a very non-​judgemental zone and I see people of all ages and size here.
They provide towel service and cubbies. Bring your own water though!
The first class is $ 10, and then they are $ 16 after that. They have different discount passes your can buy off their website. And they’re also on ClassPass!

Excellent dance studio with great classes! You will get your heart rate up and have a blast. The instructors are wonderful and so fun to watch. Some have been back up dancers and some have made TV appearances. I highly recommend hip hop with Casie or Tynee and classes with John and Michelle.
Their classes are better than the ones at equinox and I have been going for at least a year now.

I thank this place for helping me get back on the regular exercise routine. I love this place so much I went from no work out at all to going there 3 to 4 times a week. That says it all. Highly recommend this place!

My favorite class I have taken here is Zumba with fransini. Her energy was great and I got the best workout in. There has always been plenty of metered street parking when I have gone, friendly check in, and I leave feeling motivated and upbeat! I also like burlesque and uplift.

Props to Wil-​son for teaching the couple’s Latin dance Social at the studio for 6 Sundays (April-​May 2015). His teaching style and approach made us at ease. It definitely was a positive reinforcement for us. We enjoyed each session while learning. So now every time we bust our moves, we’ll always remember who made it possible for us to be this cultured :)
We’re also grateful that we’re allowed to practice at the studio upstairs when there was no class. Thank you and more power to you!

Note that I attended the studio ~10/2013−9/2014 so cannot verify what it’s like at this moment. I do think it has gained popularity (for great reason!) and therefore class sizes went steadily up during the time I was there. That said, LA DanceFit is THE standard by which I judge other dance/​fitness studios, and it has yet to be matched– all the instructors are incredible dancers (many have been featured on TV/​music videos because, well, it’s LA), they have amazing energy and are nonjudgmental, and the strength classes make me sore in a beautiful way. It is because of their fitness model that I searched for a similar type of studio when I moved away from LA.
Parking is easy with metered in front and limited tandem in back. All else fails, street parking in the neighborhood. Look out for their promotions which usually come around holidays; they will knock $ 1−2/class off regular prices. Note the use-​by-​6-​month-​of-​purchase for all passes.
Downside is that it is definitely pricey (unlimited monthly membership was $ 200+ when I was there, drop-​ins were $ 15 now $ 16). The combination of expense and larger class sizes means I didn’t attend as much as I could/​wanted so I don’t think I felt the kinship with other members that I feel in my current studio.
I try to go back anytime I’m in LA; I miss it!

My best friend and I took a Bumpin’ Burlesque class with Franki tonight. Neither of us had taken a class for awhile, and this was our first time at L.A. Dancefit, so we were prepared to die.
The ladies at the check-​in counter were very friendly, and it was a nice vibe in the studio. Franki started out with warm-​ups and then taught us a dance routine.
It was a fun routine, although it didn’t really make me think of burlesque. It was definitely more hip hop, like a beginner Step Up. Franki was highly energetic and was very good at making her rounds to everyone; encouraging and giving high-​fives. The other dancers seem to be having fun and there weren’t any divas or people trying to intimidate you, so that was a plus.
We watched a little of the next class, taught by Michelle and she seemed high energy, too.
Overall, we both agreed we would come back again and try another class. :)

The dance classes are great– easy to follow with excellent music. I recommend Tara’s hip hop class. She is so lively and enthusiastic, she fosters a great learning atmosphere. It does gets hot up stairs, nearly so hot that it’s difficult to breathe, so bring plenty of water and dress accordingly.
I was pretty irritated today to find a class had been cancelled. I wish they would have emailed out a notice so that I didn’t drive there and pay for parking. Hopefully they can improve in that department.
Overall, this is a nice studio to work out at. Great classes are offered at convenient times for working gals.

I am by no means a dancer and have no rhythm at all, so I was terrified when I tried this class, but was pleasantly surprised by how much fun I had!
The class started with cute lights… little multi colored disco lights and the instructor Iku Holliday greeted everyone. The music was fun… popular current and 80s pop hits! Iku did a great job transitioning the class from each dance move to the next and was all smiles all class. She got down from the stage and danced with the class and made it even more fun.
The best part was it was fun and a great workout. I finished the class sweaty and felt like I had a total body workout. The moves included lunges, squats, arms, and abs!
Class is called Cardio Pop — Monday at 5:00PM with Iku Holliday. THey also have a deal… first class FREE! I recommend it and will definitely be going back again. Parking was super easy!

I absolutely love LA Dance Fit. I have grown so much as a person since I started taking dance classes from Ilyse Baker and Franki Floro. I have lost weight, gained confidence, and my life has been transformed as I am living my dream of actually learning hip hop, jazz, burlesque, broadway and even lyrical.
I’ve always been that person who wanted to learn to dance, but thought it was way too hard and that I was too old to learn to do choreography. But Franki and Ilyse are incredible teachers and they both encouraged me to try their classes and now I absolutely couldn’t imagine my life without dance.
I have been taking classes for a year now (I drive over an hour to get to the studio) but every class is worth it. I look at life differently now. Ilyse Baker and Franki Floro have taught me to embrace my fears and and to believe in myself.
If you have always wanted to learn choreography, I would recommend Ilyse and Franki at LA Dance Fit! They are extraordinary teachers who truly care about all of their students. Another great plus about their classes at LA Dance Fit is there is no judgement. There are people of all ages, all shapes, all dance levels, and everyone loves each other and supports each other. It’s an amazing dance studio!!!

The only fitness program that I’ve stuck to consistently for almost 2 years now! I have so much love for this studio and its staff and my fellow dancefitters.
Everyone is accepted, regardless of his/​her skill set or size. All you have to do is enjoy yourself, have fun, and move! At first, I was self conscious since I have a physical condition that prevents me from doing a full range of motion, but you won’t get any judgment or scolding here. This place makes it so easy to work out while not making it feel like a work out.
I’ve been to other studios, and I think LA DanceFit really sources the best instructors. There’s a breadth of cardio dance classes, choreography, and other fitness specific classes offered throughout the week.
My fave instructors have AWESOME music, well-​planned and fun choreography, and energy and smiles coming out the wazoo. You just can’t help but smile yourself, even as you’re huffing and puffing.
My favorite follow along classes are anything with Jhon, Michelle and Casie (and Joshua– he’s new). I’m afraid I don’t do choreo classes (not enough instant gratification for me since I’m still working on getting basic moves down), but my more experienced fellow dancefitters are always raving about Casie, Michelle, Franki, Ilyse, and Milo.
Those are just to name a few– other instructors are great, too– just don’t fit in with my schedule as well. The owners are pretty good at rotating out instructors or classes that just don’t get a large attendance. So don’t give up if you get an inexperienced instructor or one whose music /​style doesn’t fit you… The staff can actually help you out here and make recommendations since they know the instructors’ styles.
The staff (like Daisy, Amy, Diana– co owner) are really informative and friendly.
The main studio has a springy dance floor and fun disco lights. The upstairs studio is being renovated for 2015, woot!
Keep an eye out on the schedule before you go, just in case there’s a last minute sub (the instructors try to keep this to a minimum but sometimes they get casting calls or stuck in a different city while traveling.) anyway, they try to keep you informed via the Interwebs.
They also have towels, extra hair ties, and ear plugs. The t-​shirts and merch are fairly inexpensive.
Can’t say anything about the bathroom, since I have an irrational hysteric fear of public restrooms, but I assume that it is clean. :)
Anyway, suffice to say that I will be severely stressed when I have to move out of the neighborhood or commute to a job out of the area. Because I friggin’ love this place. (And I am *not* a fitness freak– I actually only come here because it’s so damn fun.)

Great first experience! My first class was free with a check-​in on Unilocal.I tried Zumba with Wil-​son. His routines were high intensity, fun, and easy-​to-​follow. Sometimes «easy-​to-​follow» can mean too basic or boring, but he really just had the perfect mix of accessibility, fitness, and fun. Studio was large with lots of mirrors. Towels were provided. Unfortunately the room got really warm by the end of the class, fogging the front windows and mirrors and making my shoes stick to the floor a bit more. Regardless, I definitely plan to return and try more classes!