Steppin’ Out Productions

I’ve only been to Lindy on Wednesdays but I’ve seen Lindy and Balboa classes being taught. The instructors are all very gifted. I only go for the dance parties, and I’m excited to have learned that they do West Coast on Mondays.
The place isn’t difficult to find — if you know what you’re looking for (rented-​out office space in a business park). The floors are nice and spacious and the people who come are friendly and warm. Beginners shouldn’t feel shy and experts have plenty of partners to choose from.
I’ve never felt a lack of Leads, or Follows for that matter!
They do have snacks for free and beverages for sale.

I love this place! I take the Monday evening beginner international rumba class with Silke. She is the best dancer ever! I have never seen anyone dance like her, explain things like her and get faster results from her students than her. Even from her group class you can get so much!!! I have also started taking private lessons with her and she is fantastic! I’ve started rumba 3 weeks ago and she’s told me in March I would be ready to compete if I continue to work this hard.
I also take Bud Ayers’ class. He is great at Ballroom and salsa and he teaches Fridays nights. I would recommend both. If you like Latin dances, Christine Belanger is unbelievable!!! She was a former United States Dancesport Championship Finalist and is a United States Dancesport International Latin Rising Star Champion. For $ 12 at this place… you get so much!!!

A great place to go swing dancing in the South Bay on Wednesday nights. I don’t take classes anymore, so I can’t critique it. But, I do enjoy the ample dance floor and the evenings with a live band. There is a pretty decent turn-​out on the nights with the live band. It is less clique-​ish than Swing Central.
It does not have a traditional «ballroom studio» feel because it is a converted warehouse space. The is ample parking.
For Friday night ballroom dancing, the crowd is very sparse. I wouldn’t recommend it.

*Steppin Out has moved from the 830 Stewart location. You should search for the new location.*
(Overall grade: B) You will find beginner and intermediate lindy hop lessons here on Wednesdays. Everybody is friendly here and they have a good size dance floor. They have lots of tables, chairs, and a couple of couches. My guess is 40−45% of the dancers are women.
Steppin’ Out has the best snacks!!! Apples, oranges, pineapples, grapes, carrots, cheese, crackers, cake, and candy. You might end up hanging around the snack table a lot!

Converted office space. Interior looks almost like a sales office of a car dealership. I missed the dance lesson when I went with one of my ex co-​workers. I’ll have to come back and try this place out for size again. Looks like alot of fun!

This is a fun place to go practice your Lindy Hop /​Swing dancing on Wednesday nights. The lessons are good. The people are friendly. Spacious dance floor. And if you get tired of dancing you can play Ms. Pacman. What else do you want?

NOTE: Steppin’ Out is currently closed. The Wednesday Night Lindy Hop party has moved to the Starlite Ballroom in Sunnyvale.
A friend tipped me off to Steppin’ Out, and I started taking Lindy Hop classes there at the end of January. I haven’t missed a Wednesday since!
The classes are wonderful, of course, but it’s the open dancing that’s really fun! I was worried I’d have nobody to dance with when I first started, but everyone is friendly and welcoming. The more advanced dancers are patient and helpful with the newcomers. I didn’t feel awkward at all!
The DJs play great music, and local bands such as Stompy Jones or Steve Lucky & the Rhumba Bums perform at least once a month. Where else in the Bay Area can you listen and dance to a great live band for $ 10? ($ 7 on DJ nights, or $ 14 for lesson and dance.)
When you want to take a break, they offer some free munchies and assorted beverages for purchase. (No alcohol, which is one of the things I like best about the place!) There are tables and couches to sit at, and a pool table and pinball. I admit, though, I have never seen the pinball or pool table put to use. The dancing and socializing are just too much fun!
If you’re looking for practice space, they offer floor time during the day. I believe they also rent the club out for corporate functions and parties.
The club can be tough to spot, as it’s around the back of an office building. It’s across and down the street a little from Planet Granite. Look for their lighted deck outside. Oh, and there’s free parking, too!

Update (29 Jan 2008): At least two of the good nights at Steppin’ Out have moved to Starlite:
o Monday West Coast Swing to Mondays in The Club inside Starlite.
o Wednesday Wednesday Night Hop! (Swing) to Wednesdays.
The Tuesday night Hustle moved to the CPAA:
Update (9 Jan 2008): Steppin’ Out is CLOSED. They might be moving to a new location. I’ll update the business info when I hear about a new location.
Another favorite dance venue. I mostly attend the fun lindy hop swing nights on Wednesdays hosted by Trevor and Megan. First and third Wednesdays have a live band.
The dance floor is quite spacious. There’s lots of room to relax and chat off the dance floor. Some nights include light snacks.
The lindy hop swing night on Wednesdays is quite good, as are the classes beforehand. Hustle on Tuesdays is one of the best hustle nights around. Some fabulous hustle dancers attend each week. West Coast Swing on Mondays is supposed to also be good, but my schedule doesn’t allow me to attend on Mondays. I haven’t been to Salsa on Thursdays, but the instructor Gavin is quite good. I took a class with him at another location a little while back. There’s also a great belly dance class on Thursdays while the Salsa lessons are happening. I believe every dance night has classes before the dancing starts.
Floor rental for dance couples is reasonably priced. I haven’t yet taken advantage of their floor for practice.
Steppin’ Out can be a little difficult to find the first time around. It’s in a large industrial building a tiny bit further down and on the other side of the street from Planet Granite away from Wolfe.

What a comfortable, welcoming place!
The other reviewers have totally nailed the feeling of this dance space, so I don’t have that much to add. The owners are delightful… passionate about dance and very down to earth. They hire talented instructors who aren’t just great dancers, they can actually TEACH. The crowd is friendly, there to dance and not get drunk or hit on your sister. And the little touches are most charming: free yummy snacks (including always fresh fruit!), comfy couches all ’round, a pool table, even a pinball machine.
And of course, the basics are all in place: decent sound system, smooth and huge dancefloor, and so on.
Oh, and free parking.
Check this place out and bring a friend or three (though you can go alone and NOT feel out of place). And spread the word. Venues like this deserve to shine… and I hope the owners make a damn healthy profit :-)

This place is tucked away in an industrial section of Sunnyvale so it’s kind of hard to find the first time, but it’s worth seeking out. They have a plethora of dance classes, a huge dance floor, nice stage for live music a few times a month, lights, a good sound system, snacks and drinks, even a few video games… the works.
The prices are reasonable, the owner is friendly and the instructors are very down to earth. I’m currently taking Lindy Hop classes and enjoying it very much. They offer West Coast Swing, East Coast, Ballroom, Salsa and a lot more. Everyone is friendly and there to have a good time. It can get really warm in there on crowded summer nights, despite the air conditioning. and some of the seating could be more comfortable but otherwise it’s a great place.

1÷10÷08 Update
SO is closed but the Monday night West Coast swing lesson and dance and the Tuesday Hustle lesson and dance will move to CPAA in San Jose starting January 14, 2008.
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12÷17÷07 Update
SO will continue to have their doors open til March 2008… yeay!!!
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12÷11÷07 Update
Just found out last night Stepping’ Out will be closing their doors for their dances/​parties on Dec. 18^th… boohoo. Their instructors will be taking their dances to other venues, make sure you get on the individual instructor’s email lists to find out where they are moving their dances to.
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This is «the» place to West Coast Swing on Monday’s with Miguel and Richard and Hustle dancing on Tuesday nights with Raul and Stephen, in the South Bay. Attendance for these weeknight dances are over 100 – 150, small compared to Starlite Ballroom in Sunnyvale on Friday and Saturday nights. (around 400 beginner dancers)
BUT the level of dancer is higher, Intermediate and Advanced. You will see some excellent dancing those nights. And the better dancers are friendly and will dance with the newbies.
When visiting professional dancers (National and International) come into town, the workshops on the weekends are excellent, in depth and high caliber. Some West Coast Swing professionals, Angel Figueroa,
and Mario Robau,
. Hustle professionals, Billy Fajardo and Katie Marlow,
and Debra Hampton,
The atmosphere is social, with a no host bar, snacks which are included with your entrance fee, seating areas with couches and chaise lounges, dance competitions playing on TV’s, games like pool and video games, a massage therapist onsite, dance practice rooms, and three ballroom floors, a large one upstairs and three downstairs. On a weekend night, you could have three dances going on at once in the seperate ballroom, a WCSwing dance, Lindy and Ballroom dancing. $ 12 entrance fee.
Even kid friendly, you can have them watching dvd’s in a TV room or have them study while you dance.
They have even brought in live lindy and jazz bands to dance to.
Definately different atmosphere from dance studios (stuffy) and dance clubs (pick up joints). This is a place to dance and hang out with other dance friends.