Allegro

What a fun place for dancing. Had such a great time here. Took me back thirty years in time.

It's a convenient venue located in Emeryville. We attended a Chinese New Year dance there in the main ballroom and the room is big enough to hold a dance, have refreshments and has a small stage. There were several activities such as a Chinese Lion Dance which was very colorful and exciting, as well as a woman playing the zither, a costume contest which had at least 20 contestants and took up way too much dance floor time and refreshments. There was minimum dancing which was disappointing because the program broke up the dancing into 10-15 minute increments and it lost the momentum for me. The bathrooms are located in a strange place and on the way to the bathroom, people were cooking and getting the refreshments ready. The dance floor itself is sloped and uneven in some areas so I felt like I was unbalanced and I had to be careful how I walked or stepped or I would trip. All in all we came for the company of our friends and the social aspect.

It has been many years since I've attended a class at Allegro but I am glad to be back. My partner and I have attended 3 classes for west coast swing and found the instructors to have well laid out lesson plans that paced with the group well. They were easy to follow, vocal, and kind. We will definitely be back for more soon!

With so many great local places having closed during the pandemic, glad to see that Allegro is open again even with the new location. The classes, dancing and cover all comes at a great price of only $15-20 all inclusive! It wasn't super crowded on a Saturday night, which was especially nice with covid cases still around. Staff were friendly and the DJ was good as well! It was a salsa night but he even played some bachata, merengue and cumbias per our request in between the salsa sets. Only the main ballroom was open but the place looks pretty big as I saw a few more ballrooms in the back. Only small thing is I wish the bathroom was a bit upgraded or water was sold at the front but overall glad Allegros is open again and theres social dancing spots back in the East Bay, so I don't have to drive all the way to SF or SJ!

SALSA Saturday party review. 3.5 stars. I didn't come for the lesson. Buy tickets online (see flyer photo I took for more info) for $10 tickets instead of the higher price at the door. Your name will be on a list at the counter when you get there and they put a wrist band on you. This is a dance studio and not a club so don't expect a bar with alcohol here. Party itself starts out with regular DJ salsa music while the live band sets up their stage. Some songs are Cha Cha. I love a live band when dancing salsa. Brings a better energy and feel in my opinion. FLOOR is wood and a good size for the salsa room. But there is a section where it slopes down near one of the pillars toward the edge. Smaller room on the other side of the dance studio with bachata playing. Main dance floor when you first walk in has a ballroom party going on. I have a ballroom Latin dance background so I am very familiar with the ballroom party setup.HUGE room because they have tables and chairs around the dance floor you can sit and watch and rest. Kitchen area in the back with chips and salsa and beverages. No alcohol. PEOPLE diverse. White, Latin, Asian, black. Ages more on the older side yes but I did see some young people here. Plus everyone here was young at heart. Hee Hee :). One older guy was dressed super fly I thought he was in his 20's from the back then he turned around. For example one guy I danced with was from Berkeley probably a student there so there are younger people here too but not many. DRESS I saw people dressed casual and some dressed up so it's up to you. Like one lady had a coral one piece jump suit that reminded me of the 70s. Wear what makes you feel fabulous. They don't enforce a dress code so they're not gonna turn you away at the door. OVERALL I am a fan because I grew up loving dancing salsa no matter if it's a studio atmosphere or club or restaurant. There is a good amount of people here and it's not only couples so you will have a chance to get out there and dance. The crowd is on the older side not that there's anything wrong with that, but just letting you know. Parking is a big lot but it fills fast because of the three dance floors going on.

Been contemplating how to write an accurate review of this venue, I guess it's best to stick to the facts and compare with peers. I give 4 starts for location, but 2 for instruction and 2 for experience level of most dancers, yielding a 2.5. Allegro is apparently a musical term meaning fast, I just learned that :). Located in Emeryville off the 580. Great location, free parking, very spacious venue, great size dance floor.I've been here 5 times according to my Yelp check ins. Attended a class once, both Salsa & Bachata. A live band last Sat, and several Sunday night Salsa. The salsa lesson for the intermediate level was Zzzzz. I believe the reason was the instructors saw that the majority were beginners, so they toned down the class. I was not happy about that. If you plan on giving an intermediate level class than stick to the schedule. Same for Bachata.This place seems more catered to Timba music and seasoned dancers. I've struggled finding good salsa dancers here. I would get 1 good dance out of 6 what I consider getting my salsa fix for the night. So beware if you are intermediate or advanced level Salseros.Ultra casual is an understatement. Seen people in their sweats, loafers, lol, you name it. No bar for beverages just water.So overall, if you are bored Sunday night, you can literally roll out of bed and you maybe able to get your fix here..

Ok so you have seen a few reviews that talk about alcohol... if your goal is to come and drink. This is not the venue for you. This is a BALLROOM studio, where you learn and practice ballroom dancing. Think of ballet studio or jazz or hip hop, you would not expect those studios to have alcohol. This studio is probably the best in the Bay Area for ballroom dancing. Excellent teachers and instructors. I have taken both beginner, intermediate, series, and bronze level classes. I have some dancing experience but my partner doesn't, so he is now able (after 4 classes) do the basic steps for Viennese Waltz. This studio hosts events, which is fun but again it won't have alcohol. This studio emphasizes on ALL levels and welcomes ALL. You can always ask the staff questions before attending a class to see which level you fit into. The area is safe but it is an urban area, so please stop putting 1 star reviews bc your stuff got stolen from your car. It's not relevant to this studio. It's not their responsibility ... stop being dramatic. I don't work for Allegro and don't get compensated in any way by them. I just find it annoying that people post 1 star reviews for the heck of it. This is an excellent place to learn ballroom dancing and compete. If you are new or advanced, you will find an appropriate level for you!

I love this place! I've been here plenty of times with my gf's for the Salsa & Bachata nights. The vibe is very open & social, and everyone who comes here is super friendly. The age range is very diverse too, from 20's-60's. They even have ballroom dance nights! The times I've came here so Salsa, I checked in around 7pm, and paid like a $10 fee. That covered the Salsa lessons, entry to the dance area, and even food! Yes that's right, they offer snacks while you're busy dancing, lol. I'm a super beginner, but I still found this place to be fun. And the "dance language" here is very simple. You want to dance, stand up and make yourself available. A guy will see you and ask for a dance . If you're tired & want a break, sit down & the guys will know you want to be left alone. I love this spot!

Looking for a nice safe place to get your dance, well, Allegro is the place for you. Plenty of well lit parking also. They used to be in Emeryville, but have moved to El Cerrito/Richmond, in the same building as Grocery Outlet.

Mr. Mathew Moody the instructor is a classy very helpful instructor. However, Ms. Nancy So is a terror for beginners. Beware, she is a really mean instructor. She is rude and likes to pick on beginners.Honestly, you can tell she is just a pattern dancer, maybe that is why she takes it out on others just trying to learn. No thanks, I prefer to keep my dignity than be subjected to her tango lessons.