BrasArte: World Dance Center

Awesome cultural center with dance classes and capoeira! The beginner samba class is fun and hot MILF action - I guess I'm more used to classes with men? But it's the Bay Area and Latin dance classes with energy and men don't happen. Still I recommend especially if you're an older lady looking for action! It'd be cool if they had a samba class for men which is way more fun for me! Nice instructor and I think the more advanced courses match your steps to the beat.

Wonderful! I did African dance and it was exhilarating! Wonderful teacher and love drumming. Highly recommend.

Here's a legal drug that's good for you!Shed the winter doldrums and a few pounds by getting the best antidepressant I know: Afro-Brazilian or African dancing to live drumming! I heartily recommend, as a former dancer of a polar opposite form, that you kick off your shoes and just try this. It's cheaper than a gym membership and will melt off the pounds while flooding you with endorphins. In each of there is a heartbeat that responds to the primal call of the big, deep drums. They can move you irresistibly to a place beyond all care.BrasArte is a true palace of culture. It is a welcoming, open space with a big main studio, a good floor, and well-attended classes that create enough anonymity to keep the pressure low and a group spirit to heal and inspire.I'm no longer a sylph, and my fat old ass feels welcome here, bobbing and bouncing in a happy sea of every age and body type.A few tips for first-timers: Don't worry about the combinations (steps) too much. Do your best and just keep up with the traffic! Nobody needs you to be perfect and every one of them was a beginner once. Wear what you would to a yoga class, or to wash the car: a T-shirt and leggings, a sports bra and a sarong, yoga pants and a sleeveless T with a sweatshirt for warming up. No need to look or be affluent! It's traditionally barefoot. Some people's feet may need a little toughening, so notice if you get a little footsore about halfway through class, and either take a break or pull on ballet slippers, jazz shoes, dance paws or nonslip socks. You'll build protective calluses in no time.So glad we have this place. It is the epitome of the best the Bay Area has to offer! Multicultural, diverse, tolerant, inclusive and best of all JOYOUS!

Fabulous concertBrazil Meets Big Band with Spok- Playing Frevo from Recife!Special Guests: Artefolia Dance CompanyDancer Jae ShinVocalist Sandy Cressmanat Brasarte/Casa da Cultura in Berkeley August 27 at 6:30 p.m. Amazing music , concert & dancers. Just what Berkeley needs to recover from the beautiful & focused actions today for justice, respect, freedom & democracy.

What I love: * tightening up my 'samba equimpment' and getting deliriously happy while I do it - everything that jiggles jells nicely once instructor Conceicao (say Kohn-say-sah-oo) finishes working me over * perfecting my 'nearly naked carnaval lady' moves* getting my weekly endorphin overload dancing to some of the best Brazilian rhythms (alas, canned) in the Bay Area* Instructor Conceicao Damasceno who is one of the very few souls I know that's got the shit to back up hella attitude. Work it, CD!*Watching the smallfry in the capoeira class before mine fly around the room like miniature ninja. There's capoeira for grown folks too, but that's just not my cuppa.What I cannot abide:* how can I put this gently...hmmmm...guess I can't:It only takes one patronizing wigga-wanna-be to funk up my groove. Ugh! Yeah, yeah... I thought I was bigger than that, but it just zaps me every damn time. (Wigga-wanna-be Force-field ON!)World Dance Center has been around in a few different incarnations - used to be on Solano, moved to San Pablo. They offer a variety of dance and capoeira classes. There's also a very loyal core if you're looking for a regular crew to roll with...not me...I'm a samba 'ho and will samba anywhere with (almost) anyone if the right beat moves me.

Great samba de gafiera, forro and bolero partner dance classes. Fantastic teachers in friendly atmosphere! BrasArte always has amazing visiting artists from Brazil. Currently Marcelo Chocolate from Brazilian Dancing with the Stars is teaching. Can't beat the price! Walk-ins welcome.

Great place to enjoy the Brazilian culture with the various dance classes, musical events, and workshops that take place here, plus the annual Brazilian Day Festival which I thoroughly enjoyed. I took the Brasilian Carnaval dance class on Saturdays for a number of years with Danilo and it was great fun, taken Rodson's class which was energetic and fun, and have attended the Halloween Carnival and Ball as well. It was also fun participating with Ginga Brasil in the San Francisco Carnaval Parade in 2012!

This place has gotten better. I used to dance here 10 years ago and then it was very snobby. (Ther was a core group of dancers that were unwelcoming) Now it seems to be a much friendlier culture. I feel welcomed and free to strike up a conversation with any of the nice dancers. The instructors are also welcoming and friendly. I am so glad this studio has improved!

The online listings for this place need a refresh, but the classes themselves are great. The correct website is: https://berkeleycapoeira.com For some reason, there are a lot of listings to an old website that does not reflect current classes. But once you know when the classes take place, it's a Very reliable place to take classes and the teachers I've seen have been great. They offer classes for kids, teens, and adults-- for samba, drumming, and capoeira....and possibly more.My 10 yr old loves the Capoeira classes. Highly recommend them. The other classes look great too!.

Dance instructors were really awesome in explaining protocols for dance during covid, dance descriptions, and beliefs behind the ritual movement portions. I'm looking forward to the courses!