Lake Merritt Dance

Come check out 5Rhythms dance on Thursday evenings, 7:30-9:30pm up in Hall 1! I feel blessed and honored to have been teaching this class at the hall for 5 years now. So grateful to the City of Oakland for continuing to work with and support our evening dance programs at Lake Merritt Dance! For more info visit: www.sayrahgarrison.comPhoto credit: Kerry Kehoe Photography

This is a beautiful building. The floors are excellent for dancing. One of the rooms looks out onto Lake Merritt and is especially beautiful during sunset. Parking is plentiful and provided. Good customer service is needed here. The person currently in charge of handling phone calls for people who call in was very rude to me when I called to find out details on the sound system for the room I would be deejaying. When I called the number listed on the website she answered and proceeded to chastise me for calling before business hours. She told me that no one does business at 7 a.m. in the morning and that I should know better than to call that early. I was expecting an answering machine like most businesses have. I was shocked at how she spoke so loudly to me. It was appalling how she repeatedly interrupted me blatently refusing to answer my question. I asked if I had the correct number. I almost thought I had the wrong number because her speech was so fast and pressured like a homeless person on drugs talking to an invisible person. It felt as if I had reached a payphone by accident in a bad part of town. It was really awful. All I needed to know who is what kind of sound system the room came with. It was a pretty standard procedure phone call for a DJ to make but I'd never have been treated so unprofessional and rudely and in such a strange way over the phone or in person.I never found out the true answer to my question about the sound system. She ended up answering the question and having it delivered to me through a third party and the answer was that everything I would need would be set up for me in the space. When I arrived for my gig there were no working speakers or sound system. There was an amp that did not work. The floors in the room were dirty which was dissapointing because our dancers needed clean floors. We were cleaning the floors on our hands and knees because the maintanence man vanished with his broom. I saw her for less than five minutes the day of my gig and she was berating someone profusely for bringing a small live plant into the building. They kept apologizing as she threatened to raise their cleaning fees an extra 150 dollars. Naturally I did not introduce myself or ask for anything I needed, seeing as she was present only to bully, not to assist. I really hope that not everyone has this kind of experience with her because this is a space that really deserves to be supported.That said, No one deserves to be treated unprofessionally So just be aware and good luck.

Went here to see a friend perform in a Hustle Demo but before that, we attended a tango dance lesson and it was fun. After that, there was dancing in the ballroom and the instructor was the dj. During a break, they serve refreshments in the room across the ballroom and there are places to sit. Not bad for only $6 per person.

I attend Mike Pyle's third Sunday of the Month, West Coast Swing dance. http://audiopyle.com/lakeside.html Has local WCS instructors give a lesson before the dance starts.Mike DJ's and keeps up on the latest WCSwing dance music, he still plays, blues, jazz, R & B, contemporary and top 40's. The hall is located on the first floor, large, good AC, gets a little warm in the summer. Around 150+ dancers attend. Usually a East Coast Swing dance in the ballroom on the third floor, our west coast swing dance in is in the main ballroom on the second floor. The venue has different dances on different nights, seems popular with the ECSwing and Tango groups on the other nights. Women's restroom on the second floor and plenty. An older building. There is a medium sized parking lot and street parking.

I've been taking beginning waltz classes with Persephone on Tuesday nights for a few weeks now. The class is really fun, and I can tell my skill level is steadily increasing. Although each beginner class has some common elements, other parts are different each week, so it's never dull. The venue itself has a ton of stuff going on. Whatever kind of dance lesson you're looking for, chances are you can find it here.

This building offers stunning views of Lake Merritt, the Catholic cathedral, and Lakeside Park. Historic architecture provides a genuine community feel, nestled inside bustling and urban uptown Oakland.

I love this historic building with its lakeside location, high ceilings, interesting wooden details, glossy wooden dance floors, and plentiful windows. I'm also really grateful to have a conveniently located place to take all sorts of dance lessons at reasonable prices -- tango, country western, salsa rueda, ballroom, etc. This is a great place for the East Bay's vibrant partner dance scene to convene!

I've been going to the Wednesday night tango lessons on and off for years. Warren and Gigi Jensen are fantastic dance teachers, and always so warm and welcoming. Class sizes vary from week to week, but you always get individual attention. Check the schedule, as while they always have beginner classes, they also do intermediate classes as well, but not throughout the year.I've even done a few private lessons, and been to a couple of their tango parties, which are a blast.I've seen all adult age ranges at the classes and parties, and a wide variety of skill levels. So, if you're going to meet people just like you, you might be surprised at how diverse the tango community can be.

I started partner dancing in 2009 at the Lake Merritt Dance Center and I am so grateful to have such a lovely place to meet fellow dance enthusiasts! As an organizer of dance events, I also appreciate having access to such a great location. We have hosted teachers from out of town, held monthly events and every who comes thoroughly enjoys the beautiful space that is the Veterans Memorial Building--a great place to dance and connect with your community!

Great Sunday Swing lessons! Usually will also have live bands.