Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts

The theater was an excellent place to watch a show, and I found it highly enjoyable. I went to see Prescott Circus . They did an outstanding Performance.!

Great building, they do a lot for the community. My one complaint is that they don't turn off their 4th floor bathroom lights (or close the blinds). As a next door neighbor, this is a bit annoying. And not energy efficient.

This beautiful cultural center has been home to some of the Bay Area's most influential dance instructors including its namesake as well as beloved mestre do samba Carlos Aceituno, deceased founder of Carnaval faves Fogo na Roupa. My own samba school, SambaFunk, also holds classes here. While ventilation can be a problem, these beautiful dance rooms are a great place to learn new dance styles. I recently took part in a Brasilian orixa movement workshop by Dimensions Dance Theatre led by the wonderful Isaura. It was a spiritual, empowering workshop and I look forward to attend the next special event. The Malonga, as we regulars call it, has recently come under fire by ignorant new residents who have made complaints about the noise. You moved near a cultural center: you are going to hear drums, music, and laughter. It won't go all hours; the City staff punctually comes in at 6pm on Sundays to move us along. During our long hot summer, the windows were sealed shut, supposedly to combat the pigeon problem. In over three years of dancing at the Malonga, I've not seen so much as a feather in the second floor studio. Thankfully, the Malonga is going strong and continuing its tradition of fostering Oakland's cultural communities. The staff does more than monitor the front door. I once left my new pair of jazz sneakers at SambaFunk. I called the main line and left a voicemail and assumed I'd need to reorder the shoes. I received a call back and was told to see the security staff about the lost and found. I still have my shoes! A few tips for newcomers: Parking is at a premium. Be patient and circle a few times for a street spot. Or take BART and walk over from 12th street or Lake Merritt stations. Sign in and out at the front desk. Though showers are available, I'd be sure to pack shower shoes. Do research into the type of class you would like to take. The Malonga hosts a wide variety of options ranging from Afro-Haitian to hiphop. Wear the right shoes. Many prefer to dance barefoot so be mindful of not stomping on your classmates. Also you don't want to damage the floors for fellow dancers.

This review is for Matthew's beginning hip hop class on Tuesdays nights (6p to 7:30p) in Studio A. The cost is $10 - cash or check only - payable at the end of class. If you don't have change, Matthew can get change from the office downstairs. Meters on Alice Street stop at 6p, I believe. There is one two hour parking spot (unmetered) in the front of the studio - was lucky enough to snag it at 5:52p. Sign in with the guard and then walk up two flights of stairs. The class: The first 30 minutes consisted of light dancing as a warm up and then standing, kneeling, floor stretches, ab crunches, then pushups. [For me, I wish this part was spent on dance moves, as I had already done bikram and had a pilates session in the morning.]There were less than 10 students at this time but more arrived later.Matthew taught us a routine. What was different about his class compared to other movement classes was that he utilized different formations (circle, diagonal) for the routine and it forces one to really learn the moves. He broke down the moves and it seems like most of the students were no stranger to hip hop (it was my FIRST hip hop class). He is a patient teacher and he went over and over the steps and made corrections when needed. Towards the last 45 min of class, a few more people arrived and it was clear they were advanced - they picked up the moves easily. Matthew had several interruptions during class from random people, but he kept the class going and it didn't feel uneven. Matthew is extremely congenial and positive. I would not hesitate to return to his class again. I wish he taught more often, as the only way I will really learn those moves is to take more than one class per week. Would recommend wearing converse sneakers or tennis shoes. Loose pants or tights and a t-shirt. The floor is wooden and waxed. Seems clean. There are chairs near the door where people put their things. There will be a hip hop showcase on Saturday, April 30 from 1p to 3p.

This review is solely for the West African dance classes at Malonga Casquelourd. The Tuesday night class is taught by a really young guy - a student of one of the master teachers, presumably. It's a fun, small class (maybe five or six students when I was there), and the teacher makes sure you understand each step. This is not a moving-across-the-room-in-lines class. You actually learn a dance (or part of one) from start to finish. This can be very fun and satisfying, even if the teacher is something of a novice.The Saturday afternoon class is of the moving-across-the-room variety. I've taken many different classes like this all over the place and they all usually move pretty fast. This one was no exception. Even with years of dance (and a semester studying dance in Ghana) under my belt, it was frustrating to watch the teacher demonstrate something for 10 seconds and then be expected to be able to reproduce it. Classes like this cater much more to the regulars, and leave out the uninitiated almost entirely. I thought the 10 minutes of warm up at the beginning (which only newbies participated in) could have been much better used for introduction to the basic steps. The trick with classes like this is to just take one aspect (such as the rhythm) and really nail it so that you don't have that confused expression on your face as you pass right in front of the cute drummers. Whatever you do, don't hesitate - just get low, stick your butt out, and have fun. If you are white, your chances of looking awkward are much greater, so just don't overdo it. Find a way to feel the rhythm and just enjoy yourself.I came out of the hour and a half class drenched in sweat, toes tender from pounding on the hardwood floors, and ears ringing from the drums. This kind of workout is second only to Monkey Yoga Shala: http://www.yelp.com/biz/Rtyj1lMgha4udonYDkvCcA but it's a lot more fun.

This is such a dynamic environment with lots going on for kids and adults. Despite the lack of organization (calendar not always accurate, for example), the classes feature live drumming a lot of time, amping up the vibe. What I really wanted to review though, is Tacuma's children's drumming class. The class takes place Saturdays from 12-2, and the age range is 2 y.o. and up. $5 donation per class, no one turned away.Tacuma King is an expert at tough love, teaching skill, and engaging youth in a philosophy of love and anti-violence. He is fantastic at challenging students at their various levels, and extending the discipline of learning drums outside of drumming and into life outside of drumming. He's got kids ages 2-17, students with special needs, talented students, mostly Black boys, and a few Latina and Black girls, fully engaged, and it is quite a lovely experience to witness. The kids easily see the love in his tough love. He does a lot of mindful and genuine work to gain their trust. He is humorous, relevant, and uncompromising in his approach. Because of Tacuma's class, my son understands what it means to work with a group, to lead (yes at 3.5, he gets opportunities to lead!), and he feels he is part of a larger community. Tacuma gets Five Stars!

This is a review of the theater itself, not any of the various productions that occur there. I was here a couple of years ago to watch some dance. Because I'm an actor, I'm always evaluating theaters and I rather liked the space. Since that time I've acted there with the Bay Area Repertory Theatre and have been on the stage myself.The theater (formerly known as the Alice Arts Center) is in a restored 1920's building that currently seats about 400 people. It's a little down at the mouth in a "shabby chic" kind of way--not at all off putting or uncomfortable though. The seats are generally in good shape, the sound system is OK and hanging lights is straightforward. The lobby is Art Deco and usually has a charming little time capsule display describing how the building came to be.Backstage there are several decently maintained dressing rooms, though no actual Green Room. It's a comfortable place for actors.East Bay folks have a nice theater here.

I took the Chicago Stepping class with Damone on Monday night. It was excellent! There was an adequate number of partners in which to practice the moves which I appreciated. Damone taught the basic moves and more importantly taught the men how to signal the upcoming moves and turns to their partners as well as taught the ladies how to interpret them. I was impressed. It was a 2-hour class that went by very fast. I highly recommend it if you want to learn the dance. I will be back next week!

This review is for Sunday Samba Funk.Samba Funk'd with King "Theo", the Funkquarians & the Funk Tyme Playahs this afternoon for the first time. Wow, I had a funkin good tyme! Warm, welcoming family oriented class where you can get your Samba Funk on, work up a sweat, move and groove to some awesome music and live drumming, be smilin from ear to ear and meet new people. All ages and dance levels/skills are welcome.High energy, face paced, thumpin, bumpin exciting class that incorporates exercises and warm up before Samba Funkin begins. After the warm up session everyone comes together to introduce themselves. Special acknowledgment of first time attendees made me feel special and very welcomed at my first Samba Funk class this afternoon. Get ready, get ready, get ready...King "Theo's" pushin this mutha world wide...Its gonna be a Samba Funk explosion preparing to blast [email protected]#: 510.451.6100Samba Funk ClassSundays 4-6 pm$10 per class

Oh how I've missed this place. It's like moving out of state, every time I come back I find more reason to never leave again. I've fallen in love all over again. Although Congolese and West African Dance class is a fave, they offer everything from Hip-Hop, Chicago Stepping to Capoeria .. Prices and class times vary, so its best to check with each instructor. Arrive early parking is scarce .. "Alice Arts" is one of the many JEWELS "Oakland" still has to offer to adults and children.