Areté Dance Center

I have been learning dance at Arete for the last couple of years now. It is a small, absolutely wonderful studio run by Kris that I've enjoyed learning at immensely. Kris, and my instructor, Yuriy are not only absolutely amazing dancers, but fantastic teachers too. I walked in as a complete novice, with no music ear or training & over the quarters, have been coached, very patiently by them to 'learn' dancing. Overall, it is a great community that I enjoy very much - the dance shows, the Friday night socials, and I really appreciate the professionalism they bring to the teaching and to their craft. Thank you! More...

Reviewed on Google Maps

My wife and I been taking classes at Arete Dance Center in Los Altos since May 2017 and have a lot of fun with it. Kris, Yuriy, and team have created a wonderful and patient ambient for dance. We are learning a lot, and enjoy their great facility and many events. They have been truly successful in creating a community of dance students and instructors in a warm and welcoming environment. The best of all, my wife is happy that for the first time in her life she learned rhythm and beat thanks to ADC's patient teachers. More...

Reviewed on Google Maps

We are so glad to have found a small personal ballroom dance studio and have been dancing at Arete since April 2015. All the teachers are talented artistic dancers (watch them dance and you are instantly inspired); but more importantly to us as students, is that all Arete teachers are motivating and dedicated as well. They can verbalize and dissect the moves for you ...YAY!Yuriy, our private lesson instructor, is super patient and diligent in planning each lesson and then re-caps with notes at the end with specific areas to work on in between lessons. He is always encouraging and creative with analogies (and hand-drawn pictures too :)) to help us understand concepts; above all he keeps our lessons fun and engaging. Our group lesson teacher, Rebecca's instructions cannot be more clear, precise, and succinct (I wish I can record her :D); especially helpful on executing intricate steps and understanding nuances with each different style of dance. Technique classes with Kris help us drill the steps and technique that brings out the character of each dance. She makes something that can be boring and challenging (for us amateurs) more fun and manageable. We feel all our teachers truly care about our progress and try very hard to help us advance. Each person has their own reason for taking dance lessons, from a leisure recreational hobby, to therapeutic, to serious competitive dancers. Our teachers recognize each student's different ability and motivation, and we really appreciate Arete's support to help us achieve our goals. As a bonus, we have made many good friends at Arete and it's a fun supportive community. More...

Reviewed on Google Maps

The teachers are warm and welcoming, great for all ages and levels. They encourage newcomers and challenge dancers. Fellow dancers are friendly and social dance nights are so much fun!

Reviewed on Google Maps

Diane Allison writes: Areté Dance Center in my mind truly exemplifies it’s name, because through the amazing dance instruction that I have gotten there, I have been transformed into a dancer. That may not sound unusual to some folks, but I grew up in a very artistic family of musicians, so I was aware from a very early age what kind of dedication and commitment it took to become “excellent” at any artistic endeavor. The Areté staff includes some of the most professional artists I know, but yet they are all extremely friendly, approachable, and they are honestly interested in the artistic development of each and every individual who walks through their doors and wants to learn to dance.I am no Spring chicken….I am now 57 years old. I have had a varied professional career as an Intensive Care Nurse for over twenty years, and then a Manager and Senior Instructor at an Equestrian Center for close to 20 years. Currently, I am retired from both of those endeavors, and now I am focusing on the “dance” portion of my life. Four and a half years ago, I walked into Areté Dance Center because they had a promotion going on, to purchase a gift for my husband of Introductory Dance lessons for us as a couple. My husband and I have been married going on 36 years now, and I was looking for something new that we could do together…..something that was out of both of our comfort zones, with which neither one of us had any prior experience. Now four and half years later, my husband and I are so ensconced in dance that we now practice every day, and we compete on a regular basis in both International Standard, and International Latin dance. Most recently, we were Bronze champions at the Berkeley Classic, winning each dance in our Bronze division.Who knew I LOVE dance for many reasons. It is excellent exercise. It allows you to connect with your entire body in a way that is unique to any other athletic endeavor that I have encountered. It involves not only the use of the body, but also the use of the brain and the brain/body interconnection. It is one of those things that is totally engrossing, so one is not able to think about anything else but dance when one is dancing. I LOVE that, because it allows my brain to have a vacation from all of the sometimes overwhelming day to day data that is crammed into it. AND, it is a creative outlet. Now that I have some actual skill as a dancer, I can allow my “inner dancer” to emerge, and let my creativity blossom.I love Areté Dance Center for another reason as well. ADC has created an amazing and wonderful community of people. Everyone who I have met there, whether they are a beginning dancer or more expert, is extremely welcoming and friendly. It is absolutely a place where one can learn to dance and not be judged in any way by anyone else……and that is rare indeed. I have made many new friends at Areté, and I am honored to be a part of the ADC community. More...

Reviewed on Google Maps