Nives Wetzel de Cediel

I’ve taken Brazilian dance all over the Bay area with great instructors but Nives is THE BEST. She has immense talent as a dancer and a teacher. Her style is the most beautiful, technical, earthy, funky, and artistic of all the teachers I have trained with. Additionally she teaches many different styles of Brazilian dance so you have the opportunity to work through Danca das Orixas, carnaval style sambas, pagode, samba reggae, and more. If you learn from Nives you will have the most perfected Brazilian dance moves you can get.

Nives is a knowledgeable and talented sambista and an excellent instructor. Her classes are fun and challenging – in a good way – and she is an inspiration. Nives’s teaching style focuses on technique and she also integrates Brazilian culture and history into her classes. If you truly want to learn how to samba, Nives is your girl!

Hands down my favorite samba teacher! She offers a unique style of teaching built on foundation, technique, and history. To compare her classes to other samba classes is like comparing apples and oranges. She’s simply the best.

I wish I could rate this more than 5 stars. Ms. Cediel is so amazing. I have dance class with her everyday and I still feel like I need more and more because I just can’t get enough of her class! She has really changed my life. When I was younger I used to dance samba but stopped at a very early age. Ms. C not only brought back that light that was once in me, but she brought that passion and connection with Brazilian dance and music that I once had back. I could not ask for a better teacher. I have tried many others and not one is nearly as good! Ms. C also put confidence inside me. Before, I would hate going to the front of the class. I would also hate dancing too hard and «show off.» Now, I have never felt better about myself and I have never believed in myself the way I do now. I feel like she is always trying her hardest to get me to improve and that is the most important factor — believing in me! Her way of teaching is perfect. She puts in technique to get you to get the move as best as possible. You can always go ahead and ask her as many questions as you like and she’ll be more than happy to help you out. Ms. C is such a good person at heart. She really inspires me everyday to get better and better. I practice everyday at home the different moves we went over in class and sweat just as much as I do in her class. She is as passionate in teaching as I am to learning. I wish she would get more attention for her amazing talent. She has control and strength in every part of her body like no other. My dream is to become like her! I love her so much!

When I moved to bay area I spent around 2 years searching for a class that truly inspired me. I moved from teacher to teacher, from genre to genre. As soon as I tried Nives’ class, I stuck to it, I’m going on year 3 now.
Having experienced various teachers, I can confidently say Nives is not only a passionate and charismatic teacher, but very knowledgeable and a true educator. We learn technique, history, body awareness, and how to responsibly interact with other dancers/​students. I feel like I’m being guided towards correct technique while listening to my body and respecting afro-​brazilian culture and history, all while having fun.
What caught my attention the most about this class was how friendly and non-​comptetitive everyone was. I felt welcome, and that is something hard to to come by in many dance classes in the bay area. There is everything from highly experienced to beginner dance students, but it just feels like everyone is trying their best, no matter where they are. This class also seems to draw the attention of very grounded, interesting, and exceptional people. I have been able to build a beautiful community in this class.
Last but not least, it is a great work out! Just what you need to release any stress or tension you might have accumulated over the week. Oh and great music too! I would recommend this class to anyone, anytime.

I’ve gone to several locations within the Bay Area but have found that learning from Nives to be the best match for what I am looking for. Here’s what works for me:
PROS:
The environment is intimate and very inviting. Many of the dancers have known each other and Nives for a long time. Their comfort and openness with each other extends to new participants as well and I have felt welcomed from day one.
Nives is a very articulate and motivating instructor. She is very knowledgeable about her art form both in terms of giving instructions and about the history and context of the dance forms themselves. She is patient but she will challenge you. In addition to being a wonderful teacher she is a fantastic dancer who is very fun, encouraging, and spellbinding to watch.
I think Nives has great taste in music and it adds a lot to the experience when you’re moving to music you love.
The studio bathrooms are clean.
CONS:
If you’re not in or close to the Berkeley area, I do not envy your commute home after two and half hours of heavy sweating.
SUMMARY:
I wasn’t born with much, but after a couple of months at this wonderful little studio I’ve learned to shake what little I have and shake it well.

I can’t sing Nives’ praises enough. Not only are her classes fun and challenging, you actually learn. She explains the background of what we are doing, and why. Her classes are food for my soul. What started out as something that seemed fun to do has become a part of my life that I can’t live without. Each class is a chance to learn and grow, and is never boring.

I have taken dance classes in the Bay Area for most of my life… Nives is definitely at the top of my list of best teachers. She has a positive energy which spreads throughout her class– «regulars» are very kind, friendly, and open to everyone. She has a lot of dance knowledge; you can tell that she knows the dances and the body intricately and she is great at breaking things down in words and in movement. While the class is mostly Brazilian based, she includes lots of related forms of dance and music. The music and energy are always hot! It’s an amazing work out and totally worth checking out.

Nives helped me discover the freedom of movement in dance. Prior to Nives’ classes, I was only taking partner dancing classes which, after a while, I felt restricted to just ‘following the lead’- also felt I was taking the same dance class over and over but with a different instructor.
Nives’ style of teaching makes you focus on how your body flows, she explains the meaning, the ‘story’ behind every movement — this style of teaching was so helpful to me. I didn’t feel awkward about the movements because i understood what I was trying to portray. In addition, I also crave a hard workout, this I experienced as well. The funny thing is, you don’t feel the exhaustion during the class, it’s not until the drive home that my body realizes how tired I am. Finally, the ‘regulars’ that take Nives’ class are very friendly, –they make you feel very welcome, like family.

Nives is a phenomenal teacher. I am in her Carnaval group and it’s like rehearsing with a samba army. She keeps everyone in line, has you dancing really hard, and makes people respect each other. You can go to her class for years and still learn new things. She mixes moves that have a mythological or spiritual story with moves that are just plain funky and sexy. Also, the other women in her class are a great group.