SoundBox-Studios

If there were six stars, I would have rated this place that. Took classes from Cliff, and he’s a really good teacher. Very technical and his classes are really fun!!! Highly recommend others to take his classes!

Driving into this studio in the back of some back alley type of parking lot made me feel a little unsecure at first. And I didn’t see a sign anywhere, but I eventually found the place. The studio is very small: small waiting area and two rooms. What the facilities are lacking in, the dancing makes up for greatly.
You can just walk in, sign in, and take individual classes for $ 10 or buy class passes that gives you a discount on multiple classes. Because I was just trying, I did a walk-​in and paid $ 10.
I came early to check out the Beginner Hip Hop class before the Int/​Adv Hip Hop I was going to take at 7 pm. As I waited, I watched the kids team class and wow are these kids good! They are young but very sharp and talented. The kids are a diverse bunch and look like they are having fun. Some parents stood watching through the window and I think I overheard them complimenting the instructor. Seems like he works real well with the kids.
For the Int/​Adv Hip Hop, it was phenomenal. I had the class with Ryan Jimenez. Very good choreography. Intense, sharp, smooth, fast. Good music choice. Everyone in the class was real good too. It’s an encouraging and challenging environment.
These classes are a great price and this first class I took was real great. More reviews to come as I take more classes.

I went to Brette Seffen’s Intro to Hip Hop class on Saturday and it was so much fun! I had a huge smile on my face the whole time we were dancing. She went through small sections of the choreography and would gradually add on more steps. At the end of the class, she let us videotape the dance. I’ll definitely return and bring my friends. I’m going to try a Beginner Hip Hop class next time.
The studio is kind of hidden. You can see a sign on the street for Soundbox Studios but it is located in the back of the parking lot. Classes are $ 10 and you can buy cards for $ 40 which give you access to 5 classes in 3 months.

Do you spend time sitting and idolizing MTV ABDC dancers? Well why waste your time idolizing when you can become one? Soundbox is owned and operated by local WyldStyl dance members who also work closely with ex-​SoReal dancers so you know they know what they’re doing. The location is hidden behind this old building off Glenmont so don’t assume you are lost if you can’t find it right off the bat.
Classes are an hour long and they have a variety of dance classes you can take; Street Jazz, R&B, Beg/​Intermediate Hip Hop, and I think Cheer at one point. All information can be found on their website.
One thing to take note of, I hardly hear them use counts for the dances. Maybe it’s just the classes i’ve been too. Expect to hear «boom-​boom-​ka-​ka» to replace your «5,6,7,8» But either way, the instructors are very friendly so if you need them to slow down or don’t understand a move. don’t be afraid to ask them to show it again!

Fun class with Gina (Beginner /​Intermediate Hip-​Hop) on a Monday night, 7−8pm. I came here with a bunch of late-​20s, early 30s-​somethings. We got schooled by a bunch of kids (late teens) who would try and put Usher and Né-​Yo to shame.
Nevertheless, the vibe was friendly. The other students didn’t seem to mind that we were there to try something out and have a good time. Gina was pretty patient with us, too. She even let this guy in our group record her on his iPod so we could review the steps later.
As a person who comes from a very mild traditional dance class background, it was harder for me to grasp the musicality and not learn in 8-​counts. (Think Nappytabs on So You Think You Can Dance instructing you in «boom-​cack-​cacks».) It probably would have helped if I had known the song beforehand or had visited their Saturday intro class first.
Her warm-​up stretch is not for the feint of heart — she did some serious yoga poses on bare hardwood to which my feeble knees said, «Heck no!» For $ 10/​walk-​in class or $ ⁴⁰⁄₅ classes, it ain’t so bad a deal to get out there and swag like an MTV VMA star. This class is stand-​alone and doesn’t build on previous sessions, so give it a try.

I battled 59 South traffic after work to get here.
Duy’s advanced hip hop class on Monday kicked my ass. The next week, I got to shake my ass in Lucia’s samba class. Plus, it kicked my ass. The girl will make you SWEAT, and you’ll look sexy doing it. My only qualm is that everyone’s wearing heels to dance in. I already wear heels all day and to dance tango, so I was a little sad about having to bring my ballroom shoes back out to samba in. But admittedly, heels make you look sexy. So I won’t complain.
The studio rooms are huge, and the floor is nice. It’s clean, they are still doing some painting and construction, but I love that it’s simple and not pretentious.
I wish this place were closer to me, because they offer affordable hip hop classes at a variety of levels. Their official grand opening is January 23^rd, you should go check it out. Oh, and props to them for using Twitter. I always get nervous about going to dance classes, especially when I have to drive out to them, because I’m afraid they’ll get cancelled. Soundbox Studios fixed that with their always-​on-​time twitter updates about every evening’s class lineup.
Love it!

Yeah it’s pretty ****in cool. =] Wish they had more digs like this where I normally habitate! The dance lessons [I went for hip hop] are cheap, fun and a good workout. May be able to draw me away during the middle of the week for a good time in Houston. There’s definitely enough ways to keep occupied in this city, and SoundBox fits right in the mix.