Harbour Dance Centre

Amazing dance studio for adults that allow drop in classes - teachers are the best that you can find in Vancouver for the genres of hip hop, jazz, tap, ballet, etc. Parking is a pain though, thus transit is easier. Dance environment can seem a bit cliquey and not the most friendly unless you are "in" with the crowd.

This studio offers a variety of dance classes and a variety of levels. They are taught by well-known dancers. However, there is no windows or ventilation in the room on the second floor so it is always so stuffy and warm. Classes do not always start on time either. I would say this studio is fairly beginners-friendly. Remember to bring some water to class! Enjoy and dance!

I've very much enjoyed my experience here. Their app is well made and the staff is friendly and accommodating. I agree that, as a complete beginner, even their beginner classes were intimidating because some of the more seasoned dancers often stop by and a lot of students have been taking the "beginner" class for a while. The "absolute beginner" classes are definitely easier to swallow as someone who has no experience in dance (like me!), but I've gained more confidence with each class and despite messing up 99% of all the moves, I've gotten a little over the fear of looking ridiculous. The teachers are nice and will answer any questions you might have. It's a great workout! I will point out that a lot of students tend to film the classes and some of these videos end up on YouTube. To be honest, I wish they wouldn't film the class or at least promise to blur all our faces out. Maybe that could be a rule to implement at the studio? I try to avoid the cameras like the plague, but the phones are everywhere in the small dance rooms. I know a lot of them film it just for themselves, to practice later. I suppose if it's made into a policy that none of that content can be shared unless they get written consent from all, I'd feel a bit more comfortable. Thanks for reading!

Groovy vibe, excellent selection of classes taught by reputable professionals, fun from start to finish! Highly recommended.

I walked by this place a million times before I knew it existed, and its way bigger than it looks from the outside. Tons of classes offered throughout the day, with many different styles. 3classes for $30 for newcomers. I loved my sexy street class with Nathan. He's hilarious, talented, a wonderful teacher and good at making you feel beautiful :) good vibes for sure!

Harbour Dance Centre is my favourite Vancouver dance studio! Every teacher is so friendly and I just loved the open and welcoming atmosphere of the studio. Definitely a great place to dance and meet people in the dance community. Incredible variety of classes. Lots of great year-round and summer programs for dancers seeking more of a commitment. The location is great and very transit-friendly.

TLDR: Great studio for confident dancers, not great for beginners. (Context: I danced from when I was age 5-17, and started taking beginner Hip Hop classes at Harbour Dance during university. So I have a lot of experience dancing I was not professional or particularly exceptional. I took Harbour Hip Hop beginner classes for 3 years, on and off.) Fantastic staff and instructors. Some really fun classes to take with incredible niches being represented. There's a lot to be desired, though, in terms of overall infrastructure and accessibility (though I don't blame them directly, finding real estate in Vancouver is difficult at best, but I think it's important to mention as it affects your experience). I think they are victim to their building's restrictions as it does not fit the number of people coming to the classes. Both the change rooms, classrooms, and reception area are incredibly cramped. You are also always brushing shoulders with professional dancers, which is quite intimidating when new to the studio. It's hard to dance full out when your classmates are only a meter away from you. The classrooms get very hot and stuffy, especially the downstairs studios. There's a particular gamble you take when paying for a class. Eventually, I had to stick to one teacher because it wasn't clear what kind of music/style other teachers were going to teach (likely a common gamble when taking a class broadly called "Hip Hop"). I once got stuck in an hour class with a teacher who was especially harsh to beginners (the most anxiety I've ever experienced in a dance class). It's hard to bond with an instructor because of how many students attend a class and the instructor is often racing off to somewhere else after class (home or another class) so there's a lack of rapport unless you push your way into talking to them. I mean, I can imagine how hard it is to connect with the hundreds of students they teach alongside providing quality teaching, I deeply sympathize. Another thing that was very stressful was how the seasoned company dancers would join beginner classes. It has the same effect as graduated students visiting their high school teachers, it's very off-putting and defaults the spotlight to them. I imagine they envision themselves taking on a sub-teacher position so more dancers can see the choreo (wouldn't be necessary if they had smaller class sizes) but their relationship with the instructor can make attendees feel othered. If you're used to dance culture, you likely won't find any of what I've said off-putting or anxiety-inducing. Having experienced dancers join your class could be fun and exhilarating if you don't experience insecurity about your own skills. But I think overall when you're catering to beginners, having everyone take humility in their ability is really important. You sign up for a beginner class to be surrounded by people like you, equally unsure and vulnerable. So when a very experienced dancer comes in it can be upsetting and unexpected. All that being said, I've moved on from Harbour because the amount of anxiety and intimidation I felt from being jostled around in the cramped and stuffy reception area to professional dancers joining beginner classes was too much. Unfortunately, Vancouver has a meager selection of quality Hip Hop Drop-In Adult classes and leaving has left me with very few options (Culturally Defined has been one option I've thought about due to their more restrictive registration, individualized growth focus, and beginner friendly progressives). What was inaccessible about Harbour can't truly be changed unless someone buys them a gigantic studio and encourages a more welcoming environment to new dancers of all ages (though professional dancers coming to class + the high school graduate metaphor seems like an issue that far exceeds a dance school and is a personal ego problem). I wish the best for them and all the dancers there, it was a fun couple years but I am far too tired to cope with the roller-coaster of anxiety this studio is.

I have really enjoyed coming here and it has reignited my love for dance! The teachers are are very talented here and have great choreography, and the studios are quite large and nice. My reason for 4/5 stars is because some of the Intro level classes are truly beginner friendly, and some are not. I think once you find your favourite teacher (for me it’s Sydney!) you can have the most fun, because even within the same style of dance the classes are really different depending on the teacher.