Wednesdays at
Lake Merritt Dance
Please join us tonight for West Coast Swing classes with Shin!
September 17
6:45 Beginner West Coast Swing with Shin
Why is west coast swing everyone’s (top 2) favorite dance? Because it’s so fun! In the first class Shin will show us the basics, connection, and the flow of the dance. If you’re just getting started, this class is for you.
No partner required. We will partner up and rotate regularly.
7:45 Intermediate West Coast Swing with Shin
If you dance west coast swing regularly, or have taken a few classes in west coast swing, join us for the intermediate class. Shin knows a lot of cool moves!
Shin Aoki
Shin Aoki has been dancing West Coast Swing for 20 years. He started teaching WCS in 2010 at Sundance Saloon, and began teaching regularly when he co-founded SwingOut!, the first LGBTQ and allies West Coast Swing dance in the Bay Area.
Shin has participated in numerous WCS competitions and performed several routines. He loves West Coast Swing because he feels that every dance is an opportunity for him to help his partner express the best in themselves.
Note: The studio will be closed on September 24
October 1, 8 & 15
6:45 PM: Country Waltz (beginner / beg-plus) with Citabria
Let’s get into waltz! This month, we will breeze through the basics and get into waltz-specific patterns that are just… so… pretty. Beginners are welcome, especially in the first class of the series. We will move quickly and build upon each class. No partner required; come as you are. Arrive early to warm up.
7:45 PM: Country-Western Two-Step - “Crossing the Tracks”: Exchanges and Weaves (beginner+) with Citabria
Exchanges is one of the funnest moves we get to do in Country-Western Two-Step (SF-style). We’ll learn to get on and off this party train and zig-zag around the room together.
Then, we will continue exploring “weaves,” a similar category of patterns commonly seen in “progressive-style” two-step, and totally doable at our dances, too.
It’s helpful to have taken beginner-level lessons in two-step, but new beginners can certainly give this class a try.
Regular Dance Events
Sundance Saloon in San Francisco — country-western dance for the LGBT+ community every Thursday and Sunday.
Starlight Strut in Oakland — for women, trans people, and non-binary people.
OutWest in Sebastopol — LGBTQIA+ dance. Third Saturdays.
Abrazo Queer Tango — LGBTQIA+ Argentine Tango classes and milongas (dances).
The Gay Games 2026 will be in València, Spain from June 27 to July 4, 2026. There will be many types of events including “DanceSport.”
Some past attendees are putting together a dance formation team in the East Bay to go to the Games. Interested in learning more? Email ellenlevitt@hotmail.com
Or maybe you’re interested in competing in a couple’s event. Please ask us about coaching.
Yes, you can dance!
Our classes are designed with beginner dancers in mind.
We try to offer at least one beginner-level class each day. You can choose to lead or follow. You do not need to bring a partner—we rotate partners regularly.
The types of dances we teach include: Country-Western Two-Step & Waltz, East-Coast Swing, Nightclub Two-Step, Lindy Hop, Ballroom, and more!
Typical Schedule:
6:30 PM Doors open, registration and warm-up
6:45 PM Class 1: 50-minute class
7:35 PM 10-minute break for practice with music and registration
7:45 PM Class 2: 50-minute class
8:35 PM 10-minute practice with music & chat
8:45 PM Close
Cost:
One class is $18.
Two classes in one evening is $30.
Discount for pre-registration.
Location:
200 Grand Ave., Oakland, CA. We are in the “lounge” on the first floor. Enter at Bay Place at Grand Avenue and go up a few stairs. It’s the room on the left with the glass doors.
About
Our mission at Oakland Queer Dance Studio is to provide a place where students can learn popular social dance styles and be able to fully participate in social dance within, and beyond, the Bay Area queer dance communities.
Who are we?
We are Citabria and Nancy. Citabria is the main dance instructor for Oakland Queer Dance Studio. Citabria enjoys bringing queer community together to experience the joy and connection that partner dancing brings. She looks forward to seeing both new and familiar faces out on the dance floor.
Nancy enjoyed regular dance classes for queer people—at Zoe’s Trip the Light Fantastic—before the pandemic and is excited to return to queer social dance classes. She is an organizer at Starlight Strut and a regular at Sundance Saloon and values the skills learned and friendships made in the weekly classes. Nancy supports this program with all kinds of administrative activities other than teaching.
Instructors
Citabria Phillips
Citabria has experience both dancing and teaching International Standard and American Smooth ballroom, Lindy Hop, West Coast Swing, and Salsa and more. She studied extensively through the Ballroom Teachers College in SF, where she learned both the leader and follower role of many dances, along with how to be an inspiring teacher and coach. Citabria has also competed nationally and internationally with much success, including garnering several titles in Dancesport as North American Champion, as well as medaling at the worldwide Gay Games. Citabria offers private lessons, group classes, and teaches many different styles of social and competitive dance.
For private lessons email Citabria at: Citabria@oaklandqueerdance.com
Shin Aoki
Shin Aoki has been dancing West Coast Swing for 20 years. He started teaching WCS in 2010 at Sundance Saloon, and began teaching regularly when he co-founded SwingOut!, the first LGBTQ and allies West Coast Swing dance in the Bay Area.
Shin has participated in numerous WCS competitions and performed several routines. He loves West Coast Swing because he feels that every dance is an opportunity for him to help his partner express the best in themselves.
Rafael Dominguez
Love for Dance has been in Rafael’s life for many decades. From a young age he studied many styles including Mexican Folklore Dance, Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Modern, Ballroom and social dances.
He has also competed in the USA and Internationally in Ballroom, Latin, Smooth and Formation Team.
He has been a teacher in the Bay Area for many years.
David Phillips
David Phillips teaches Argentine tango with a playful, non-traditional approach, seeing it as a cooperative game where everyone can win. Guided self-discovery methods help dancers become Clear, Comfortable, and Creative by building on natural movement, social connection, and musicality.
With diverse training in dance, mind-body systems (Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais, NLP), and international tango studies, David blends best practices for learning and teaching.
David teaches in Austin, Texas and beyond through private lessons, small groups, and guest workshops. He and pro-partner Liz Diana also teach online with a free course and videos — a gift to the dance community.
The Game of Argentine Tango (tangotribe.com/goat/start)
YouTube channel (youtube.com/@gameoftango)
Photis Pishiaras
Photis Pishiaras, a Greek Cypriot, first performed folk dancing in kindergarten and continued to dance through his teenage years. While attending college in Athens, Greece, he taught ballroom dance and 39 years later is still teaching. He studied a choreography program in Berlin, Germany.
Photis is a certified professional ballroom dance instructor.
For 2 years he ran his own ballroom dance studio in Cyprus, and for nearly 10 years Vima Dance Studio in San Francisco, CA.
With a 16-year dance partnership, Photis and his dance partner, Ron, together known as “Photon,” competed in the US, Canada and Europe, winning several national and international titles. They are the founders of the all-male performance group, Vima Vice Squad.
Guest Instructors
About once a month, we will have a guest instructor teach something special. If you know someone whom you’d like to see teach, send us an email.
FAQs
Do I need a partner?
No, come as you are. We will partner up and switch regularly throughout the class.
Do I need to be queer to attend?
This class is open to people of all genders, age, color, religion, sexuality, and abilities—as long as you’re in support of our mission to provide queer-friendly dance instruction.
What should I wear?
Anything that’s comfortable. Dance shoes or dance socks are nice to have. It makes turning easier on the knees and body.
What should I bring?
Bring water.
Are masks required?
Masks are optional. If you feel sick, please stay home. We’ll still be here when you feel better.
What is the cancellation policy?
Pre-registration helps us plan better. We understand that sometimes your plans change. We allow cancellations for refund up to 3 days prior to the start of a multi-week series or 3 days prior to a one-time special class.
Parking and Directions?
We are located at Lake Merritt Dance (a.k.a. the Veteran’s Memorial Building; a.k.a. the Oakland Senior Center) at 200 Grand Avenue, Oakland. Park in the parking lot adjacent to Bay Place—enter at Bay Place, exit at Grand Ave. The main doors are facing Bay Place. We are in the “Lounge” on the first floor—go up a few steps. It’s the room on the left with the glass doors.
Can I take a class in the middle of a series?
Yes, you do not need to sign up for the entire series. We try to move the content forward, so it’s easiest to start at the beginning of a series, but if you miss the first class, you’ll probably still be able to keep up.
Can I take an intermediate level class?
You probably can try the intermediate or “beginner-plus” level class. Many people start as “follows” then re-take the class as “leads.” We switch partners regularly during class, so any learning-struggles will be evened out.
Are the bathrooms gendered?
There are several bathrooms in the building—all-gender bathrooms on the first floor and stalls upstairs.
How do I pay for class?
Classes are $18 each and $30 for two classes in one evening.
We accept payments at the door via credit card (preferred) or cash (exact change preferred).
We offer discounts for pre-registration. We also offer some volunteer positions in exchange for a discount. Please email nancy@oaklandqueerdance.com about volunteer opportunities.
Where do I go to dance?
Many of us go to Sundance Saloon in San Francisco for social dancing. It is a country-western themed dance for the LGBT+ community and it happens every Thursday and Sunday.
There, we dance country-western two-step, country waltz, west coast swing, east coast swing, nightclub two-step, and do line dances.
Some of us also go to Starlight Strut, which is very similar to Sundance Saloon, but for women, trans people, and non-binary people. That happens on the fourth Saturday of the month in the same building as this class.