Wednesdays at
Lake Merritt Dance
September 4, 11, 18
Class 1: 6:45 PM
Beginner—Country-Western Two-Step with different moves (3-week series*)
Instructor: Citabria
Prerequisite: none!
Class 2: 7:45 PM
Beginner—Nightclub Two-Step (3-week series)
Instructor: Citabria
Prerequisite: none!
* We try to build on what we’ve learned each week in the series, so it helps to attend all classes. But walk-ins are also welcome.
September 25
Class 1: 6:45 PM - Cha-Cha-Cha
Class 2: 7:45 PM - Disco Hustle
Instructor: Photis
Prerequisite: none!
On September 25, we have a special treat: two very fun classes taught by international ballroom champion, Photis Pishiaras. It’s going to be a good time!
Photis and Ron are “Photon.” Read more about our instructors below.
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
8:45 PM Close
Cost:
Starting in September classes are $18 each, and $30 for two classes in one evening. There is a 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.
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, and Ballroom.
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 two-step classes for queer people—at Zoe’s Trip the Light Fantastic—before the pandemic and is excited to return to queer social dance 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 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
Ron Jenkins
A gold-medalist in ballroom dance, Ron Jenkins is a beloved instructor at Sundance Saloon—country-western dance association in San Francisco for LGBT+. Ron teaches occasional workshops and is available for private lessons.
For private lessons email Ron at: ronthedanceteacher@gmail.com
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 slides 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 7 days prior to the start of a multi-week series or 7 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. We are in the “Lounge” with the glass doors on the first floor up a few steps. There’s a parking lot right out front—enter on Bay Place next to Grand Ave.
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.
Also, if you just took the beginner-level class and want to watch the second class, you’re welcome to hang out on the side and watch.
Are the bathrooms gendered?
There are several bathrooms in the building. We don’t care which bathroom you use, and most, maybe all, of the other tenants in the building are queer and queer-friendly.
How do I pay for class?
Starting in September classes will be $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 limited volunteer positions in exchange for a discount.
Where do I get 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 primarily 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 second Saturday of the month in the same building as this class.