ShoeBox Studio
Categories: Performing Arts, Pilates [Edit]
Neighborhood: SOMA855 Folsom St
Ste 112
(between 4th St & 5th St)
San Francisco, CA 94107 (415) 861-5976
- Good for Kids: Yes
41 reviews
Neighborhood: SOMA
"I've decided to update my review because I have made adjustments to my level of yoga practice and am no longer going to the hatha yoga…" read more »
16 Reviews for ShoeBox Studio
I've never been to a dance studio that felt as welcoming and encouraging as this space. It really blew my mind to find such instant community. As a bit of a newbie to the world of trained dance, this warm atmosphere has made a huge difference for me. I love the personalized attention you get from small classes.
This isn't to say that they don't challenge you there. They do for sure. you will get your moneys worth if you would like to be pushed. It's that it's done out of a place of love and community. I would encourage anyone, novice or expert, to check this place out!
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I finally had the opportunity to visit this studio last week, and I feel the love here! A lot of Yelpers have used the word "community" in their reviews, and I agree: ShoeBox is a true neighborhood studio. I met Cera, the owner, and staff member/fellow dancer Omar, and they were welcoming and very enthusiastic.
The studio is small, but as a result, the classes are intimate and students receive plenty of personal attention. For example, I've taken Rhonda Low's samba class before at City Dance, and you can get lost in a class of about thirty people. Rhonda, along with Mestre Low, teach capoeira at ShoeBox, and here I was able to receive one-on-one attention for the entire hour and a half.
ShoeBox is a great opportunity for any dancer to grow and develop their technique. I'll be back for more!
As a teacher here, I get the pleasure of watching the community at ShoeBox Studios grow, and I also get invited to all of the "salons" and performances. I am constantly amazed by the joyous hard work of all of the different students at every level.
ShoeBox not only helps folks get their sweat on, but also provides supportive and exciting performance opportunities galore.
I am so happy to work with teachers who care as much about their students as I do. Cera (and Omar!) both give their all, more than full time, to make ShoeBox Studio not only a great place to work out, but a place to feel is your neighborhood and home away from home.
Plus, the classes are awesome! Challenging workouts and fresh, exciting choreography... I love it!!
The company I work for started a weekly group yoga session at ShoeBox a couple months back. I had never done yoga before, and decided to give it a shot to work on my flexibility.
I'm very happy I started, and I plan on sticking with it for a long time to come. Cera is a great instructor. I always leave class feeling relaxed and refreshed.
Now I consider myself a pretty in shape guy. I run, I do lots of yoga, I work out occasionally, but wow. After Michelle's boot camp my but and quads are SORE!! It was a great class.
The studio is really cute and after my bootcamp I took the Champagne pilates class with Cera. In addition to being a really great instructor, when the class was over we popped open a bottle of champagne and had a couple glasses. It's a pretty awesome way to ring in 2pm on a friday=)
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Moving from Denver to the Bay Area, one of my priorities was to find a dance studio and teacher whom I genuinely liked and felt comfortable with. I have been sampling classes here and there, but so far without a doubt my favorite is Shoebox Studio and the intermediate tribal fusion class with Cera. I am willing to drive in from Oakland every single week becasue I know that I'm going to get challenged, well-instructed, and supported during the 90-minute class. That's a mixture that is much harder to find than it should be, in my experience.
Cera is a top-notch teacher who can create a mix of technical instruction and goofy fun that works well for dancers of all levels. She is body-positive as well, something that is not easy to find in a looks-conscious dance scene like SF. I feel really blessed to have been pushed in her direction. I'm excited to get to know the work of some of her other teachers as well.
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Cera - who owns Shoebox Studios - and I worked together with a woman named Miki to guide a group of very talented teens in creating a production of "Once On This Island" in 2005.
That show is still the thing I am most proud of having helped to create in the entire world. It rivaled the quality of most professional productions of "Once On This Island" that I have seen.
I directed, Cera was the choreographer and Miki was the music director. The first time I met Cera I couldn't talk because I had just had polyps removed from my vocal chords. However, the light in both of our eyes at the prospect of taking what was one of our favorite musicals and helping a group of teens to interpret it was all the communication we really needed.
That day - through our eyes, some hand gestures and frantically scribbled notes - a creative partnership was born that I feel connected to even now that I'm no longer a full time actor/teacher/director.
Recently, Cera took an amazing leap of faith and followed her dream to create Shoebox Studios and Damage Control Dance Theater... she is a very talented artist, teacher and an amazing friend. Her company is electrifying to watch; because it's clear how engaged each soul is in the performance.
I'm someone who's heart lies in dance and movement (didn't know that did ya;) and, a woman who has worked the better part of her life (before following I decided to follow my own dream of being a writer) to teach young women how to have healthy self-images and embrace their creativity; and, use both to create art. Cera is the same.
Full disclosure: I am honored that Cera has sought my assistance in creating a teen summer theatre program. I'm not actually working for her now; but, I am lending my public relations skills to helping her get Shoebox and DCDT the press it deserves. And, there is a strong potential that I will be teaching for her this summer. At least I hope I will... :) Because, I've never been happier as an artist than when I was collaborating with Cera.
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Ohhh ShoeBox....this studio is my sanctuary. I cannot imagine any place better than the ShoeBox to learn about the body, mind and spirit.
Cera and her teachers provide a safe, healthy, warm learning environment for all students All the instructors bring such a wonderful variety of skill and training to their classes and are all incredibly talented individuals with great energy and beautiful spirits. They are patient, motivating, encouraging, and down to earth.
The classes leave nothing to be desired-everything from yoga to ballet to belly dance and some core-rockin' Pilates is offered, and each class is as fun and fabulous as the next. I've never left a class without having learned something new about myself and my body. Anyone can benefit from taking classes at ShoeBox.
Bottom line? The teachers are awesome, the classes are lots of fun, and the price is just right.
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Cera is a remarkable teacher. She taught me how to get down and dirty on the dance floor, which can be challenging for those of us who spent years in toeshoes and tutus. A busy schedule has prevented me from taking any classes at the Shoebox as of late, but I highly recommend this studio. I can only speak for Cera, but I hear wonderful things about the other instructors. And it's a mere 3-minute jaunt from BART!
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shoexbox studio is quite lovely.! i've taken a few hip hop fusion classes so far with cera and she is awesome! she's a refreshing burst of contagious energy. i dig that there are classes for beginners or expert dancers. i haven't danced in years and i've felt comfortable taking these classes remembering yoga poses and jazz steps from long ago. one thing that is cool... is for people who work 9-5 jobs in the city.. that's there plenty of classes to choose from to swing by after work. a nice change of pace from a gym routine. dancing here is quite a workout and will get you stretched & movin' all in the right places!
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ShoeBox just recently started offering capoeira. For those of you who don't know anything about it or haven't tried it. It is an amazing art form. It not only combines music, "dance," and deadly fighting skills but it also gives you the workout of your life combining weight training and aerobic exercise. I have never been so sweaty in my life.
In all I have studied it for two years...mostly in Southern California with a wonderful and talented teacher...Mestre Batata at Capoeira Besouro. I thought I would never be as happy with another mestre. Well, after trying and checking out several schools in the city and Bay Area...I can finally say I was wrong. Mestre Low at ShoeBox is not only a masterfully skilled capoeirista but is also a kind human being who radiates with positive energy. He is very patient...he adapts to whatever skill level you have...and he really takes his time with you.
If you've been intimidated out of trying capoeira because of the amazing acrobatics...because you thought you would never be able to do that...or if you've been to other capoeira schools that have 50 students fighting for space and for the instructor's attention...leaving you frustrated and never wanting to come back. This is the place for you. You will receive the personal attention you've been craving.
This class is definitely for beginners to intermediate students.
Cera is not only a knowledgeable, talented, and gifted teacher but she is also a beautiful human being. Her training encompasses so many diverse areas (pilates, bellydance, yoga, among others) which she blends seamlessly just as she does in her fusion of dance styles. She has brought together talented instructors from diverse backgrounds...a much broader array than what your conventional yoga or ballet studio offers.
I have taken pilates with Cera and was very impressed at how she was able to give me feedback on my posture/body movement and set up a strategy on how to engage in preventive measures. She also helped me to increase my body awareness. You will see tangible results.
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Cera is an amazing teacher, blending bellydance, Dunham modern, pilates, yoga, and many other techniques and principles into a seamless and unified whole. The Studio is warm, welcoming, and comfortable, very convenient to get to, and well-equipped for all of the classes I've attended. My relationship with my body has been radically changed, and my ability to just get out there on the floor and shake my thing has totally opened up, thanks to Cera and the ShoeBox crew!
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Dear lordy, how I love SBS.
Cera is amazing, and sweet as pie. I adore her to pieces. Also super responsive--I told her I would really love it if they offered Capoeira, and lo and behold, it's starting on Monday (and I am SO there).
The studio is gorgeous, and I love the fact that it is *not* a huge studio--that way I can get much more personalized attention, but at the same price I'd be paying where I'd be just 'one in the crowd'!
They offer a wide variety of classes, and my only sadness is that I don't have the time to take all of them!
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Just went here today for my first episode of Champagne Pilates, and it was great!
Cera is a great instructor, chipper and supportive, but not like annoying chipper, just nice and friendly. Everyone was very sweet and relaxed, and it was still a good workout. I haven't done Pilates in a while and she kept that in mind, going easy on me until she properly asessed my level. I didn't feel judged, which can happen when you are the "newbie" who's been out of the game for a while.
And then after 45 minutes we drank some champagne, so what's not to like?
She also has kids classes and is planning a dance summer camp....
ShoeBox studio is a wonderful place to go for yoga, dance, bodywork, and wellness classes. The atmosphere is vibrant, while comfortable and inviting.
Cera is an amazing artist and has some extremely talented people working with her.
Okay, I own this joint, so I'm a little biased about my 5 star rating =)
When I'm promoting generically, this the kindof copy you see about the ShoeBox:
"Shoebox Studio is a small privately owned Dance, Pilates, and Performing Arts Studio in downtown San Francisco.
ShoeBox classes are taught by some of the Bay Area's most sought-after teachers, and the small, intimate class sizes offer personal attention and high quality of instruction for students of all levels.
In addition to being a resource for dance, Pilates, fitness, personal training, theater, and creative arts workshops, ShoeBox Studio houses many creative professionals, and is a connection point for services in Graphic Design, Custom Clothing Design, and Life Coaching.
Visit www.shoeboxsf.com for information about all of the instructors and artistic professionals working through ShoeBox Studio."
But for yelp - here's the real deal.
I'm a dancer, dance teacher, and pilates instructor. I'm a certified group fitness instructor and healthy living coach.
What that means is that it's HARD to make money in this city!
Studio's take a HUGE cut of class earnings - all teachers struggle with this. Gym's require a substantial cut for you to train clients there, or you have to be one of their staff.
And in addition, as a struggling artist, it's cost prohibitive at a lot of studios to *take* classes!
Hence the ShoeBox was born....I wanted to provide a space where really talented teachers (both starting out and established) could *afford* to offer their classes, because the studio isn't taking 50% of all of their earnings. Offering this discount to teachers had the added benefit of being able to offer a discount to students. The teachers can afford to offer classes because the studio takes less of their earnings. The students can afford classes at this rate without spending their food budget. Everyone wins.
The goal is to turn the ShoeBox into an even bigger community of movers, shakers, artists, and professionals. That means we need you! Come join us - see the difference of small class sizes, friendly, personal service, and a movement studio that's really focused on improving not just the quality of your abs, but the quality of all of our lives.
Come move with us!
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