Through the towering windows of In the Groove Studios, pedestrians catch glimpses of bodies swaying, stomping, and somersaulting across a spacious wooden dance floor. The downtown Oakland studio, founded by four Bay Area hip-hop artists who share a passion for dance, booms with thumping bass that energizes dance classes throughout the week. Pieces from local artists speckle the walls of their two-story pop-and-lock academy, where professional instructors—including the former artistic director for Culture Shock Oakland and the founder of Groove against the Machine—lead students of all experience levels in styles such as hip-hop, jazz funk, and contemporary. Other days, they conduct fitness-focused Zumba classes and weekly specialty workshops. In the Groove's two spacious dance floors are equipped with stereo sound systems and full-length mirrors, making the space ideal for hosting private functions or revealing to your roommate that you've shaved off his eyebrows before apologizing with a karaoke rendition of “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday.”