Solao Fitness and Dance Studio

Great workout and dance learning.

I am in a similar position to other recent Unilocalers. I was a once a week Zumba person with one particular instructor. Thenew place does not have a similar class or schedule. Nor do I feel like driving more miles out of my way.
I have now requested a refund at the «info» email. I had better receive it quickly or I will be calling the Attorney General’s office and will be filing a complaint. I really liked this studio and Tonia, but am extremely frustrated that no refund options were spelled out and that there is a complete lack of information that she owes her formerly paying customers. This is completely unacceptable and needs to be addressed.

Some shaddy shit is going down at Solao. I too have a year long membership that goes until the end of November, the owner has dodged my emails inquiring about a refund do to their unexpected closing. I used to love Tonia and Solao. It seems that Tonia’s true colors are showing through, and I would be weary of doing any business with her in the future and will be contacting my attorney and definitely putting Solao on blast to everyone in my neighborhood (Wicker Park).

I like this place and I like the staff, very friendly and welcoming, makes you feel comfortable. But I feel like this place is a little unorganized. 2 classes I recently took that involved equipment– the equipment wasn’t ready for us and it took about 15 minutes of class time for us all to retrieve. I have not taken any of the dance related classes here, but I feel like the ‘non-​dance’ classes are not very good. And I am someone looking for more body toning and muscle work outs.
But I really do like this place, hopefully they can improve some of the material in the toning, muscle classes.

There are some silver linings to the clouds at Solao, but not enough to keep me coming back after my Living Social ran out. That was a great deal and let me tell you I used it to the max– sometimes 7 classes a week for the three months it was in effect. I can’t afford $ 20/​class, so no more Solao for me.
The last straw for me was twisting my ankle in class. Each gym room floor has a depression in front of the doors to the outside. When classes get full (and they do), people end up pushed back into this spot and as I found out, the danger of getting hurt is very real. When I exited and told the owner, Tonia, what had happened, she looked down at the class list and then into the room with a puzzled look on her face as though I had made up the fact that the class was full! The depressions are a hazard, especially in circuit classes when the instructor has you run laps around the room to warm up. The music is also VERY LOUD. I have seen people wear earplugs to class!
Don’t bother showing up on time for class at Solao– they almost never start on time. The classes are advertised as 60 minutes but as a rule they end 5 minutes early to allow people to leave and the new class to enter. Add about 5 – 10 minutes for the instructor to finally enter/​set up the activities and you have about 45 minutes of actual exercise. I wear an HRM to class and the longest activity I ever recorded was 47 minutes. If I had been paying full price for those classes, I would have been much more upset.
There is a very cute puppy that comes to work with the owner. I am a dog lover and he is very well behaved. Unfortunately, I am also allergic to dogs, and he is allowed to use the workout rooms for playrooms when class is not in session. This means that his fur is often all over the floor.
Solao has very strict rules about attendance. You must sign up online, and cannot cancel less than 24 hours in advance without incurring a fine. While being forced to go to class in this manner did make me get off my butt once or twice when I was tempted to rest, it’s also a huge hassle. Classes open for registration a week ahead of time and often fill up immediately.
Basically, beware. Solao has some good points, but it’s not enough to entice me back.

Love Solao. Tonia the owner is awesome. Very friendly. I feel like it’s a family there. After having two children and not working out in years, I was not intimidated getting back to working out. The teachers made me feel welcome, everyone knows each other, and I like the classes they offer.

Solao Fitness is just okay. I got a Living Social deal as a gift for Christmas, so I have been going because of that.
Some of the instructors are great-​like Monika for Yoga sculpt, but quite a few of them seem to never get there on time… most places will be generous and offer you a comped class or something for your time if your instructor shows up 15 minutes late and only give you a 40 minute work out instead of 60, but they did not at Solao.
The studio is also always absolutely freezing EVERY SINGLE TIME when you first walk in. Maybe the owner is tight on money or something, but if she was smart she would realize it costs a lot more money to turn the heat on and off like that and heat such a large space versus keeping it at a set temperature. The owner just seems a bit stubborn about her opinions and the way she handles things.
Which brings me to the ridiculous policies. 24 hour advanced cancellation or you get charged $ 18? That seems a bit steep. Things come up in our lives, and it would be nice to have a bit more flexibility with the studio I work out at.
The classes are also very late at night for the most part, which just doesn’t gel well with me. I wake up at 6 a.m. every day, and prefer to work out in the morning. I have more energy then, and after I eat dinner, I am pretty much done with the idea of working out. I think they would increase their clientele if they offered class at 7 or 8 a.m.

It’s a mixed bag for me on Solao Fitness.
Here are the positives:
–Good classes, diverse offerings
–Personable owner
Here are the negatives:
–The gym is kind of dirty
–The sound system sucks
–You have to pre-​register for classes and they fill up quickly
–They turn off the AC between classes and so it never cools down enough (I have gotten so hot I actually got sick after one class)
–When there are classes back to back, there isn’t even time to cool down because people start to take over the room
For me, the negatives currently outweigh the positives and it’s too bad because this place could have a lot going for it. The owner is really sweet, and I’d like to see Solao do well, but she’s got to make a few improvements in in order for Solao to be a great experience.
While I like most of the classes, the atmosphere kinda sucks — too hot, too crowded, too chaotic. They definitely need a bigger space! For the prices Solao charges, the entire experience should be top notch and it’s just not.

Here’s a not so secret fact about me – I LOOOOOVE good customer service. I haven’t checked for a label, but I’m pretty sure that the owner Tonia is made up of awesome sauce. She remembers everybody’s name — even the 800 people who take Zumba. I can’t even remember what I ate for lunch yesterday! Once I had a class cancellation issue and she handled it quickly and without any drama.
I really like the online reservation system and I’m not sure if it’s because I have a 1 year membership, but I don’t have to wait until 7 days before the class to register, so I don’t have to worry about classes filling up and there are so many classes that I can always find something to fit my schedule.
Now, the classes are pretty great. There’s a great variety, I’ve tried just about all of them and I regularly do about 6 different classes a week. If you want a serious burn, Cardio Kickboxing and Kick Ass Conditioning will light your calories on fire. I use an HRM and on Tuesday I burned 832 calories in an hour of kickboxing with Alma!
I would give them 5 stars, but I get frustrated by the Zumba-​bots who hover over people as their doing their final stretches for the last class. It’s rude and annoying and a few times when I’ve decided to stay after my class for Zumba I’ve had to tell people to back off.
This will hopefully not be the case for long because they’re supposed to be opening a larger space with multiple rooms. I can’t wait because I’d rather not have Zumba-​bots breathing down my neck when I’m trying to cool down.

I heart-​ed this place… but it doesn’t work if you any kind of life or work at all. There was a Living Social deal for 3 months at $ 99, which was an awesome deal, but their normal rate is $ 89 a month! Great if I can sign up for 4 classes a week, but they fill up so fast and are at odd times that its not worth it! The classes are late (my favorite was at 8:30 pm on a Tuesday. I have a job and have to get up early the next morning!) i loved that they had a good variety of classes — Zumba, Bollywood Beats, and my favorite was Hip Hop Body Rock (a Hip Hop dance class where you randomly did push ups and other more traditional work out moves, and felt really worked out at the end).
The parking was easy, and the weekend classes were convenient, but I wish they had more classes around 5 pm, rather than so many at ⁸⁄₉ pm. I also didn’t like that because they had the deal, the place would be packed, and they didn’t seem to regulate how many people had signed up (even though it was VERY difficult to sign up for a class online). I think they are expanding and if they have another great deal, (and I’m still in the city) I might try it again. I would not pay full price for it though.

I am shocked that I haven’t reviewed Solao yet. Maybe the longtime-​coming review is due to my inability to duly pay homage to my temple of Zumba. How do you review a place that you wish you could move in to? A place that you like almost as much as your couch (and THAT’S coming from Ms. Couch-​Potato herself)? I will try, because the public deserves to know. Although don’t ya’ll run and fill up my classes, k?
I’ve been coming to Solao for almost 3 months now. I started with the livingsocial deal, which took me months to even use. I liked the IDEA of Zumba, and LOVED the price, but I wasn’t sure this booty could move with even a slight bit of Latin flair. But, before my deal ran out, I booked my first class: Zumba with Pierre.
Did I feel like an uncoordinated idiot? Definitely.
Did I have fun? Whatever is more than ‘definitely”.
From that first clumsy, laughable hour, I was hooked.
Then comes the livingsocial deal expiration. Cry cry cry – how am I going to afford it? Frankly, I don’t have $ 15 for one hour of working out – especially since I would ideally like to go 4 – 5 times a week. Even the discounts on the punchcards didn’t fit into my budget. Cry cry cry – my life is over. No more Zumba fun for me.
Just when I thought I would fall back into my couch potato ways – I receive an email about ANOTHER monthly deal for the holidays offer by Solao! HOPE IS ALIVE! I’m baaaaack.
Anyway… New deals are always popping up on the Solao website, facebook page, and e-​newsletter. Great new member discounts too (Tell ‘em Brittany C sent ya). I am not too sure what I will do when my deal runs out this time – I’ll probably need to limit my fun to 1 or 2 times a week or marry a rich man who can keep me stocked in membership – but I will enjoy it while it lasts.
I’ve only been to Solao’s Zumba classes, but they offer a great variety of fitness and dance classes throughout the day. One day, maybe I will branch out from my Zumba addiction. But not quite yet.
Some great things
Easy parking around the studio.
Easy walk from train (and they are moving even closer, is the word on the street)
Free towels
Free water (bring a bottle)
Zumba everyday at convenient times
Varied Zumba instructors (I’ve been to Pierre Mary Monica and Sue and they are all so different and great in their own way).
Some not so great things
Small studio so there is not really anywhere to wait/​freshen up prior to or after a class (But I hear the move will fix this as well)
Some of the popular Zumba classes fill up FAST. Keep checking back, I’ve always gotten in when wait-​listed.
Without deals, a bit too expensive for the average Zumba addict. But, comparable to Zumba in other fitness studios in the city, from what I’ve seen.
I bow down to the Solao Gods! Feel free to reward my love in Zumba.

After hearing so much about Zumba, I was on a search for a class that was close & affordable. How lucky was I when Living Social offered a 30 day pass to Solao for $ 25?! Since, Solao offered much more than Zumba, I decided to take cardio kickboxing. My first class was w/​Alma & I loved it!!! She made working out fun so I made plans to go to her class every Tuesday.
Well, my next foray into cardio kickboxing was w/​Kathie (Alma was unable to teach as scheduled) and baby let me tell you… I.WAS.NOT.READY!!! That was the most intense workout I’ve EVER had! I plan to workout w/​her again once I’ve gotten used to working out regularly =)
I was finally able to make it to a Zumba class today. Tonia taught the class and she was great. I will definitely take classes with her in the future.
My Living Social deal expires soon but I’m definitely going to make room in my budget for Solao.

All I have to say is I LOVE LOVE LOVE Solao! I was lucky enough to get their deal on LivingSocial, 30 days of unlimited classes for $ 25. Best deal I’ve bought so far. I’ve been trying for over a year to lose the baby weight. After finding out just a few months ago it was a thyroid problem, I’m more motivated to lose the weight.
I’m so addicted to going to the classes. I’ve tried Zumba with MaryMonica, Sue, and Pierre. I have to say I liked Pierre the best at first. He gave you a chance to drink some water and towel off. But once I got use to working out again, I definitely prefer MaryMonica and Sue. They’re so intense and I love their choice in songs. I’ve also done Body Double Chisel with Kathie and Tonia. I have to say that my very first class was Body Double Chisel with Kathie and she scared the cr*p out of me, lol. She was so intense. I tried my best to keep up. Dedicated to losing the pounds I made it to every class I signed up for that week.
Its been a little over two weeks and I love it. Tonia, the owner, is so nice and sweet. She’ll take the time to find out your name and get to know you. Now all I need to do is figure out what is the best option for me once my pass is done. Love this place. Don’t want to stop :)

I’m officially freaked out about a certain upcoming milestone in my life and it certainly doesn’t help that I’ve been slacking in the gym lately. So when I saw the Living Social deal for unlimited classes for a month at Solao Fitness and Dance Studio for $ 25, I couldn’t pass it up.
For my first class, I chose to take the Body Double Chisel class. SInce I’m no stranger to the gym, I figured my body would adapt quickly to the demands of the described workout. Well I’m no beginner, but I had to give 110% to keep up. Lots of cardio and LOTS of squats – my quads and glutes are still trying to recover. However, I know in the end it will all be worth it.
The studio itself is really cute, warm and inviting and the owner/​instructor, Tonia, is very upbeat and encouraging. I’m really looking forward to taking the Cardio Capoeira, Total Tease and the Slim and Sculpt classes with some of the other instructors. I hear Mary Monica is a beast! Anyway, I have a certain goal I’m trying to reach by December 5^th and dammit I’m going to make it! Wish me luck!

I found Solao through the Living Social deal and I’m so glad I did!
The teachers are great and you definitely get a hard workout.
Especially in MaryMonica’s Zumba class!
On Mondays she follows it with a Flex class — definitely worth it, I’m never sore when I do both.
Plus Tonia is so great about asking if you liked the class and what other classes you might be interested in. I had told her I was looking for a stretch class on weekends, this month she added Yoga on Saturday and Sunday mornings. The instructor, Ferah, gives off a calming prescence and is very sweet.
I did hesitate to write this because the classes do tend to be crowded — especially Zumba. But if you get there early you can usually get a good spot. Even when I’ve had to waitlist online I always get put in the class.
In the fall they are moving around the corner and will have 2 studios, a locker room, etc. So if you’re worried about the space, there will be more soon!

So I’ve taken advantage of Solao’s fantastic summer deal ($ 99 for 3 months of unlimited classes), and so far, I’m a fan.
Positives:
1. The instructors here are great. I’ve especially taken a liking to MaryMonica’s Zumba classes. She knows her stuff and is a great teacher. In class the other day, there was a woman that was new, and she was obviously very frustrated with Zumba as she went to leave about halfway through class. MaryMonica ran after her, talked to her for a couple of minutes, and sure enough, the woman came back and finished out the class.
2. Online registration — the easy way to know if you have a spot in a class or not. Don’t fear the waiting list — I don’t think I’ve ever missed out on a class I wanted to get into where I ended up on the waiting list.
3. A good variety of classes for such a small studio — Zumba, Bhangra, hip hop, pole dancing, boxing, bootcamp.
4. Water and towel service. Necessary, because you WILL sweat here.
5. Parking in the area is generally not bad.
Negatives:
1. The studio itself is kind of small. Some of the classes are packed in tight!
2. No actual locker room to speak of.
3. The HVAC kind of stinks — sounds like a minor quibble, but when it’s 90+ degrees, there are 30 women sweating their butts off, and the AC can’t keep up — well, let’s just say you notice that.
4. While I haven’t had a problem so far, I think more and more people have found out about Solao, and I fear I’ll have trouble getting into classes soon.
All in all, I dig Solao, and I can’t wait to try more classes here!

I use to be a big snob of workouts that take place in a group setting where you just run around to music. I have always been a firm believer that a real workout has to involve weights and a treadmill. that is, until I found Solao. I started Solao Fitness this month with my girlfriends after we spotted the Living Social deal. I figured it would be a quick cardio workout that I could follow up with lifting some weights at the gym. Boy was I wrong. My first class was the bootcamp class on MOnday with Christina. She was so much fun, had a great attitude and a smile on her face the whole time while she seriously kicked our butts! The bootcamp class is very focused on plyometric workouts and my legs were burning about five minutes into the class.
My favorite class by far, and one that will probably have me coming back here after my coupon runs out, was the Bounce class. It was hip hop, the music was amazing, the instructor was so good, and the choreography was awesome! It didn’t even feel like a workout except for the fact that by the end, I was drenched in sweat and had not an ounce of strength left in me. I was worked out. I woke up the next day sore all over, the greatest sign in the world to anyone trying to get fit.
Solao seems to be best known for their Zumba classes which is a very latin dance type of workout. I wasn’t the biggest fan of this one, but I am biased b/​c I love hip hop. It was still a fun class though.
Best of all, the instructors here really know what they are doing. I have to admit, I was really impressed with the level of fitness and expertise that every single instructor exudes. All the instructors are fit and their amazing bodies make you want to workout even more so you can be like them, and their talent is simply amazing and impressive.
When I first walked in here, I thought it was gonna be some dancing around type class taught by some newbie with a training certificate, but I have been proven wrong. They are serious about fitness here, the instructors are top notch, the dance move inspired classes are fun on the brain, but tough on the muscles, and it has really reawakened my joy of working out.

Let me tell you all something serious… I LOVE THIS PLACE!!! So I took advantage of the Living Social deal and am totally taking advantage of the $ 25 for a month of unlimited classes deal! I Zumba with Pierre (totally insane!), I Box & Sculpt with Alma (this is KILLER) and I strengthen and align with Kerry Anne (a little yoga to stretch it all out)… Tonight I’m on the way to Pole Dancing Class (Ohhhh Yeahhhh). I’ll let you all know how that works out later on (LOL).
But seriously, I need to see you all there! I shouldn’t be the only one sweating my butt off (literally)! Moms, kids are totally welcome and can join in for a small fee :)
There are many other great things happening here as well, just check out the website… Tonia is awesome, a real people person with a winning personality!

I’ve dropped in on around 5 classes at Solao since November, but have been holding out on writing review, and I’m glad I did. Because now I feel like I know what a true Solao experience is like. They offer a wide range of classes– Zumba, Masala Bhangra, Broadway bound, urban dance party. just to name a few. I’ve done Zumba with MaryMonica & Mariana, both are really energetic and good at explaining the moves before doing them, OH and most importantly at keeping you motivated throughout the workout.
The owner, Tonia, is a real sweetheart. She knows everyone by name, and she doesn’t forget names either. So don’t be surprised if she calls out your name when your walk in or during class. She’s very personable and truly excited about the classes and all that the studio has to offer. Oh and let me add, she can be pretty flexible too about class timings.i.e. if you want a zumba class at 9am, she’ll try making it happen for you.
If you’re looking for a fun way to workout, check out Solao. Oh and urban belly is just down the street in case you feel like treating yourself afterwards :)

I love this place! I just went for the first time tonight for a fitness dance party. It was a special event to just try out the different dances that the studio offers but primarily Zumba. I used to attend classes given by the main instructor Tonia over the summer and decided to check out her new spot. She is very warm and friendly and sets the tone of a family-​feel environment as soon as you come in. There were other dance instructors there and I immediately felt like I had known them for years.
The studio itself is cozy, bright lighting and great cooling system! I loved the set-​up and it even smelled yummy! The event was attended only by women but of all ages, shapes and colors, and I here some men do show up but it is very much a girly girl’s kinda fitness space… which I love! The class itself was great. I love Zumba and I like how the instructors all have their own different styles and flairs but ensuring you a great high-​burn workout. I’d say I burned no less than 800 calories in the hour. I hear Tonia is going to hold a class where she teaches you a dance routine from a popular music video (Beyonce is up first) and I am so amped for this! She also loves samba and holds special samba lessons on occasion.
The prices are more than reasonable and works on a punch card system (5 for $ 60, 10 for $ 110 or $ 15 to drop-​in) but be on the look out for specials because since it’s such a new venue, Solao offers a lot of great discounts. I wasn’t sure how often I’d be able to make it up to Humboldt Park all the way from Hyde Park but I honestly can’t wait to go back! This is gonna be a great treat to myself during the winter to ward away the seasonal blues.