Louise Bretz Dance Instruction

We started learning West Coast Swing at park & rec classes, but once we got out on the dance floor, we were told by other dancers that if we really wanted to learn West Coast Swing we should take instruction from Louise and Woody Bretz. That’s the best dance advice we ever got. If you’re wanting to learn West Coast Swing, look no further; you’ll never find better instructors than Louise and Woody. One reason why we like West Coast Swing (not to be confused with East Coast Swing) is because of it’s versatility; it can be danced to almost any music in ⁴⁄₄ time, and music of many different styles may be found in an evening of West Coast Swing dancing: pop, R & B, blues … you name it. Both Louise and her husband Woody are not only great instructors, but they’re also very nice people (and very entertaining!). In the group lessons, it’s fine to come without a partner because students are rotated from partner to partner. Louise and Woody used to own Connexions Dance Studios & were 5-​time winners of best dance studio in the County … and rightfully so. They’re now in a new venue which is spacious and lovely. The atmosphere is very nice and fellow students are warm and friendly, making one feel welcome no matter if you’re a new beginner or an advanced dancer. We only have one regret, that we didn’t start much, much earlier in life. We highly recommend West Coast Swing dancing; it’s wonderful exercise both physically and mentally.

The staff is very warm and friendly. My husband and I took private classes with Louise Brentz. We chose a very old Baltic Folk song for our wedding dance as an homage to my husband’s heritage. The look on her face when she first heard it — PRICELESS! She was up for the challenge and within moments created a unique dance for us. She was so patient (my husband had a ‘moment’ aka ‘mini breakdown’). Every class she provided great insight, direction, and technique. We blew everyone away with our dance and we couldn’t have done it without Louise. Highly recommended!

I have never taken dance lessons at Connexions but I have many friends who have. They all rave about how professional they are, the friendly atmosphere and the reasonable prices.
I highly recommend them.
Dan OBrien
Landmark Financial

I take the Zumba classes here. There are 3 different teachers, all with different styles, so there is someone for every taste. I love that there are several times to chose from.

I only wish I would’ve tried the Zumba classes here sooner since I’m moving out of the area. I went for the first time to the 9:30am Saturday Zumba class. The classes are set up to be very welcoming to newcomers. If you go to their website and print out their coupon for your first class, you can try it for free. After that you can pay class by class or buy a card for multiple classes to be used as it fits into your schedule. This was perfect for me since I really enjoyed the Salsa dance move exercise classes at Camarillo’s 24 Hour Fitness but not the prices I was paying to enjoy the class once a week. I love dance as exercise and I really enjoyed the Zumba class at Connexions. If I wasn’t moving up north, I would’ve definitely gone to more of these classes. The studio is a cute, intimate setting for fun. Parking on the street is pretty easy too. If you enjoy dancing and building a good sweat try this place for sure!

I took salsa and cumbia classes from Simon at Connexions for about a year, and I loved every minute of it, and learned so much. Simon has the patience of a saint (he is also a 2^nd grade teacher) and really puts thought into how to best teach salsa so his students can be most successful. The classes build on each other (they are offered in 6-​week courses) and the people are pretty constant, which makes for a nice, friendly atmosphere.
In addition, Simon is one great salsero. I didn’t realize it at the time, but Simon and Connexions really set the bar high for future dance instructors for me. I still haven’t found anything comparable in San Diego, but I’m trying.
If you are in Ventura County and really looking to learn salsa beyond a quick class before salsa night at a club, this would be your best option.