Steppin' Out Dance Studio

Steppin' Out Dance Studio has roots running back to the 1930s, when Betty May Dance Studios first opened in the Mission District. Steppin' Out itself began in 1995 when Angela Rose Dorantes and Avilee Goodwin founded the studio to continue that legacy while expanding the repertoire. In 2025, the studio was honoured as a San Francisco Legacy Business in recognition of its 30 years enriching the community—one of eleven businesses so recognised that year. Angela Rose Dorantes, the current owner and director, has been dancing since age four and studied with Betty May herself, as well as training with Jacques d'Amboise and Emily Keeler with the Event of the Year's 1986 Jump Team at the San Francisco Opera House. She holds the S.O.T.A. Dance Achievement Award from San Francisco School of the Arts (1993), trained the Pop Warner Brown Bombers dance team to 3rd place in the 2001 National Dance competition, and is certified to teach yoga to children ages 3–11 through mini yogis.

The studio teaches tap, ballet, jazz, tumbling, contemporary, creative movement, and danceABILITY. Classes run in two semesters: fall (September through January) and spring (February through May). The fall 2026 semester runs September 8, 2026 through January 31, 2027, with classes held Monday through Thursday. Fall classes are closed on Indigenous Peoples Day, during Thanksgiving break, winter break, and MLK Day. Observation weeks are scheduled October 26–31 and December 14–19, when families are invited to watch.

Classes are carefully levelled from Open Level and Beginning I through to Advanced. New students age 8 and older are invited to schedule a placement class with Angela to find the right fit. Pre-tap/ballet/tumbling, creative movement, and beginning-level classes are open to any student of the appropriate age; more advanced classes require placement. At the end of the spring semester, all students have the opportunity to dance onstage in the year-end performance.

The teaching team includes Emily Hansel (contemporary and creative movement), Erin Coyne (jazz and tap/ballet), Claire Fisher-Mendez (ballet), Maya Mohsin, Maya Agrawal, and Z Jackson. All instructors bring significant professional performance and choreographic experience from the Bay Area dance community and beyond.

When you visit, you'll find classes grouped by age and ability level. New students age 8 or older can contact Angela to schedule a placement class. Open-level and beginning classes welcome dancers brand new to dance, while intermediate and advanced classes move at a faster pace with more complex vocabulary and choreography. Parents are invited to observe during designated observation weeks.

Angela Rose Dorantes (owner and director) studied at Betty May Studio and trained with Jacques d'Amboise and Emily Keeler at the San Francisco Opera House; she is certified to teach yoga to ages 3–11. Emily Hansel (they/she) holds a BFA in Dance from the University of South Florida, dances for SFDanceworks and Post:ballet, and recently received a San Francisco Artist award. Erin Coyne holds a Masters in Education and BA in Dance from the University of Minnesota and has taught at studios throughout the Midwest and Bay Area. Claire Fisher-Mendez trained at the LINES Ballet Training Program and San Francisco Conservatory of Dance. Maya Mohsin received a BFA in Dance from Dominican University Of California (Alonzo King Lines Ballet program) and is also a Pure Barre instructor. Maya Agrawal has a BFA in Dance from San Jose State University and performs with sjDANCEco and other Bay Area companies. Z Jackson, originally from Birmingham, trained at the Alonzo King LINES Ballet Training Program and is a Resident Corps Dancer with the San Francisco Opera.

Pre-tap/ballet/tumbling, creative movement, and beginning-level classes are open to any student of the appropriate age with no prior experience; creative movement is described as imaginative and play-based.