Pound It Hip Hop Studio - Red Deer, Alberta

Cindy E.

My son Hunter attends Pound It in Sylvan Lake but often takes workshops and participates in battles with the Red Deer Pound It community. I cannot express how deeply grateful I am for Rico – he is truly AMAZING! His dedication, compassion, and genuine care for the kids are unmatched.

Rico goes above and beyond to connect with the kids, recognize their strengths, and support them in any way he can. When my son joined a battle in Edmonton, Rico didn’t just let him participate – he made it a memorable experience. He found Hunter a crew member so he could join, stood by their side, coached them, and guided them every step of the way. It was one of Hunter’s first battles outside of Pound It, and Rico’s presence and encouragement made all the difference.

As a mother, seeing someone care so much for my child when they don’t *have* to, but choose to out of the kindness of their heart, is truly priceless. Rico’s support didn’t just make an impact on Hunter – it deeply touched me as well. Thank you, Rico, for your big heart and for being such an extraordinary person. Your kindness will never be forgotten!

Brandi E.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars
Pound It Hip Hop Studio has been a life-changing experience for my family and me. The instructors are not only incredibly talented but also genuinely caring and compassionate. The confidence my daughters have gained from dancing here is beyond remarkable.

My oldest daughter used to struggle deeply with bullying and lacked confidence. Since joining Pound It, she has transformed into a confident and self-assured individual. My youngest was so shy that it impacted her ability to attend school. Now, she's performing competitively on stage and can dance anywhere, anytime, with unimaginable confidence.

This transformation didn't just happen overnight. It’s the result of kind, compassionate mentors who build up each child, making them feel special and cared for. Every dancer at the studio is shown that they are important and capable of achieving greatness in the world of dance and beyond.

The instructors push you to work hard and reach your goals. Rico also brings in instructors from around the world who are some of the most amazing people you will ever meet.

The studio itself is unique, being one of the few street dance studios in Alberta. You get to learn from some of the founders of different styles, as well as people who have trained and danced with big names in the industry. The owner, Rico, has an incredible story, building himself from the ground up in Mexico to where he is today.

Recommending Pound It Hip Hop Studio would be an understatement. Whether you're considering the Red Deer location or the Sylvan Lake studio, you can't go wrong.

The vibes are great, and the level of instruction is out of this world.

Thank you, Pound It Hip Hop Studio, for everything you've done for us!

Cody P.

Great experiences here! I'm so grateful for the opportunity to grow, learn and be a part of Pound It's caring family. Cheers to more!!

Angie S.

The family that dances together stays together! Everyone in our family has enjoyed classes at Pound It Hip Hop Studio! All ages, all abilities, will level up in their groove and find their style with foundational hip hop training at this studio! You are accepted, you are loved, and you will grow in confidence! Be part of the family as recreation or as competitive, there is a place for everyone!

Monica

Very judgemental, biased & unfair. I do not recommend as it's not an inclusive, positive or supportive dance studio to its students from what I've experienced. Some of the students run the studio behind the scenes & if you don't click with them then you're treated badly. Very unprofessional.

The owner was unprofessional. I put in a lot of time covering for other teachers & being a student myself to only get asked not to come to the year end recital after practicing all year & filling in for people when they had no one else to help them all due to 2 people who were only students who were jealous & really disliked me. All I got was a text asking me to never come back. No discussion. No courtesy. I didn't even get to say goodbye to my students & friends.

When I was first hired to help them they really emphasized inclusion & positivity, but it was the exact opposite!!! Also, they did talk bad about other studios & were pretty egotistic.

The ironic thing about it all is that when they needed help, they always asked for my help & I was always there for them. Instead of being at home with my own children, I stayed late or filled in for others to help the studio out because they asked for my help & needed it. I was there for them right up to the week before our recital when they outted me by text for no reasonable reason, except from jealousy from these 2 adult students who said things that weren't true. One of these adult students literally picked on me during class when we were all practicing & I brought this to light with the studio owner re the inapproperiate behavior by this person. The other one who was suppose to be a friend ironically talked bad about almost everyone behind there back; including me. I never spilled her secrets to the rest of the group as it's childishly to say bad things about others. Both ladies blocked me from all communication to them & our group chat. And to boot... I spent extra time with the owners daughter's to help them with there dance routine on my own time, to not even have the courtesy for the owner to talk to me or to act in a professional manner to handle the situation that there 2 adult students created. The dance group & instructor weren't even aware why I didn't come for the dance recital.

Prior to the text the owner sent me, I was planning to enroll my children in there summer program. They also took my money for the recital fee + for the costume just before asking me not to come to the recital. It was very unprofessional & petty.

There are some good kids here, but there turn over in teachers seems high as I was told this when I was first hired & I can understand why now. I adore some of these kids & I hope they create a positive impact on our dance community vs. the negative one being created to divide us.

I will say the instructors they brought in from the U.S were fantastic opportunities for the dancers, but I believe this is there main attraction vs. creating a healthy learning plan that allows the students to excel, instead of fail.

Also, I want to note I waited to write my review 1 or so years to share a professional & honest opinion of my experience there. I do not like to write negative reviews, but this one was warranted. I hope others don't face the same mental negativity, unjust management & unprofessionalism that could damage there love for the sport of dance. I'm a big advocate for others to learn dance, but in a positive learning environment.

UPDATE: They responded saying I was there in 2021. I was not. I was hired there for 2022 as a teacher assistant, NOT as a mentor as they claim! When you don't consult both parties & see the way people behave or treat you, then you'll see this studio is what it is.

They also literally told me how they fired a teacher before & the students also admitted that they got a teacher removed from a class before. Long story short, I said my peace & I still recommend other studios where I've had much better experiences in a supportive learning & teaching environment from my 25 years of dancing.

Jessi L.

My son (17yrs) started dancing at Pound It last year (2017/18). We felt welcomed right from the beginning. Such a friendly atmosphere that focuses on creating a family vibe. A great place for kids of all ages. We also love the quality of instruction and level of dance and hiphop education all dancers experience! Fantastic studio!

Angie L.

2018/2019 will be our son’s fifth season at Pound It Hip Hop Dance Studio! Rico, the studio owner and lead instructor, is knowledgeable, very talented and is an excellent mentor for the kids within his program. He teaches the fundamentals of true hip hop culture while at the same time making the classes fun for participants. Part of the education and training provided by the studio has been in the form of world renowned, top notch, international guest instructors from as far away as Germany and the USA. This studio offers a welcoming environment and grass roots hip hop at its finest! I wish I could give them 10 stars!!

Melissa H.

Pound It and the Pound It family invited us with open arms into their world. This inclusive studio is everything our family could ever hope for. The culture is perfect and brings a love for music, movement, unity and individual confidence. We were a little apprehensive to join a hip hop dance studio with hip hop promoted the way it is in main stream culture, but to experience hip hop in it's root form was eye opening. Unity, art, love and support are all words we now use to describe this dance form.

There are not words that can express the innate ability of Rico and the other instructors to connect with their students and promote the best in each one individually. They takes the time to learn and understand individual students and pushes them JUST the right amount to make them succeed and fly with their own wings. La Familia should not be the words used to describe just one group of dancers, instead it should describe the atmosphere of the studio. Whether dancing competitively or non-competitively you are part of the family! We recommend Pound It to everyone.