OUR STORY

About Level Up Studios

Before Level Up had a name, it started with a question.

Why didn't a place like this already exist?

For years, I taught and trained in dance studios across Pittsburgh. I was grateful for every opportunity because each one helped shape me into the artist and educator I am today. But everywhere I went, I noticed the same thing.

Hip hop and street dance were often treated like styles instead of cultures.

Many studios focused heavily on competition and technique, but there wasn't always space for authenticity, individuality, or community. Too many dancers felt like they had to fit a mold instead of discovering who they were. I wanted to create a place where people could show up exactly as they were, feel welcomed, and grow together.

In 2014, that idea became the seed for what would become Level Up.

The following year, I was accepted into Penn Avenue Creative, a business accelerator through Kelly Strayhorn Theater. That experience challenged me to think beyond teaching dance. It helped me build a business plan, define a mission, and answer an even bigger question:

"If Level Up exists, what difference should it make in people's lives?"

After completing the program, I called two people I trusted.

My college roommate from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Patrick Everett, and my longtime friend and dance crew member, Shaun Mbateng.

I shared the vision with them. Not just a dance studio, but a creative home where dance, music, art, and culture could live under one roof. A place where artists could learn from one another, express themselves freely, and build genuine relationships. A place where hip hop culture would be preserved, celebrated, and shared with the respect it deserves.

They believed in that vision just as much as I did.

Together, we opened Level Up Studios in 2016.

What started as an idea has grown into Pittsburgh's home for hip hop and street dance. Over the last decade, we've welcomed thousands of students through weekly classes, youth programs, performances, workshops, festivals, school partnerships, nonprofit collaborations, and corporate experiences. We've watched beginners become instructors, strangers become lifelong friends, and children grow into confident young adults.

Although Patrick and Shaun are no longer involved in the day-to-day operations, their fingerprints remain on everything we built together. Since 2021, I have continued leading Level Up as owner, carrying forward the vision that started years ago with a simple belief:

People need places where they belong.

Today, that belief still guides every decision we make.

We teach dance, but our purpose has never been dance alone.

We use hip hop and street dance to help people discover confidence, build creativity, develop meaningful relationships, and find community. We believe the arts have the power to change lives, not because they make people better performers, but because they help people become more fully themselves.

Whether you're taking your very first class, preparing for a competition, bringing your team together through one of our workshops, or simply looking for a place where you feel welcome, we hope you find what so many others have found here over the last ten years.

A community that believes in you.

A culture that inspires you.

A place that reminds you there's always another level to reach.

Welcome to Level Up.

-Mario Quinn, Co-Founder/ Owner

Mario Quinn Lyles, Co-Founder & Owner

Co-Founders Shaun Mbateng, Mario Quinn Lyles and Patrick Everett at LUS 10th Anniversary Celebration

OUR VISION

Level Up Studios' vision is to cultivate a dynamic space that nurtures holistic growth, fostering intergenerational synergy and a sense of community through the vibrant expressions of art, hip hop and street dance.

Giving Back

GIVING BACK

We don't just teach dance, we invest in people. Every class, event, partnership, and program is another way we use hip hop and street dance culture to build confidence, foster creativity, strengthen relationships, and create opportunities throughout our community.

Giving back has always been a core part of Level Up's mission. We believe the arts have the power to bring people together, create a sense of belonging, and inspire lasting personal growth. That's why we're committed to making dance accessible while preserving and celebrating the culture that inspires everything we do.

Throughout the year, we create experiences that connect people through movement and culture. From community cyphers, dance battles, workshops, and festivals to educational programming, we bring Pittsburgh together while connecting our students with nationally and internationally recognized artists, giving them opportunities to learn directly from some of the most respected practitioners in hip hop and street dance.

Our commitment extends far beyond our studio walls. We proudly partner with schools, nonprofits, businesses, and community organizations to deliver workshops, after-school programming, youth enrichment initiatives, performances, and creative experiences that use dance as a vehicle for education, wellness, leadership, and connection.

Over the years, we've been honored to collaborate with organizations including Assemble, Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation, Best Buy Teen Tech Center, Phase 4 Learning Center, Kelly Strayhorn Theater, Duolingo, Pittsburgh Public Schools, Propel Schools, and many others who share our belief that the arts can strengthen individuals and communities alike.

Whether we're welcoming someone into their very first class, producing a community festival, leading a corporate workshop, or teaching in a classroom, our purpose remains the same: to create spaces where people feel seen, supported, inspired, and empowered to reach their next level.