To make it short, the studio's manager lied to me, in order to get me to sign up (prepay) for their 50 lesson package. Here is my story. I liked taking lessons and attending events at Arthur Murray in Ann Arbor. Then I got hurt during class, and eventually that, seemingly minor at first, injury lead to a chronicle issue that did not improve sufficiently after several months of doctor appointments and physical therapy, and I contacted the studio to request a refund for my remaining prepaid 12 lessons, as I was promised by the manager of the studio, Damian, I would certainly get in case of a health problem that would prevent me from dancing. The owner of the studio refused to issue me a refund. read more

We have been dancing for a year and a half. We love this studio and all the instructors. We continue to learn so much and enjoy dancing. Shoutout to Zoey and Stone. They make it so fun! read more

Friendly and professional. Fun atmosphere. New management and location from what is pictured here. This was their old location. read more

Arthur Murray Ann Arbor - Dance lessons - Dance Studios Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

I started taking lessons here in the Fall of 2017 and did not envision being a student here 4 years later. It has become an oasis from the everyday--allowing to practice and learn dance steps for fun as well as health. In this present COVID period, this Studio offers an attentive and caring group of instructers who I feel care about me and my dancing experience. It has a familial feel to me-kind of like "Cheers of dancing". I firmly believe this is a great place to try out ballroom dancing in its dozens of styles; give it a try and see it it is for you:) read more

I love this studio. Everybody is welcome regardless of their dancing experience. The staff is friendly and professional. New skills, new experiences, new people -- there's always something to look forward to after the day's work. Professional instructors teach ballroom dances in both social and competitive versions. I enjoy every moment of learning and dancing all dances - smooth (waltz, tango, foxtrot), latin (cha-cha, rumba, samba, mambo, etc.), and some special dances like polka, country two step, or lindy  hop. read more

We've been taking lessons for just over 6 months. We started with the introduction dance and then did 8 private lessons. All of the lesson packages are priced as units of private lessons, so for example you can buy 25 or 50 private lessons. These packages all come with group lessons which are included in the package. Typically they have a group at your level at least twice a week. The private lessons are 45 minutes long and we often will schedule one private lesson followed by a group lesson. After our 8 lessons we found that we really enjoy our experience and opted to buy a larger package. We've been treating our lessons as our date night and we've found ourselves progressing better than we thought we could. The instructors are very good and have never failed to teach us a move. They slowly progress you within a lesson and by the end of it you'll have been able to perform the dance. Yes they're optimistic and supportive and they should be. Would you prefer they yell or laugh at you? We can do the following dances at a basic level: Rumba, Salsa, Foxtrot, Waltz, Tango, Cha Cha and Swing. Basic level means we can hold our own on a dance floor without looking like we're clueless. They have different levels from Bronze to Gold, but the average couples would likely just stick with bronze unless you're looking to compete. They also have a dance party every Friday which is designed to simulate a real party, but the instructors are there to assist you. We found that to be helpful. The prices at first blew me away, but when I did my research I found that private dance lessons are not unlike a private trainer in a gym or other types of private lessons. You could buy individual lessons, but than you'll pay about 10% more. If you bought 25 lessons, dance twice a week and did group twice a week, then you're really getting a better value and more exposure to the art. The sales talks have never happened during our lessons, although sometimes an instructor will tell you about a dance showcase or theme they're running. Those times have never interfered with our actual lesson. They do up-sell, and you just have to learn to smile and say "no thanks", they are a business after all. We've looked for alternatives, but have not seen anything that is to this level. Just like learning the piano or guitar, you're not going to take 5 lessons and be at a level you'd like to be at. It takes time and you get out of it what you put in. Money/Time/Energy. Different music requires a different dance and they're goal is to give you a broad spectrum. I gave them 4 stars instead of 5 because they could be more upfront on how they work. I get why they're not and that's because you probably would not want to buy these packages unless you first experienced a few lessons and saw what you're capable of. With that said buy what you can afford and than enjoy yourself, we think it's worth it. read more

The best studio around! From the students to the instructors everyone is very welcoming and supportive. Singles or couples everyone is included Learn at your own pace in a fun environment! Lessons for any type of event. read more

Arthur Murray Ann Arbor - St Patrick's Day party. - Dance Studios Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

This is the worst dance studio in all of Michigan. The owner has no clue how to run a business or treat her employees, who work there butt every day for her, the right way. First she needs to learn how to treat people the right way. And secondly treat your employees like they mean the world to you. Because guess what? They are the ones keeping your business open and pleasure the customers. Learn some respect!!! read more

I have had the good fortune of being a student at both the Ann Arbor Arthur Murray and the Northville Arthur Murray for the past 3 years. I have actually become a good social dancer and a decent competitive dancer. Dancing has helped fill a void that was created when my wife passed away. If you need a boost to your social life, or you are passionate about dancing, This is the place to go. read more

We have been dancing with Arthur Murray Ann Arbor for 2 years now and have really enjoyed the personal attention. Our teacher Gretta is very patient and intuitive and makes our lessons fun. We are social dancers and feel confident dancing out in public. All the teachers and the studio director Raymond, work together to help you achieve your goals and development of future goals. The group classes are lead by rotating teachers: Sam, Molly, Beau, Ryan, Erica and Gretta. Groups are always fun and help you put patterns you have learned in action. No partners needed here for group as we rotate partners! There are fun themes to the classes so we laugh and dance. Always feel better when you leave. Steve and Mary Lou Rudner read more

I really enjoyed our lessons and the staff. They helped to choreograph a dance and music for my son's wedding. Great experience!

Not at all what I expected. Went here because of a Groupon and took a "private" lesson with my husband. While we had the attention of 1 instructor, it was taught in a big room with other people also learning to dance. Most disappointing aspect of this was that we were learning the swing and tango to top 40 r and b. If you're teaching formal dance, why not use the music that goes with it?! It made no sense. Additionally, the staff here are waaaaaay to peppy....as in to the point of being overbearing. We were asked by 3 different instructors whether we watched "Dancing with the Stars." I wanted to learn some classy classic moves with my husband. Instead it felt more like a rather mediocre attempt to enroll us in a 1200 dollar package. read more

I love it here! The staff are so very kind and make you feel so welcome. It is a wonderful family atmosphere. Everyone knows your name and makes you feel special. Dancing is great exercise and a good social atmosphere. I highly recommend it. read more

Terrible. My husband and I took lessons there for a year. We wanted to pay for one lesson at a time but the manager back then forgot to charge us and asked us to pay for the rest of our lessons up front. We were naive and did it. A couple weeks later the manager (also our primary instructor) got demoted. Then almost all of the staff left, and they hired people who had no idea how to ballroom dance (let alone teach it!). We took one lesson with one of the new instructors and he basically told us his whole life story and kept comparing me to his ex-girlfriend who broke his heart. Can you say AWKWARD?! Needless to say, we didn't learn a thing. Now they won't give us our money back for the remaining lessons that we were told we had to pay up front for- not knowing the whole studio was going to fall apart! They didn't respond to our letter. They won't return our calls. This place is a mess. I would suggest finding somewhere else to learn ballroom dancing. Save yourself the headaches and drama. read more

First lesson is awesome then it's all about up seeking. We wanted to learns to dance for our wedding. Paid $495 for four lessons. Then we're told how much continues lessons were and it was in the thousands. read more

Dharma A. may be overreacting. I've been ballroom dancing for 10 years now, and that time period included 2 years with the Ann Arbor Arthur Murray studio. I've been to studios and classes and dances all over the State. I am not currently with Arthur Murray, nor am I paid by them. However, in my opinion Dharma A. review is misleading and incomplete, although she is certainly entitled to share her opinion. Dance studios are businesses which have the goal of providing service for a fee. Dharma explains what she did "not" expect, but my advise to people is you should clarify your expectations "are" with the studio as part of your service agreement. If Dharma didn't like the music, for example, she should have told her instructor to change it. Similarly, if you have a dentist with bad breath, you should ask them to brush their teeth, right? On the issue of "peppy" , I say "of course they are", because they are generally actively dancing and perfecting their art form every day and it's a very active activity. Furthermore, the people who are engaged in ballroom dancing are generally very fit and active, and attractive and engaging. It is very normal for instructors and their students to share a common dance floor with other instructors at the same time. If you are like Dharma, and want the entire floor to yourself then you have the obligation of telling the studio manager beforehand. In my opinion, Arthur Murray has some distinct advantages over other studios. First of all, the business enforces personal restrictions on the instructors to achieve the highest level of professional conduct. Second, the instructors are highly skilled. Third, Arthur Murray franchises combine themselves into larger groups for the showcases and events. That results in superior events. In contrast to other dance studios that I've attended, and with the qualification that I have not attended AM for 8 years so I do not know their current guidelines, but I found that AM was more "private" than other studios. That means AM does not allow members of the general public to attend their weekly dance parties. Instead, the dance parties are restricted to AM students who are currently in classes. So if you are a current student, you will be comfortable dancing only with other current students at the weekly party. Furthermore, you'll only dance with AM students at the showcases. That's a bonus for people and couples who want to be private - and in the early years that's very common. PS. The photo attached to this review is of me and my then dance partner "lisa" at the "Dancing With The Stars Tour Show" in the Joe Louis Arena which was arranged by Arthur Murray. Thus, Arthur Murray merits serious consideration. read more

I would give them a zero if it were possible. I've always wanted to try them out and when the Groupon can up I finally convinced my partner to do it. I've spent 3 months trying to make a reservation and no one has returned my calls. They never answer the phone so you can only leave messages. I contacted Groupon and they contacted the studio who said they would respond in three days. Still no response. As long as they keep telling Groupon they are trying to contact me I cannot get a refund, but I have never received any returned calls or spoken to a single person. read more

Ditto with the post below. I didn't mind the happy people, but $300+, too many sales pitches, and we know a tiny bit of 10 different dances. So disappointed. It's like signing up to join a gym. read more

Dharma- hello twenty nine dollar groupon to get a whole dance studio to yourself? i dont think so. also, just because the music is comtemporary doesnt mean it lacks the music signiture of the dance you were learning. next time just ask for different music instead of being passive aggressive. and of course they will ask you about a topic related to the only thing you have in common with them. its akin to asking about the weather. and really did you expect better than mediocre after thirty minutes of instruction?? seems pretty melodramatic to me. read more

Horrible.My husband and I went there with the goal of learning to dance for our daughter's wedding. We purchased 4 lessons (45 minute) for $500 and got little from it.1. A good 10 minutes of each lesson was devoted to trying to sell us a Bronze package for $5000, which I believe was 40 more lessons. So we were effectively paying them to deliver a sales pitch to us.2. We were given 15 minutes on one dance and then another 15 or 20 of another. Overall we were taught the basic steps for up to 3 different dances per session rather than learning and solidifying a single dance at a time. It was difficult to keep it straight or to know what dance to do to what songs.3. There was a lot of false flattery. Each time that I went there I was told how wonderful I looked. After a while it came across as insincere.4. The instructor acted as if she was teaching children or prepping high school kids for a big game. Lots of hand slapping, hugging and insincere closeness, when what we wanted was a professional dance instructor. 5. They were deliberately withholding instruction as part of the ploy to get us to sign up for more classes. Part of this was teaching us dances that we would never use such as the Polka and the Quick Step. Little time was devoted to waltz, fox trot, swing and other dances appropriate for our event.I would not recommend anyone to go there. read more