The best dance studio in town with top notch classes! The owners are friendly, professional, great dancers, and just give that really fun neighborhood business feel you can trust! And, they have parking which is a major plus! You can't leave this place without feeling good. 5 stars all the way! ***** read more

This place has turned into one of our favorite activities as a couple! We went in a few months ago to take some classes for our first dance. And honestly even after the wedding I don't see our love for this place slowing down. Everyone there is the sweetest including David who is the manager of the place. Our instructor Mya is the best there is and we love her! She's so kind and gentle with instruction, will never make you feel any kind of way when guiding you and honestly it's the reason we love Arthur Murray as much as we do! Thank you Mya!! If you're looking for guidance on your first dance or just want to learn more styles of dance couple or otherwise this place is the one for you! read more

This dance studio is a true gem of Santa Monica!!! My now-husband and I came here about one month before our wedding in need of dance lessons. Realistically, we had about 2.5 weeks to learn a routine given our travel plans. At no point during our first (or subsequent) visits were we made to feel stressed or ill-prepared given our truncated timeline, which I greatly appreciated. We were assured that 4 lessons would be plenty to get us first dance ready and these promises were fulfilled! Di was our instructor and we absolutely adored working with her - she is very in tune with people and knows how to explain things in multiple ways for different types of learners. We felt so comfortable and confident by our wedding day and our first dance went extremely smoothly! We cannot thank Di and Arthur Murray enough for giving us such a wonderful experience!! In fact, we had so much fun working with Di that we decided to purchase additional lessons for country swing - we can't wait to be back for these lessons! If you're looking to get into dancing for any reason, including your first dance, look no further! read more

Everything went wonderfully well. The environment is warm and welcoming. The instructors are very patient and down-to-earth. I never danced any pattern dances before and had a great time ( and lots of laughter) while learning, thanks to my instructor Aaron. Thank you David and Joel for a great experience !!! Very Best regards, Patti/ Culver City read more

My husband and I look forward to our regular dance lesson with Di. We started out with salsa and bachata because we want to dance on the Promenade and at salsa nights. But we realized we like disco music too much not to commit to hustle. It's such a nice hobby and we're making progress! Di is awesome. Joel is wonderful. And everyone else who teaches and takes lessons here is super nice, too! read more

My wife and I took lessons at Arthur Murray for our first dance at our wedding and found the staff professional and great teachers! We came with no dance experience but were able to come up to speed in a matter of weeks for our special day. We have recommended them to all of our friends who are interested in learning how to dance! read more

I came to Arthur Murray Santa Monica as an older woman with nearly two left feet. The studio warmly greeted me, making me feel comfortable. Joel, David and Di have taught, critiqued, encouraged, amused and cared for me. Arthur Murray's curriculum works brilliantly to develop student skills and a love for Ballroom dancing. They have brought me along as a dancer; I have gained confidence and possess a hunger to learn more and to always improve my abilities. The highlights of my week are every lesson, group lessons and friendly Friday night dance parties. I am grateful because Arthur Murray Santa Monica has inspired my life. Lynn Weisman read more

We had a fantastic experience working with Di to choreograph our wedding dance routine. She is a genuine expert who made each class enjoyable and remarkably productive. I'd recommend Arthur Murray to anyone in search of dance classes or private lessons. The team exudes positivity and professionalism all the way! read more

After years of nagging that this would be good for me I finally signed up for some lessons at Arthur Murray. I have "0" dancing ability, and am getting married in a few weeks, and didn't want to look like a fool during one of the few dances I promised contractually to my wife to be (joke!). Arthur Murray has been around forever - 100+ years so the man in charge said, so we figured we'd be in good hands. We went in for the introductory lesson - $35 - which is good value - and amazingly gives you a good grounding in just 40 minutes. Remember, I had zero dancing experience. So off to a good start. Where it started to go a bit "pear shaped" (as it were) was after the lesson. We were taken to the office and pressed to buy a package of lessons on the spot. Well, we definitely needed another lesson so we signed up for another private lesson ($145) which is expensive but fine I suppose because professional instruction is expensive and you get all the instructors attention. We could deal. They even sent us a nice thank you card in the mail. That was a nice touch. We had a second lesson, which was good. Made a lot of progress HOWEVER the people there pressed us very hard about scheduling another lesson immediately. They even told us "...it was their policy to not let a customer leave before scheduling another lesson.." Needless to say we were a little put off...and somehow managed to leave without scheduling another lesson. The people at Arthur Murray apparently have difficulty understanding this. They have called us relentlessly over the past couple of days. Their first "free" dance lesson is a sales pitch so be prepared for that. The private lessons are well worth the money, but Arthur Murray's tactics are very off putting. (HINT to management - you may think you have to do a hard sell but you don't - it just drives people away). Oh well... read more

Our son and his partner needed help ASAP for their first dance. A friend recommended Arthur Murray and we're so grateful for the recommendation! They had such a great time with Joel who put them at ease. They said it was also very romantic learning to dance together for their wedding. At their first dance, they had a wonderful time & were spinning, dipping, etc. They also great pics because they were relaxed and happy! read more

My bf and I were lucky enough to win a free private lesson here, and just finished our class. I cannot say enough wonderful things about this place! The staff was so incredibly kind and helpful and taught us a wide spectrum of different steps. They have super convenient hours and all sorts of different classes at varying levels. Our hectic work schedules prevented us from buying a class package at the moment, but we hope to in the future when our jobs calm down. I would 100% recommend Arthur Murray Santa Monica to anyone interested in dance - they'll have something for you, and you'll love it! read more

Kind people with a passion for dance and the desire to support achieving your dance dreams.

This place is a fabulous and much-needed addition to our city. Joel is very talented and knowledgeable and has a wonderful energy that puts you at ease while learning. My guy and I had a lovely time learning the Foxtrot from him and we plan to be back regularly. read more

Arthur Murray Dance Studio - Santa Monica - Dance Schools Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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There is no better place to learn how to dance. The staff is top notch, the studio is super clean, the dance standard is impeccable. All the students make you feel like you are a part of their family. I would rather be here than home. read more

Everyone here is phenomenal!! Michelle choreographed and taught us the first dance for our wedding. To say she is a miracle worker would be an understatement. We wanted to do "Feeling Good" by Michael Buble, but thought there would be no way to do it with no dancing experience and a very short timeframe. She made it elegant, fun and some how still simple enough for me and my lack of dancing ability to pick up! Everyone at the studio is so friendly and you can just tell they love what they do! Thanks again Michelle, you're amazing!! read more

This place is a gem! Has amazing instructors and culture! Its rare to find a business that is so caring, professional, dedicated, playful and delightful! If you have any interest in ballroom dancing, look no farther. I'd recommend it to someone who has never danced or a professional dancer looking to take their craft to the next level. Not only have I enjoyed dancing at Arthur Murray Santa Monica but my 13 year old son does too. It's become a second home for him. His coordination, rhythm, foot work, confidence and self esteem have all grown to new heights. The instructors are extraordinary dancers who love to teach. They have great patience and a true gift for helping students develop. A+++ read more

There is no better place to learn to dance than a place where the staff always greet you by name, with a smile, and a positive attitude! That studio is Arthur Murray Santa Monica. The energy in this studio is contagious, and there is no better feeling. The staff and students alike have so much love and passion for sharing the joy of dance. Happy dancing! read more

Arthur Murray Dance Studio - Santa Monica - Dance Schools Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Everyone here is so encouraging. All the teachers really care about their students. It feels like a family when you come in, and they have free parking! I would definitely recommend them. read more

I've been to Their studio a few times. The staff is great! Everyone there is really nice and it looks like a great place to learn whatever kind of dancing you want! It's a great location in downtown Santa Monica and would truly recommend this studio if you want to learn to dance! Thanks for the fun Mambo Gabriella!!! read more

TL;DR - These people are only interested in money. They may provide dance instruction, but you can get it elsewhere for half the cost and the respect you deserve. The long version: I started going to Arthur Murray when I was invited by a friend. At the time, they offered two introductory lessons for $45; it seemed like a good deal so I signed up. I had been to a number of the group sessions and learned some of the basic moves for foxtrot, swing, etc. The lessons themselves weren't particularly special, and the instructor was kind. The bulk of my ire stems from when I was brought in the side room for talk about signing up for future lessons; the privacy of it . I was told that the price for 8 private lessons, 4 group lessons (think 15-20 people), and four dance parties was $1400, which was nearly double the rate of competing schools. I told the manager that I couldn't afford this at this time, and that I was going to pass. He paused, and offered to increase the number of group lessons and parties to 6 each; I again passed, saying that I couldn't afford it. At this point, I was offered 2 lessons, and the ability to be put on a "pay as you go" plan. I declined. The manager then told me a story about a different client that couldn't afford lessons, decided to take them anyway, and is now "very successful". He advised me to borrow money from people, or take out another credit card, in order to pay for lessons. When I declined yet again, he shook his head and said "well, women don't like men who worry about money" as I exited his office. I'm still shocked at this behavior. Bottom line: stay away from this place and its used car salesmen. read more

Wanted to like this very much. The private lesson was great and the studio is beautiful but OMG OMG the hard sell. it is CRAZY CRAZY CRAZY expensive. Go to 3rd street dance instead. There you don't have to pay like $800 for a few private lessons and a few parties. It's such a business. read more

So I have waited for almost a year to write this review so that I could give a thorough evaluation. I have been dancing at Arthur Murray Santa Monica for nearly a year - my dance-aversary (it *IS* a real thing which is celebrated at the studio) is coming up in a few weeks. And after a year, I can honestly say that the studio has definitely become my home away from home. So let's talk about the staff: While some of the faces have changed during my time at the studio, the staff, as a whole, is fantastic. They are energetic, passionate, and caring. They really take the time to get to know you, learn what you want from your dancing, and travel with you on your journey to discover things about yourself that you had not yet realized - at least when it comes to dancing and who you are on the dance floor. From the smiling faces that greet you at the door to the wacky instructors leading group classes and private lessons, I think it would be hard to find a team better than the AM Santa Monica staff. And on a more personal note, my instructor JC is amazing. For the past year he has been my teacher, cheerleader, and occasional punching bag. He keeps me moving forward and achieving dancing heights I never imagined. I wouldn't be where I am today in my dancing without him. Let's talk about classes/lessons: I'm going to be honest - while you can be the occasional drop into a class now and again student at AM or anywhere, the learning process requires dedication and consistency. Arthur Murray Santa Monica offers a wide variety of classes to suit your social and ballroom fancies. Do you want to kill it at the salsa club with some sexy salsa and bachata steps? Or be super sassy at the Cicada with your well-polished swing moves? Or dazzle your wedding guests as you dance a beautiful choreographed waltz at your wedding? Then AM Santa Monica has something for you. Classes are offered 5 nights every week with 2 practice parties to work on your steps in a simulated social but "safe space" setting - you know, to work out the kinks before you go make a fool out of yourself at the club. And if you have aspirations of looking like whatshisname on Dancing with the Stars, then you can do that too. They can prepare you for the club, a wedding, the competition floor, or whatever your little heart desires. If you have the time, AM Santa Monica has all the options you want with a rotating list of class offerings each week. As with anything, nothing is all sunshine and lollipops... Let's talk cost: This isn't your "$15/class drop-in and never really progress" kind of place. And Arthur Murray is not cheap. But there are a many dance package options that will keep your dancing moving forward w/o breaking the bank. Just be very honest with your budget and the AM Santa Monica Team will work all the magic in their arsenal to get you (and keep you) dancing. Let's talk culture/community: It can be, at times, a little...cult-like. If you are anything like me, there will be days when all those smiling faces will just seem a little pod-person-ish and it can all be a little much. But hey, on your bad days it's kind of nice to go someplace where everyone knows your name and is genuinely excited to see you. It's like Cheers but with dancing and no surly staff. Plus, the student community is pretty great too, if I do say so myself (I could be biased). If you are even remotely interested in dancing, give it a whirl! read more

I live in NYC and am back visiting Santa Monica for the month of August. Salsa dancing is a big part of NYC culture so I went to Arthur Murray's Friday class and subsequent social. The class was on East Coast Swing and the positive energy was infectious. Everyone from the instructors to the fellow students was incredibly friendly. The social that followed picked up on that theme as new dances were reviewed and then applied (cha-cha, bachata, waltz, swing, salsa, and tango). They make it very easy to get out on the dance floor irrespective of your dance level and there isn't an ounce of judgement or pretense by anyone. And at $20, it's a bargain by any standard fare of entertainment, whether that be Santa Monica or NYC... My only request is that they teach the NYC style of "On 2". It's all that is taught in NYC, and for good reason. It's undeniably a better way to dance to salsa. It is more musical and truly allows the dancer to feel the music, akin to someone driving a stick shift on a car vs driving an automatic. Once you learn to drive a stick, you can do more things with the car. It is unquestionably a harder version to learn as well, which is why the On 1, or what most studios outside of NYC teach. Again, an amazing time and highly recommended for those in the Santa Monica area looking for an invigorating evening and still home by 10:15 pm. read more

Hands down, the Best Ballroom Studio I've EVER been too. Beautiful facility, Amazing Teachers. They make it fun, fun, fun. Great for all levels. read more

I won a free dance lesson. I had never done any formal dancing before. Found out it was fun so I signed up for more. After 3 weeks I can say that no one could not design a better program or a more supportive environment for learning dancing. read more

I found out about the Arthur Murray Santa Monica dance studio as I was a lucky winner of a free dance lesson from a Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce health & fitness awareness festival I attended as a sponsor for my company. My husband (then fiancee) and I went in to try it for fun and we thought it might be a good idea to take lessons and choreograph a song for our first dance for our upcoming wedding so signed up for an 8 lesson package deal. To be completely transparent, I can't say the dance lessons are cheap but considering your're getting private 1 on 1 lessons with a professional instructor, I think the costs are justified. Also, you can attend any of the group dance lessons or dance parties as part of the package. We were too busy to make full use, but did attend one of the dance parties and it was super fun and there was free snacks and drinks which is always nice :) Joel who is one of the owners of the studio was our private instructor and he is AWESOME. Joel is super friendly and fun and made the whole process easy for us. Neither my husband or I are good ballroom type dancers but Joel was super patient with us and always took the time to understand our frustrations and choreograph moves that made us look good. He is also very thorough and takes good notes of dance styles and moves that he reviewed at the lesson. From the very beginning, Joel asked us what song we wanted to dance to and played the song at our lessons and kept it in mind when developing moves. He also made sure to tweak moves or let us know how to change up certain gestures in order to make our dance and performance even better. We received a lot of compliments for our first dance and I think many of our guests enjoyed watching us. The studio is in a very convenient location in Santa Monica right on Broadway and 9th/10th street with pretty easy street parking after 8PM and there's a parking garage downstairs as well. If you're looking for a fun and supportive dance studio to take private lessons, group lessons or for your wedding first dance, I would highly recommend this studio - especially Joel as your instructor as he's the best. read more

I went for a dance class, last night, with my boyfriend. We went thinking we would "do something different" for one evening. We were so surprised by the beautiful dance studio, the friendly and informative instructors and the fun atmosphere. We had smiles on our faces the entire time. Suffice to say, we purchased classes for the future. LOVE this place and people!! read more

I will never forget the day I first walked into this studio. Got in, was loudly greeted by five members of the staff who where in the front desk, mentioned I had a private appointment and one of them just offered his hand and took me to my instructor, on the dance floor. No one stopped for one second to ask who I am, what my name was, if I had paid for the class, if I had signed in or anything like that. They were extremely happy to welcome a new face and get me dancing! All students are very open, show you a step if you don't know, always introduce themselves to guests and just make you feel at home. Guests are always welcome and there is an amazingly smart concept of "introductory package" that just makes business sense for the studio, for current students as well as for future guests. All owners and instructors have your best interest in mind and are focused on getting you the most value for your money. They are super flexible and adapt group classes to the level of the students in the class. They are all super passionate about what they do, they are an encyclopedia of dancing information and technique, and they literally live and breath dancing. No nickle-and-diming, no hidden fees, no surprises! Last but not least, nothing would be the same without Duncan. I may be biased, but I wouldn't change my instructor for anything in the world!! Trust me on this one! I have tried about four studios in LA by now and this is THE ONE! read more

Visiting this studio as an out of town dancer is refreshing. The professionals who work here are positive, welcoming to all levels, and fun. The class was well taught and animated. This studio is not pretentious but supportive and filled with genuine people who also love to dance. I will return when I am back in Santa Monica. read more

I can't believe it's taken me a year to write a review of this studio. It's so overdue and well deserved. I had always loved dancing but never had the opportunity growing up or even as an adult to take dance lessons. After years of watching DWTS and SYTYCD, I had a huge interest in trying out ballroom--based on the music I liked and because I was starting at an older age with pretty much zero formal (modern, ballet, jazz etc.) dancing experience. When this studio opened up in my neighborhood I ran into a teacher offering a sample class, I haven't looked back. Over the 15 months I've been doing ballroom now, I've taken classes at a lot of other studios. By far the structured lessons and the supportive and attentive staff outweigh all the other studios I've been to. You feel how much they love their jobs when you walk in the door! Also, I'm a very logical person and the way they introduce students to different levels of the dances really works for me. I can look back at videos and see the tremendous growth I've made. I'm having so much fun and I'm growing as a dancer! Walking into my group or private lessons is like being with family. I've also made friends there that I look forward to dancing with in classes, but also spend time away from the studio with as well. But the overall best part of my experience is having a teacher like Joel, who is as passionate about dance as I am and is born to teach! He really gets me. I can't thank him enough for his support through financial hardships, life changes, emotional upheavals EVERYTHING. It's nice to know he understands what dancing means to me and is committed to help me have it in my life. I LOVE my Arthur Murray Dance family. I can't wait to see videos of where I am as a dancer in the next 12-15 months!!! read more

My husband and I wanted to learn how to dance together. Ryan is a wonderful instructor and in 2 lessons we learned how to do the waltz, Fox trot and beginning the bachata. We really enjoy it!! read more

If you're looking for something to do on a week night, there's nothing like an Arthur Murray group class! Don't have any experience, but you want to learn a sizzling salsa? Come on in. Super helpful staff and a beautiful facility makes this a one of a kind social experience. Great date night for couples. read more

Stopped by to check out the studio. Awesome (and brand new) studio and facility! Owned by some the best Arthur Murray coaches and teachers who are personally involved in teaching the groups and privates. read more

I have been dancing here three months and am loving it. The teachers are fantastic. They make you feel warm and welcome.