Yoga Sound Bath Experience I've been regularly attending the yoga sound bath sessions as a complement to dance classes. Matthew has thoughtfully designed each session to be a high class experience, from the moment you walk in - you're greeted by a beautiful open space, mats, bolsters, blocks, weighted eye masks, and blankets. There's a printed card which covers the details of each session provided ahead of the class that outlines the experience. The session itself is calming, deep, and a much needed disconnect from the chaos of the outside world. Afterwards he offers herbal tea and some of us spend time socializing before heading out. It's a unique experience that benefits busy people with busy lives and offers much needed self care. read more

My wife and I love to dance and over the years have tried several dance studios in Chicago. After a year of dancing with them BDC remains the only one we go to. Their instructors are excellent, patient and helpful. read more

My now husband and I have nothing but wonderful things to say about our experience with Ballroom Dance Chicago. We worked exclusively with David for our first dance lessons and we truly cannot thank him enough for curating the perfect first dance for our song. We also had a lesson where we brought our parents to practice our bride/dad and groom/mom dances which was so helpful. Our first dance went so smoothly and we felt so prepared for the big day. We have already started recommending Ballroom Dance Chicago to anyone we know who is getting married - highly highly recommend!!! Plus it is so fun going to dance lessons with your partner :) read more

My husband and I had an amazing experience at Ballroom Dance Chicago. We aren't the most comfortable dancers, and were definitely a bit rigid/nervous during our first session. But in just five classes our instructor David was able to get us to a point where not only did we know the dance for our wedding, but we were having fun doing it. We really enjoyed our experience and look forward to signing up for more lessons in the future! read more

My partner and I attended a social Saturday this past summer and loved David's vibe and instruction. We saw that BDC added tango classes to their curriculum with David as the instructor and we immediately signed up because we have plans of going to Argentina next month and loved our previous experience with him. The session was 4 weeks and each week David worked with each pair to help them improve or advance to something new in the art of tango. It was really nice to have him remember everyone and help each individual pair. This experience was wonderful. We came in knowing nothing about dancing tango and left with new moves that we can not wait to try out next month! Would love to come back to another session! read more

I have made so many great memories at this space. My fiance and I started going to weekly group dance lessons for something fun to do in the winter. The group classes were lovely. We got to learn some new dance skills in a fun and friendly environment. We also got the chance to meet some other folks when we briefly rotated partners. Small dishes of mints and jelly bellies abound if you need a little energy boost. They encourage you to byob and fresh, cold water and glasses are always available. In preparation for our wedding we took private dance lessons. Our instructor Roxy was wonderful and patient with us! She also put together a custom routine for us for our first dance song. We kept adding on lessons to make sure we were ready for our wedding day. Near the end, we'd practice with my actual shoes and a mock wedding skirt. We even had a lesson where we brought my future mother-in-law in so that she and my fiance could practice for their mother-son dance. We're so glad we did that, just for the memories alone! Plus she got a sneak peek of our dance! We nailed our first dance on our wedding night and it was a really special memory for us. We're so thankful for all the help and encouraging words from the dance studio! We just celebrated 6 months of marriage and went back to the studio for a date night and to practice our dance. We'd forgotten most of it, but by the end of the lesson the owner Matthew had helped us remember the whole thing. He even video taped us so we can continue to practice. We're thinking we'll go back around our one year anniversary and have a chance to reminisce and practice our dance again! Maybe we'll pop in for some group lessons before then too! We always have a wonderful time at the studio! Thanks for all your help and support Matthew and the Ballroom Dance Chicago crew! You guys rock and are great at what you do! read more

Ballroom Dance Chicago - Thanks Matthew! - Dance Studios Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This studio has outstanding ambiance, truly professional instructors, an amazing dance floor, a convenient location with ample parking, and a customer focused culture. Matthew is a gentleman and an outstanding dance instructor. My wife and I have been dancing ballroom for nearly 15 years and always learn something new or gain insight into our dances here. We've had many instructors in other studios over the years but nothing compares with Ballroom Dance Chicago. This is the place to go if you want to learn to dance ballroom, Latin, social dancing, etc.. Highly recommend without reservation. read more

I WAS a terrible dancer. In the weeks before my wedding, I became increasingly anxious about embarrassing myself and my fiancé during our first dance. I was so nervous and dreaded our first dance so much that I did the unthinkable and hired professional help. I'm so glad that I did! Ballroom Dance Chicago was incredible. Despite the short notice they were able to get us in for 6 sessions before our big day with one of their best instructors. April walked us through our first steps and coached us through a custom routine that she choreographed just for us. After only a few sessions I began to feel more confident in my dancing and I even started to enjoy it! We blew everyone away at our wedding reception! The cheers during our final dip made our hard work worth it a hundred times over and the compliments we received throughout the night made me regret not taking dance classes years ago. We'll be back again soon to learn some new steps with some new friends. Thanks April & Ballroom Dance Chicago!!! read more

My wife and I got our first dance lessons here. We did three total lessons with Ashlee and started with absolutely no experience. We received so many compliments the day of and following our wedding because of how good (to our standards) our first dance was. Ballroom dance was extremely friendly and the instruction was perfect! We're so happy we chose them and got lessons! read more

My (now) wife and I attended not only salsa classes, but their wine event as well as had the pleasure of working with Angela and April on our first dance for our wedding. The staff was patient, kind, professional and a blast to work with. Matthew, the owner, has created an incredible team and curated a warm and classy space to socialize, learn and DANCE. We HIGHLY recommend! read more

Had high hopes for this place and was very underwhelmed. Went for a Valentine's Day salsa event I heard about through Strength in the City. First of all seemed steep at $100 per couple for an hour group class. Turns out it was only 45 minutes, which is already pretty short and felt very rushed the way the instructor jumped quickly from one activity to the next. Especially odd since we were encouraged to BYOB but there was literally no down time and we were informally/passively rushed out at exactly the 45 minute mark. Music off, instructor ran to the other side to teach the next class, some man in a fancy scarf showed up and moved our bottle without saying anything to us, even though we were standing a few feet away. I guess it was not good to have it on the wooden bench? But there were limited options if any. Pros: easy parking; the location and interior are very cool, clean and beautiful; greeted at the door by one staff member who was very kind and welcoming and got us check in and into the class and right away as we arrived a few minutes late. Our instructor was also very welcoming and friendly. Learned a few new cool moves. Cons: definitely not worth the price (which was $20 more than a normal drop in rate per couple, I foolishly thought maybe there'd be a special Valentine's Day treat, but it was just meh. Unless they're counting the tiny Polaroid they snapped candidly of each couple with a dark, tiny, distant image of our profiles in motion. Cute idea, sub par result.) vague instructions and very little feedback- instructor was on her phone with her back to the group rather than answering questions or making adjustments for most of the independent practice time in between instructions, some of the music was hard to keep up with and some moves didn't have counts assigned to them, last song was a salsa cover of a Beatle's song, the condescending treatment from the bald man with the scarf wrapped it up in an unpleasant way. read more

All I can say is this: DAVID AT BALLROOM DANCE CHICAGO is the BEST. He is magic. He is talented, kind, loving, an incredible teacher, and a fantastic artist. My husband and I started lessons with David months before our wedding. We gave him the song we wanted to dance to and said that we wanted it to feel organic - with some awesome crowd cheering moves - but we really wanted to feel like the dance could flow without us thinking about every single move at every second. He nailed it. As someone who studied musical theatre, I couldn't have asked for a better teacher. He taught my husband to dance, and everyone at our wedding was moved and blown away by our choreography. I cannot recommend him enough... read more

We've done 5 different drop-ins and no matter the instructor April, David, or Ashley, they each kept it simple so the dance steps were easy to pick up. It was so fun! We are looking forward to the next class! read more

My boyfriend and I have taken up to 5 salsa classes, and we are hooked! April is a phenomenal dance instructor, and we have so much fun with her. She is patient, personable, and really breaks each move down to match your level and pace of learning. The classes can be as large as 5-6 couples, or can end up being as small as just you and your dance partner. Either way, April is sure to spend quality time with you and your dance partner to ensure you learn something new each class and continue to build on what you've learned the class before it. The facility is clean, parking is easy (if you drive), the train lets you off right there (if you don't drive). Not to mention it's BYOB and they offer wonderful hospitality by providing glasses for your drink, wine key (if you need it!), and/or water. Cannot wait to take more classes in the near future. You start to feel like you are part of a dance community. :) Thanks Ballroom Dance Chicago! read more

We just finished a 4- session group class at Ballroom Dance Chicago and loved it. The instructor, April, did a collective warm- up, but then spent a lot of time observing and instructive each couple in the class. It was almost like having a private lesson. The mood was relaxed. There was no pressure to perform. And it was fun! read more

My partner and I took dance lessons with Angela for our wedding dance and it was one of the best experiences of wedding planning! We had ambitious goals for our dance, and Angela was so kind, attentive, and helpful throughout the entire process. Our choreographed dance was amazing, and Angela gave us the confidence to pull it off. We had so much fun, we both agreed to take dance lessons just for fun for date night. I'd recommend Ballroom Dance Chicago (and working with Angela!) to anyone! read more

Ballroom Dance Chicago - Dance Studios Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Angela is AMAZING!! We worked with her to get comfortable dancing for our wedding first dance and to learn how to properly do spins/dips. She not only helped us with our moves but made us confident and gave us wedding tips. Working with her was our favorite part of wedding planning. We recommend her to every couple wanting to prepare for their big day. read more

Sasha and Angela were the best teachers! My husband and I knew nothing about dance going into our four-week salsa sessions, but we had so much fun & feel confident in some basic salsa steps! Ballroom Dance Chicago is the perfect, non-intimidating class for all levels! I cannot recommend their classes highly enough. read more

To say that my husband does not like dancing would be an understatement. He has two 'left feet' paired with limited coordination that basically results in him avoiding the dance floor during every wedding/club/party. As you can imagine, our first dance was one of the areas of wedding planning that gave us the most stress. We found Ballroom Dance Chicago via Yelp and after our first complimentary consultation, it was clear that we were going to need professional help in the form of 10 private lessons. Our main goal was simply: be comfortable enough with our first dance so that we would not dread our first dance on the day of our wedding. We worked with Matthew for our private lessons and he truly exceeded all of our expectations. Our privates became less of dreaded chore and quickly turned into a fun weekly date! We started off by learning basic ballroom and swing steps that helped us build enough confidence to learn more advanced moves. By week 10, our routine included several spins and 3 lifts! We were impressed with how far we have come and felt very accomplished. Matthew provided the right level of patience, encouragement, and constructive criticism throughout our lessons. After performing the first dance at our wedding, several guests told me how surprised they were to see my husband so coordinated and how our first dance was one of the best first dances they have ever seen! While arguably biased, we cannot help but echo their sentiment. Thank you Matthew for working with us and helping us turn a potentially nervous moment into one of the highlights of our wedding! Tip: The private hour goes by fast so make sure you practice in between lessons so that you do not have to waste any time by re-learning what was taught in the previous class. read more

Ballroom Dance Chicago - Dance Studios Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

What an amazing dance studio! My wife and I recently got married there and we bought a 10-session private lesson pack to prepare for our first dance. Juanita Gable was our instructor and she was fantastic! Very easy to work with, friendly, and guided us so well through our first formal dance experience. Our first dance turned out absolutely perfectly, and we have Juanita and Ballroom Dance Chicago to thank for that. The studio is also BYOB which makes for some fun, relaxed dance sessions with wine. read more

Josh is the most positive and life-affirming instructor I've ever met! My husband and I were really nervous to dance together at our wedding--my husband in particular--and Josh made us feel so confident and welcome that we BOTH began looking forward to our weekly class together. In just a few weeks, he had us assured and excited about our dance together. We had such a good time that we're already looking into group classes to join, something I never would have seen us doing pre-BDC. Seriously, if you're in Chicago, end your search here and look no further!! read more

We cannot say enough positive about Ballroom Dance Chicago and their approach to preparing us to crush dancing at our wedding! I am not what you would call a good dancer (or even a dancer for that matter)... however Matthew and the team were able to start us with the basics and we wowed everyone at our wedding! We first met with the team to select a song that first our personality and then they created a detailed routine. As we progressed in our abilities, we were taught more complicated elements- but never felt overwhelmed. If I can do it, YOU can do it and don't forget to practice! Thanks again to the team! read more

My husband and I took group salsa lessons at Ballroom Dance Chicago - the teachers were great, especially April. The owner Matthew was very personable and made sure we were satisfied with the classes. Would recommend! read more

My husband and I took 8 lessons with Angela for our September 2021 wedding and it was by far the best part of wedding planning. Angela became a fast friend, and we looked forward to our lessons every week. The dance was special, but not over-the-top (just what we wanted) and Angela taught us at our own pace. We couldn't recommend working with Ballroom Dance Chicago & Angela enough! read more

It was my husband and I first dance lesson and the experience was above and beyond our expectations, the teacher was extremely pleasant and made us feel very comfortable we will definitely be back! read more

My fiancé and I started weekly salsa lessons here about a month ago and love it! Our instructor Angela is so sweet and helpful, and every other staff member that we have talked to is very nice. We like that the class is for any level because you kinda work on your own. Angela with teach us a move and while we practice it she will walk over to another class member and teach them something different depending on their level. The studio is very clean, big and inviting. We already signed up for a 2nd month! read more

I didn't think it was possible to learn as much as we did in one hour! Kathryn is an amazing dance teacher. My fiancee and I want to dance a waltz for our first dance on our wedding night(less than a month away). I looked at a different dance school where I had taken some salsa classes before. I even spoke to the owner about what I was looking for and she never got back to me. I decided to try BDC because the Yelp reviews were superb. Yelpers can't be wrong! lol Anyway, we got the Yelp deal which is currently 55$ for a private dance lesson which normally costs 80$. Great deal. We got Kathryn for an hour and I could not have been happier. She is extremely patient and the steps that we kept repeating, that I thought I simply could not teach my feet to do, felt like a natural rhythm after 30 (ok maybe 40) minutes. We took a short break and she offered us water or wine. The room is spacious and when we got there, a couple who had also been practicing for their wedding was leaving. There are photos of grateful married couples throughout the room. I'm hoping our picture can also adorn that room someday. I want to be worthy! Towards the end of the evening I even stopped looking down at my two left feet and Kathryn said that I looked very relaxed. Maybe it was the wine. What a wonderful experience. I told my fiancee that our new hobby is Ballroom dancing! I want to learn it all, the fox trot, the rumba and anything else I can learn. It was great exercise and I can't wait to go back and continue our lessons and polish up our waltz. If you need to learn to dance and need private lessons, this is the place to do it! As good as it gets!!! Thank you, Kathryn. read more

Szewai is simply amazing. After I got engaged, I started getting dancing DVDs from Netflix. My fiance, picking up my not-so-subtle hint for a great first dance, took it upon himself to do some research on dance studios and stumbled across Ballroom Dance Chicago. Our first lesson was complimentary and we went over the basics. We had given Szewai our first dance song before we arrived and she gave us a brief idea of how she thought we could make it work. By the end of that lesson, we'd changed our song to something that was more "us" ("The Way You Look Tonight" by Frank Sinatra), and were so excited to start working on our first dance. It was also our 7 year anniversary - and the first time we'd really DANCED together (besides the swaying we'd done together at other people's weddings). We purchased a package of ten lessons, and Szewai guided us through every step of our first dance, and then some. When we started, we were stepping all over each other (and playfully bickering), and by the end, we could DANCE. My fiance wanted something that wasn't too "dancing with the stars" and I wanted something that would show that we worked as hard as we did. The final result was a beautiful, FUN first dance, and I'm so happy that we did it. Their hours are flexible, and the location is great. We enjoyed it so much that we drove 45 minutes each way just to get there. The steps we learned helped us dance at a wedding a few weeks after ours - to a song that wasn't our wedding song. We felt like rockstars knowing how to dance! Hopefully our schedules will open up enough that we can take more classes in the future for the fun of it. Definitely recommended for anyone looking to learn how to dance, or anyone who is getting married and wants to avoid the 3 1/2 minute sway. read more

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Ok, if you're even considering.... do it. So worth your money to get a half dozen dance lessons (at least) before your wedding... it'll look good in the pictures, in the video and in everyone's memories! BDC studio won't pressure you into buying lessons, they're vibe and energy will make you want to take lessons.. And they hold monthly parties too, where you can showcase your routine before the "big day". My whole reason for getting lessons was because I did not want to simply "sway" side to side for our first dance! We took the bait and signed up for a free 30 min introductory lesson, and was hooked. We quickly realized that we both had 2 left feet when it comes to dancing, and had no clue who or what foxtrot even was!! Took about 10 lessons before our wedding, and between Matthew and Szewai, the studio's lovely dance masters, they created a wonderful routine for us (taking my dress into consideration, of course,--to show it off more. love them!) to Ray LeMontagne's You're the Best Thing. (Btw, they'll work with ANY song! country to straight up rap) When the day came, my husband twirled me on the dance floor like he knew what he was doing and not a single guest was sitting down!! It was quite the show! Everyone was amazed at our "skills". =) and we received so many compliments! read more

Ballroom Dance Chicago - Dance Studios Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ballroom Dance Chicago was very impressive. My wife and I attended one of their Saturday events with other couples and the energy and atmosphere that they provided was beyond expected. It was spatially and aesthetically pleasing. We are considering one of their private lessons they provide, as well as getting a group of our friends together for another group lesson. And best of all, it's BYOB! Note: the words above are that of my hubs! Prior to the class he dragged his feet at the thought of going with me. Because he knew it was something I really wanted us to do, he went. Minutes into the dance lesson I asked him what he thought and he really was loving it! So ladies, if any of your men are slightly skeptic, just find a way to get them there!! I couldn't be happier with Ballroom Dance Chicago. The instructors are incredible (personable, patient, upbeat) and the vibe is perfect. read more

Ballroom Dance Chicago - Before class started - Dance Studios Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I would recommend Ballroom Dance Chicago to everyone. My now husband surprised me with classes for our anniversary in order to have a choreographed piece for our wedding. We met with Matthew for a consultation and gave him a peculiar song choice that meant a lot to us but was a bit out of the ordinary and he totally ran with it. We loved our dance, but more than that, we loved hanging out with Matthew. Our weekly classes became our date night and I can't tell you how hard we laughed throughout the process and how much we loved talking and getting to know Matthew. To note, we are totally beginners at dancing and didn't know anything and it didn't matter, Matthew guided us along the way and we always felt encouraged and supported. Post wedding we actually miss those weekly classes so much just because they were such a bright spot in our wedding planning process and are also a memory we will never forget. If you are looking for lessons and want more than just a routine, but a total experience filled with laughs, tender moments and lasting memories... go here. Wedding planning can be stressful but your first dance doesn't have to be with Ballroom Dance Chicago on your team. Photo of our first dance by Steve Koo Photography read more

Ballroom Dance Chicago - Dance Studios Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We loved our dance lessons with Angela at Ballroom Dance Chicago! We had fun at every lesson and felt confident about our first dance on our wedding day. It was one of our favorite parts of the wedding planning process. Highly recommend!! read more

Ballroom Dance Chicago - Photo credit Bonphotage Photography - Dance Studios Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We received a gift to attend 4 weeks at Ballroom Dance Chicago. It was a really fun activity to do during the week and we learned some good basic steps that inspired us to consider a choreographed dance for our upcoming wedding. The space was clean and spacious (with easy parking) and the instructor was fun and very patient. Thanks Ballroom Dance Chicago! read more

Ballroom Dance Chicago is the most premier dance studio you will find! We were truly blown away by our experience. Over 6 months and 10 lessons, Angela at BDC guided us into achieving a 2+ minute choreographed dance for our wedding that was timeless, beautiful, and the highlight of our evening. It was truly the highlight of our entire year of wedding planning being able to enjoy these lessons together and learn something as a couple. My husband did not know what an 8 count in music was on our first lesson and we were dancing with flow and grace by the end. Angela was FUN and lively. She is skilled and an absolutely incredible teacher supporting us and always ensuring we felt comfortable. Our dance was a custom choreo and she even added in a lift for us at a high point in the song. We could not have been more grateful for the experience and we would love to be back in the near future!!! read more

Taking dance classes with April at Ballroom Chicago was undoubtedly one of our favorite parts of wedding planning and preparation. We had previously taken a Ballroom group class with April and learned a lot and loved her fun personality and laid back yet expert teaching style, so it was an easy choice to sign up for personal wedding dance classes. April worked with us to choreograph and teach us a perfect dance that was romantic, fun, and let us express our personalities. Working with her was a highlight of our weeks: she is incredibly encouraging and met us exactly where we were at. Additionally, the studio hosts monthly "Wedding Showcase" events where you can practice your dance in front of other couples who are also learning dances, which was such a fun and supportive environment (even when we were at the beginning stages!) plus we learned some basic social dancing skills that we can now bust out on any wedding dance floor as guests too. At our wedding, all our guests commented how much fun they could tell we were having and how wonderful our dance was. We felt so prepared and excited and couldn't stop grinning the whole time. Can't recommend April and Ballroom Dance Chicago highly enough!! read more

We decided to take dance lessons for our first dance. Neither of us are particularly good at dancing and didn't want to totally embarrass ourselves. After meeting Annamarie for a consultation, we booked 10 more sessions. We had so much fun taking the lessons and dancing our first dance. Everyone was talking about how great our dance was. We highly recommend lessons with Ballroom Dance Chicago and Annamarie! read more

What a gem this place is! We wanted to start dance lessons leading up to our wedding but didn't want a place that felt overly stiff. Ballroom Dance Chicago was an absolute blast! We started with a 2-pack of group lessons and then worked with Matthew 1:1 to prepare for our wedding. We felt comfortable and encouraged the entire time. The instructors are experts at breaking down concepts and, most importantly, make sure you're having fun! We can't wait to go back for more to diversify our dancing skills. read more

I am thrilled that my then fiance and now wife found Ballroom Dance Chicago. We worked with Annamarie who made us both feel very comfortable, choreographed our first dance and taught us how to dance together. As someone with zero dance experience, we got nothing but compliments on our first dance. Annamarie is wonderful to work with, extremely patience and knows how to tailor her teaching method to suit the person. I would highly recommend taking lessons from her. Now that the wedding is over, we plan on going back to take more private lessons with Annamarie! read more

We totally love Ballroom Dance Chicago! Even though our wedding is still in few months we already love it! We look forward to every class that we take. Rachael is so friendly and fun! the hour of dancing goes so fast. She is patient, understanding, and explains every step thoroughly. read more

We can't say enough good things about Matthew and Szewai! We had our wedding in November and started dance lessons about 8 weeks prior on referral from some friends of ours that married the year before. We wanted to do our wedding right and to not be embarrassed for our 'first dance' by being lame and clueless since we had never learned to properly dance. Matthew and Szewai are not only kind, friendly, patient and unintimidating but they are artists too. I have to admit I thought we would just learn a few moves to suffice but we ended up doing a whole beautiful, fun and 'us'dance for our wedding. There is a lot to learning to dance BUT it was fun and a wonderful experience that my fiancé at the time and I got to share before our big day. Believe me, with all the hustle and bustle with planning a wedding plus working and the daily grind, that hour of dancing during the week was a romantic and fun respite. Not to mention we wowed our guests at our wedding and made ourselves proud. Totally worth the money and time. I'm so glad we did this and didn't half ass our wedding dance. By the way, I'm a total klutz and I still was able to do our dance. The memories and joy whenever we hear 'our ' song will be with us forever. Our guests cheering and woo-wooing were priceless. Thank you Matthew and Szewai! read more