My now husband and I recently took a 5 session dance lesson at Ballroom Dance Portland and I can't say enough good things! We wanted to take some lessons before our September 8th wedding to feel a bit more comfortable. Our instructor was Merissa Newton and she was AWESOME!! My husband is a burly lumberjack and wasn't exactly pumped about our new hobby, but she was so easy to work with. She made us feel totally comfortable, started with the basics and taught us as much as we were comfortable with in the time we had. She didn't push us to perform at a certain level and reminded us that this was about having fun! The three of us laughed as much as we danced! We sent Merissa our wedding song ahead of our first lesson. She picked out a style of dance that she thought would go well to the beat and that's what we learned for 5 weeks. Once we got the basic steps down, she had actually choreographed some additional moves for us and by the end, we couldn't wait for the wedding, specifically the big dip at the end! Although we forgot a few steps on the big day, it didn't matter. We were so comfortable and knew the general moves and how to recover seamlessly. As we performed our dance, the entire room started to sing along as we moved through our dance! (Also, we nailed the dip.) This was absolutely one of the most memorable parts of our wedding and I would highly recommend this to anyone considering it... no matter your skill or comfort level! Thank you Merissa and Polina! You seriously rock. read more

I've known Polina in the dance world for over twelve years. My parents started taking dance lessons with her when we first moved to Maine and as I grew older I started taking private lessons with her. She has exceptional technique and the patience of God for sticking with us two-left-feet type dancers. I was turned off after encounters with the other male instructor she previously shared a studio with and would only take lessons with Polina. Now that she has been able to move studios I am looking forward to getting back in my dancing shoes! read more

My name is Tim Smith, I am a weightlifter with about as much natural grace as a tranquilized Rhinoceros, and I am now a competitive ballroom dancer, because of Polina Kirillova and Ballroom Dance Portland. In the fall of 2012 my local trade association put on it's second annual benefit dance competition for Habitat for Humanity -- Dancing with Realtors. Being the young buck in the office, some of my coworkers enthusiastically approached me and asked me try out the program. Mom taught me to try to new things, so I figured, "Well, I'll probably bomb, but it might be fun." I showed up in a black and yellow T-shirt, gym shorts and athletic sneakers to find everyone formally dressed at our first lesson (unfortunately, the video evidence of this still survives online) -- not exactly The Lord of the Dance. Any immediate feelings of discomfort I had were quickly alleviated as Polina walked us through the basics of Cha-Cha, now one of my favorite dances. Polina's teaching methods are adaptive to the student. No matter how old, young, inexperienced or advanced, she engages you to learn and perform well in your own learning style. There are moments during the lesson that you will focus, laugh and feel accomplished after you pull off a gorgeous tango routine to music after 60 minutes of fun. The beauty of her method is that you can go in, have fun and learn with extreme ease. After our benefit dance, I continued learning with Polina and still do after over a year and a half. She helped me discover a piece of my humanity and way of expression that was completely alien to me at the time. I've completed high level routines for Paso Doble, Tango, Mambo and Rumba under her tutelage, I am proficient in many more dances and I've had a great time doing it. Her fees for services are very reasonable, but the benefits from my time learning dance are truly priceless. A dancer from the age of 5, Polina is an award winning master at the art of dance, having competitvely danced across Europe, Asia and The USA. Even the nay sayers on this site have conceded that her skill places her in the highest echelon of world class instructors. No matter how skilled you would like to be in Ballroom or Latin Dance, Polina can take you there. On top of all of this, Polina has one of the most incredible life stories I have heard from anyone I've had the privilege of knowing. A native Ukrainian, Polina came to the US in the early 90's after the dissolution of the USSR without a dime to her name to pursue what she has called in her own words, "...life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness...". A single mother of a little boy, she set out to build her new life around something she was skilled and passionate about, helping people discover the beauty and benefits of the art of dance. Eighteen years later, her business has flourished into one of the most reputable studios in New England and little Kiril, her son, is now a man on his way to collegiate education. This heart warming story of a determined pursuit and achievement of the American dream has been featured in The Portland Press Herald and makes me proud and inspired to call her a fellow American. Polina is very humble and will probably blush when she reads this and tell me I went a over the top at my next Wednesday lesson. Polina is a consummate professional. In my year and half as her student, she has always conducted herself as friendly instructor, nothing more, nothing less. When one dances with another, especially a highly skilled dancer, it can be easy to confuse the movements of dance with other emotions -- eg. love or attraction. After all, this is the art of physical expression we're talking about here. It's unfortunate that some reviewers here have confused certain aspects of proper form with 'flirting.' Prolonged physical dance holds, close eye contact, a happy look (in an upbeat dance such as Cha-Cha or Swing) and rolling hips (everything Latin) could easily be misconstrued to someone who only went to one lesson. The professionalism at Portland Ballroom Dance the highest caliber and there were some lecunae that need to be cleared up regarding the reviews here. Ballroom Dance Portland is THE place to learn Ballroom or Latin dance in Maine. I will dance forever and never go anywhere else. If you are even considering dance, give them a call today! read more

We started lessons with Polina about two months ago, we are having a great time and learning a great deal. She is very accomplished and provides a relaxed yet informative dance environment. I must also compliment the students, all are welcoming. read more

My husband and I have studied dance with Polina for six years. We have learned so much together and find it fun and challenging. We have done demonstrations for charity, our daughter's wedding, and just for fun. Now she is also gradually teaching me to teach others the joy of dancing. Polina is beautiful and a lovely dancer, with a great sense of humor. She is a true professional and a teacher who is excellent with beginners through advanced students. read more

Not only an exceptional dancer, Polina has the rare ability to infuse her teaching with the right balance of encouragement, constructive critique and humor. She can make a new dancer feel comfortable on the floor at a party and push the competitive dancer to the next level. Polina will always challenge you to excel while keeping it fun on the dance floor. read more

I am appalled at the posts maligning Polina. I was raised by a protege of Balanchine and under her tutelage spent 20 years in classical dance. I, therefore, feel competent in stating that Polina is a true professional in every way. I have been studying ballroom dance with Polina for almost 10 years and can unequivocally recommend her. She is a highly skilled professional dancer who is blessed with an innate proficiency to teach her knowledge of ballroom dancing to all ages. read more

I have been taking dance lessons at Ballroom dance portland for a few years. I cannot say enough good things. The teaching is great. The teacher always knows the right thing to help me learn the next steps. It's a fun atmosphere, where even if you are a total beginner you will feel comfortable and have a great time. read more