Had my first salsa dancing class here and it was great! The instructor was really friendly and…read morepatient with first-timers like myself. There were other beginners in a class of about 10 so that immediately made it less intimidating. Classes are $20 each and they have an unlimited option for between $100 & $115 per month. The salsa taught here is not ballroom, it's for salsa club dancing and it's taught on 2, as opposed to 1 for those who are familiar with dance terminology. There are beginner classes on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at 7 and 12 pm on Saturdays. I am told that one night they even go to a salsa club to test out moves. Overall it was a very warm and inviting experience. After teaching you the steps on your own they even conduct part of the class paired up which makes things interesting. If you're looking to learn how to dance salsa for fun or a different way to get some exercise and are in or close to the New Haven area, I would highly recommend checking out Rumberos.

Rumberos is a small studio on State St. that specializes in teaching salsa and tango. This is a…read moregreat place to learn 'On 2' salsa. I finally know what that means! The instructors are a lot of fun; they creatively teach the subtle technicalities that make a big difference. I've witnessed beginners transform to great salsa dancers from coming here. After classes, the best way to improve is to get out on the dance floor! The salsa scene in New Haven is great with a diverse crowd, not to mention friendly and smiling faces. Here's the schedule: Wed-Wicked Wolf Thurs-Pulse Lounge Fri-Pacifico Sun-Geronimos It would be great if Rumberos taught more styles of dance, like hip hop or bhangra. They may offer belly dancing as well, but I have not tried that yet! Salsa is so fun you may get hooked. Watch out for the paparazzi! :P

We would HIGHLY RECOMMEND Lights Camera Djs and can't express enough our sincere gratitude for the…read moreincredible role they played in making our Wedding so unforgettable!!!! Music has a way of bringing people together, and throughout our wedding day, DJ Arias created an atmosphere filled with love, joy, energy, and celebration. From the ceremony to the last song of the night, every moment felt seamless and perfectly timed. He helped tell the story of our day through music, and we will always be grateful for that. One of the things we will remember most is looking around the room and seeing our family and friends smiling, laughing, dancing, and creating memories together. The dance floor was busy, the energy was amazing, and it was everything we had hoped for when we imagined celebrating our marriage. After so much anticipation leading up to our wedding, being able to spend the evening completely present and enjoying every moment was such a gift. Their professionalism, organization, and attention to detail gave us confidence that everything was in good hands, allowing us to focus on what mattered most--each other and the people we love. From the photobooth team which was such a highlight, to the amazing photographer team Jenn and Amanda, and our amazing videographer Jeff we felt so loved, supported and cared for! They worked together amazingly and made everything fantastic. We felt so comfortable with them and it truly made a difference to make us feel so calm on our Wedding day! The uplighting and go go monogram looked so beautiful!!! Cannot thank this company enough for helping turn one of the most important days of our lives into a celebration we will never forget. The memories created on that dance floor will stay with us forever!!

Lights Camera DJ came through for us at the eleventh hour after we realized we were being scammed…read moreby another DJ we hired. Duane was super accommodating and spent extra time with me on the phone to plan things out. Steve was the DJ we got and he did a phenomenal job for our son's bar mitzvah. He kept the kids engaged and having fun the entire time. I received many messages from parents thanking us for how much fun their kids had. We received perfect service from the beginning to end and I would recommend LCD to anyone planning an event!

CDC is a warm, caring and inclusive atmosphere with amazing teachers, kids and parents. It's our…read morehome away from home and I'm so thankful we there

We love being a part of the CDC community! I couldn't recommend a better place to be. My daughter…read morehas enjoyed ballet, tap and hip hop classes and we look forward to growing with them!

Attended a wedding for our friends Edwin and Stephanie here last Friday. The ceremony took place…read moreoutdoors and was promptly followed up with the reception and happy hour which was within short walking distance at the same location. There is a bar area next to the reception area. The staff was extremely friendly and accommodating. The balcony was a perfect spot for pictures, overlooking the grounds. The location was spacious enough for accommodating the dance floor and guests comfortably (guest list was approximately 50-60). Dinner service was prompt and overall, everyone had a fantastic night celebrating the newlyweds.

*Full disclosure-I visited (twice) for a potential wedding venue only*…read more We met PJ at the Hartford Bridal Expo and he was awesome! He gave us so much info and wasn't rushing us away to talk to the other hundreds of people that were there. We told him we were looking for the Thursday before Good Friday, so most guests would already have a long weekend AND we could take advantage of the great Thursday off-peak pricing we've been seeing. PJ was so excited to hear this and started explaining all of the details of the fabulous Thursday packages they were offering at Birchwoods! This package included a cake, a photo booth, a DJ, AND A PHOTOGRAPHER, all for a reasonable price per person!!! After hearing this, we looked at pictures and immediately made an appointment to go visit the venue the following weekend. I was so impressed with the venue! The decorations are gorgeous, from the second you open the front door to the hallway to the bridal suite to the room you'd have your reception in, which happened to be set up for a wedding that was happening that evening. We also met Trish during our first visit, and she was also friendly and explaining any and everything we had questions or comments about. She was pointing out all of the decorations that are theirs, which are available for you to use for your big day to save money! PJ had told us at the expo that you can use whatever they have, from centerpieces, to table numbers to card boxes to the Mr. and Mrs. signs for the sweetheart table, all things available to you that you have to provide at many venues. Now, while we ultimately didn't choose this venue because we found another place where we could have our ceremony outside, rain or shine, Birchwoods ABSOLUTELY had my favorite bridal suite! This was the only one I saw with big gorgeous windows, which would've been great for pics while getting ready, as well as for natural light to come in while getting hair and makeup done! There was also a grooms suite in the basement, which most places don't have! So, they definitely had some great features that not many places had, and it's a place you should check out if you're looking for a venue with a lot of great features, and a reasonable price! Omg, I forgot to mention something else I loved! The ladies room! Bizarre, right? But this is the only place I saw that didn't have those tiny little stalls where you practically have to straddle the toilet for the door to swing in so you can close and lock it. I swear, between the ladies room and bridal suite I was a huge fan! Those were two things they had that beat the others, hands down!

At about this time of year, as many of the female contingent of our family who live in the North…read moreEast as possible get together for a weekend in Connecticut. Sometimes we go to New York City and other times we find something to do closer to our home base (the lovely town of Ridgefield). If you've ever participated in one of those paint and sip parties and figure that this is the same-old thing, you'd be mistaken. The similarities are not hard to miss. (1) You bring in your favorite snacks and beverages (particularly the adult beverages that we all love, WINE!), (2) you will paint stuff, (3) there is expert assistance to help you paint stuff, and (4) it's an estrogen-rich environment (think girl's night out). Usually, for the paint parties, you have to paint what the instructor decides to paint. In my experience, it's a forced affair--sometimes stressful and rushed to get the group out and make way for the next--with the end product landing squarely on the floor of my closet until I pitch it. The plank painting experience lets you know that this is different, because when you sign up, THEY LET YOU DECIDE what you want to paint! When you arrive, the project is professionally laid out for you, with your name on it. The individual guidance doesn't end there. There were about 20 people there, working on projects, and 3 staff members, but I never felt neglected. There were announcements that fit everyone through the event, but a lot of the instructions were one-on-one. Suggestions were made and a plan was agreed with each individual. The staff even adapted the projects on-the-fly to make it an optimal outcome, making some of the art very personal. Ample time was given to each person and help was given without stress. The one thing (among many) that I appreciated was that we were allotted several hours and then ended up taking more. The staff was gracious and patient and never uttered a word that we took too much time. They made it WONDERFUL fun and I know that we'll be back in the future!

My first experience with this craft. I loved the way it came out. The owner was pretty patient, but…read moreI guess she has to be it's a learning experience. I went with some friends, we had a good time. I guess maybe my reading prior reviews made me a little on edge, the ones that said the owner was not very nice in so many words. I was a little guarded because of that. She was ok, not warm and fuzzy but well then that's just her personality. I figure you're not there to make friends, just a painted plank! Which I was very happy with. I'd go back again and still do recommend. Maybe the more you go, the better the connection? I'm going back to find out!

Craig was both our DJ and our officiant. He met with us twice before the wedding to ensure we had…read morethe perfect ceremony. I knew exactly what I wanted and he was more than willing to oblige, as well as offer examples of ceremonies he had done previously. For music, we had our major songs picked out, but left the rest of the evening up to Craig. Our friends STILL talk about how awesome the music was, more than five years later. We got married in a barn and the dance floor had to be replaced after our wedding from our guests dancing and jumping on it ALL night. The dance floor was literally packed during the entire reception. I can't say enough about Craig. I would work with him again in a heart beat!

Craig and his assistant Stacy DJ'd and officiated our recent wedding and honestly they were…read morefreaking amazing. Craig was great in the run up to the wedding - he answered our questions, helped us work on both a playlist and a ceremony script, and communicated with our coordinator to make sure everything ran smoothly the day of. We are so glad we had Craig do the music and officiating for our ceremony. Stacy played all our music on cue and Craig was a great officiant. He let us have complete control over everything we wanted to do and say, respected the vibe we said we wanted, and of course most importantly sent in our marriage license as soon as he was able. We also got SO many compliments on his DJing from all our guests. He played the songs we asked for while also being able to read the room and know what songs would or wouldn't go over well. We had people dancing from the second the floor opened till we closed it down at midnight. Shoutout to Stacy as well who went above and beyond to help a family member with shuttle information when she totally didn't have to. All around a wonderful experience and I wish I could host another party to use them again!

We had my daughter's birthday party here and it was so fun !! The staff was friendly and…read moreaccommodating. The kids had a blast!

The kids had a blast (and so did the parents)!! DJ was awesome and handled the kids expertly.read more

It's amazing they deserve more and there are a good community and they doing great I really…read morerecommend to set up a wedding or a 15 or even anniversary.

Picturesque site rustled near Quinnipiac University that in addition to weddings & corporate…read moreevents, has an excellent Mother's Day brunch, along with some of the most professional service & wait staff in the business. The owners are also going to be opening another site in Milford in the near future. To Rosa Ponte & the management team, this place is five star awesome. I had my wedding reception here in 2009 and recommend Cascade highly!!!