Three days before our wedding, with a first dance scheduled and zero experience or practice, we hurriedly tried to find a dance instructor willing to accept us as students. Many people gave us attitude - "Really? You should've came to us months ago. It takes months to learn a dance!" Well, f-ing duh. But it's not like we have the time. Luckily, Uttara said she had some availability late at night (10pm) and we can come see her. She was very encouraging and told us anyone can learn a dance even with limited time. Of course, it would be very simple but anyone can learn... And we did in 2 lessons. I have to say that MANY times my feet, hands, and my body just do not coordinate well (that's why I no longer wear 4" heels, folks! Too much bruisin' in the tush!) and, frankly, I didn't care to learn at first. But she was supportive and encouraging and always positive. She taught us a simple dance to do at our wedding and I didn't suck. She is someone that you would go to and walk out wanting to learn more. I felt like I was no longer a lost cause. I have encountered many people who would give you condescending attitude like you're wasting their time. Not Uttara. She never showed it even if she thought it. I would definitely recommend her and if I ever want to learn to dance, I'd go to her! read more

I arrived after a yoga class. Was gojng to attend a Zumba class. Although the place is relatively small, I enjoyed the class & would definitely come back to attend other classes. read more

My wife and I did our wedding choreography with Uttara, and we had such a blast! She took her time to get to know who we were, create a choreography for us, based on our ability, and was extremely patient. She was also very open minded because we are a lesbian couple so she was extremely open minded with the wording that she used, which made for our dance experience to be a lot better. We received a lot of compliments about our wedding dance choreography and I'm actually very happy that I was able to find her. I definitely recommend her for anyone who is trying to include a dance piece because she is very professional, timely, sweet, and patient. read more

Dance With Panache - Wedding - Dance Studios Near Me - Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Uttara Vaidya was my first private ballroom instructor. I was in a dark time in my life, and I timidly requested to work with her on Cha-cha, Salsa, and Rhumba. Shes teaches American smooth style. I moved away so I don't get to see her anymore and I miss her. She taught me exactly how to do the Cuban hips, how to maintain form from the back of the shoulders and how to practice technique at home. I especially liked her Ginger chai when she brought it ti the studio. Also when I was in the hospital, she visited me a couple times bringing fruit the first time and a boombox for the second time to dance and show the hospital staff I dance well when I can actually walk. She has a very professional relationship to dancers, which is what I needed most at that time. I highly recommend Dance with Panache! Im surprised I don't have a picture of the both of us! read more

We really enjoyed our lessons with Uttara! She really made our vision of a very romantic first dance at our wedding come to life. I was so impressed by her teaching- at our first dance we could barely move without stepping on each other's feet. By our last dance, we looked like professionals! We were always impressed by Uttara's positivity and flexibility with regards to working within our budget. We would recommend her to all couples. read more

See all

I've had the fortune of calling Uttara (the instructor) my friend and instructor. I have had 4 private lessons with her where she taught me the fundamentals of all kinds of dancing. A dance sampler if you will. The salsa, bachata, waltz, you name it, and she will teach you. Her teaching style inspires confidence and makes you feel good about dancing. I was also able to see her dance in competition - which was clear indication of how committed she is to dance. Would definitely recommend taking a class with her. read more

Love Uttara, she is working with my girlfriend and I on Latin dancing and we are already seeing the results. Can't wait to get out into the main stream and enjoy the fruits of our labor read more

My fiancé and I signed up to learn a VERY ambitious Tango routine to surprise our wedding guests on our big day. Neither one of us has ever taken dance lessons. Needless to say, Miss Vaidya happily accepted the challenge to teach us. This dance is very complicated so she modified it for our skill level and choreographed a dance just for us with same level of smoldering intensity we want to convey. She is a very patient instructor who is able to quickly recognize your strengths/ weaknesses and adapt them to your lesson. We thoroughly enjoy our classes with Miss Vaidya because she makes it fun and easy to learn so you can't get frustrated. I would highly recommend her to anyone looking to learn how to dance. read more

My wife and I had the best experience ever with our wedding's first dance after we trained with Uttura our lovely dance instructor from Dance with Panache. We both new nothing about dance, but Uttura was very patient with us. She is very skilled both at dancing and at teaching dance to her students while simplifying every move and creating amazing choreography. After the wedding, my wife told me that the best part of the wedding was the first dance. We both enjoyed the classes a lot, they were the best part of preparing for our wedding. read more

She's the best! My fiancé and I wanted something natural, and not too choreographed. She was able to put something together for us in a few classes, and it was exactly what we were looking for. And she makes it so fun! HIRE HER. read more

Every time my boyfriend and I danced together I felt frustrated because I am less experienced. I came to Uttara looking learn bachata, salsa, and merengue basics so he and I could stop bickering over steps and start enjoying dancing together. After only a few lessons, my boyfriend and I finally spent a night dancing together and really feeling the music. Uttara adeptly teaches different personalities and experience levels simultaneously. We both felt comfortable and confident under her instruction. I have continued to take classes weekly with Uttara on my own--my boyfriend joins every so often. Uttara builds technique layer by layer so I never feel overwhelmed, but I always am learning something new that I can practice between lessons. She makes the mechanics of creating the beautiful, elongated lines I see in more experienced dancers accessible. I am so pleased to have found both a new way to enjoy the music I love and a masterful, warmhearted teacher to guide me! read more

My (now) husband and I wanted to take lessons so that when we danced at our wedding, we wouldn't be tripping over each other! We took lessons from Uttara at Dance with Panache and it was the BEST idea! Our guests were blown away (no intentional tripping!) and really enjoyed our performance. Uttara is professional, so so talented, and really fun! Neither of us had taken dance lessons before and she was able to whip us in to shape and make us look good! That's some serious skill! I highly recommend taking lessons here. Uttara is well able to explain the moves, correct us when needed, and to encourage us throughout the experience. She worked with us and gave us so many options. These lessons were vital! read more

The dance instructor, Utarra, is a gem. She's patient, her instructions are excellent, and she works with a written plan customized to you and your needs. She's extremely passionate about what she does and it shows in all her instruction. I couldn't recommend her more highly. read more

Uttara is an experienced professional and has been an amazing teacher and guide for my learning and growth through movement. She's taught me how to move my feet in a way that makes sense, though sometimes, I still mess it up - and that's okay! I went to her with a desire to learn how to salsa and hope to continue to take lessons as time allows. It's a great way for me to take a break from the office and experience presence of mind in a new way. It has really been a breath of fresh air to have a new and exciting challenge. read more

We couldn't be happier with the results and dedication we got. We shopped around and hit a lesson or two from groupon and highly rated Yelp reviewed places, before ultimately sticking with Dance With Panache. Not only was she able to choreograph 3 different styles of dance for our first dance (3 song mashup), but she was certainly within our budget. We loved the fact that she did less chit chat during our lesson and focused on actually learning the quick basics and getting straight to the point of dancing to our song. We know first hand that there are other places out there that have the same 45 min to 1 hour lesson, but so many instructors spend time talking, which to us, was time wasted. When you show up to your lesson, you will always get her full energy and devotion to ensure that you are leaving completely satisfied and having that confidence that it was a great lesson; whether you learned something new or worked on perfecting something specific. I believe we knocked it out of the park for our first dance and this would not have been possible getting an 8 lesson package anywhere else. If you are looking for a one on one type lesson, this is the place for you! Other locations have multiple lessons going on, where you begin to lose focus on what you should be doing or even just listening/hearing your instructor, because the proximity of someone else, or another couple. I dont know how many times we had to reschedule or push back our appointments, due to our upcoming wedding or just being exhausted from work, but it was never an issue. The customer service and care is unbeatable with Dance With Panache. Another great opportunity you will have here is that you can utilize the studio for a minimal charge, whenever it is convenient for you (when you dont have an appointment). I even called around looking for a studio that we could practice in that was closer to home, but the price was 3 times the amount. Thank you so much for everything! You truly helped make our wedding complete with a fun and different first dance!!! Can't wait to learn more! read more

If you want a good teacher/coach, look no further. Uttara Vaidya is an accomplished professional dancer with a true love of dance. She is patient, very encouraging and simply a pleasure to work with. We initially signed up to learn the basics of Salsa and had so much fun that we signed up for another package of 10 lessons. Lessons can be intense and the time flies by... but as we gained more and more "muscle memory" and confidence our dancing skills continue to develop. And Uttara "arranges" social opportunities where her students and she can put the classroom lessons to practical use. (and since she won't sit down, you get to have "bonus" lessons by dancing with her at these events.) Just remember gents.... the lady is always right. read more

I can't say enough about Uttara!! She absolutely amazing. She helped my husband and I put together such a perfect first dance that even he enjoyed himself!! So much so that he continued to dance with me throughout the night! When we had our first lesson he couldn't hear a beat to save his life, when we were done I'd say he was almost better than me...at that dance! She was a joy to work with and made our lessons so much fun! read more

Utarra was my coach. I took the intro class and danced like an injured caribou but Uttara guided me to better form within that first lesson. It was magical in a way. If you have a partner to dance with or hope to wow someone this is definitely the place. The new studio location can throw you off at first but upon entering you're doubts will melt away along with the calories you probably hope on burning. Good luck friends, you surely won't need it with this level of coaching. read more

What a great experience! We started lessons with Uttara about 5 months before our wedding, and it was soooo worth it! With a lesson about every 2 weeks we were able to slowly build skills and muscle memory for our first dance! This also gave us plenty of time to add some extra flare. Uttara was an excellent instructor. She takes time to make sure you understand the steps, always records the end of each session so you have something to review at home and without a doubt takes deep pride in each of her students. We were not only able to surprise our family on our big day, but we now have a memory that will last forever! read more

Uttara is a great teacher with amazing dance skills. She keeps it fun and light most of the time, but can really offer detailed insights that most instructors will glaze over. read more

Uttara is a dream come true! My husband and I met her just a few weeks before our wedding, thinking that it would be impossible to do what we were asking. We wanted to surprise my family during our first dance as husband and wife by breaking out into a salsa routine. Our idea was to start with a traditional slow dance and suddenly change the music for an unexpected twist. My husband had ZERO salsa experience at the time, and I only knew a little, but she quickly turned things around and vastly improved our skills, confidence, and enjoyment of dance in a short amount of time. She gave us a routine that we could work with, breaking it down to make sure we could grasp the simple moves and then adding more complex, unique movements to make it really stand out. She then gave us the idea to include members of our wedding party at the end of our dance, and hosted a special group lesson to make it happen. All of her hard work, dedication, humor, and understanding paid off - our dance was a HIT and my family was SO happy and impressed! We had the dance floor going all night long, I can't tell you how many times our guests and the vendors told us that they have never seen such a lively dance floor at a wedding. I'm so happy with Uttara that I'm planning to continue lessons with her. She really cares about her students, takes time to listen, brings fresh ideas, and celebrates with them as they make progress. She's a wonderful teacher! read more

My fiancée and I were preparing our first dance and found Uttara from our internet search. Uttara offered us a free consultation session on our first visit, and after hearing our stories and thoughts on the wedding, she tailor-made all the dance moves for us. As the sessions went, based on our skill levels, new thoughts, and improvement, Uttara was able to keep adjusting the sessions. Uttara is definitely not a typical "one fits for all" type of dance instructor. She really listens and is interested to your stories, which ultimately got baked into our wedding dance. Uttara doesn't treat learners just as learners, but she pays real attentions to you just like good friend, which made our session smooth and fun. If you are looking for an instructor for wedding dance or other, I strongly recommend Uttara. read more

I dance because I have no choice - I do choose Jonathan Evans as my instructor because he is AWESOME!!!!!!! The reason you want to dance, the style you want to learn and the level of instruction you desire does not matter. Jonathan has it covered! I was a new dancer interested in competing, and Jonathan took me from zero to winning in no time! If you are a seasoned competitor, Jonathan will take you to the next level and beyond. Whether you want to learn to shake it in style in the Latin club, two-step like a star or shine at your wedding, Jonathan has the skill and versatility to give you exactly what YOU want. After two amazing years with Jonathan, I am still blown away by his ability to deliver technical skills and performance training all while you are having a blast! In my opinion, there is no better instructor and Jonathan will always be my first choice! read more

Uterra is a great instructor. We have been able to learn to dance together and have fun. We impressed our friends at a recent wedding.

Uttara is amazing! Me an my fiancé could not dance before we started taking lessons with her and we ended up dancing our first dance and it was beautiful!!! Thank you!!!! We love you! read more

When my husband (then fiancé), David, told me he wanted to take dance classes I was so thrilled and excited to get to work. I had taken dance classes in college to help my roommate who needed a dance partner for her elective dance course. I spent a semester learning how to be the lead, which ultimately created an interesting dynamic whenever David and I would dance together. Uttara was incredible teaching David how to lead and redirecting me to fight my urge to lead! I am a psychotherapist and fully believe that dance classes are a form of couples therapy. We learned how to communicate with more than words and our affection grew more and more with each lesson. We also had so much fun dancing and laughing every session with Uttara. She really is a talented dancer and instructor but most importantly she's an awesome person to get to know. You are absolutely in good hands if you are looking for an instructor for your wedding or just for fun! We plan to go back for Latin dancing after the holidays!! 10/10 highly recommend for any couple looking to spice up their relationship or who are preparing for their very special first dance! read more

Highly recommend taking classes here! Uttara will not disappoint! She is so amazing and patient! We are currently taking wedding dance lessons with her now and love it so much that we want to continue even after the wedding! My fiance and I have two left feet, but even still Uttara has taught us so much and is such a wonderful instructor. You also won't find anyone nicer than her! HIghly recommend taking her classes. read more

Dance with Panache is such a great place to learn. Jonathan and Uttara are great instructors and make you feel very comfortable. Dancing is not one of my strengths but they always encouraged me and made me feel very confident about my dancing. They are extremely talented and passionate about dancing and that is what makes them such good instructors and wonderful individuals. read more

I love dancing with Uttara. She makes it look so easy and she is amazing to watch perform. Although I take my dancing very serious, I find myself laughing and smiling for the entire class. I like the fact that she has a versatile knowledge in dance. I can work with Uttara on Ballroom Dances, Salsa, Argetine Tango or Bollywood. Bollwood is something that was difficult for me, but she showed me a few tricks. She would say things like "Unscrew the light bulb or open the door." Sounds pretty funny and we laughed, but it worked! . Its nice to have someone like Uttara in Chicago and she always brings the best candy to the dance studio. Ask her to show you her jive! read more

Learning to dance with Uttara really is as good as it gets, at least in my experience! I first discovered Uttara through an on-line review of a dance studio she was working at, and the guy leaving the review said that he always felt like he was enjoying music, but never really know how and when to move, so he would just stand "swaying in place." I felt exactly like him! But his praise for Uttara and how she walked him through learning different songs and dance steps in a very organized way really inspired me to take a lesson with her. I think Uttara is really a relaxing presence to be in. I was able to learn at my own pace, and get confident enough to start trying different moves, and increasing speed, and doing all of the things that I was hesitant to do before. She's really made a difference in my confidence when music starts to play, and I recommend to any guy who wants to look good and feel confident on the dance floor to reach out to her soon... read more

Well I am very luck to have met Uttara because I got sweet deal. While at my job she found out that I was a personal trainer and was interested in staying in tip top shape so we traded personal training session and dance lessons. This was fantastic and during that time I learned so much and even did a couple show cases with her. She trains with two different world champions as well of whom also give tips here and there! Expert or a newbie Uttara is your gal! She is funny too. read more