I'm a regular at the Ardmore Music Hall and sometimes leave a concert at 11:30 or 12, walk out of the venue and hear energetic music pumping from down the street. I followed it one night wondering what was going on this late at night and was lead to the Pivot Ballroom. The windows were open, lights flashing, and energy flowing, I went upstairs to check it out and was shocked at how many people were up there dancing away. I was greeted by an enthusiastic and sweet girl, Paola, who explains she runs the Latin Dance Party first and third Friday each month at the Ballroom, she is with Controla Dance Academy. Salsa, Mambo, Bachata, and more! The party goes from 10-1:30, but things start at 8 with dance lessons. 15$ cover before 9, 20$ after. BYOB and BYOF, they do have water and snacks available for free. I usually grab a pizza from Ardmore Pizza and bring it up to share. DJ spinning tunes and loads of people dressed to kill, it's a fun time and well worth checking out! While you are there grab an event calendar, they have lots of dance functions every month. read more

Pivot Ballroom on the Main Line - Latin dance night 1st and 3rd friday each month. - Performing Arts Near Me - Ardmore, Pennsylvania

John is an INCREDIBLE dance teacher. My fiancée and I wanted to choreograph our first dance together and we both had zero experience dancing. Six lessons with John and we had 3 dips, a lift, and a 2.5 minute first dance set perfectly to the music. He will not only teach you how to dance but he'll put any nerves you have at ease within the first minute. Cannot recommend Pivot Ballroom and John enough. read more

We worked with Marissa at Pivot Dance Studio for our first dance, and she was amazing from start to finish! From our very first lesson, she was so friendly, welcoming, and easy to work with. Even though we could only fit in four lessons, she was super flexible with scheduling and made sure we felt ready for our big day. We wanted a routine that gave the groom a moment to shine, and Marissa totally nailed it. She even came up with three different lift options and taught us all of them so we could choose what felt most comfortable. We quickly learned that dancing a choreographed routine together is harder than it looks, but Marissa was so patient and encouraging every step of the way. She also sent us detailed notes after each session, which helped us practice at home. Thanks to her, our first dance turned out even better than we imagined. Highly recommend Marissa and Pivot Dance Studio to any couple who wants to feel confident and have fun on the dance floor! read more

John helped my husband and I finalize our first dance song. We came to John with very little time left, and about half of a dance practiced. He was SO accommodating, kind, and just simply fun to work with. We were able to get in 3 sessions which was enough to make the dance so much better and finished. I went into the request a bit nervous for the experience and came out with a beautiful first dance and a desire to come back and keep dancing! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!! This guy knows his stuff and is amazing. Thank you John! read more

My daughter got married at Merion Cricket Club in June and John was intrumental in making the Big Day a huge success. One of my friends suggested seeking out John as he and his daughter had received dance lessons from John before their wedding. We went to see John twice - once a month or so before the wedding and the second time a few days before the wedding. John is the consummate professional treating us with so much respect and energy even though we were complete neophytes when it came to formal dancing. All three of us attended (my daughter, my future son-in-law and me) and the experience not only calmed our nerves at the prospect of dancing in front of a room of people but inspired a lot of confidence and happiness in us on the actual day. I cannot recommend John highly enough - his enthusiasm, his professionalism, his thoughfulness and his imagination are all worth their weight in gold. As my son-in-law said on more than one occasion: "I have never enjoyed something more than I thought that I was completely terrified by!" If I could give John ten stars, I would! * * * * * * * * * * read more

Pivot Ballroom on the Main Line - Performing Arts Near Me - Ardmore, Pennsylvania

My biggest fear during wedding planning wasn't the vows or the guest list--it was the first dance. Sure, I could have gotten away with a minute and a half of the awkward 8th-grade shuffle, but there were two problems: 1. My (now) wife did ballroom dancing throughout college. 2. I am a very competitive man. So, if we were going to have a first dance (which was non-negotiable), it had to be epic. We tried a few intro lessons at other dance studios, but most focused on flashy moves for the bride while the groom just stood there like a prop. Then we found John Larson at Pivot Ballroom, and everything changed. From the beginning, John was committed to teaching both of us how to truly dance together. Before working with John, my only experience with coordinated movement was drill and ceremony in US Army basic training--15 years ago. I had always told myself that I didn't dance, didn't know how to dance, and didn't care to learn. But through John's guidance, I didn't just learn dance steps--I learned how to move in sync with a partner, to lead and trust, to connect. The closest comparison I could make was clearing rooms with my fireteam: fully trusting and fully trusted. Dancing scratched an itch that had been there for so long, I didn't even realize it was still there. John's patience and encouragement made every step easy to follow - even for an old army grunt like me. He took a real interest in us--not just as students, but as people. He even stopped by the venue the day before our wedding to check in while we were setting up. After 8 lessons (which we both looked forward to), my wife and I performed a first dance that genuinely stole the show. And for the first time in my life, I had the confidence to hit the dance floor on my own throughout the night. It's been two days since the wedding, and I've already lost count of how many people have asked about our dance and where I learned to move like that. The answer is simple: John Larson. His wisdom, patience, and skill made our first dance a moment we'll never forget. read more

Incredibly responsive and friendly business and owner. Once we made our first wedding dance lesson appointment, Marissa really took our first song and ran with it, and we could not have been happier. We had so much fun every time we came, and Marissa was just a pumped as we were. She coached us through everything of course, but also always had a backup plan if something wasn't gelling well. She made us a spreadsheet to help us practice at home and she recorded us at the end of each lesson. She really spoke our language in terms of how our brains absorbed and remembered the information. By the time our big day came, we NAILED it and the crowd went wild. read more

A few months ago, my partner (now husband!) and I reached out to John at Pivot Ballroom to inquire about lessons for our first dance, after a bad experience at a different studio (that wanted to overcharge us and force us to take 25+ lessons for our 90-second dance). John was so graceful and friendly from the very beginning, and as soon as we met and had our trial lesson, we knew he would be the perfect instructor for us. After seeing us dance, he suggested we needed between 4-7 lessons and was so flexible and fun to work with. Within a few classes, my partner and I had learned SO much -- not just specific steps to our dance, but about how to dance well together in general, which will serve us forever. Whenever my partner and I grew frustrated because we couldn't get a step just right, John knew exactly how to make us laugh and get us back on track -- he was patient, kind and hilarious -- class with him was the highlight of our week! Finally, our first dance was a HIT at the wedding! We received so many compliments and we will be returning to take salsa lessons with John in a few weeks. We can't think of a better way to start married life and make sure we are dancing together for years to come! read more

Vlad helped us execute a perfect wedding dance - working with us to craft a dance from scratch based on our first dance song and then helping us execute it! He also taught us the basics of ballroom dancing which we really enjoyed! read more

Amazing! Never thought I'd take dance lessons nor say that they were amazing, but wow! We took 5 lessons before our wedding and it was an absolute hit at our reception. Marissa was patient, kind, and thorough - creating a dance that was able to be learned, but also one with some show factor to it. Do not hesitate to book with Pivot, one of the best decisions of our wedding! read more

We highly recommend Pivot Ballroom. Once we decided we were going to do a first dance at our wedding, we knew we needed lessons. John was an incredible instructor -- supportive while infusing laughter and humor to keep it fun. In fact, as stressful as planning a wedding can be, we both agreed these lessons were a much needed break in the weeks leading up to the big day. We started out thinking we would learn some basic steps and walked out five sessions later with even more. Plus I added a lesson with my dad for our father daughter dance--another fantastic experience that allowed is to have a plan rather than wing it. Our family and friends loved it (even surprised many of them), and we are certainly glad we made the decision to go here. We are thankful for John and Pivot Ballroom! read more

My husband and I took dance lessons for our wedding. After a few lessons we made some great improvements and incorporated spins and dips! By the last class we were comfortable with all the dance moves John taught us! We would highly recommend taking lessons here! read more

John was a wonderful instructor. He was super responsive when scheduling sessions for our first dance wedding prep. During our lessons, John consistently psyched us up as we learned the dance, and was super patient with us when we struggled on a particular step. During the wedding, my bustle unfortunately snapped before the first dance, so we were unable to perform the first dance at the wedding. However, we were able to perform it at our afterparty and it was such a hit! read more

John was amazing! We took dance lessons for our first dance for our wedding. As first time dancers we walked in with no background in ballroom dancing. He was so patient and fun to work with. This became such a fun Monday date night taking the lessons that we looked forward to it each week. We learned the foxtrot and some swing and John came up with the perfect routine for our song. One of our favorite wedding night shots was my husband dipping me in the ballroom and this would not have been possible without John! We would definitely take lessons from him again! Highly recommend Pivot Dance! read more

John was amazing! Super fun to work with.

We completed five dance lessons at Pivot Ballroom with Monika prior to our wedding. The studio was quick to respond to our request for lessons and scheduled a time that fit both our busy schedules. My wife and I had a blast working with Monika. Each lesson was fun and engaging. She is very knowledgable about multiple styles of dance and was able to tailor the choreography to our skill level. On the wedding day our first dance was a better received than we could have hoped. We had so much fun through this process that we decided to continue our dance instruction with Monika. If you are a couple considering a choreographed first wedding dance, we give Monika and Pivot Ballroom our highest recommendation. read more

Pivot Ballroom on the Main Line - Performing Arts Near Me - Ardmore, Pennsylvania

4.5 stars overall: 5 stars for their instruction, 4 stars for their social dances and facility. For both International and American style ballroom/latin dances, MLB gets 5 stars ---- it is one of the best places to learn proper technique, west of Philadelphia. I recommend them to everyone who wants to improve their dancing. In my opinion, Lana Rossi and Andrei Padlivakhin are excellent teachers for everything from ballroom/smooth to latin/rhythm. Ilya is excellent for International standard, and Nika's spirit is great for beginners. Their high quality, high standards and ability to teach are clear to see by watching their many accomplished students. It's one of the few studios that have strong intermediate-level group classes. Even though class material is somewhat choreographed, Lana in particular teaches enough partnering technique to make it useful for social dancing. However, despite a clean, bright, newly finished studio and nice bathrooms, I can only give 4 stars for the facility itself because it has 2 posts on the slightly narrow dance floor, making it difficult for ballroom dances. For beginners and latin/rhythm dancers, this won't matter; you'll consider it 5 stars once you figure out the local parking. I give 5 stars for the quality of dancers and music at their dance parties, but only 4 stars for their attendance. Their pre-social dance lesson is usually excellent. Food and beverages are on the light side. There are no "mixer" dances to force people to mingle or give singles a chance to dance with someone new. read more

I had a wonderful experience with Marissa and John taking dance lessons for both my first dance and father/daughter dance at my wedding. I highly recommend this studio! read more

I came to Pivot to learn a father-daughter dance for my daughter's wedding. Marissa was fantastic. An amazing experience. She choreographed a beautiful dance and kept me focused and. engaged throughout. The wedding was lovely and our dance was everything we had hoped for. read more

Marissa and Pivot Ballroom made choreographing our first dance so much fun! For two people who did not dance at all to be able to confidently take the dance floor at our wedding was truly impressive. She pushed us outside our comfort zones (in the best way), kept us laughing, and took away so much stress and nervousness. Dance class with Marissa was honestly one of the most fun parts of preparing for our wedding and helped us grow even more as a couple. We even got to do a practice run for the parent dances with her. Being prepared for the dances took away a lot of nerves that day and allowed us to just relax. Marissa and Pivot were AWESOME! read more

I recently took lessons with my dad for our father-daughter dance at my wedding and we had the BEST experience at Pivot Ballroom with our instructor John. I am not someone with dance experience but John was so enthusiastic and encouraging that I felt like a professional dancer at the end of every lesson! John was exceptionally patient and accommodating - my dad was dealing with some medical problems at the time and John not only choreographed our dance perfectly to accommodate this, he even offered to dance with me at my wedding if needed. I can't imagine there is a better and kinder teacher out there. read more

This is a newly renovated building and a great studio with brilliant natural light. I believe they do everything from one on one to salsa classes. I am writing this to help them out. So many businesses aren't aware of how useful Yelp is. And it's in the heart of Ardmore! Cruise over to Tired Hands for a beer after a dance! read more

Pivot Ballroom on the Main Line - Performing Arts Near Me - Ardmore, Pennsylvania

Professional dance instructors and coaches, newly remodeled hardwood floor, friendly environment! Main Line Ballroom studio welcomes students of any level with various goals: competitive, social, or goals to prepare for a specific occasion dance, such as a wedding dance or a formation dance. read more

If you are on the fence about getting dance lessons for your wedding, please take this review as a sign. Sign up for lessons at Pivot Ballroom! John is professional, light-hearted, fun, and cares about making your dance special. I was a procrastinator and emailed John about a month before the wedding, and he was so accommodating to be sure that my husband and I were ready for our first dance. I would not consider myself an experienced dancer at all and the same goes for my husband, but John made us both feel so comfortable and confident. On the day of our wedding, we rocked our first dance. That was all because of John!!!!I would highly recommend!! read more

I went one time. The staff was unfriendly. Since I was late, they told me that lateness was not permitted, I felt that they were annoyed. Though they appear very talented, it is an uncomfortable place. I even saw one instructor yelling at a student. Thank God I hadn't paid yet. I will never return! Tom F. read more

John was absolutely amazing! We had the best first dance ever thanks to him! My MOH gave us lessons with John as an engagement gift and it was the best gift we've gotten. He was always accommodating with lesson times, took the time to teach us together and individually as we were complete beginners, and let us know (honestly) how many lessons we would need to be complete so it didn't feel like a rip off. I can't say enough good things about our experience. We're looking to take more lessons with him in the future . read more

Aideen really listened to what type of dance we wanted for our wedding and was very helpful in teaching us techniques and moves that would fit that vibe. She was always patient, pleasant, and encouraging. We enjoyed working with her and would recommend to any couple, especially beginners! Thanks Aideen!! read more

We used Main Line Ballroom Dance Studio for our wedding dance lessons. John was a pleasure to work with and worked around our schedules. He helped us learn our first dance. We enjoyed all of our lessons and we did a great job dancing at our wedding. The dance lessons were a fun date for us! I highly recommend dance lessons for your first dance and to use main line ballroom dance. read more

My now wife and I had 10 lessons here over the course of a month for our wedding last weekend. Our instructor was Nica. We had done some ballroom before but were nervous because we really wanted to do something special, not just the typical swaying back and forth. Nica was great at choreographing a routine with us that was both challenging and reasonable for our first dance. It was a big hit at our wedding with people cheering like we were in a sports arena. I highly recommend this place if you want the unconventional first dance. read more

Not good for beginners for two reasons. Not enough beginner classes. And beginners don't get to dance to any music at all. Why? Because there are always intermediate and advanced classes being taught in the same room at the same time. So the more senior instructors have control of the music. The rare times that Nika tried to put on a song for us it only lasted literally several seconds until they turned it off. read more

Main Line Ballroom is an excellent place to learn modern ballroom dance, for beginners to very advanced dancers, singles or couples. The instructors are among the best in the U.S., even world class. They are very hard working professionals who use their life-long training to bring their students to the next level. I have taken lessons there since it opened, both group lessons and private lessons. There is a friendly and supportive social atmosphere that makes learning fun, and that I look forward to coming to each week. I especially want to acknowledge Lana Rossi for her excellent instruction. I've taken lessons from Lana for three years and she has helped me progress from a beginner to a confident dancer. Social dances are actually enjoyable now, rather than something to fear, and I've also been able to experience the excitement of pro-am dance competition. Lana has encouraged and supported me throughout the whole process. She has a true gift for coaching that comes from her wisdom and experience, technical expertise, passion, creativity, and intensity. She has the ability to assess and work with the capabilities of her students to bring out their best. It's been a privilege to dance with her, and I would recommend to anyone thinking about dance instruction to take the opportunity to learn from best right here on the Main Line. read more