Dance With Me SoHo

My wife brought me here. Had a blast. All of the staff are passionate and professional. So nice! I highly recommend coming here.

Veni, vidi, saltaverunt. ‘I came, I saw, I danced.’ If dance is a language, I was an immigrant from a far away planet, speaking an unrecognizable language, in drastic need of an interpreter and ESOL lessons. I received everything I needed and more from the incredible people at DanceWithMeSoHo. This ‘immigrant’ had a long journey to even arrive at DWM SoHo, much less dance in any recognizable form.
Two health issues over the past five years resulted in a transformation from an active individual to one fifty pounds overweight with such low energy that a year ago, I couldn’t walk up a flight of steps in my home, or lift my arms to shampoo my hair without becoming dizzy and needing to rest. The health issues were finally addressed and stamina improved a bit, but trying to dig oneself out of such a poor physical state was impossible to do on my own. An external motivator was needed. Over the past nine months, I’d abandoned my usual political and economic reading and looking for a distraction, ended up watching past Dancing With the Stars youtube videos. I was especially taken with the physical transformation of actress Kirstie Alley during her first season on the show, partnered w/​DWM co-​founder, Maksim Chmerkovskiy. At the start of her season, she would collapse on the floor ‘in a puddle of sweat, exhausted,’ and ended up not only physically transformed, but dancing quite well. Hey, she was me! Maybe there was hope, after all! Watching DWTS this past season with the most amazing partnership of Maks and Olympic Gold Medalist Ice Dance champion, Meryl Davis, completely sucked me in and provided the final impetus to get off my keister and get moving.
In the same way total immersion can be a boon for learning a language, I knew I needed to have a period of time with dance as my sole focus to jump start a moribund metabolism. The grand plan began by traveling from my home outside Washington, DC, to NYC. First up, was seeing both SWAY productions, danced entirely with DWM professionals and headlined by Maks, Tony, and Val, DWM partners and featuring Zendaya. Review is here:
SWAY set the mood and I and my adult daughter were ready to begin on Monday. Our Instructor Steve is incredibly competent, highly patient, and with an abundant sense of humor– a perfect fit for our needs. The goals were simple: get moving, have fun, learn something new… and not collapse in a puddle of sweat on the floor. Along the way, both I and my daughter discovered we have a genuine passion for dance. It is the absolute best way to get into and remain in shape. I still have a long way to go, but made a better start than I imagined.
DanceWithMeSoHo was selected for several reasons: ambiance, caliber of instruction, and ‘vibe’ of the staff. The studio is beautiful, the owners put the effort into creating a visually appealing space which sets the mood for all. All of the instructors are highly skilled dancers, with a superb ability to teach students at all levels. From pre-​embryonic beginners, like me to a fellow who is one of the best amateur dancers in the US. The vibe? We were greeted and treated like old friends from the very start by everyone at DWMSoHo. In particular, Manager/​Instructors Kosta and Leanne were so welcoming, we were immediately put at ease. All of the instructors we met were warm and made us feel happy to be there. Whatever ones motivation for taking dance lessons, it must be fun. If not, it simply is a chore, a burden and one people will avoid. Instead, this student eagerly looked forward to each days lesson. Even more remarkable was my adult daughters statement after day two: ‘I’m having fun and I really like dancing!‘
Learning in an immersion setting meant we were exposed to basics of many dances and were able to retain what we learned from day to day. This was a plus, because we identified which dances we preferred and which were best for us. Rumba, Salsa, Cha Cha, Tango, Foxtrot, Waltz, Swing, Hustle were among the basics we covered, providing a solid foundation for our growth. Additionally, I’ve more energy now than at the start of the week. The metabolic jump-​start plan clearly is working. Seeing results in such a short period of time is a real motivator. If I can do it, anyone can.
One last point: DWM clearly understands the social aspect of dance and hosts periodic events, such as the lovely evening this past Friday. It was a delightful way to cap off our week of lessons. We enjoyed chatting with other students, instructors and our instructors in an informal, relaxed setting with good food, drinks, and music.
The absolute worst part of the week was that it ended. We’ll seek out a studio in our area to continue to improve our skills, but plan on another ‘road trip’ to DanceWithMeSoHo. Not yet fluent in the ‘language’ of dance, I can communicate the basics and am motivated toward greater proficiency. DWMSoHo, is THE go-​to resource. Just do it.

I guess I’m one of the few that is not happy with DWM SoHo. It was just not a good experience for us in the end. My fiancé and I bought the voucher from Groupon to try it out in hopes of learning a new dance for our wedding in November. We thought the first lesson went well since we were very clear with our teacher (Jen) about what we wanted, learned some new but basic moves, and felt good afterwards. Then we were cornered and felt pressured to purchase a 15 lesson wedding package that costs over $ 1600 by Jen and the manager (can’t remember her name). After asking repeatedly to see smaller packages they explained the 10 and 5 lesson packages to us but they obviously try to SELL BIG first. The excuse about us having so much time before the wedding was mentioned a lot. This was not at all what we intended to buy at our first visit so we only agreed to buy 1 more and would decide on more later. Although disappointed, they seemed gracious enough that we’d be back and promised we would have the same instructor.
A week later, hours before our second (paid in full) «Private» lesson, I received a voicemail from the receptionist saying that Jen would not be able to see us but they would have one of their other instructors see us instead. Although skeptical, I trusted there was a good enough reason and still showed up for our lesson. Mia was our new instructor and although she was tough and had a very strong personality I was mostly disappointed to learn that even she didn’t know why we weren’t with Jen again and even asked her since she was there. Mia also talked to us for the first 10 minutes of our lesson time about what we wanted to learn and suggested alternatives… basically gave us the good, bad, and ugly. It was like wasted intro time all over again.
When Mia saw what we had learned so far she was surprised since it wasn’t what we actually wanted to learn and claimed she was told to teach us the basics. All in all I felt like just a number that was not a high enough $ for them to really care. I feel like we got the run around so we could spend more money. All of the parties and group sessions in the packages shouldn’t be required either. The so called «Private» lessons are actually in a shared ballroom, with shared music so it’s never really just you and your instructor to the right music. I’m a HUGE fan of DWTS so I wanted to go to this school and show support to some of my favorite ballroom dancers in the process. Maksim and Val are not being represented well in my opinion.

A dance studio that is worth remembering and returning to.
I found them on Unilocal; lucky for me. I wanted to try them out with a short waltz lesson. All of the staff I met were passionate and professional. Pamela went out of her way to arrange the perfect appointment for my lesson with my first date; Leanne was quick to accommodate me when something went wrong and finally my instructor; Steve – was engaging, personable, pushed me and helped me feel like I really learned something by the end of the lesson.
The physical studio:
Great wood floors, large mirrors, chandeliers; it really captures a feeling.
I don’t post many reviews but will and would continually recommend this place to anyone interested in taking lessons.

I love this place! Started coming here as a ballroom beginner, but had some dance experience in the past. Students here range from all levels of dance ability here and the teachers can definitely accommodate everyone.
I’ve only had three different teachers but all of them are great (love Justin and Steve, miss you Jesus!) and the reception staff and mangers are super friendly and welcoming.
They are very structured here, which I like. First you do a free intro lesson to see if you like it, what your level is, and what your goals are. Then your teacher creates a plan for you and discusses it with you to make sure it’s what you want to do. I like that you can pick and choose which dances you would like to focus on, so you’re not stuck doing a dance you hate.
You buy packages of 45 minute long private lessons (they also work with couples) and they come with group lessons and parties. You have days when you are reviewed (which is a tiny bit nerve racking, but not bad and it’s over quickly). You get more constructive critiques and you can see how much you’ve improved.
Would give this place 5 stars if it was not sooo expensive, but overall this is a beautiful facility with high quality teachers! Come here if you want to really learn the right technique that will make you a great dancer, but also have a lot of fun!

Incredible staff – friendly, funny, patient, and knowledgeable. I first came here for a Unilocal event then came back for a free dance lesson with my fiancé. They definitely tried to talk us into buying a package to learn a dance for our wedding, but my man’s not about that life. It was fun none the less, and this would no doubt be a dope (clean, spacious, comfy, just the right touch of elegance) place to spend a few hours a week learning to dance like a pro.

I love dancing and i went for a free lesson.
It’s a wonderful experience and if i had the money i would go full time. While it may seem expensive at first, they actually give you a whole lot of dancing time. Their private sessions are 45 minutes long and you MUST be there on time because they have to schedule you with other people and they run a pretty tight ship. Which is great!
They also have group sessions — where you learn how to dance with different people and learn how to adapt, as well as «parties» where for a while they’ll have a «go and dance» party. Where you can show off your skills and dance.
It all seems REALLY awesome and I REALLY want to go — when i have time and money.

What fun! I was lucky enough to initially be introduced to this studio via an Elite event by Unilocal.We were then offered a free private lesson to sample a class. I had my salsa lesson with Steve. I can honestly say that the lesson was fantastic. It definitely re-​awakened my love of salsa and pushed me beyond what I thought I could do with my limited knowledge of the dance. Steve was patient, fun, and so easy to dance with. He took his time with evaluating my strengths and weaknesses and was an amazing lead. The staff is friendly and fun, it’s clear that they are truly passionate about what they do. My summer has been a bit hectic and the commute into the city for classes can be daunting, but I definitely feel it’s well worth it and will be back. Thanks again to the DWMS Staff! Can’t wait to get back.

My lovely wife and I had the opportunity to try a group salsa class at Dance with me SoHo. The instructors were excellent. In 40 minutes, we learned the basic steps, and some simple stylings we could do with our hands and arms, to make us feel like «real» salsa dancers.
It was a crowded class, and the instructors did a great job of making sure to give us all a chance to be in the front of the room near them. We rotated a lot, and it kept us engaged, focused, and on our toes (pun intended)
We had the chance to meet a few of the instructors one on one, and they were very welcoming, and took the time to get to know us, and what we were looking to get out of the class. They were true professionals from top to bottom.
As was mentioned in prior reviews… Men…you MUST show up to a group dance class. This is one of the few places where you will have the ratio working in your favor. They rotate partners, so you get a chance to meet lots of people. It is always a bit uncomfortable at first, but everyone is in the same boat, so guys if you’re looking to meet some women who love to dance, this is definitely a great place!
My wife and I will definitely return to try some of their private instruction, at which time I will update my review.

I twisted my boyfriend’s arm to come with me to Dance With Me SoHo. I think he is glad I did! But I didn’t twist too hard since he’ll need his arm to dance with me.
We had a large group lesson in Salsa. A fun time to be had by all! I always wanted to learn Salsa. Well, tick it off my bucket list!
I think my boyfriend is happy I convinced him to go because the ratio works in his favor. The women out number the men by A LOT! SO if you are a single dude looking for a dudette… I suggest you take some dance lessons at Dance With Me SoHo, ASAP!!!
I was more than happy to lend my boyfriend out. I think he was happy about it too! ahha. The ladies can borrow him to dance but I’ll take him home, thank you very much! HA!
Serious, guys out there… single ladies taking dance lessons all the time. Even my boyfriend noticed how great it would be for a single guy at a dance studio. You would think there would be a ton of single guys who would show up for the beautiful ladies taking dance lessons! Guys, seriously, think about it, take lessons at Dance With Me SoHo! TONS of beautiful ladies to dance with! TOUCH dancing!!!

Dance With Me is a beautiful but pretty small space for a dance studio. I took a four-​week lesson here at a nice discount because of the Groupon I bought. Loved Bryan, the instructor, he was both a very good teacher and a lot of fun. However, since I didn’t pick salsa, the class was super small. This would be good except for the studio’s policy that if there aren’t enough students, they can cancel the class. Also, I didn’t like that they didn’t have separate studios for the different classes that are happening simultaneously. Just a screen separated our class from the ballroom class which was a little distracting.
Overall, thought the experience here was pretty good, but have been to studios I like better.

My bf and I are taking a group salsa lesson and just went to my first one this past week. I love it so far! It’s a lot of fun, all the instructors are very knowledgeable and it was a great time!
In my opinion, the only down side is because there are so many more women than men in the class, if you come with your bf/​husband/​significant other, don’t expect to dance with him at all. They line up the women and the precious commodity that is a man into 2 different rows, and the women rotate around, alternating between dancing with a partner and not.
So, I would really suggest all the single men out there to check out the group classes because the odds are in your favor! (Who can really resist a man who can dance?) But, if you come into thinking you’re taking a class with your bf, don’t expect to dance with him at all!