Arthur Murray Dance Studio

This place is a waste of time and money. The trick they use to get you is with their groupon for $ 50 for two private lessons. They give absolutely NO consideration to what you want to learn, but rather shove their agenda and their sales pitches. Be prepared for the instructor to turn around to the clock to see if its time to wrap of lesson every five minutes. Its not really the instructor’s fault, since it seems that the owner/​manger walks by to make sure the lessons do not even run a second over the allocated time.
They have PLENTY of time for sales pitches though — they pull you in after the lesson and talk your ear off about how amazing they are, and how they are going to make you the best dancer in the world, when all you really want to learn is one dance for your wedding or a special occasion. Dont waste your time or money with this place.
Further, be careful about giving them your real phone number or email address, as you will get at least three phone calls and 5 emails EVERYDAY about their «group lesson» that happens every Tuesday and Friday.
I strongly recommend the instructors and the manager get some training on listening to their customers. Every single time we walked in for a lesson, we had to remind the instructor that we were only there to learn our first dance for our wedding, and had to remind him of our song EVERY SINGLE TIME. (I have no idea why they have folder for you if they dont write these things there.) He did not even play our song or choreograph our dance for the our song till the fourth of the five lessons we paid for. Finally, during our fifth lesson, we asked for an «cool way to end our dance» and he said «you will have to buy more lessons for that.» Thanks for wasting our first three lessons, and showing us your «club swing» that we had no interest for, and made it very clear of our intentions!
We got so frustrated that we stopped going to the group lessons we paid for.
In summary — do not waste your time and money at this place. You will NOT get what you paid for. I have no idea how this place is actually in business.

My husband and i never had a real wedding when we first got married two years ago, so when we decided to have one, I panicked and totally freaked out. I don’t know how to slow dance… Never really had to. I was the kid by the punch bowl either spiking the punch or eating snacks, so I never had the chance to slow dance. The school said they would help me and that was when I was introduced to Sulaiman! He is amazing! One thing that really stuck out to me is he is able to give great direction. Slow dancing may be easy for most people but he taught me some awesome moves that made me look amazing when I danced at my reception. I talked to some of the other students at the school and they all thought taking dance classes was going to be hard, too! But it’s not! It’s surprisingly easy and the teachers are all great! Everybody has such a great attitude and is so encouraging. Sulaiman never laughed at me when I stepped on his toes a lot and always kept a smile on his face. Never made me feel like I was doing anything wrong, even when I wasn’t! I would highly suggest going to this particular location and if you can, book with Sulaiman. Everybody seemed cool, but this guys was the best. If you’re looking to find someone to help you look stylish and awesome on your wedding day, this place is it!

This is a great place to learn to dance! The curriculum is structured so you progress naturally and all the dance instructors are very friendly. There are opportunities to dance every day except Sunday, so you can get lots of practice and worthwhile exercise. You see the same people all the time, so it feels like a social club and there are weekly parties on Thursdays and occasional Saturday evenings, Another nice touch is a continental breakfast on Saturdays before group practice so you have an opportunity to get to know the other dancers better.

I have been taking classes here for a month or so. I enjoyed a lot dancing here. I go there alone, but i never worried looking for a partner cause there are always enough students to pair up, or instructors will take terms to dance with me.
The studio is pleasant and spacious, so are the instructors, warm and funny.
One thing I think it is worth to mention is I like there is other instructor watch out for me when i take my private lesson occasionally in aid of more guidance to dance better. So I would say instructors here do care to teach students dance well.

If you want to learn to dance, this is the place to go. Pleasant professional dancers, respectful instructors, and good customer service.
I’m continually impressed with their patience when I struggle to get a move. And they never make me feel uncomfortable trying new things. Encouraging, positive, supportive, instructive, — all the while raising the bar on my dancing. Every instructor I’ve worked with at AM has capitalized on my strengths while helping me try new moves. I learn something every single time I’m there.
I feel more graceful, more flexible, and stronger in the last two years that I’ve taken lessons. Meanwhile, they’ve raised my confidence on the dance floor at the studio and in other social situations.
One of the things I really appreciate is that I can take lessons regularly, and I get to take part in free classes and practices — almost every night of the week if I want. When I take advantage of the free classes and practices, it makes the cost of the lessons really reasonable.
I also really enjoy the quarterly special events they host. It’s always fun to see what others are doing and show off my best moves. And the pro-​shows. Wow! The instructors show us what they’ve got — and it’s always fantastic! Such talent! These special events are an added cost, so, as with any hobby, I have to discipline myself to not spend too much.
Does the company make a buck? Certainly. That’s why they’re in business.
This is a lot more fun that the treadmill!

I wanted to respond to another 2008 review about this studio. My wife and I have danced here for almost two years this Jan 11. We have progressed well with a variety of different instructors. There is some normal turnover among the instructors which is understandable given the long hours and the nature of the work. It is not cheap; about $ 160 per private lesson, but you also get almost all the group lessons and group practice you can fit into your week. You go as often as you want. You do not have to do any of the special events. Yes, they encourage you; just say no thanks. We are doing one soon, and my wife did not buy a new dress. You can also rent. Dancing is a very good couple’s therapy; I recommend it. We enjoy the other couples at our intermediate level. The folks there try very hard to make you feel welcome. And they have encouraged us to advance to the next level, because then we sign up for further lessons. So I do not understand the reference that they would hold you back.

While I have never visited this particular Arthur Murray, I am extremely familiar with the franchise. I have been with an AM studio for almost 4 years, and I travel alot for work, so I’m familiar with several of the other AM studios too.
I would like to point out that all of these activities mentioned in the previous review are completely optional. Yes, they enhance your dancing greatly, so they are of course encouraged. But nobody can make you do a dance-​o-​rama or showcase.
As for going lesson by lesson, that is just silly. How are they supposed to plan a program for you if they don’t know how long you’re going to be there. It’s like taking any other class. The syllabus is planned based on how much time you have in the class. I’m sure if you wanted a different payment option they could have worked something out for you. Every studio I’m familiar with does what they can to make it comfortable for you.
Of course the teachers are going to ask you to enroll in more lessons and participate in other events. That’s what you came to them for, to learn, and they’re trying to help you. Aside from that, it is a business. That’s how businesses work. They sell you things. You either want it, or you don’t.
To other readers: I have honestly never seen someone so upset with an Arthur Murray. Please don’t think this review speaks for us all.

So, you want to learn how to dance? So did I once upon a time. In fact, I went to classes at Arthur Murray for almost 2 years.
I see what you’re saying. You went for two years, and you’re rating them with one star? Why?!?
First off, I have no problem with the quality of the instruction. All of the instructors are excellent dancers, and are very good at instructing you on proper technique and steps.
My major problems were with the constant barrage of sales pitches, and with the methods of advancement.
If you go, be prepared to bring your wallet, and watch out for long term contracts (They never offered me a package where I could pay by the lesson). The 11 lesson introductory package for $ 1100 wasn’t bad… however it flew by. After that came the $ 11 000 package for the first year. Then came the $ 16 000 package for the second year. I could put up with that if it’s all that there was to pay for. However 4x a year there are showcases and festivals which run about $ 1000 each. Costumes (dresses, tuxes, dance shoes, etc) also add up in a hurry. Add in the special arthur murray «dance o ramas» at about $ 4000 for the entry fee, and about another $ 2 – 3000 in fees for the dances you enter into… you can see how it all adds up. I’m not really complaining about the cost. I put up with it because I enjoyed doing it. However… when you pay a premium price… you expect to be treated with a bit of respect. After 2 years, It was becoming painfully obvious that I wasn’t. I was really feeling like they only saw a wallet instead of a student.
You’re not allowed to learn new dance steps until you check out of whatever «level» you’re in. Not a big deal, right?.work hard and get checked out! Well, when your instructor holds you back from testing out… it is a big deal. One can only work on technique for so long before it eats at your brain. New steps help keep things interesting. However, my instructor wanted me to compete at a lower level in the «dance o rama», therefore… I didn’t get to test out, despite assurances that I was ready. I wouldn’t have signed up for the dance o rama had I known that I’d be held back from advancing… and therefore being unable to take group classes with all of the people I had made friends with along the way.
On to the sales pitches. They’re neverending! You think a used car lot is bad? These guys put them to shame. Also, with as many items that you have to pay for (see the list above)…you can see how often you get hit with them. Their routine is to pull you into a closed room with either the studio owner, or the assistant manager… and occasionally your instructor to «tag team» you. It’s hideously uncomfortable, and almost to the point of being sleazy. Also, If you decide to leave… good luck getting any of your money back. (I walked away from about $ 8000 worth of unused lessons and a $ 1000 dance o rama deposit which I don’t plan on ever seeing again … I requested it… their response was «come in and we’ll talk about it». Sorry… no more sales pitches for me.)
The studio did have it’s pluses. I met some great people. It was a great hobby to help keep my time occupied. It helped keep me in shape, and improved my posture and flexibility. The studio is also quite spacious. However, it all certainly left a bad taste in my mouth. I’m hesitant to try any other studios for a while, so I have nothing to compare it to… but if you’re looking to learn some basics of dancing, I’d consider trying another place first. This place seems geared toward older people who have large nesteggs that they’re trying to spend.