Reviews of Duet Dance Studio (Dance School)

Noah Rosenblatt

Duet Dance Studio is amazing. I literally cannot stress enough how great they were and how flexible. My wife (now) and I were planning our first dance for our wedding and both lived in Chicago at the time. We went to Duet 2x a week and met with Virginia. Now only was she incredibly talented and professional, but also a genuine joy to be around. The studio was never packed so we had plenty of space to move around the floor! However, what puts Duet above and beyond is the fact that when I moved to San Francisco they worked across the country with my finance in Chicago and myself in SF to coordinate a routine. They coordinated with instructors at a desperate studio I was working with in California and vice versa. This is a testament to their flexibility and willingness to help out their students!

Courtney Gansho

Our experience with Duet Dance was absolutely amazing ! Our instructor Virginia was a pleasure to work with. She is extremely talented and professional. She individuated an entire wedding dance for us with 3 different songs and styles of dance in about a month’s time. It was truly amazing. Duet Dance also hosts a lot of fun events where you learn a lot and enjoy yourself mingling with others. We HIGHLY recommend this studio to anyone wanting to further their dancing abilities :)

Michele Park

If you're looking for something different for celebrating your birthday, I would suggest dance lessons at Duet Dance Studio! I got a group of my friends together to do a private salsa class and Szewai was awesome! For the space rental, they have everything you need (aside from the food and beverages), but love that it was BYOB. The space is large enough for a group of 10-20 and intimate enough for a private class. Szewai was also our instructor and she was very easy to follow and really helped my beginner friends. She also threw in some harder moves for the more advanced dancers, so it was a great experience for all. She also was very accommodating especially since we started late (friends arrived late) and let us stay a little longer to make the most of lesson. I would definitely come back here for private and group lessons!

Jennifer Kastenholz

We worked with Kathryn at Duet Dance Studio leading up to our wedding and had a fantastic experience! We had very modest goals for our dance lessons - we just didn't want to "sway" through our first dance. After just five sessions, we were fox trotting and swinging through the whole song with confidence and big smiles! Kathryn made every lesson a fun experience for us and we will be going back for a date night once everything settles down post wedding! Thank you Duet!

Amy Rumbarger

My sister bought us pre-wedding dance classes as a gift, knowing I was nervous about the prospect of our first dance in front of all of our guests. We went in as complete novices not knowing what to expect, just hoping we'd be able to feel a little more confident and at ease on the dance floor. Kathryn helped us learn a basic dance to our song that looked natural and comfortable for us. After just a handful of classes, we weren't expert dancers by any means, but we felt totally confident walking onto the dance floor at our wedding and actually looked like we knew what we were doing. Kathryn was an absolute delight to work with, and after being trepidatious about our first class, we had a blast and looked forward to coming to class every time. Beyond preparing for our wedding, it was a fun date night activity for us to get us out of our comfort zone. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Duet & Kathryn to any other couple nervous about their wedding dance, or just looking for something fun to do together to switch up the routine!

Chris Watland

I've been taking ballroom and Latin dance lessons with Szewai for two years and highly recommend her studio, Duet Dance Studio. Initially, I decided to work with Szewai because I was able to get authentic instruction from someone who committed her life to this discipline. I like that the instruction was personalized in an environment that felt non-commercial. I like that my only responsibility is to show up with open mind ready to learn and that Szewai has a structured program ready that builds on the previous class. I also sense that she puts in extra time planning choreography outside of class to learn in our lesson so we don't waste time. Szewai also organizes BYOB parties which are a good time and give an opportunity to practice what you learn.

Eric Davis

Had a great time for Valentine's Day. Great place for a date night.

NiJaal Mottley

Just went to one of the beginners lessons that occur on Fridays. It was fun! Our instructor, Megan, was great! Seemed really knowledgeable and supportive. I'm thinking that I might get private lessons at some point in the near future.

Mike Shumate

Szewai helped us put together a perfect, specifically tailored first dance for our wedding. She's an incredible teacher (and very very patient). Money and time very well spent!

Nick DePetris

I’m going to put this out there before the review - I did not want to take dance lessons. My (now) wife insisted that we get at least one, and after reading some reviews of Duet Dance Studio we decided to do their introductory lesson. I could not have been more wrong, and we ended up getting 10 additional lessons. Working with Brennen was awesome, and he transformed our dance from the usual boring rocking back and forth in place with a spin or two thrown in into an incredible mashup of foxtrot and swing. More than just learning a scripted dance though, he taught us how to dance, so rather than having anything defined ahead of time we did the entire thing on the fly at the wedding. The best compliment of all - our guests thought it was choreographed ahead of time. Taking dance lessons turned out to be a great idea, and I can’t imagine having done them anywhere else. Brennen and the rest of the gang at Duet contributed an incredible part of our magical day.

Michael Schifferli

We studied with Duet for four months prior to our wedding. The DJ at our wedding said that in his 30 years of DJ-ing, that he had never heard a couple use our song for their First Dance. We studied with Szewai, who put together a simple routine for this unique piece that eventually wowed our guests. We blew their minds, or so they said :-) Szewai was very patient during our early lessons and very accommodating throughout our work with her. We will continue our lessons with Duet well into the future as we look to broaden our variety of styles and moves! We recommend Duet to anyone getting ready for wedding or simply looking for a fun date night!

Caroline Brander

Ashton was wonderful! Neither my husband or I are anything close to dancers, but we had an absolute blast learning our first dance. It was one of our favorite parts of planning.

Victoria Blair

My now husband and I went to Duet Dance Studio to learn our first dance and it was the best decision ever! Our instructor, Meghan was beyond amazing! She was patient with us and taught us the steps and dance in such a way that it was easy to learn and fun! My husband was hesitant at first to go to the lessons, but he's even open to continuing to learn dance because of how much fun we had at each class and how awesome Meghan was. If you're looking for help learning a first dance or just learning how to properly dance - then I can't recommend Duet Dance studio enough. They are really the best - everyone is so nice and supportive, it feels like a family every time you walk in the door.

Christopher Kapolas

DDS was amazing. Had me looking like the love child of Fred Astaire and Channing Tatum. Would highly recommend to any guys wanting to polish up for their big day.

Brian Ciaccio

Love this place! Reasonable prices and a variety of styles to choose from. Our instructor was patient with my two left feet. The private lesson was just the right amount of time. Definitely recommend this to anyone who is looking to try a new style of dance or hone their dancing skills.

Bob Huguelet

I've taken the Beginner Salsa class as well as a private group class with Szewai. Both were super fun, Szewai is a great host and teacher!! I would highly recommend for a date night or as a unique BYOB event with your friends.

J Zamora

My wife, April, and I had a blast learning our first dance with Szewai, Mariel and Brennan. We had 2 months to prepare and went to Duet weekly to get our dance routine down. We had so much fun with everyone and laughed a lot. It was a great experience and we will be coming back to learn more!

Eugene Feygin

I have taken two group classes here - tango and salsa and both times it was a lot of fun. The teacher is very patient with everyone and starts out very simple. Great spot to take someone on a date or learn a few new moves to impress your friends.

Sean Cochran 630-330-2229 For Hire

Shot a 50th birthday party here. Nice people. Taught the guests how to dance. Everyone had fun.

Jeff Deans

My wife and I took lessons here prior to our wedding. The team is fantastic. We highly recommend Duet Dance Studio to anyone looking to learn any kind of dance! We worked with Ashton and she was a great instructor that worked us through a variety of different dance styles. She made the classes fun and easy to learn a variety of different moves.

Saba Jamalian

Duet Dance Studio is in one word; Perfect! My wife and I have gone to the studio for a few fun nights and we also booked a few private dance sessions for our wedding dance with Hanna. Hanna was professional, kind, and amazing. She worked perfectly with our demands and made us both feel comfortable dancing. She helped me gain enough confidence and at a same time enjoy my dance. I absolutely recommend Hanna and Duet Dance Studio!

Jess Tuckwood

We subscribed to Duet Dance Studio's online dance program for beginners with only three weeks to go until our wedding day - within that time, we were taught all the components for a basic dance via a series of quick, easy-to-follow videos that highlighted each step and how they all fit together to make a rewarding performance. We practiced, practiced, practiced and if our wedding guests are to be believed, that practice paid off! We nailed our first dance to Garbage's "The World Is Not Enough" and we have Duet Dance Studio to thank!

Tina Ho

Words cannot express how impactful Kathryn's patience, encouragement, and expertise was to our first dance! We are so grateful for her and hope to have another opportunity to work together again on another dance! I will never forget the confidence she helped instill in us before our big day. Thank you Kathryn!

Danielle Reading

Amazing experience and Ashton helped up lead the way to a great first dance on our wedding day which we are so thankful for! Thanks Duet Dance Studio for making us feel comfortable on the dance floor for our big day!

Dana Askin

Duet Dance Studio was one of the best parts of our wedding! My husband and I are not great dances at all, but somehow Hanna made us look so good, we didn't even know it was possible! Hanna was so patient with us, never gave up, and was so comfortable to be around. Our guests could not stop raving about how amazing our dance was and we owe it all to Hanna! Unfortunately, my husband and I moved out of state, but if we hadn't, we would be taking lessons from Hanna all the time just because of how much fun it is! All of the dancers/teachers there are so amazing and supportive and made their studio so fun and lively to be in! Best experience ever!

Sara Brabec

Duet is the best. My husband and I signed up for 10 wedding dance lessons and ended up taking 20 because Grace (and all of the Duet staff, really) was beyond wonderful. Our lessons were a high point of each week. Grace's humor, clear instruction, and patience (in droves!) made each session enjoyable and stress-free. Grace planned out a great routine for our first song, helped us learn the basic steps that we'd need to get there, and then got us to bring it all together. We also enjoyed being able to practice our dance in front of a crowd at one of Duet's seasonal parties. Taking dance lessons ended up being one of our favorite parts of wedding preparation. We not only learned how to dance foxtrot and swing; dancing helped us become better communicators in both verbal and physical senses. To that end, the dance lessons proved to be an investment in our relationship, not just some additional expense of wedding planning. We would both take the classes again (and do more!) in a heartbeat. We moved away from Chicago right after our wedding and saying goodbye to Duet was especially bittersweet. We hope our trips back to visit family overlap with some of Duet's great Friday night dance classes! Duet is a great place. The instructors are WONDERFUL, both as teachers and as human beings. And learning to dance is a gift that goes far beyond looking good on your wedding night.

Eric Kerns

Duet is Cool Beans

Amanda Kapolas

Me and my husband took a few classes with Ashton at DDS leading up to our wedding. They FAR exceeded our expectations! The lessons were completely personalized to our level of experience, and Ashton provided the perfect amount of guidance while also letting us choose the ~style~ we wanted for our first dance. They had our first dance song all queued up when we came in, and the ambiance and vibe of the studio wasn't intimidating at all which was really important for us as we learned our steps :) On top of the quality it was reasonably priced too! Highly recommend checking them out.

Jessica Atassi

I really love this place. My partner and I took a few classes here with Szewai in 2014, and when we got engaged in 2017 we knew we wanted to go back to work with her on our first dance. Szewai creates a very personalized and thoughtful experience in her private lesson instruction, so you know no matter what you will improve, reach whatever goals you might have for dancing, and you will have also have a lot of fun -- Szewai is absolutely delightful to be around. Going to Duet in the months leading up to our wedding was a great way for my fiancé and I to connect and I'm so glad we invested in these very affordable classes. Thanks Szewai, we'll be back!

Caroline Emanuel

It was such a pleasure to work with and get to know the duet dance team while my husband and I took lessons for our big day! The team always greeted us with a warm welcome and we always left with lingering smiles and a few laughs to share on the way home. Every lesson was thought out and organized so we could learn new moves while mastering customized choreography at the same time. When we danced at our wedding, we knew what to expect and flowed easily through the 4 minute song without faltering; a true testament to the patience and training of the dance duet team! Our wedding guests complimented us on the dance and we even inspired a couple, getting married in a month, to take lessons prior their big day! We owe it all the Duet Dance team and hope to return for additional lessons just for fun in the future!

Daniel Scholl

When we decided to get dance lessons to make our first dance at our wedding look nice, I figured it was just something I'd have to go through to get it over with. However, after working with Szewai for a couple months once every other week or so, I got really into it. My wife and I were by no means good dancers, and probably were slow learners. Thanks to Szewai's patience and great teaching skills we ended up with a really nice looking first dance. The dance itself ended up meaning a lot more to me than I thought it would so I'm really glad we went through the trouble to practice so much and really get it down. I'm especially glad that we chose Duet as the place to do it because of how awesome Szewai is! One of the crucial things Duet offered which helped us get comfortable with the dance was a chance to practice it in front of a large group at one of their dance parties. We were super nervous but ended up doing okay. Once it came time to do it at our wedding we were totally confident and comfortable. To top it all off, Szewai has clearly taken a personal interest in us and really wanted to know how it all went even though all of our paid lessons were over. We can tell that teaching dance is truly her passion!

Erin Baker

We were researching studios for our first dance and thankfully found Duets. It’s in a great location and usually there was one other couple practicing at the same time. Our instructor Grace was absolutely incredible. My wife explained to her that she has two left feet and dancing does not come naturally. The first dance was more nerve racking to her than getting married. I on the other hand will dance all night long. We are complete opposites when it comes to dancing and we both were nervous about how this would end up. Grace was patient and step-by-step taught us to dance as a couple. We both thoroughly enjoyed each lesson and my wife found that she in fact does have a left and right foot! The night of our wedding we were confident and really enjoyed our dance!

Cassandra Mruk

My husband (then fiancé) and I were both on the fence about taking dance lessons in preparation for our wedding. I was definitely more in favor than he. Our wedding was not very formal and it’s not our style to do a highly rehearsed/choreographed dance. After doing some browsing online we stumbled upon Duet, were pleased with the pricing we saw online and requested a consultation. We met with Grace and after a brief “getting to know you” questionnaire we explained that we wanted to look like we knew what we were doing but not look too "overly choreographed" or formal. Grace had already listened to our song and knew exactly what types of dance she thought would work with the music. We started right away with the foundation of form and leading/following. Grace made us feel totally comfortable stepping all over each other that first day and we really enjoyed the free session. We both felt totally excited to learn more and decided to scheduled a weekly lesson time. By the time our wedding day rolled around we had had a total of 11 1-hour session with Grace. We finished up feeling comfortable dancing together and confident in our "routine". Grace taught us foundation dance moves (for both the fox trot and swing) and provided us a "sequence" of steps to help move us through our selected song. There were several sections of the dance that were "freestyle" - this was perfect for us and exactly what we wanted! The atmosphere at Duet is perfect for beginners. The studio is unimposing and the staff is so friendly and fun. There was never any pressure on us to be better than we were - we admittedly did not practice more than once a week on our own. I would highly recommend duet for anyone who's intimidated by the idea of dance lessons. There were several times when another couple or single person were taking lessons at the same time as us, so we saw how advanced some of the students are. But as I mentioned there was absolutely no pressure on us - Grace wanted us to get what we wanted, an informal yet polished first dance!

Mick Bockstruck

Can't say enough great things about Duet (especially Brennen)! My wife (fiancé at the time) took classes to prepare for our first wedding dance together. We chose Duet because of the great reviews as well as close location. We only took classes for 2 months, which made us nervous as it really isn't enough time. But Brennen took us under his wing and turned a couple amateurs into a couple who looked like they had been practicing for years. Based on the rhythm of our chosen song, he picked a blend of styles (swing, foxtrot) that worked very well. He was a great teacher and very personable, along with the rest of the instructors at Duet. The new location has a lot more space as well. We look forward to signing up for more classes in the near future!

Konstantin Taletskiy

Thank you for helpful dance lessons and amazing parties!

S Egizio

My boyfriend planned a night out with our family and friends to Duet Dance and it was the best surprise ever. We had a terrific time! The instructor was so sweet and made us feel like we didn't really have two left feet. I would do it again in a heartbeat. It was a great time!

chris jane

Last Spring/Summer Jane and I went to Duet Dance Studio to learn how to dance for our wedding. (We didn't want to settle for the sway) Within a few minutes of meeting Grace, Brennen and Szewai we knew Duet Dance was the place for us. They have amazing energy, great personalities, and are passionate about teaching people how to dance. We found them easy to work with in scheduling our lessons, choosing music and choreographing a dance to fit. All in all we ended up taking 11 or so lessons. In addition I had so much fun preparing to perform the routine with my wife that I ended up scheduling another lesson with my mother for the Mother/Son dance. Szewai was able to create another routine for us using the music my mother chose. Total Pros at Duet. We will be back for more. If you are thinking about taking lessons to dance, as they say, "Take your first step" and go to Duet Dance.

Sarah Rosen

My husband and I went to Duet Dance Studio to prepare for our wedding dance. We purchased a 10 class package and were paired with Virginia as our instructor. To say we were happy with our experience would be an understatement. We've never danced before, and Virginia made us feel like everything she taught us was obtainable. She broke things down, went at the perfect pace for us and built up our confidence throughout the way. Duet was laid back, allowing us to sip on wine and have fun, all while practicing for our big day. We loved our experience with Duet and know that our wedding dance wouldn't have been a success without Virginia.

Preston Jones

Preparing for a wedding can be a long process full of ups and downs, with periods of stress and periods of anxious anticipation, and if you are the man in the relationship, it's usually much less to worry about than the bride to be. However, as a man, there is the prospect of prepping for that first dance in front of hundreds of people at your reception. Most first dances at weddings are fairly bland and forgetful, as the bride and groom come together and simply cradle each other for 5 minutes while the guests pretend to be entertained. But if you actually want to entertain the the people who took time out of their lives and traveled to see you get married, and leave them impressed and grateful they attended, then I highly suggest getting trained on a few simple dance concepts and learning how to dance to a memorable song. It will leave a major impression, and add to the entire experience. Duet Dance Studio is the place to learn. Kathryn was our instructor and she was amazing. The first few lessons she made a considerable effort to get to know us as a couple, to make us feel comfortable and develop rapport. She was always incredibly kind and easy to work with. We started small, and slowly built on each skill week after week, with Kathryn taking the utmost care and patience in our ability to understand the steps. She was deliberate in making sure we were comfortable with each segment. Slowly but surely, I gained confidence on the dance floor, and I'm not a dancer by any means. It was from 0 experience and confidence that Kathryn had to work with me. And by the end of our lessons, we were actually excited to go out and perform what we had worked hard to learn. It's extremely rewarding to learn a new skill with your partner and then deliver it on your wedding night. If you want to kick-off your wedding celebration and do something special for your guests, go to Duet Dance Studio and learn something you can take with you the rest of your life. And for any guy out there, it will instantly earn you points with your partner anytime you return for a date post-wedding. Duet Dance helped me gain confidence in something I had little interest in, and by the end of it, I can honestly say I look forward to learning new dances to use when I take my wife on vacation or out on the town. I give my highest recommendation.

Carlos Lopez

We first met Szewai and Katherine at Duet Dance Studio, while we were looking to hire a salsa dance teacher for a birthday event. They cordially invited us to stay and watch one of their dance lessons, and we knew immediately we had come to the right place. Szewai was very accommodating to our needs and we quickly signed a contract for Katherine to come to our birthday party location and give a memorable 1 ½ hour salsa dance lesson to all our guests. We had a blast! Katherine is extremely kind, gracious and contagious. Not one single person remained sitting. They all jumped onto the floor -old and young- and we had a lot of fun dancing. We strongly recommend Duet Dance Studio for any type of event or just for you to learn how to dance or improve your dance skills. And we particularly recommend Katherine as THE BEST salsa dance teacher and the nicest person! Carlos L. and Angela Ch.