Reviews of Society Hill Dance Academy (Dance School)

Nicole Zulli

My now husband and I took private lessons with Michelle in preparation for our wedding dance. I could not recommend her and this studio enough. She took us from 0 experience to doing an awesome foxtrot on our wedding day. We had so much fun learning something new together and made so many memories. We also had the chance to work with Ro, Derek, and Katie, who are all so talented and wonderful. We didn't have a chance to do the parties/group classes, but it is so great that they are included and such an added bonus. We definitely want to come back for a few group classes! I miss it already.

Sue Marie

The studio is dirty and smells like a cat's litter box. For the amount of money they are asking for lessons the least they can do is offer a clean environment to learn in.

Russ Hickman

Such a great venue for a wedding! I photographed a wedding here this past fall and I fell in love!

Sarah Vater

Catherine is a wonderful instructor - we had so much fun learning different dances and practicing our personalized wedding dance with her. Beautiful, large studio too!

Frederic Augonnet

Dance lessons: My wife and I took a few dance lessons from SHDA a couple months before our wedding and the result was great. The combination of private lessons with complimentary group lessons and the Friday night dance parties with other patrons and instructors was a great way to perfect our dance and get to learn new dances in addition to meeting cool people. Wedding Venue: We also had our wedding at SDHA for the reception and we could not have asked for a better place. The location is very convenient for the guests, the caterer (Infinity Caterers) was outstanding and the venue itself is ideal for a wedding under 120 people. We had about 90 people and it was perfect. The existing decorations and paintings added a nice twist to the venue that is hard to recreate in your average wedding venue. Shana was very easy to work with and we had no complaint whatsoever about any aspect of the venue. Definitely recommended for couples who want to have a fun wedding filled with dancing!

sjucrewguy

Ten years ago I made one of the most consequential and best decisions of my adult life: I decided to walk through the doors of the Society Hill Dance Academy. Why I actually stayed though? I could talk about how I’m naturally competitive and want to be the best at something. I could mention what the confidence feels like to walk into a room and absolutely know that you can get any woman (or man for that matter) to dance 75% of the dances you know within a minute. I could say it is great for networking and keeping the mind active. I could point out that unlike other dance studios I’ve been to in the past there is a genuine desire among the instructors at the studio that students learn, and how never once have I ever been made to just feel like a walking dollar sign. There is the fitness aspect to it, the fun aspect to it, but most importantly there is the family aspect to it. “The people” are why I stayed at SHDA. My “dance family” is just as real and important to me as my flesh and blood family. It has grown over the years and although people come and go and sometimes we are separated by great distances, every person I’ve met and have known and interacted with for a long period of time is important to me. Whether those people have changed jobs, changed life circumstances, have moved across the city, moved to the suburbs, moved to different states, or moved to different countries....they are all my family and though I don’t see them all like I used to, they are never far from my mind. I look at my life now and it is almost as though I was a whole different person then. So much has changed in 10 years. I’ve said goodbye to the house I grew up in and live in my own house now. I’ve had different jobs since then, different cars since then, different ways of thinking about the world since then. I’ve experienced incredible and devastating personal loss since then and great and monumental personal gain in that time too. I’ve made countless people I consider friends. I’ve gone to countless places and had experiences that I never would have had otherwise. I’ve been in plays....hell I’ve been in musicals for crying out loud! I’ve been to countless weddings, countless societal dance occasions, countless venues. I’ve been asked to warm up the dance floor for company Xmas parties for which I don’t even work, have been asked to be a bouncer once, have been invited to black tie fundraisers for free, and have performed on stage more times than I can remember......all because of dance. Would I have quite a bit more money had I decided not to dance all those years ago? Most definitely. Would I be poorer in literally every other observable aspect of my life had I decided not to dance all those years ago? Absolutely, utterly, and without a doubt. I tell new dancers that when I first started dancing all those years ago I looked at people that have been dancing as long as I have and thought “Damn....I have a lot to learn!” Now, 10 years later and I look at the instructors and when they dance I go “Damn....I have a lot to learn!” It never stops. There is always something to learn, something to improve upon, something to change. To all those friends I’ve made at the studio, to all the instructors, to all the friends of the studio, the neighborhood friends, to everyone that I have met these past 10 years and have graciously and generously allowed me to include them in my life I say this: from the bottom of my heart, thank you. Thank you for being you and for contributing to making my life worth living. Here’s to the next 10 years with this wonderful group of people, this amazing business, and this truly fun endeavor known as dance!

Scott Gillenwater

I couldn't recommend Cat enough. She had the tough task of dealing with me and my lack of skills. She was patient with me and made me laugh the entire time. I recently went to a wedding and rocked it thanks to her!

Ellen Wentzel

Great place to learn a dance! Thank you, Elvis, for your patience with me.

Rob Bernberg

Simply the best.

Megan Dorris

The SHDA helped my husband and I prepare for our first dance for our wedding. We had a great time working with them and the dance turned out wonderfully. They have great instructors and a very nice facility.

Monica Booker

Had a great time at the Valentine's Day Tango lessons T-A-N-G-O; the couple's rate was inexpensive

Sheru Hoffman

A lovely place to learn and socialize. The instructors are excellent, the group classes fun. Warm and caring staff.

Nick Mezza

Meanie is awesome

E. Zachary Ramsey

Had a private party / dance lesson at SHDA and found the overall experience to be nothing but the best - Shana was not only knowledgeable, but very friendly, accommodating, fun, and (most importantly for our group of mainly people with two left-feet) patient. Would highly recommend!

Andrew McNown

My wife and I signed up for the Social Ease program to prepare for our first dance at our wedding. We couldn't have been happier with Meghan. She was the absolute best in every way. We got on the dance floor with confidence and poise. We absolutely loved every class we took and became close with Meghan. We will be returning for more in the future. I cannot speak highly enough of SHDA or Meghan.

Grant Hartman

My experience with Society Hill Dance Academy was nothing but spectacular. The teachers are amazing and knowledgeable. Shana choreographed a magical waltz for my wife and I that we performed at our wedding. We'll certainly cherish the memory forever.

Lou Marrocco

Shanna and all of the instructors are great! I highly recommend anyone to give this a try and experience the what dance will do for you.

Richard Barnesco

More than just a talented bunch of dancers - but great personalities , friendly and easy to work with !

Samuel Heidorn

Went in for tap lessons, got hooked and now take several different dances! Always a warm and welcoming place to learn salsa, tango, foxtrot waltz and others.

Darren Bolton

Two months before our wedding, my then fiancé Jessica and I went to the Society Hill Dance Academy to choreograph our first dance to Michael Jackson's "Rock With You." Neither of us had ever taken a dance lesson. Upon arriving, we were introduced to Ro, who promptly moved us into a private room. We discussed what we had in mind for our dance, so he listened to our song, and informed us that we would be doing a dance known as "the hustle," which is a common style of partner dance. After a good first class in which Ro began to show us the movements involved in the hustle, we signed up for a series of 8 lessons, with the final lesson being 4 days from our big day. Partner dance requires learning a new skill, and in order to get comfortable with it, that necessitated a great deal of practice. Our lessons were spent rehearsing and repeating our moves, and Ro would add something new each lesson to keep moving us forward. We were always assigned homework, which was to practice our moves at home to our song. Believe me, if you are reading this review for purposes of choreographing your first wedding dance, or any other reason for that matter, you will need to practice. If you have never partner danced, you will be a fish out of water and will require constant, perhaps even daily practice in order to legitimately feel all of the moves and know you can execute without having to think too much about them, especially during an emotionally charged day with an audience. Ro hammered us about practicing, and like any good teacher he could tell if we had been putting in the appropriate amount of practice between lessons. Practicing your dance is not as easy as it sounds, because when you are planning a wedding, you have a lot going on, and you will probably need to be disciplined enough to schedule time to do it. After our ceremony, Jessica and I were able to spend a few moments in the bridal suite practicing one last time, especially some of the tricky movements that we hoped to incorporate into our routine, and the opening/closing sequences that Ro created for us. We rehearsed our dance up to within 30 minutes of actually performing it. I can say with certainty that those final rehearsals made all the difference for our confidence in our ability to perform the dance with a large audience and a sea of distractions. At any rate, we went out there and pretty much killed it. Everyone was very impressed, and it was apparent to all in attendance that an amount of work went into the finished product. Aside from having a great knowledge of dance, Ro was simply a good teacher. I myself am a golf instructor, and I know that the effective teachers teach people more than they teach golf. Ro had this approach to dance, as he built a relationship with us, and held us accountable to work on and perfect what he was teaching us. He was invested in our success, and truly wanted us to perform well. I personally had the sense that if we did not do a good job with our dance, we would not just be letting each other down, but Ro as well. I was very impressed by his instruction, professionalism, and how well our dance came out as a result. We were even given the opportunity to do a dry run of our completed dance before a small crowd in the studio in order to mentally prepare to have eyes on us. Looking back, I feel that the experience was good for us as a couple. We had to work on this dance together starting from absolutely zero until we had a finished product that we were ready to put on display in front of 200 people. Learning dance can also do a lot of good in forcing would-be dancers out of their comfort zones, and to develop a self-deprecating sense of humor. We did not just learn a dance- we grew as a couple as well, and managed to have a lot of fun doing it, too.

Liz Lutz

Shana and her staff KNOW their stuff! This is such a great place.

Marissa Weber

My now husband and I used SHDA to learn some moves for our First Dance. Neither one of us are the best dancers, and did not know what to expect. We worked with Rhiannon, who was awesome. She is so sweet and patient, and makes lessons fun! My husband was NOT expecting to enjoy himself, be we were laughing and having a great time during every lesson. She is really a great dancer and teacher, making this whole experience such a positive one. Our schedules were crazy and SDHA was super flexible with times. We learned our dance and nailed it on the day of our wedding. We still have some classes left in our package, and can't wait to go back and learn something new! Thanks Rhiannon!!!

Meghan Gerry

It changed my life in more ways than I could ever describe. Truly a home for all. I love Society Home Dance Academy!

Bonni Rubin-Sugarman

Loved the lessons and the instructors. Enjoy dancing in a variety of places and events. Thank you Society Hill Dance Academy!

bruno monteros

Very elegant place with a beautiful floor, dancing there I feel rewarded.

Claire Seroskie

Took several dancing lessons here. Very lovely place and great teachers.

MICHAEL LASKOWSKI

The Dance studio is a great place that has taught me so much! I would recommend this studio to anyone, because the teachers are excellent and understanding of your skill level and will teach you the many beautiful dances they offer, which will make you feel as if you have been dancing for years. It has a friendly, exciting atmosphere that is second to none! They were able to bring a person who had no dance skills and nervous about learning these dances and created a passionate person who loves to learn this new skill and I can finally consider myself, something I never thought possible a dancer!

Tour by EveryMerchant

First time dancing. Katie was very gentle. :) Patient and informative instructor.

Jeff Seder

Honestly, it was a wonderful experience again and again.

Sarah Frankel

Cat was an amazing teacher. We had so much fun in our lessons with her and she made us look so good for our wedding - plus now we have some excellent dance skills for any situation!

Lauren Hartman

My husband and I took dance classes before our wedding and had so much fun! We learned a waltz and danced to "I Can't Help Falling In Love With You". It was so beautiful and our guests were totally impressed! Shana was so much fun! The entire staff was extremely nice and passionate about their work! I would definitely recommend SHDA to anyone wanted to learn to dance or just enjoy a fun date night!

Adam Puff

Such a fun place! Bring a date or your spouse and just have a freaking great time!

Zach Stein

My wife and I took lessons with Cat. We had a great time at SHDA. She took us from complete novices to people who can actually dance... We learned a few different dances in the social ease program, but our main dance was the Rumba for our wedding first dance. I highly recommend the social ease program... They'll have you dancing in no time!

Deepak Chander

My wife signed us up for dance lessons for our wedding almost on a whim because she didn't want our first dance to be boring. We ended up signing up for about 6 weeks of classes. Our song was Jesse Glynn’s Hold My Hand and our instructor started us off with a bachata/rumba framework and ended up choreographing an entire routine for us. It’s amazing how in 6 weeks you can go from nothing to a first dance you can be proud of and excited about. Taking dancing lessons was definitely a commitment of time and effort, but out of all the things we did planning for our wedding (flowers, photography etc) I would say this was the most meaningful. Wedding planning can be stressful, but our lessons at SHDA were something to look forward to. The instructors at Society Hill were great and they did so much for us. I am sure that anybody who makes the commitment will not regret it.

Lily Tierney

My husband and I had a crash course in dancing at Society Hill Dance Academy before we got married. We highly recommend Society Hill Dance Academy. The facility is lovely: clean, large, and welcoming. The instructors are very friendly, knowledgable, and diplomatic. Our instructor, Nik, taught us the basics of dancing and worked with us to develop our first dance at our wedding. It was not only incredibly helpful, but also great fun!

Brian Kisielewski

A perfect location housing a great staff! Whether you are looking for private lessons for an upcoming wedding or just a fun social class SHDA fits all demographics. Highly Recommended!!!

Philip Zoebisch

Society Hill is fun and enjoyable and their dance parties always have great food. The instruction is top notch.

Kris Cheng

Great place. A+ for Kate Slovich. Great teacher and very personable and fun. My wife and I took lessons with her for a few months.

Ray Lang

Very professional.

Renee Reynolds-Lawson

From the moment Shana opened her studio on 2nd and Pine in 2002, she has been a great support to my business and to several of my clients that I have sent to her. We will continue to look forward to working with her and her team in 2018. Renee Reynolds Babegirl Entertainment & Designs Renee Reynolds & The "R" Factor Exchange

Katie Congress

My husband and I took dance lessons with Derek at Society Hill Dance before our wedding. Derek was a great instructor, and sensed very quickly the type of dance we wanted to learn. The lessons were fun and structured, and we felt very accomplished after only a few lessons. Our wedding guests were super impressed by our dance!

Nora De La Cour

This place is a little pricy, but it's totally worth it if you can swing it. Cat Austin is an amazing and inspiring teacher, who transformed us into people who can waltz! I am uncoordinated, and so was concerned that these lessons would be confusing or frustrating. But Cat explained and demonstrated everything in a super clear and easy way, and sent us off feeling confident and awesome.

Molly M

Wonderful! Rhiannon was so great

Kathy Andrews

I started in January 2017 and have felt very welcomed by the SHDA staff. The private lessons are great. Also included are opportunities to go to extra group practices for specific dances, Friday night dance parties, and to participate in showcases and team competitions in the area. It has been a very challenging and rewarding experience for me. Having wanted to do this for the five years, I am so glad that I did. A shout out to my instructor, Nodari, who has made me laugh and encouraged me every step of the way!

Raffaellina Merlino

Amazing dance institution ! I have attended weddings where the couple's had their lessons from society hill, a true performance to admire !

Dan Boychuck

A great studio, a super vibe and filled with fabulous instructors!

Jaclyn Mahoney

My father and I perfected our father-daughter dance for my wedding at the Society Hill Dance Academy! My favorite part about our lessons was that Meghan took the time to get to know what we felt comfortable with, and built a dance that was not only beautiful but also felt distinctly *us*

Kate Berninger

In the beginning of this year, my girlfriend surprised me with a private dance lesson at the Society Hill Dance Academy. I was a little hesitant because I didn’t want to dance in front of other people, but as soon as we got there I had a blast. We spent about 45 minutes with our instructor, Cat, who I can’t talk up enough. We learned some basics and had a great time. Following the lesson, we decided to sign up for 15 classes. Over the next few months, we learned a myriad of dances including, but not limited to, the Salsa, the Cha Cha, the Bachata, the Waltz, the Tango, and more. Each time we arrived at the studio, we were welcomed with warm smiles. Our instructor, Cat, was phenomenal to say the least. We always had such a great time learning from her and we really appreciated her flexibility and patience when we had difficulty with certain moves or had to reschedule a lesson. We had a great experience at the Society Hill Dance Academy and would highly recommend it to anyone looking to learn a few new dance moves or to become a more serious dancer. It’s great location allows you to walk around before or after your lesson to get dinner, a drink or just walk around South Street. They also have fun Friday night dance parties where you can meet the other dancers and practice some old or new moves. We were lucky to have gotten to know the instructors and the owner, Shana, at the studio.