While we've become known for wedding and first dance lessons, we're experts in a wide variety of dance styles. Wedding dance lesson are for anyone - engaged couples, parents, wedding guests - who are interested in learning to dance during wedding receptions. These lessons differ from first dance lessons in that they're focused on preparing for social dancing, not performing a first dance.
First dance lessons are private lessons designed for engaged couples who need a little help preparing for the first dance at their wedding reception. These lessons focus on each specific couple's needs as related to their skill level, first dance song and vision for their first dance. Swing is one of the of the most versatile social dances.
First dance lessons are private lessons designed for engaged couples who need a little help preparing for the first dance at their wedding reception. These lessons focus on each specific couple's needs as related to their skill level, first dance song and vision for their first dance. Swing is one of the of the most versatile social dances.
Services
Ballroom Dance Chicago is the top-rated dance studio for wedding dance preparation, first dance lessons and social dance lessons in Chicago. Ballroom Dance Chicago is not your typical dance studio. When you walk in, you'll like what you see: comfy couches, original artwork and smiling faces (instead of sequined costumes, flourescent lighting and tons of mirrors).
Here are ten reasons why you should learn to dance with Ballroom Dance Chicago for your first dance/wedding preparation, for social dancing, or just for fun! We listen in on clues you give us throughout the process to create a first dance that is representative of your personalities. We do not recycle routines or moves from student to student, and we don't force you into any movement you won't be fully comfortable with.
We specialize in teaching wedding dance lessons and first dance lessons to engaged couples throughout Chicago, with dance studios in Lakeview and West Loop. While we can all appreciate a good ol' Prom Sway, know you can and should do better than that for your first dance (your wedding guests expect more)!
Each regular private lesson is 1 hour long (45 minutes with an instructor and 15 minutes of practice time at the end) with up to two students and one instructor. Rates for Private Lessons range between $100 - $155 depending on the number of hours purchased at a time. If interested in working with Master Instructor, Matthew Sove, please contact us for rates and availability.
At our Lakeview dance studio, learn to dance salsa, swing or ballroom in a fun, low-pressure, BYOB setting at Ballroom Dance Chicago. We offer Mixed-Level Group Classes at our Lakeview location. These classes are not traditional group classes where the teacher stands at the from of the class to demonstrate concepts to a large group of students, never really giving personalized attention.
Reviews (21)
Heidi P.
Dec 22, 2021
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We worked with Matthew to choreograph and learn our wedding first dance. It was amazing! Matthew was so friendly and professional - and was able to help us master our first dance. Everyone at our wedding raved about how fun our dance was! Matthew taught us so much, we highly recommend working with him. We also previously took Matthew's salsa class which was also amazing. We highly recommend!
Allie Merg
Nov 04, 2021
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Our experience taking wedding dance lessons with Matthew at Ballroom Dance Chicago was by far the best part of the entire wedding planning experience! We couldn't have picked a more professional studio. Matthew was able to understand us as a couple and our vision for our wedding night, and his incredible choreography was so much fun to learn and totally impressed our friends and family at our wedding. Also his welcoming and friendly vibe made us look forward to every single lesson.
Paul Barham
Nov 03, 2021
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We cannot say enough positive about Ballroom Dance Chicago and their approach to preparing us to crush dancing at our wedding! I am not what you would call a good dancer (or even a dancer for that matter)... however Matthew and the team were able to start us with the basics and we wowed everyone at our wedding! We first met with the team to select a song that first our personality and then they created a detailed routine. As we progressed in our abilities, we were taught more complicated elements- but never felt overwhelmed. If I can do it, YOU can do it and don't forget to practice! Thanks again
Samantha L.
Nov 02, 2021
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I would recommend Ballroom Dance Chicago to everyone. My now husband surprised me with classes for our anniversary in order to have a choreographed piece for our wedding. We met with Matthew for a consultation and gave him a peculiar song choice that meant a lot to us but was a bit out of the ordinary and he totally ran with it. We loved our dance, but more than that, we loved hanging out with Matthew. Our weekly classes became our date night and I can't tell you how hard we laughed throughout the process and how much we loved talking and getting to know Matthew. To note, we are totally beginners
Drew Stoimenoff
Oct 30, 2021
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Positive: Communication, Professionalism, Quality
Angela was amazing! She created choreography that matched our first dance song beautifully and was fun to perform. Not only did we look like pros on our wedding day, each lesson was a mini date night we looked forward to each week. She helped us create a memory that we will ever forget!
Angela was amazing! She created choreography that matched our first dance song beautifully and was fun to perform. Not only did we look like pros on our wedding day, each lesson was a mini date night we looked forward to each week. She helped us create a memory that we will ever forget!
Joan O.
Oct 30, 2021
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My husband and I took 8 lessons with Angela for our September 2021 wedding and it was by far the best part of wedding planning. Angela became a fast friend, and we looked forward to our lessons every week. The dance was special, but not over-the-top (just what we wanted) and Angela taught us at our own pace. We couldn't recommend working with Ballroom Dance Chicago & Angela enough!
Nick Bland
Oct 19, 2021
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We were late to the party on deciding if we wanted dance lessons or not prior to our wedding, but man are we thrilled we signed up with Ballroom Dance Chicago! Not only did they work with our truncated timeline, they paired us with Rachel who was amazing! At first we thought we wanted a twirl or two, but by the end of our classes we had an incredible dance routine for our first dance that we're still getting compliments on thanks to BDC. We couldn't recommend them more highly!
Shelby Cunningham
Oct 17, 2021
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My husband and I had the best experience working with Angela and Ballroom Dance Chicago! We wanted dance lessons leading up to our wedding reception, and we had no idea we would have so much fun. It made for the best date night, and that was all thanks to Angela. She was fun and so easy to work with, and as someone who is a terrible dancer with no coordination, she made everything so enjoyable. I never felt embarrassed or uncomfortable. A wonderful experience that I have recommended to all my friends!
Mary Kate Daniels
Oct 15, 2021
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We started dance lessons with Ballroom Dance Chicago to prepare for our first dance at our wedding. We were BLOWN AWAY by the quality and value of this new experience. The beautiful studio and expert instructors make every lesson a memorable experience. My husband has never danced before and after lesson number one he was hooked! He loved the challenge of learning new steps and seeing the progress from lesson one to lesson ten. I really appreciated how our instructor, Matthew, made the lessons fun, engaging, and exciting. We left the studio feeling energized and more connected to one another. When
Riley Hall
Oct 13, 2021
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Worth every penny! Working with Matthew was one of the highlights of our wedding planning. It gave us a chance to get away from the growing to do list and do something fun together. Matthew came super prepared every week we met with fun and interesting content, and helped us design the dance we always dreamed of. It honestly made our night!!
Michelle M.
Oct 07, 2020
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Our first dance was an experience and memory we will always treasure, and it is 100% thanks to Ballroom Dance Chicago. My husband and I knew of BDC because the gym we met at is just down the block. I'd alway been curious about it, and when we chose a first-dance song that was too fast for a traditional slow dance, they were the first place I reached out to for help. We had a free consultation and were immediately reassured that they would help us come up with a dance that was achievable and completely unique to us. Because of COVID we got to have completely private lessons and appreciated
Fh F.
Sep 18, 2019
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Michael C.
Jun 15, 2019
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Ballroom Dance Chicago is the best! We originally joined to learn our first dance and haven't left! Matthew and his are all very knowledgeable and personable. We've taken both private and group lessons and also have attended the spring and fall dance galas which all are extremely fun. We've made new friends since we started and have learned a lot. We look forward to each class and cannot recommend this place enough.
Jessie C.
May 31, 2019
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My husband and I have taken both private as well as group lessons from Ballroom Dance Chicago. I can't give them enough praise - they've been wonderful. For our private lessons, we did the crash-course version with two instructors at a time, and we worked mainly with Matthew and Annamarie, but also had lessons with Angela and Lydia. They all worked to make sure we were comfortable, and Matthew helped us choose our music for our first dance. We were able to surprise (and impress) all of our guests with a wonderfully choreographed routine!
We returned for the three-month sequence for Salsa
We returned for the three-month sequence for Salsa
Natalie B.
Jan 22, 2019
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We decided to take dance lessons for our first dance. Neither of us are particularly good at dancing and didn't want to totally embarrass ourselves. After meeting Annamarie for a consultation, we booked 10 more sessions. We had so much fun taking the lessons and dancing our first dance. Everyone was talking about how great our dance was. We highly recommend lessons with Ballroom Dance Chicago and Annamarie!
Tommy P.
Dec 10, 2018
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When my now wife and I signed up for dance lessons at Ballroom Dance Chicago we had a small vision of being prepared for a simple dance on our wedding night. Not only did Lydia teach us a simple dance, but she was able to help us develop a dance that was ultimately the most thrilling and memorable part of our wedding night! Lydia was extremely patient and calm with our lack of dance experience and made the lessons very fun and challenging at the same time. We would highly recommend Ballroom Dance and Lydia as a dance teacher if you are looking to take some lessons. She seriously helped us create
Jason Y.
Nov 01, 2018
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I am thrilled that my then fiance and now wife found Ballroom Dance Chicago. We worked with Annamarie who made us both feel very comfortable, choreographed our first dance and taught us how to dance together. As someone with zero dance experience, we got nothing but compliments on our first dance. Annamarie is wonderful to work with, extremely patience and knows how to tailor her teaching method to suit the person. I would highly recommend taking lessons from her. Now that the wedding is over, we plan on going back to take more private lessons with Annamarie!
Robert L.
Oct 11, 2018
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I signed my wife and I up for lessons and it was one of the best decisions I made leading up to our wedding. Both of us were a bit anxious about the first dance and had zero plan. Enter Ballroom Dance Chicago - Annemarie worked with us on a routine for our first dance and it turned out so well! She did a great job of putting us at ease and giving us the confidence to execute a fun yet important moment.
It is BYOB and a very relaxed and informal atmosphere. The instructors are fun and clearly enjoy their jobs. We also loved the studio - it is in a great area and easy to get to. Overall, it was
It is BYOB and a very relaxed and informal atmosphere. The instructors are fun and clearly enjoy their jobs. We also loved the studio - it is in a great area and easy to get to. Overall, it was
Serena G.
Oct 02, 2017
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To say that my husband does not like dancing would be an understatement. He has two 'left feet' paired with limited coordination that basically results in him avoiding the dance floor during every wedding/club/party. As you can imagine, our first dance was one of the areas of wedding planning that gave us the most stress. We found Ballroom Dance Chicago via Yelp and after our first complimentary consultation, it was clear that we were going to need professional help in the form of 10 private lessons. Our main goal was simply: be comfortable enough with our first dance so that we would
Stephanie S.
Sep 20, 2017
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Although my groom-to-be was a pretty good dancer already, I hate dancing and was so nervous for our wedding. We started taking dance lessons a few months before our wedding, and every week for 10 weeks, Matthew greeted us with patience and a smile. Plus, he even gave us drinks to calm our nerves before class! He pushed us just the right amount, and we were able to do just enough to get our first dance down with the right timing to our first dance song. It ended up being such a fun thing for us to do as part of the planning process. Everyone was really impressed, and we felt so accomplished! Meeting
Brittany K.
May 28, 2017
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Ballroom Dance Chicago was very impressive. My wife and I attended one of their Saturday events with other couples and the energy and atmosphere that they provided was beyond expected. It was spatially and aesthetically pleasing. We are considering one of their private lessons they provide, as well as getting a group of our friends together for another group lesson. And best of all, it's BYOB!
Note: the words above are that of my hubs! Prior to the class he dragged his feet at the thought of going with me. Because he knew it was something I really wanted us to do, he went. Minutes into the
Note: the words above are that of my hubs! Prior to the class he dragged his feet at the thought of going with me. Because he knew it was something I really wanted us to do, he went. Minutes into the
