My husband and I reached out to DanceBasic for dance lessons for our first dance. Jenn responded the next day and helped us schedule lessons. She worked with us to choreograph a dance to our first dance song and tailored it according to what we were comfortable with along with our dance skills (none). She was incredibly friendly and flexible with scheduling our lessons when we weren't able to make it on the initial proposed dates. Working with her made us less nervous and she was very encouraging even though dancing was new to us. As we practiced more, Jenn incorporated more elements if she felt that we could handle it and I'm really glad she was so encouraging and helpful because we would have just ended up swaying on the dancefloor to the beat, which would have been fine but not as impressive. Even though we kept our dance rather simple, we had so many guests compliment us on our dance and tell us how elegant and professional it looked. I loved working with Jenn and would absolutely encourage anyone looking for a wonderful and unforgettable first dance to work with her! read more

We are so happy that we booked private wedding dance lessons with Jennifer for our first dance and father daughter dance! She was so sweet, quick to respond, and created the choreography for our two requested songs, Everything by Michael Buble and The Way You Look Tonight by Frank Sinatra. We didn't have any dance experience so she took time to walk us through the dance moves and had us practice until we were comfortable. She has a bubbly personality and was super patient with us, which made the lessons more fun and enjoyable. Thank you for being a part of our special day! read more

Jenn is the best! We did our wedding dance lessons with her and could not be happier. Everyone was truly surprised of how well put together our first dance was. read more

Oh I don't even know where to begin with Sean... I started dancing with Sean as a beginner and have now been competing Pro/Am with him for almost 2 yrs now. And guess what? I love it! =) I have tried other teachers at various studios and I think he's the best! Here my quick breakdown : Professionalism (5 stars): Always very important, especially in a sport like dancing! Sean's always very professional on the dance floor in the way he teaches and demonstrates moves. Teaching style (5 stars): He understands that each student learns differently and he really tailors his teaching style to match you. I'm very much a visual learner and he wouldn't mind repeating the steps multiple times, and breaking it down for me so I can watch and learn. He knows when and how to push you to be a better dancer. Patience (5 stars): He's so patient, it amazes me. Sometimes I get frustrated at myself for not being able to do something, whereas he'll just try his best to re-teach it, and try to make me less frustrated. His patience is best tested when he teaches my mom. I swear my mom's the most stubborn and conservative person in the world (imagine someone like that trying to dance rhythm.. =) ), but he manages to get a grip on her. THAT amazes and entertains me. =D Humor (5 stars): I actually look forward to my lessons every week because Sean's just a fun person to be around. Sure he's quirky sometimes =) , but it keeps the lessons light and fun. If I did my math correctly, he definitely adds up to be a 5 star teacher! ;) Honestly, I don't think I can find a better dance teacher and would highly recommend him to everyone! read more

Sean choreographed our first dance for our wedding, and I would highly recommend him! The dance itself was absolutely perfect, and we got so many compliments on it. Come to find out, the song we selected was complicated, jumping from 2, 4 and 8-counts, but Sean made the choreo fit seamlessly with the song and it was so simple and easy to pick up. The biggest reason why I would recommend Sean is because he truly made the lessons fun. When we were knee-deep in wedding planning stresses, we really looked forward to each lesson, because we were enjoying ourselves and blowing off steam. It was so nice to have that outlet each week leading up to the wedding. read more

Loved Jennifer as our instructor. We did a hiphop and ballroom routine for our first dance. She understood our needs and comfort level doing moves. She did a great job with transitions and giving us tips on how to improve. read more

I really wanted ONE surprise for our wedding...so I decided we would do a special dance for our first dance. I yelped a few places and decided to contact Dance Basic because they had the best rating/reviews on Yelp. Sean responded to my email right away and set up our first appointment the next week. We were beyond nervous for our first lesson! However, Sean was SO amazing. By the end of our first lesson, we were having so much fun and dancing our way through Target afterwards. We looked forward to our next lesson each week and we were SO sad when it was over. Sean was always really patient and really honed in the areas we needed to improve. Each week we got better and better. Sean even worked through my many schedule changes and limited availability with complete professionalism and totally accommodated us. In the end, our first dance was so awesome...kind of a blur moment now looking back. My mom balled her eyes out the entire time...so she says. Everyone was completely floored. (Haha.) We definitely started out our married life on the right foot. Haha. Couldn't help it.... :-) I would refer anyone looking to get lessons to Sean/Dance Basic. And when we want more lessons...we know who we are going to call! read more

I highly recommend Sean Tamashiro for Latin and ballroom dance instruction. Sean exhibits patience, respect, focus, humor, comfort on the floor, flexibility in accommodating a wide range of learning styles, and much more. Sean is a true professional who keeps himself in shape, making him an even better dance partner. Sean is knowledgeable not only in dance, but body mechanics, stretching, core work, and, equally important, the psychological aspects of putting oneself out on a dance floor. He has it all covered. He's been there, and makes his students feel at ease. I emphasize patience as one of his strongest virtues because I've certainly tried it many times. His love of teaching and interest in each student's growth is evident. He will take you as far into dance as you want to go - and maybe even farther, say, into showcasing or competition. Have fun! read more

Sean is a superb instructor as well as a superb dancer. I have been taking multiple dancing classes from multiple instructors around the south bay area and he is absolutely outstanding in terms of deep understanding of the dancing from the philosophical level all the way up to the every technical details. Most importantly, he has a unique talent in clearly communicating with his students to connect his superb professional skills to even beginners in a customized way. As a PhD from Stanford and a well-respected mentor and teacher in my current company, I know from the first time when I met him that Sean is THE top-notch dance teacher in every aspect. I think he can be that in any field he chooses to do as his profession. As a beginner with only 1-2 months of dancing experience prior to his instruction, my Latin level has been significantly elevated after 2 months of instruction from Sean. Many of my group classmates are asking who is my private instructor and I always recommend them to Sean with absolutely no hesitation. I have no doubt that his students will have the maximal chance in understanding the essence of dancing, laying a solid dancing foundation, performing outstandingly on the social dancing floor or/and excelling in competition whether they are male or female. read more

Sean is the best!! He helped put together two amazing dances for the first dance with my fiancé and my father daughter dance. He made us feel so comfortable from the very first lesson. I never expected dance lessons to be so much fun!! We planned to take a couple of lessons but we had so much fun we ended taking lessons once or twice a week for the past 2 months! We really did make memories that will last a lifetime and it was Sean who made that possible!! If you are thinking about taking lessons don't hesitate to contact Sean! It is more then worth it! I am so excited to show off our dances to all of our friends and family! Thank you Sean! read more

I found DanceBasic through Yelp. Jennifer taught my husband and me our first dance. She is patient, flexible and a great instructor. We loved working with her. As a testament of her work, a friend who watched our first dance is now using Jennifer to learn her first dance. Does not get better than that. read more

Sean is SUCH a good instructor, I am so glad to have found him! He really strikes a perfect balance between teaching the tedious technical aspects mixed in with the "fun" stuff. He never lets me get too bogged down and notices when my eyes start to glaze over. I take lessons to de-stress and Sean always makes it fun for me. He's VERY patient and has a pleasant personality. I can be kind of funny about wrapping my arms around a strange man, but I never feel that Sean is too much in my personal space. I really think he is flexible and able to adapt his teaching style to the specific needs of the student. He is also very reliable and professional, but lighthearted at the same time. Five stars, hands down. read more

My husband and I decided last minute that we wanted to take dance lesson for our first dance at our wedding. We wanted to surprise our friends and family. We called DanceBasic one week before our wedding date. Sean called us immediately after my husband left a voice message and booked our first dance lesson. Sean was able to work with our skill level. My husband has two left feet and was so nervous but Sean was able to successfully teach my husband to dance within the 5 days. He was able to come up with a great and fun routine with the music we selected. My husband and I had lots of fun taking the lesson. Sean was so nice and so easy to work with. We are thinking to continue our dance lessons. Our first dance at the wedding turned out incredible. We really surprise our wedding guests. They loved it and we got many compliments. It was definitely worth it and we are so glad we decided to take lesson with Sean. read more

As a student of Sean over the past two years, I would recommend him to anybody considering dancing without reservations. I started dancing a little over 2.5 years ago and have taken lessons from a handful of instructors (including Sean). Although the other instructors were also great, the attributes that Sean exhibits that stand out are his calm demeanor, patience, listening skills, well-planned lessons, professionalism, passion for dance AND teaching dance, and his ability to differentiate his instruction to the level/learning style of his students. When I first started dancing, I had no intention of competing at Pro-Am level. I walked into my lessons with him barely knowing how to walk in heels. However, after less than half a year with him he convinced me to compete Pro-Am with him at a competition. He was extremely involved during the whole process and genuinely cares about each and every one of his students. Sean guided me through the process of preparing for a comp... from the dancing itself, to my overall look and presentation (hair, dress, make-up, tan, and even how to stretch and prepare before stepping out onto the floor). He goes beyond the expectation of what a dance teacher is required to do in order to ensure the success and enjoyment of all of his students. As an elementary school teacher myself, I can spot a good teacher when I see one. I've joked with Sean and told him that if he wants to switch careers, he can teach high school. He exhibits many qualities of an excellent teacher. His lessons are well-planned. Every time I walk into the studio for my lesson, I am confident that he will be challenging me through my dancing. The topics he presents are exactly at my ZPD and tie into the topic he has presented before. His professionalism both on and off the floor really sets him apart from other dance instructors. I have seen him teach his other students and although the topic that we are all learning might be the same, Sean differentiates his instruction based on our level and learning style. Whether his students are visual/spatial, kinesthetic/tactile, mathematical, or musical/rhythmical etc... Sean has a way of explaining topics to ensure understanding from all his students. I would recommend Sean without reservation to anybody considering taking dance lessons from him! read more

My fiancé and I worked with Sean Tamashiro for our first dance. We were both novices but wanted a dance that would stun our guests. Our song was "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and Sean suggested the nightclub two step. Sean was very patient, easy to work with, and worked with our skill level to come up with an elegant yet show stopping dance. He made it fun and easy to learn. Absolutely recommended! read more

We picked the wedding package and it was great. Sean is patient, skilled, makes you feel comfortable, was flexible with his scheduling and taught us how to dance! Even when we failed to practice, Sean was understanding and really helped where we had shortcomings. He also manipulated our song for duration and speed which was great. The facility is large and it is actually fun to watch other people and couples practice yet never feel self-conscious. Highly recommended! read more

My fiance and I don't know how to dance at all, but loved working with Jennifer on our Wedding first dance. We had a total of 5 classes to learn basic 2-step and spins and twirls, and an ending dip. We looked forward to each dance class as Jennifer made it fun to learn. We danced to "I Don't Dance" by Lee Brice, and she even helped to edit our song to make it perfect. :)) read more

I called Sean 2 1/2 weeks before our wedding for our first dance. Sean is very responsive and quickly scheduled us. He's also very good at assessing our dancing skills(mainly my hubby) to create a easy and fun routine. Jennifer is also a great instructor, she helped us to have better frame and adjust the routine to be easily followed. I'm very glad to choose them to teach us and with 5 lessons we have our first dance enjoyable to watch! :) Big Thank you! read more

My husband and I decided to take some lessons for our first dance on our wedding day. I happened to find DanceBasic on Yelp. I talked with Sean at the beginning and he was great in coordinating the lessons. We took our lessons with Jennifer, and wow, we had such an awesome time with her! She listened to us, quickly analyzed our skill level, and came up with a beautiful first dance for us. She incorporated easy to hard steps in our routine, and we really had a great time learning and practicing! The day of, we pulled it off. Because of her, we are now wanting to learn more! Thanks so much, Jennifer! read more

I have been dancing with Sean for a year and my experience could not be better.When I first met Sean I was not sure that I would really commit to dancing but I at least wanted to try it out. After my first lesson, I was completely obsessed. Sean is a great teacher. I learn so much from every lesson. He is very good at tailoring his teaching style to the students' learning pace and style. I've tried to take classes elsewhere but am always disappointed. I have not come across a class that compares to Sean. He is an amazing dancer and teacher. He is positive, encouraging and passionate. I highly recommend taking lessons with Sean! Just be prepared because once you start you will not be able to stop. read more

Sean choreographed our wedding dance, and even worked with my husband's mother and my father for a 1-day crash course for the Mother/Groom & Father/Bride dances. Sean is very easy to work with, exceptionally patient and professional, and made us feel really comfortable despite us both being slow learners. We'd highly recommend Sean to anyone looking for a wedding dance choreographer/instructor! read more

We LoVE Sean! My husband and I need to thank Sean for creating such easy and simple dance for our wedding. It was simply enough that we can actually memorize and perform it in front of our friends. He is so sweet and so patient! read more

We were at a friends wedding and couldn't believe how amazing the bride and groom danced together. I pulled aside the bride and asked her where she learned her moves. She said Jennifer from Dance Basic. She said Jennifer was the best and easy to work with. I wasn't sure we would be able to pull it off since our wedding was two weeks away. I emailed back and forth with Jennifer. We set up two appointments before our wedding day. She was AMAZING. We nailed our first dance and everyone commented on how wonderful we looked and moved. I highly recommend Jennifer. She is so talented and can really make your first dance special. We had so much fun learning to dance that we are considering taking more dance classes. It's never too late to learn. Totally worth it! Meghan read more

Sean is a wonderful instructor. I took lessons from him regarding both Latin and ballroom dancing and he improved my skills quite a bit for both. He's very patient and will work within your comfort level, but if you show that you know what you're doing, he'll give you your money's worth and teach you all sorts of fancy moves. Highly recommend. read more

Sean and Jennifer are an awesome team. I took private lessons from Sean for about a year, and he really encouraged me to dive into dancing. From dancing he also encouraged me to take up other activities such as yoga to help me be more well-rounded. Eventually I entered a few pro-am competitions with Sean as my partner. Jennifer was great with making my dresses, teaching me make-up tricks, and helping me with the oh-so-important details such as hand gestures out on the floor. Both Sean and Jennifer are great mentors, are very professional (and fun), and are extremely helpful in working with your scheduling needs. read more

Sean was nothing short of awesome. What sets him apart is that he is just as good a choreographer as he is a dance instructor, so you will end up with a routine that fits your ability (i.e. not too hard, not too easy), amps up the crowd, and is fun. He literally makes it so all you need to do is show up and maybe practice a bit in between sessions. We really enjoyed the experience and Sean was a highlight of our entire wedding experience. read more

My wife and I had 5 private lessons with Sean for our wedding dance. We had no prior dance experience and we were surprised how good we became at the end of 5 lessons. Sean is very friendly, patient and he is a great teacher. He came up with a nice choreography that we were both comfortable and able to quickly learn. It was totally worth the effort and time. We recommend Sean to any couple who wants to make a nice little surprise to their guests in their special day. read more

Sean choreographed our first dance for our wedding. He was very patient, kind, and flexible. He listened to what we wanted and incorporated everything and more into the dance. We had a great time with each lesson and feel very confident about performing our first dance on our wedding day! read more

Sean helped my wife and I learn how to dance a routine 2 weeks before our wedding date. He was very pleasant to work with and always motivated us to practice. I would definitely recommend Sean to anyone who wants to learn how to dance, people who already know how to dance but needs choreography, or any one who just wants to have fun. We will definitely come back to Sean for more dance lessons in the future! read more

If you want to learn how to dance, Sean is the right teacher for you! Sean choreographed a perfect first dance for our wedding. Under his tutelage, we felt confident and comfortable on the dance floor. We hope to take lessons again with him in the future. read more

I found dancebasic through YELP. We had a great experience with Sean. He helped choreograph our first dance for our wedding day. I emailed Sean and he got back to me very quickly to answer my questions and help set up an appointment. He was able to accommodate us with a late evening time (7:30pm) as my now husband typically works late evenings. We bought a package that included 5 private 45 min lessons (I think it was like $299 or so) which is a really good price. We brought our music to the first lesson and Sean taught us a few basic dance moves for us to practice until our next lesson. Prior to our next lesson he emailed us a edited version of our song selection. I really recommend video taping (we used my ipad) each new section of the dance that you learn, it really helped us remember what we did each dance lesson. Our first dance turned out great! We got a lot of compliments from our guests on how professional we looked. I highly recommend Sean! read more

Sean is a great instructor; high energy, patient, creative, and of course can freakin' DANCE! He is a great example of an expert who "leads by example". We came to Sean as we're getting married in Costa Rica and wanted to do something different for our dance. Yes, it's a big expensive party and what better way to spruce up the dance floor with a star-styled Argentine tango routine mixed in with a little bit of salsa. We explained to Sean what we were looking for and he knew exactly what to do as if he could read our minds. Sean began with the basics and helped up progress to the choreography of the actual dance. It was suprising how complex the routine seemed, but we were able to pull it off only because of Sean. Additionally he went above and beyond and mixed the songs for us. Frankly, other instructors we've taken lessons from are just subpar to Sean. We've dealt with instructors who were too "out of the loop" and some who enjoyed yelling at us. This was not Sean. Again, he is very patient and has the ability to extract and showcase our strengths, albeit we're not very advanced at all. Overall a great experience working with Sean and we look forward to taking more lessons. read more