Fred Astaire, especially the Mequon location has meant more to me than I can say! Over the past two years, I have made lifelong friends, competed (and won) nationally, and could not place a dollar value on the fun, and support (I think we know the last year has been rough!). Dancing is an amazing workout both mentally and physically; and through the encouragement of my instructor and studio- I now distance swim, lift, and am healthier and happier overall in many ways. I'm so thankful for the amazing, inspiring, and talented group of people at Fred Astaire Mequon- you've touched my life and will never get rid of me! I can never wait until my next lesson! Xoxo Ps- this studio and overall franchise have practiced the utmost in covid precautions. I cannot say enough about the value of my virtual lessons, the safety measures for in studio time and competition, and care of the staff. Thank you all!!! read more

Fred Astaire Dance Studios - Performing Arts Near Me - Mequon, Wisconsin

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Cashed in a gift certificate for a bunch of lessons. The gift certificate was old so we appreciate that they still honored it. We were getting ready for our wedding so instead of teaching us various dances, they pushed us to learn one song and a few dance moves. We kept coming in asking to see different dances, but we were told that's too much to learn for one song. Forget the song, we came to learn more dancing, get practice and confidence. Some lessons were shorter than others and the instructor repeated the same lesson as before - he kept saying he forgot if he taught us this already, but they have a folder with our name on it so I didn't buy the act. A few lessons in they give you a "half" lesson which is really just a warm up, someone reviewing what you learned and then a massive sales pitch. It was a waste of our night when we thought we were getting a lesson. Then, after we didn't buy the lessons, the remaining classes continued to just be practice with maybe one tip. I wish we had learned more dances for the amount of time we spent at this studio. The first night they gave us a folder with the stuff we would learn... well, we learned a few steps and we have a folder we can try playing with. All in all, I don't really recommend Fred Astaire unless you are using up a gift certificate. read more

Fred Astaire Dance Studios - Performing Arts Near Me - Mequon, Wisconsin

We have been going to this studio for dance with our special needs children for a couple of years. Something happened to the instructor and the new owner was very rude to all the kids and parents. We all were worried about the instructor and he just kept getting more angry and rude. When he decided to cancel we told him to keep the money until next time and they did. Then a few days later we received a letter with the cash stuffed in it for a refund and a letter rudely stating he no longer wants to hold classes for special needs people. My son has Downs syndrome. Attempted to call them about it but they would not take a message to call back. So rude!! read more

If you have any interest in the world of ballroom dance, Fred Astaire Dance Studio of Mequon is THE place to be. My story-my husband dragged me into the studio a few years ago to brush up on our dancing before a cruise. I didn't want to go. I loved music and dancing (by myself, in the kitchen) but I did not want anyone watching me dance, much less critiquing! Long story short: we had a great instructor, we learned a ton, we went on the cruise, danced our waltz, foxtrot, rumba, hustle and chacha and had a blast! The instructors are definitely the most important asset of the studio. They are friendly, positive and patient, which is important since most new students come into the studio not knowing what to expect and doubting their ability to dance. You say you can't move to music, you have two left feet, you can't feel the rhythm? No problem. These instructors are well trained and can move you past your self-imposed limitations. They did it for me. The studio itself is a bright and inviting space. Easy to find and easy parking. My criticisms are that the floor is a little small for the smooth dances which move around the room. There is no secondary ballroom for things like group classes. What to expect at a first lesson? You will have a private lesson, either one-on-one with an instructor, or two-on-one if you are a couple. Your lesson is "private" even though there will be others on the dance floor. You will be introduced to the basic steps of a few different dances. I have had many friends take an introductory lesson, and I always tell them that at the end of the lesson, the teacher will ask if they would like to purchase more dance lessons, after all, that is what they do, they sell dance lessons! If you want to buy lessons, go ahead. If not, politely say no thanks. You should not feel pressured to purchase lessons. Go home and think about it. The cost? I have heard complaints that the lessons are unusually expensive. However, in my experience, the prices charged are in line with what I have paid for other private, professional services. The studio offers some nice "bargains." They offer a special lesson which entitles you to one private lesson in a week, along with as many group classes as you would like to attend during that week. Another offering is their guest program. Bring a guest (a friend) into the studio for an introductory lesson and you will be rewarded with a free lesson! I have earned several lessons through the guest program. The studio likes to offer the lessons in packages. Some may not like this, but I don't mind. I like having lessons "in the bank", and drawing on them when I need them. To be fair, you can spend a lot of money on ballroom dancing, especially if you enter the competitive world, which involves purchasing ballroom costumes, shoes, and paying entry fees at competitions. A word about weddings. One of my favorite things is to see engaged couples do a practice performance of the dance they plan to do at their wedding. I saw a couple do this recently. They looked great together. Then they told me they had only taken four lessons! Their instructor, Monica, obviously did an excellent job with them. FADS Mequon does a wonderful job with their wedding program, from my point of view anyway. read more

Danced foxtrot on tango, waltz on foxtrot, etc. - not a single one of the dances that the instructor showed me was on the right music, so essentially it was a step memorization exercise, not dancing. They call that a private lesson, but my understanding is that the music was needed by any of the other four couples dancing. I guess as a first time student I didn't qualify for music, but then why not just dance whatever the music is - all the steps were pretty basic, and I couldn't care less which dances we did and in what order. Rather disappointing experience. read more

I started dancing/training at the studio with my instructor/partner, Mr. James (he's the best!), for an upcoming dancing fundraiser in Ozaukee County and am having a blast!! I'm having a fantastic experience and a great workout too. The owner, Ms. Elke, and the entire staff are terrific and really patient with beginners like me!! I'd definite recommend this studio for anyone who wants to try something new or refresh some rusty skills. read more