My husband and I took private dance lessons with Jeff for our first dance at our wedding and we recommend him HIGHLY. In fact, I recommend to engaged couples: take dance lessons! Despite all the chaos with wedding planning, dance lessons are truly fun, diversely educational, and help you bond as a couple; because when it comes to wedding planning drama- you need something to bring you together so you don't lose sight of what's important (each other). We also wowed our guests with our dance because it wasn't the standard "penguins swaying" dance. This helped get the energy level up for all the guests to dance after us and all night. Now you know why to take dance lessons, now why take them with Jeff... I have to laugh at the person who gave Jeff the 1 star review and explained that he was arrogant and talked about anatomy and physiology the whole time...because that "bad review" was the reason I picked up the phone and called him! Yes, he has many accomplishments and he will tell you about them, but he can back it up too. He does not just tell you where to put your feet like some kind of bad game of hop-scotch or Twister--he helps you with posture and making sure your weight is distributed correctly so you can look elegant which makes a huge difference. Because he teaches professionals to dance, he does not skimp on details to helping you perfect yourself--even though I will not and am not a professional dancer, my appreciation of Latin dance has drastically increased since learning from Jeff. In summary, we both enjoyed learning from Jeff - we will not forget many of his lessons. He is extraordinarily knowledgable and passionate and as we got to know him, we found his sass entertaining. Some tips for brides & grooms: take dance lessons, practice at home, use recorded music for your song, comfortable shoes, and see Jeff. read more

Jeff Allen is truly an expert at what he does! My husband and I took a couple dance lessons here to get us more comfortable dancing at our wedding and he was such a great teacher at helping us learn basics. He was strict with our form and technique and it was so worth it, it made us more confident with our first dance. He gives great advice and explains himself well, even recommended appropriate dance shoes, which I bought on Amazon and I was SO thankful I took his advice because I was able to dance the whole night without taking my shoes off! Overall great experience! read more

Jeff Allen - Dance Studios Near Me - 02920-0000, Rhode Island

Jeff is a great teacher and an overall great man! His classes are affordable and he is super patient and understanding. Great for dancers of all levels. He is the best of the best! read more

My partner and I took lessons from Jeff for our first dance for our wedding. We had a great experience and we are grateful for Jeff's guidance! Jeff is extremely knowledgeable and teaches with integrity. He was very detail oriented and ensured we learned the proper form. We left feeling confident and with a better understanding of the mechanics of the dance. We really appreciated that he is thorough, transparent and certainly a "no nonsense" instructor. We look forward to returning for lessons in the future! Thank you Jeff! read more

Jeff is an incredible dance teacher. I was gifted lessons from my mother-in-law for our first dance. I used to dance in college, but my husband never danced in his life! I went from having my husband literally attempt to jump out of my moving car to not attend the first class (I'm not joking), to him telling me we needed to practice more for our next dance class. Derek ended up loving classes and so did I. He was able to use both our skill sets to create a fabulous first dance that WOW'd all my guests. Literally, jaws were dropped when we did our final move. We will absolutely be back for more dance classes just for fun! Thanks Jeff. Love, Marissa & Derek read more

Jeff Allen - Dance Studios Near Me - 02920-0000, Rhode Island

Egotistical and Shady! I gave him two stars only because I believe he is qualified to be a dance instructor. My fiancee and I spoke to Jeff one weekend at his studio... and we were impressed enough to use his services. He was visibly upset that we didn't pay immediately, but relented to give us time (we wanted to talk about it privately). We verbally confirmed the price for a six class package (as it was listed on his website), and we left. Fast forward two days later... my fiancee shoots him an email to let him know that I am coming in the following day to pre-pay the classes in full. We double checked the price online, which hadn't changed. On the day of payment... I called him one hour prior to my arrival, and he mentions nothing of any possible changes to our agreement. I drive all the way down to Cranston, and as I'm handing over my credit card... all of a sudden the price of the classes are an extra $20! I told him that was NOT the price listed on his site... and he said that "his pricing is subject to change" and that "I was playing games with him for not paying last weekend!" He then directed me to the website on my phone... and he changed the price of his classes on his website after my fiancee shot him the email!!! When I complained that was not the price on his site yesterday... his response was "sorry, you should have bought my classes three days ago if you wanted that price." So I immediately left and he screams out the door "Good luck finding an instructor better than me!!!" So basically this guy changed the price on his website in an attempt to scam me out of an extra $20 while I was driving over to pay... and he freaked out when I called him out on it. I hope the 20 bucks was worth losing our business and a review exposing you as a scam artist read more

Effective, fun and affordable lessons! Due to the mandatory business shutdown due to COVID-19 recently, Jeff was able to transitions effectively to virtual session. We are learning the Latin Rumba for our first dance, and have essentially zero dance skill going into this. Since the sessions were so hands-on and detailed, we weren't sure if the coaching and direction would translate well via Skype. Boy were we wrong! In fact, Jeff's teaching has been just as effective, if not more. My partner's and my dance skills have been improving week after week, and this is our 4th week dancing virtually with Jeff. Dancing in the comfort of our home allows us to continue practicing on our own after our 1-hour sessions, and makes practicing so seamless. Jeff's lessons are truly the best in the area, and certainly the best value for the price. Couldn't recommend him enough. Thanks Jeff! read more

My fiancé and I signed up for lessons with Jeff in preparation for our wedding. He helped us learn how to hold ourselves, move, and get our minds and bodies around some of the basics of ballroom dancing. Then he choreographed a dance for us to our song (Pink Floyd's Pigs on the Wing). It was a true joy working with Jeff on this. He approached teaching us from many angles, by dancing with us, adjusting our bodies as we danced, and by talking with us and finding all sorts of creative and metaphorical ways to describe the motions and movements he was trying to guide us towards. He has an overwhelmingly charming and caring way about him. I felt that his intuition extended beyond just our dance into who we are as a couple and individuals, and all of this allowed him to better understand us and better help us express ourselves in our dance. We couldn't recommend him more. read more

My husband and I took dance lessons with Jeff Allen to help prepare for our wedding dance. He's a very knowledgable and personable instructor. He shared a lot of anecdotes and metaphors to help us understand different movements and concepts. Our wedding dance came out beautifully. We really had guests at our wedding cheering during our first dance, just like Jeff said they would. We highly recommend him and appreciate his ability to teach us quality dance moves while keeping us entertained throughout the process. read more

Jeff Allen knows his shit. Sure, he's going to tell you about his celebrated past as an elite professional dancer, and at first you're like "why do I need to know this, Jeff?" but then you realize that his decades of experience, as both a competitor and instructor, translates to a depth of experience that makes Jeff excellent at what he does. I have taken 15 hours of private lessons with Jeff (Bachata and Salsa, so far), and find his instruction to be efficient and tailored to my capabilities and skill level. But you've got to trust his process, because Jeff teaches you how to do steps right the first time, instead of learning a whole routine and having to unlearn bad habits. It takes time and effort, but eventually you see great results. Jeff connects dancing technique to physiology and physics, and teaches you how to hold and move your body in ways that maximize your energy and control, while making you look and feel fantastic. He also gives you a good idea of how and when the steps you're learning in lessons might come in handy in the real world, like at a local club or with a new dance partner. Sure, he's a little brash at times, and he loves orange more than the average guy, but overall it's great to spend an hour and a half lesson with Jeff. After 6 hours of private lessons, I bought another 18 hours, because I enjoy the lessons I'm taking, and am excited to see the dancer I am becoming. And I'm driving 40 minutes to the studio! Worth it. read more

Before trying a franchise dance studio I would highly suggest going to see Jeff for some real and honest dance lessons. If you are looking for dance lessons where the instructor only teaches you foot placement or gives you a trophy for participating this studio is not for you...but if you're looking to find out about appropriate etiquette and posture in dance, proper upper body movements and the correct steps that go with them then this is for you. Does Jeff talk about his accomplishments? Yes, as he should, he is a highly respected professional who is proud of what he is done and where is come from. read more

My wife and I took private dance lessons for our wedding from Jeff. We impressed all of our guests and had a blast learning our Foxtrot. Jeff made sure to challenge us and continued to enhance our dance over the months we spent working with him. Both of us had never taken a dance lesson before and he was patient at times and hard on us at times to bring the best out of us. Since the wedding we have continued to take lessons as we have fun doing it. Jeff is a great teacher as he will not only teach the basics but will also bring the best out of you and take you as far as you are willing to go. His style encourages confidence in more challenging steps while fine tuning the basics for effect. read more

I've been meaning to post this review for a while. Jeff is awesome! My now husband and I took about 5-6 private classes with him this year for our first dance at our wedding. He was able to choreograph a nice cute dance, work with our skill level, and make the whole experience fun and enjoyable that we looked forward to our classes with him! He was flexible with our schedules too. I would highly recommend him to anyone who needs to plan a choreographed dance. We received many compliments at our wedding! Thanks Jeff! read more

We started with the wedding bootcamp and 2 private lessons about 6 weeks before the wedding, then signed on for 4 additional private lessons. Jeff choreographed a dance for us to our song that was a perfect fit for our ability level while pushing us out of our comfort zone just enough. The dance he choreographed included a lovely presentation and dramatic ending. We were starting from scratch with pretty much zero ballroom experience and he gave us just the right balance of challenge and encouragement. He is clearly a very experienced and talented teacher and knows how to make you look (and feel) good in ways that count for your first dance. Would highly recommend for other couples. read more

We have always wanted to take Ballroom dancing lessons. We were very excited to try dancing when we found Jeff's studio . Unfortunately this was a most miserable evening. Jeff is very egotistical and does nothing but talk about himself. We Heard numerous times how he was a big deal in the dance world and how he had written a book on dance. He spent most of the class talking about anatomy and physiology. We just wanted to try to dance. Overall we found his personality very irritating. luckily we did not give up and went to another studio where we are happily dancing several nights a week.we would like to ask Jeff is he is such a big deal in the dance world why is he teaching in a cramped studio in the back of a tiny strip mall in Cranston Rhode Island? Try Jeff studio if you must, but if you don't like it don't give up on dancing before you try another studio. read more

My fiance and I (well, maybe I decided ...he went along with me...) decided that we needed help with our first dance as husband and wife. We first went to a "chain" dance studio. The instructor was very friendly but we didn't learn anything during 3 introductory lessons except how to walk around with the instructor holding our elbows. There was no mention of instructing the man on how to lead nor did we learn any actual steps. The cost to continue after the introductory lessons was prohibitively expensive. We did not enroll. A few weeks ago, I found a special offer by Jeff Allen's Latin and Ballroom Dance Studio. Jeff was very welcoming and informative when I called. He assured me we still have plenty of time to learn to dance before our wedding We have now taken 3 lessons with Jeff. His approach is rather direct. He knows how to dance and how to teach. He isn't bashful about his expertise. However, we have found that his information on the mechanics of dancing are spot on. He uses great analogies to explain how it works and why dancing with another person is such a challenge. He demonstrates the proper step/frame/balance and also shows what you did and why it didn't work. Several things that he has told me really stuck and made a positive impact on my posture and understanding of dance. I still need help "hearing" the beats in the music ...but I am happy to say that my fiance has learned to lead, we have both learned how important good posture is while dancing and we are dancing! Thankfully we have time to take more lessons and really work on our first dance. I am happy we found Jeff. The progress we have made in three lessons is impressive. read more

I most definitely DO NOT recommend Jeff Allen from Jeff Allen's Dance Studio in Cranston RI for your dance instruction! From the first exchange on the phone: - he interrupted me while introducing myself & explaining why I'm calling to say "OH HI" as though I was being rude - he scoffed at me when I explained I purchased this gift card two years ago (which cannot expire in my state not states an expiration in hand written gift certificate) - he laughed at me when I told him my wedding was in two weeks - then spoke to me like an child on what to email him and what to include, etc - immediately once I told him we did NOT need to meet and to "forget this, he got my money long ago" he did ask to "start this over", after the initial introduction Despite the conversation - we exchanged emails to confirm what to bring, and that we could use out two one-hour gift card for two hours. However, tonight, we showed up for our appointment: - before even asking my name, he looked at my fiancé and said "he didn't bring dance shoes". We explained I thought his email meant just mine as most brides wear heels, showing him we brought mine, which are flats - after much banter about rubber on shoes sneakers OR dance shoes, and that I don't want to wear my all white flats and will wear other flats, he told us we could "do what we want" - after Jeff condescendingly explaining the difference between beat and tempo because my fiancé said "the tempo picks up" & he told us we were wrong, he did start to give my fiancé credit for having taken swing classes.....until he made a front and back step vs a side to side step, where he was instantly corrected - Once Keith explained where he went for classes, that teacher was instantly insulted as well - Jeff continued to go on and on about how he teaches 27 dances and why ballet dancers can dance to classical but there's only one jazz style - After I apologized [again] about not wanting to wear my wedding shoes & the lack of "support" they have we were insulted [again] that our venue has a concrete floor because "that's even worse" - Jeff then proceeded to tell us that he works with over 250 brides per year "AND HE HATES US ALL" (WOW!!) - he then asked if I brought our music, and I said yes and handed over thumb drive while constantly agreeing that YES this was in MP3 vs MP4 "as he asked". I had tested this on 3 PC's at work - but it would not play on his computer; instantly accused that it "came from a Mac". I explained that it was from a windows laptop which was in my car and I can open that to reload if necessary. He kept trying and I was nervous that I might have uploaded the incorrect file so asked him to "click start" to which Jeff's reply was "I KNOW HOW TO WORK A COMPUTER - THANKS!" At this point, my fiancé finally had enough & let me tell you, he is THE MOST CALM PERSON I'VE EVER MET IN MY LIFE. He had enough of Jeff's degrading of me and told him he was an arrogant bastard who needs to learn how to talk to paying clients. Jeff was very defensive, and kept his condescending attitude & tone the whole time claiming "I don't know what the issue is, I don't understand". Bottom line is, we walked out. My fiancé kept telling him he needs to respect his paying clients and we have had enough... I might have called him an pompous prick on the way out. I am close friends and work with other dance instructors who would NEVER treat their clients as such! I simply had a gift certificate, so thought this would be the perfect time to use this! On the way home, Jeff called my fiancé to ask for a "restart" - shocking, this must be his go-to-line; to which he was told absolutely not. Jeff then proceeded to explain that a lot of brides are self proclaimed "bridezillas" & Keith firmly explained that the WOMEN can call themselves that but he cannot and that HE NEEDS to think before he speaks. Jeff repeatedly asked Keith for us to turn around but Keith refused, and told him to have a nice life. Keith defended me and explained that I work on computers every day of my life and Jeff's sole job was to teach us to dance, not degrade us from the start. Sorry for the rant, but with SO MANY Facebook, Yelp and other reviews state the same "arrogant bastard" for years, I needed to add mine. Do NOT waste your time or money, this was the most miserable experience of our entire wedding planning journey. read more

Great lessons - everyone at our wedding loved the moves Jeff taught us. He helped us realize a vision for our first dance, and it was a big hit! read more

If less than one star was an option I would have chosen it. My husband and I attended lessons here and I have to say it was one of the worst experiences we have ever had. You pay to stand there and listen to Jeff go on and on about how wonderful he is. At one point during our last lesson I wanted to just walk out and be done with him but I saw it through. We did not learn how to dance and it was NOT fun At ALL! Now we are looking for a better place, it can't be too hard to beat this one... read more