If you want to be the best, you learn from the best! As a former world champion athlete, it is easy for me to see the difference between a big name franchise that is just looking to take my money, and a true professional who is passionate about helping me become the best at something. When I decided to learn ballroom dancing, I did a significant amount of research looking for the best instructor I could find. When I found Jeff Allen, I knew I had hit the jackpot! Not only is Jeff a former national champion competitor, he is one of the most qualified, experienced, and knowledgeable ballroom dance instructors in the country. Jeff is a national examiner for ballroom dance instructors, so he is the teacher of the teachers. Jeff is also an author. He has written several best selling books on ballroom dancing, including the number one selling dance book of all time, "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Ballroom Dancing" Jeff Allen is the full package! He is by far the best instructor in the business! Jeff is much more than just someone teaching dance steps. Jeff does not settle for mediocrity in himself or his students. He is an accredited ballroom dancing instructor, highly skilled at conveying the most intricate details that only a true professional would know the importance of. Jeff's passion for ballroom dancing is contagious! I find his encouragement and advice extremely motivating. It makes me want to spend as much time as possible dancing, which in turn has helped me learn very quickly. I am very happy that I did not waste my time and money at one of the big name "cookie cutter" franchises. If you too are passionate about learning how to ballroom dance, Jeff Allen is the instructor for you! Chris Poulos 1991 World Bicycle Stunt Champion 1990 & 1991 US National Bicycle Stunt Champion read more

For this review, I have to hit on a couple of different areas... Jeff: Jeff Allen is an incredible teacher! I have taken private and group lessons over the last nine months and could not have imagined a better experience. Jeff is very knowledgeable and teaches way more than just steps, which is important when you actually want to learn to dance...not just march around a dance floor. He starts with the basics and tailors lessons to each individual dancer. Robin: I have also had the privilege of taking ladies' group lessons with Robin...SO MUCH FUN! Robin is an absolute gem...a perfect combination of strength, grace, professional attitude, and kindness (one heck of a cook too!). It is such a great opportunity to learn tips and tricks from the female prospective from such a beautiful dancer! Jeff and Robin together: The group lessons taught by Jeff and Robin are such a value and a great way to try out new dance styles. They teach one dance at a time and make it look effortless to teach to varying ability levels at the same time. Jeff and Robin go all out for the social events they host:beautiful space, hospitality, great food/drinks, company, music, and of course...great dancing! The studio/students: This one was really important to me. Before starting lessons last year, I had never danced...ever! I am a kind of shy person...nerves, stage fright. Over the past nine months, I have probably met 40-50 other students between overlap at the beginning/end of lessons, group classes, and social events; men and women, ranging from 20's-60's, business men to stay at home moms. Everyone is so encouraging, kind, and fun to be around...never a negative experience. Jeff and Robin create such a positive and uplifting atmosphere, you cannot help but have a blast while learning to dance! read more

I purchased the group ballroom dance lessons for my boyfriend (and me) as a Christmas present; neither of us have any ballroom dance experience. I thought this would be a fun activity for us to do together and it would also allow us to actually know some real dance moves while attending wedding receptions etc. We have had so much fun!! Jeff, and his wife Robin, are both excellent instructors and I'm certain we could not have found a better studio. They are both highly knowledgeable, skilled, and passionate in their craft, but are also able to break down the dance moves in an easy to follow manner for beginners. Each class consists of a historical explanation of the evenings selected dance and then the remaining hour is spent on physically learning and practicing that one dance. We have learned the basics of the Cha Cha, Foxtrot, East Coast Swing, West Coast Swing, Tango, and the Rumba! This group class is designed for single participants and also those with partners, so if you've ever wanted to learn ballroom dancing now is the time. Jeff and Robin are both flexible to their students needs and provide individual attention to you as needed. They are truly topnotch instructors!! This would make an absolutely wonderful gift for that someone special in your life... or even just for yourself. I don't think it's possible that you could be disappointed by choosing Jeff Allen's Latin and Ballroom Studio! read more

When we were looking for some dance lessons prior to a niece's wedding we searched the web in our area and found Jeff Allen Dance. We liked what we saw so we signed up for one of Jeff's wedding boot camps. We first met Jeff and Robin at the boot camp. It was great fun and we learned a lot in a short time. We liked it so much that we followed up with a second boot camp for tango and then started private lessons for foxtrot and waltz. We recently switched over to swing in both group lessons and in private lessons. The combination of group and private lessons is a great learning aid and we like the social interaction too. We even go out dancing with Jeff and Robin and other students to gain experience in the real world, not just the studio, and have had a great time. Jeff is a consummate professional. He teaches not only what to do when learning a new dance figure but why to do it that way. He is entertaining as well as instructive. Jeff absolutely knows his stuff when it comes to dance. Jeff and Robin have slightly different styles but both are excellent and supportive. We wouldn't want to go anywhere else and would highly recommend Jeff and Robin to anyone who wants to learn dancing or wants to brush up on their technique. read more

When my fiancé and I started to plan our wedding we decided that we did not want our first dance to be boring. We started taking dance lessons from another studio and it was a nightmare so we started looking for a real dance instructor. This lead us to Jeff Allen. When I started taking lessons I was a nervous wreck. I had zero dance experience. Jeff was confident that he could teach us a fun dance for our wedding. With some hard work and lots of practice Jeff taught us how to do the hustle. He helped us choreograph our dance from the moment we walked onto the dance floor right to the end. Jeff is patient, confident and fun. He is quite talented and helped us build our confidence so that we could pull our first dance off in front of 120 guests! Our first dance was a huge success!!! Everyone absolutely loved it! Thank you Jeff for passing on your great talents to us. You helped build our confidence so we could perform such a fabulous dance in front of all our friends and family. We had fun learning from you and trying something completely out of our comfort zone. I would highly recommend Jeff to anyone wanting to take dance lessons! Thank you Jeff Allen! Lea & Kristine read more

I danced a few years ago at another local studio and realized how much I loved ballroom. I had to stop for a few years and when I was ready to get back into it I thought I would see what another studio was like, that's when I found Jeff's studio. My first night there was a group salsa class and I didn't realize how much I was never taught in the year I spent at the other studio. Jeff and his wife Robin are amazing teachers. Jeff always explains each step and the purpose of the steps for patterns in each dance. I never had the explaining behind my footwork in the past, it was just 'put your foot here lift your arm and turn'. Thats not at all how dancing should be, I saw the difference in my posture, following a lead and my overall confidence while dancing. All the students are welcoming and range from beginner to more advanced. I recommend their studio to all my friends that are interested in dancing that want to feel good and look good when on the floor. They strive to make you a better dancer and that's what I love about this studio. I will never go another studio again! read more

My wife and I took a wedding boot camp lesson and subsequently had 3 months of lessons to get our first dance routine ready. We had never danced before in our lives and Jeff was able to teach us a beautiful routine that had our reception crowd of 90 people on their feet and cheering. It was one of the best parts of our wedding day. Jeff is an outstanding teacher. He has numerous methods and never gives up. He will explain something time and time again in different ways until we understood what we needed to do. He incorporated a lot of anatomy and physiology into his teaching which was very helpful. Apart from learning the dance, Jeff helped us to fall in love with dancing and we are continuing lessons with him to now learn latin dance styles as well. It is a wonderful way for my wife and I to connect and we always leave with big smiles on our faces. To any couple interested in taking up dance lessons or learning a first dance routine I would look no further than Jeff, he can teach anyone from beginner to pro! read more

Recently I have started taking lessons at Jeff Allen's dance studio in Cranston. In my opinion, Mr. Allen is not only an award winning dancer of many years, in many venues, but is equally gifted as a teacher. Jeff will "pull out all the stoppers" to help a student understand the principles of dance. He doesn't just teach the steps, as the franchise studios do, but stress the basics, ie correct form, balance and rhythm. Of course this involves some degree of kinesiology, but Jeff will break it down or refer to a simple analogy from everyday life to help the student better understand the concept. He has many students at all different levels and has patience with each one, tailoring each lesson to suit that particular pupil. Dance is an art from and should be fun; ballroom in particular, though is more disciplined since it involves a partner. So if you want to learn steps, go to "you-tube"...if you want to learn dance, Jeff Allen is your best bet !!! read more

My wife and I wanted a choreographed dance routine for our September wedding and started working with Jeff in February. Jeff worked with us to create an amazing routine that fit with our song and our expectations. We originally planned to only take a few lessons, but we ended up working with Jeff for several months. Not only did he put together a great dance routine, he also worked with us on our entrance, song timing and overall presentation. Our dance was amazing and completely blew away our family and friends. We highly recommend Jeff Allen to anyone looking for dance instruction! My advice to anyone planning a wedding dance is to START EARLY and give yourself the time it takes to get it right! One of the reasons our dance was so successful is because we started early and didn't put too much pressure on ourselves. Our first dance was the highlight of our wedding and we couldn't be more happy with the results! Thanks Jeff! read more

Finding Jeff Allen's dance class was a revelation. I've been dancing salsa since I was in my twenties, but my husband is just beginning. He's been motivated for years to join me in this fun, sexy and athletic hobby, but has been frustrated by incompetent teachers. Last year he took me to Jeff's Cha Cha Boot Camp for my birthday, and we were hooked. Jeff clearly is a master of his art (with US Champion status), but knows how to teach even to a beginner. In Jeff's class I am relearning everything I thought I knew about dancing, even how to stand and how to walk. And slowly my husband and I are transforming into confident and beautiful dancers. Jeff does not settle for his students just getting the steps; he makes sure we truly understand the characteristic of the dance, which is far more important than the choreography. If you are passionate about dance, and want the opportunity to become great, he is the teacher for you. read more

My wife and I met Jeff today, and seeing as how it's Sunday and he opened the studio just for us was impressive, then you throw in his extensive list of credentials and the decision to enlist his service became easy. We have read reviews of multiple studios and instructors and Jeff by far surpassed them all. A previous review mentioned using metaphors, more like analogies, used to help us learn to dance in a way in which we can relate and understand. He is a very personable teacher and also very blunt and honest in his constructive criticism, if he dont tell you what your doing incorrectly, how will we be able to correct the problem? With Jeff, if your willing to learn, he will teach you. We can't wait for our next lesson and the one after that and then next one after that, there is no telling how many we will take, guess it depends on how good we want to be. Besides that, it's loads of fun!! See ya there! read more

My fiance and I just completed our first wedding dance bootcamp with Jeff and Robin. From the moment we walked through the doors we knew we were in the right hands! Not only did they make it a relaxing an inviting atmosphere but their studio is beautiful. You can tell right away that their goal is to elevate your special day so that it stands out in your guest's memories for years to come. We had varying skill levels in our session, and they did an incredible job mentoring each couple so everyone got the most out of the class. There is no doubt that with just that bootcamp our wedding would have been levels above the rest, but the private lessons were so affordable that we decided to schedule one-on-one classes so we can really wow our guests! Every engaged couple should buy this for themselves!! read more

I have been taking private dance lessons from Jeff Allen for approximately four months. As a private student I have also been able to enjoy group lessons. Even though most people who take lessons are couples, Jeff and Robin, his wife and Dance Instructor, made me feel at ease, and I was able to fit right in to the mix. Through Jeff's professional demeanor, vast knowledge of the art of ballroom dancing and philosophy of building on a student's strengths, I have been able to learn the basics and am getting better every week. He is serious about his craft, and delivers constructive criticism in a respectful manner. He personalizes the classes (I pick the music), adapts the lessons, and encourages me to enjoy and learn. I look forward to continuing to improve my dancing with Jeff! read more

This was all my husband's idea, and we were lucky enough to find Jeff Allen dance online. While I was skeptical to try this at first, Jeff was very welcoming and made us both feel very much at ease. We have been going to him for a couple months now and we wouldn't go to anyone else. As an experienced professional, Jeff adapts to our needs and makes our private lessons extremely effective, even when we forget those basics! His wife Robin is just as helpful, and they both make a wonderful pair. Their different styles can be appealing to everyone, so there's a place for every beginner, or even a more advanced student. Dance is clearly his life and his passion because he takes it very seriously, and we--in turn--have come to value both dance and his instruction immensely. read more

Update after wedding: Our first dance was amazing! Everyone couldn't stop talking about how awesome it was and how nice it was to see something different and professional! If you want to stand out and have a truest memorable first dance, take lessons from Jeff Allen! My fiancé and I have been working with Jeff for 3 months now leading up to our wedding and I highly recommend Jeff. I have never danced before and Jeff has made learning ballroom it truly enjoyable. Jeff is extremely knowledgeable in all types of dance, he has taught us the fundamentals of ballroom and choreographed our dance for us. We couldn't be more excited to show off what we have learned to all our guests! If you are looking for a top notch ballroom lesson call Jeff! read more

My wife and I have taken dance lessons with Jeff Allen and his wife, Robin, for a couple of years and we have found them very useful. We can now go our with friends and feel comfortable getting up to dance. It is also good exercise and something that my wife and I can do together. Jeff doesn't just teach steps but tries to address the movement of the entire body. As a result, it is useful to understand a little anatomy. In the long run, it makes it easier to dance than just trying to learn steps. My wife and I tried Arthur Murray dance lessons when we were younger and did not find them helpful so we never did any dancing until 20 years later when our friends suggested we try lessons with Jeff and we would highly recommend them. read more

Jeff was an amazing dance instructor. We needed someone to help us with our first dance at our wedding, and I can definitely say that we couldn't have pulled it off without him. He was very attentive to what we wanted to accomplish in the time frame that we had, and our dance was amazing!!! I would highly recommend him to anyone looking to learn to dance. You will have a great time and get incedible results. Now he can be a little rough around the edges when you first meet him, but you will have fun learning to dance. He will go above and beyond for you; he worked with us on a challenging song to dance and even edited it for us to facilitate our dance level. We look forward to working with Jeff again!!! read more

My wife and I came to Jeff with 6 weeks until our wedding and no real dance experience. We were determined to learn the dirty dancing routine and Jeff helped us get there! He was a great instructor and really was able to use our different skill sets to create a routine that worked for us and kept it similar to the original. Jeff had a lot of knowledge to share with us, he knew exactly what we needed to do to make us look the best we could and he would always gave us homework to work on in between classes which really helped us. I could not have been happier with my experience at the Jeff Allen dance studio and I would have never been able to nail the final iconic lift if it wasn't for Jeff! read more

My wife and I had a great time learning a dance for our wedding. I was really nervous going into it because I can't dance well, but Jeff started with the basics to help me feel more confident. What I loved most: Jeff goes beyond just teaching you the steps for a routine. He breaks down the techniques and explains the intricacies of dance so you can better understand what you're doing. It was clear from the first lesson that Jeff has high expectations for his students. Throughout the lessons, he'll sprinkle in some anecdotes from his past dance experiences. Jeff knows his stuff. We would highly recommend Jeff if you're looking to learn a routine or just want to become a better dancer. read more