Professionalism - 5 stars Patience - 5 stars I wanted to do something fun on my mom's birthday and we decided to have a 1-hr private lesson for our group of 6 ppl (4 adults + 2 kids). I called and spoke with Alessia and she was very patience answering to all my questions. We are interested in learning ballroom dance and she said we can tell her what we wanna learn at the time of the lesson. The location we went was 121 Weaverly in Pasadena. The location was easy to find (10 mins walking distance from old Pasdena town) and my mom chose to learn Waltz. Alessia was our instructor and she was trying to teach us as much as she can within the hour time. She was nice, professional, and patience with all of us. It was a very pleasant experience for all of us. read more

Let's Dance SP - Dance Studios Near Me - South Pasadena, California

I've been taking classes with Alessia for a number of years, and every class I learn something new. The classes are always fun and she brings great energy. I especially like her attention to detail in the technique, and in the proper way to lead and follow. If you want to learn Salsa, Swing or any of the Ballroom dances you can't go wrong with classes at Let's Dance SP. Alessia recently convinced me to try International Latin and while difficult, I can see definite progress. I especially appreciate her helping me develop my body action which transfers over to my social salsa dancing. Drop by any of the classes and check it out yourself, you won't be disappointed. read more

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Alessia is an excellent dance teacher. She makes her classes fun and challenging by focusing on basic dance technique. Her students learn that a great dancer continues to work on their basics rather than memorizing patterns. She always models impeccable form, giving her students a visual image to replicate. I highly recommend her classes. read more

The hubster and I met in a dance studio with a more globally-known name. We originally (both) starting going to learn how to SALSA (since that was the big craze back in those days). We, instead, got into a lot of those old school smooth dances (Waltz, Tango, Fox Trot) and started competing on an amateur level. So, all that to say, we never *really* gave Salsa a fair shake at the end of that stint. After we'd been away from the ballroom world for some time, we noticed "Dance Family" studio (hard to not notice as it is barely a block from our casa)...and just as our dancing feet were starting to get amnesia. We decided to plunge back in with a Swing & Salsa focus only. That is one GREAT benefit to Dance Family Studio...you can choose to do as you please with your private lessons. I recommend, without reservation, Francisco and his studio. Group classes are efficient and fun. And Francisco has a bounty of teaching experience, along with the insight and ability to size up each individual or couple/their particular needs, and tailor the lessons accordingly. HAPPY FEET = HAPPY HEART!! read more

So after my friend's birthday dinner, we had a quick, 1-hour dance lesson scheduled here. We were running a little bit late and got there pretty much right at 9, when our lesson was scheduled to begin. The instructor, Francisco, was patiently waiting for us to all arrive. Once we were all set, he jumped right into the lesson and taught us the basic steps to Merengue. He was very patient with all of us, was very polite, and used analogies that we could easily interpret, such as how to obtain better posture and how to properly step up and down. He was also quick to think. There was not an even number of guys and girls. 4 guys and 6 girls. What Francisco had us do was put us in 2 circles, guys on the inside and girls on the outside. He then had the ladies take 2 giant steps back and have us approach one of the girls. Then, with the music playing, he had us rotate between all of the girls every 30 or so seconds, so nobody was left out. He eventually moved on to the basic steps of the Cha Cha Cha and Salsa, repeating the rotation method. Everybody had a fabulous time and a lot of fun. I myself, was doing ok, but I had a couple moments of having 2 left feet. At least I didn't step on anybody's toes. That would've been embarrassing. The studio itself is pretty decently sized. In terms of a yoga studio (I don't do yoga), you could probably fit a good 25-30 people comfortably. The studio was clean too, from the mirrors to the floor. Even the bathroom was neatly decorated and clean. And there's a parking lot in the back. Just enter in from the alley adjacent to the front of the studio. And the front of the studio is actually on Allen, just north of Colorado Blvd. I've never taken a dance lesson ever before in my life, so I can't tell you if prices were expensive or cheap, but it seemed pretty reasonable for the quality lesson we received. read more

You know those people you meet for the first time and you feel like you've known them forever? Those are the dance family studio owners, Francisco and Stacy. Francisco is a wonderful dance instructor. He offers 45-min sessions for couples or individuals on a variety of dance types: salsa, swing (east coast or west coast), tango, Lindy Hop, disco two step, etcetera. Group classes are also available. The group members are patient and supportive. Stacy is also a superb dance instructor. Both are patient, clear, kind and encouraging. Couples? Getting married and need a first dance? Single and just finally want to learn? Either way, this is the place to go. read more

I love salsa dancing! I took lessons for awhile about two years ago and forgot about it when life just got too busy. Recently, I was able to finally convince the hubby to try it out with me. So I enrolled us into Salsa 1 class at Dance Family Studio! We have been there a few times now and it has been a great overall experience so far. The facility is nice and clean. Free parking and plenty of it. The instructor, Fernando, is detail-oriented with a great sense of humor. The students are all very open and it really makes the classes very enjoyable. I only minus one star because I have to say that the front desk person is a bit cold and it almost seemed like she didn't want to be dealing with customers. I come from a very service oriented mindset and if you are warm and inviting then I may overlook any flaws, but when the front desk person taking my money can't even fake a smile, I tend to hold that into consideration when reviewing a business. Overall, a great place to dance and learn salsa. They also have salsa dance parties every Friday evening for just $5! There is a short lesson prior to the party and then it is open dancing for the rest of the night! read more

Had a great first experience here with my wife (who is way better than me), and three members of the office staff including the other doctor. We (the four of us) admittedly are NOT dancers and have the hardest time keeping a beat (for me even hearing the beat is a challenge, yeah I am a very white man) but they made the uncomfortable feel more comfortable. Salsa was the dance of the evening and and by the end of the night I felt spicy hot like a ghost chili salsa. My wife let me know I was more of a pace pecante salsa than a ghost chili, scotch bonnet or habanero but I was getting it at least. Thanks to the instructor for letting us know that we should listen to him only and not other members of the class for instruction, he really had a solid command of the class the entire time and I know I will learn a ton in the next 6 weeks. So you think you can dance???? Maybe just a little embarrassing you tube but at least I will be having fun as the wife holds her head down in laughter and embarrassment. At least I'm not doing the Q-tip, rainbird or pizza maker on the dance floor.....for now ;-) read more

I can only speak for the Latin Night Social Dances on the second, fourth, and fifth Fridays of the month. For only $5, you get a quality lesson teaching you fundamentals and other extra tidbits for merengue, salsa, and tango. The instructor, Victor, is a great teacher and actually funny in a non-cheesy way. After the lesson, which is about 45 minutes to an hour long, there is a free dance, allowing you to practice what you just learned or to perfect your own craft with the instructor being available for any questions you have. Even more impressive is that he's only 19 and already certified, so he can definitely relate to younger crowds, as well as carry himself in a professional manner to be respected by adults. Also, the studio itself is clean, and the staff there is always wonderful. :) read more

I took my very first private Salsa classes with Francisco and he was fabulous. It was before they even had their own studio. If you're serious about salsa dancing and you can afford privates, I strongly recommend it. I went back to visit the studio on one of their Friday night dances and it's a great space! The vibe here is wonderful, everyone is friendly and Francisco and Stacy are great! They also offer swing and bellydance classes as well. read more

It has been several years since I've been here so this review is long overdue. The dance family helped me catch the salsa dancing bug in a very fundamental way. Their approach is to teach you the basics in a very structured way so that you have a strong understanding of lead and follow. When I went there was a requirement to test out of the level you were assigned. This forced you to demonstrate to the instructor that you were ready for the next level. Testing also gave me a sort of achievement that helped build confidence that you were ready to learn more challenging moves. This helped me to better understand how to lead and was extremely helpful in helping me self-learn online and during classes in other places where the instructor just showed you a combo. It is because of the dance family that I was able to learn from multiple places quickly. This place and the Sonata Room in Arcadia are the best places to learn how to salsa dance. read more

My husband and I spoke with Francisco about 3 months before our wedding and he was able to come up with a timeline for us in terms of how to go about our choreographed 1st dance routine. Once I told Francisco what our song was to be, he immediately told us the dance style we would need to learn to make the routine flow. Knowing we were headed towards the Rumba, we began taking group lessons for 4 weeks (1 hour, once a week) to learn the basics of the Rumba. We then scheduled our 4 private lessons with Francisco and really honed into our dance. Just by listening to the music, he has the talent to whip up a 6 part routine for our 3:39 song. If it wasn't for Francisco's patience, professionalism, encouragement, clear direction and truly amazing teaching style, we would have done the generic 1st dance sway side to side dance. Instead he allowed us to find our inner dancers and spice up our 1st dance routine to a hot latin based routine, full of twirls and dips that makes any bridal gown shine and sparkle. :) I HIGHLY recommend this dance company if you are looking for a wedding dance choreographer, just want to learn something new, want to socialize, or just have plain old fun! Private lessons are all VERY reasonably priced and the quality of teaching is unparalleled to anything I've ever come across in the past. THANK YOU DANCE FAMILY STUDIO for making out 1st dance unforgettable and for sparking our fire to continue to learn how to dance! read more

I bought dances lessons for a friend some time ago for her birthday... She loved it. Thank you, read more

One of the only places in LA that offers country two step lessons!!!! The instructors do an excellent job of teaching the fine points while making it fun. They are very reasonably priced. Also they do a good job of fostering community with dance nights and trips to local dance clubs. My husband and I have taken waltz, salsa, country two step, and night club two step lessons here. We also had some private lessons in preparation for our wedding. Really just a great spot! read more

This place has one dance studio, but a few classes going on at once. All by the same instructor. I went to learn Beginner's Argentinian tango. The instructor spent the first 12 minutes of the hour-long class teaching the intermediate class on the other side, while all members of the beginner class stood on the side wondering when our instructor would show. Then, the instructor from the other side of the room, came over, did a rapid demonstration of the basic sequence of steps, and then returned to the dancers on the other half of the room. We just kind of stood there, not sure what had just happened. I don't know how anyone can learn like that. read more

If you are still wondering about what to do for your first dance at your wedding, stop looking around, just pick up your phone, and give the Dance Family Studio a call. You won't regret a single thing, trust me! About 1.5 months before our wedding, we started to search for a choreographer to help us with your first dance. We are not dancers by any means. My fiance and I are both Ph.D. chemists. We spent most of our 20s in research labs, and so not in night clubs dancing the night away. We are both quite rigid and probably less coordinated than most people. However, from our first phone conversation with Stacey, we knew that we were in good hands! It is the small things that they do to make you feel comfortable and you know that they care a lot about their students! Both Stacey and Francisco make a special effort to pronounce my name right. Francisco is a FANTASTIC dance instructor! During our first session, we showed him our song, and he was able to come up with the type of dance, and a rough routine within minutes! He's also able to quickly assess our level of dancing ability, and tailored the lessons to our level. All the dance moves that he designed for us were not too hard to learn so that we never got frustrated, yet they look great and we were very pleased with how they turned out to be! Francisco is patient, professional, and a great teacher! At the same time, we also started to attend group salsa lessons. They are fun, organized and you learn a lot! Over all, we had an amazing experience with the Dance Family Studio. I couldn't recommend them any stronger! read more

I can't recommend Francisco highly enough. I checked out a few other studios in the area when I decided to have our wedding dance choreographed, and his pricing was as good if not better. We bought the 6-lesson package, 50 minutes per session. Francisco is an excellent teacher, very patient and positive. My fiancee and I aren't dancers by any means, but Francisco was able to choreograph a dance that was simple enough for us to learn, yet elegant and fun. I was almost disappointed when our lessons were done, he had made them so enjoyable and not tedious at all. I can't wait to show off our dance at our wedding. Thank you Francisco! read more

I take dance lessons at a number of dance studios. However, two years of thrice weekly dance lessons at the Dance Family Studio ended today. The issue is not the dance lessons. The lessons were generally acceptable. My issue is with the owners. I was unable to dance today due to some back spasms. Since I was already there, I thought I would simply sit down and observe the instruction. This has happened to me at other studios and there has never been a problem. In fact, I know of others at the Dance Family Studio who have observed without being charged. Today the policy seems to have changed for me. The owner of the Dance Family Studio insisted that I needed to pay for dance lessons, even though I had not danced. He suggested that I was being underhanded and dishonest. In the face of such a horrendous failure of customer service, insulting his loyal customer of two years, I informed the owner that today was my final day. I could even have accepted a position that even though there was no formal policy for watching the dances, that in the future I would have to pay. To be told of the studio's "policy" after the fact and in such a derogatory manner made the entire situation wrong. Further, this was not the first time that the owners were rude and disrespectful. Fortunately, there are a fair number of other dance studios with far better customer service and a more accommodating approach in the Los Angeles area. I'm just sorry that a studio that had usually provided decent dance lessons, apparently never took customer service lessons. read more

My wife and I took private dance lessons from Francisco for our wedding. Both of us started as complete beginners. Over the course of 6 hour-long private lessons, Francisco patiently brought us from the basics of the box step to a complete 3 minute, customized performance. Francisco took the song for our first dance and created a 5 part, choreographed routine that perfectly matched the music. Our guests loved watching us perform our first dance at the wedding, and we felt confident and well-prepared from our practices with Francisco. Definitely highly recommended! read more

Where to even begin? If I could give 10 stars I would. With just 6 weeks until our wedding, the owner, Francisco, took two people with no dancing experience (and 2 left feet) and taught us how to dance. He was patient, friendly, and was always understanding when we were running late (Sorry Francisco!) Seriously - I looked for dance studios all over Pasadena, and the Dance Family Studio was by FAR the most affordable, most comfortable, and by far the most fun. And I dare to say that once we were done with our six-class package we pulled off that first dance just fine. If you're looking for a dance studio for a wedding or just for fun, call The Dance Family Studio. I promise you won't regret it. Thanks again Francisco!! read more

I've taken dance classes at this studio. The original studio was smaller and has moved to a larger location. The teaching is excellent, salsa classes are great. I highly recommend Fernando, who teaches Salsa and Sue for Fox Trot. However, my dealings with the owner of the studio haven't been the greatest customer service. The few times I have talked w/ him and interacted, he has been curt, short and arrogant. He is definitely riding the wave of ballroom dance popularity. The studio market itself as being friendly & family like atmosphere. I would like to say that that motto should come from the top down. The saving grace of this studio are is it's instructors. read more

The salsa classes here are great. Francisco, Fernando and Viviane are all really strong instructors. Also this business cares about customer service and goes out of its way to right things when there is a misunderstanding. I highly recommend them. read more

This is the place where I first learned salsa. It really is like a family, and you learn not only how to dance with good technique but also how to interact socially, have good etiquette and respect, and how to connect with people through dance. For anyone looking to get into dancing but avoid some of the sleeziness/funkiness that can happen in the dance scene, this is the place! read more

My fiancée and I found Dance family studio to learn how to dance our first dance at our upcoming wedding. As a guy, I've never been very keen on formal dancing, often avoiding situations involving dancing. We've taken lessons before many times, but I always became frustrated and gave up. Francisco changed all of that!!!! Words cannot describe how happy both are, all thanks Dance family studio! From the first group lesson, all the way through our last private lesson, Francisco was patient and encouraging with our progress, and made our lessons fun and light hearted. By the end of our lessons, we had a completely customized 3.5 minute choreographed dance that brought out both of our personalities, formal, fun and beautiful. It couldnt have been more perfect!!! We've been to other dance studios, and other lessons, but none of them were able to spark my interest in dancing like dance family studio has, now I totally love dancing and we both are looking forward to going back to Dance family studio to learn more! In short, if you're looking for a relaxed, fun environment to learn how to dance, you cannot beat Dance Family Studio! By far, one of the most memorable parts of our wedding was the first dance. It went perfectly and we blew away our guests. Highly recommended! :) read more

I went to The Dance Family Studio to get lessons for my father/daughter dance for my wedding. I chose a fun father/daughter dance song and thought it would be a nice touch to do a choreographed dance. However, neither my dad nor I are dancers, and my dad was particularly apprehensive about dancing in front of a bunch of people. I was attracted to this studio because I had read they were experts with novice dancers, and after my lessons, I totally agree! We did our dance lessons with Francisco, and he really understood what kind of dance we wanted to have (fun & silly.) He choreographed a great, sassy routine for my dad and I, which is exactly what I was looking for. I knew I had come to the right place when my dad was laughing early on in the lesson, saying,"This is just GREAT." Francisco was clear, and broke down the steps in an easy-to-understand manner. He made even my dad feel comfortable, and my dad ended up loving the whole experience and having a wonderful time. These dance lessons ended up being not only a great learning experience, but also a great bonding experience with my dad prior to the wedding. I'd definitely recommend this studio to anyone :) read more

Believe it or not, my fiancé and I found 'The Dance Family Studio' via Yelp to educate ourselves on the art of functional dancing for our upcoming wedding. For starters, my fiancé and I are no Maksim Chmerkovskiy or Karina Smirnoff, not even poorer versions. However, Francisco (owner and educator) did a prodigious job composing and cultivating our inner dancer. Francisco explained complex dance steps using great metaphors that anyone can relate to, and then never seemed frustrated as we worked through the ups and downs of learning something new. From our first class to our last, Francisco was extremely supportive, inspiring, and seemed genuinely vested in the success of our wedding dance. As promised, we will provide Francisco with our finished product after our performance on 8/2/14, and hopefully it makes it to The Dance Family website! I genuinely endorse this studio to anyone interested in learning to dance for any special occasion, or even just for fun with your special someone. read more

I want to let other people know what there are some other nice dance classes around. I was there for 2 weeks. And it was too much. These people are professional dances. But I don't think they know anything about how to treat people. They can use their legs. But not brain. Do they have a high school degree at least?? Hah... They talk to you like you owe them something. However they got my money. But I didn't get the service. I hate when people so arrogant in the way to talk to me. I totally hate it!!! I know some other people who started in that {studio} and left because of unprofessional staff. Do not waist your money. They don't treat you nice. read more

I have taken both Salsa and some Latin Ballroom classes with Francisco. I was really nervous to try dance because let's be honest I dance like a white girl. Francisco and his team were really great with making me feel comfortable. They have not only taught me the correct fundamentals; but also, have given me confidence to really put myself out there and dance. These are the first dance classes I have ever taken and I don't see myself ever going anywhere else. I highly recommend the Dance Family Studio. read more

We worked with Francisco to prepare for our first dance at our wedding. Neither of us have any dance experience and still it only took 4 lessons to nail down a classy, choreographed dance! Francisco was patient and we had a great time learning how to dance. He even helped us learn to do a lift, which our guests loved! It was worth every penny! read more

Great place to learn how to dance. There are many decent and wonderful people at this studio. It's a safe and happy place to go. It's been six months since I first started and I am still excited for and looking forward to my salsa and ballroom dance lessons! read more

My husband and I had 4 weeks to get rid of our two left feet before a formal dinner & dance honoring my husband. Stacy was terrific! She listened and gave us the right dance moves so we could have an enjoyable evening. Absolutely recommend her. read more

My wife and me took 4 dance classes with francisco. We had a great experience with him and he is very passionate in teaching the dance class. My wife and me are considered to be beginners for dancing and we did pretty good for our wedding. I recommend to take wedding dance with Francisco because he will make it easy for you!!! read more

My wife & I wanted to surprise the guests at our 30th wedding anniversary celebration with a special dance. We attended one of Francisco's group sessions to assess his instructional style and noticed that he is patient, encouraging, & insightful. We decided to sign up for classes immediately. This was one of the best decisions we made in preparation for our special event. At our first lesson, Francisco assessed our initial abilities & then choreographed a four-phase dance. The intro was dramatic, fit the music & our abilities. Each week Francisco added components to the dance as our abilities improved. The final product was a great dance that got great reviews from our guests. I encourage anyone considering (even slightly) including a dance at their event to learn from Francisco. Even I (a reluctant male - isn't this usually the case) found the lessons fun & believed I actually learned to dance. read more

The studio have a new dance teacher name Laurel Rose. On saturday she teaches group classes in rhythm and smooth dances. She is excellent. She will help you improve your skills and technique in all your dances. I highly recommend taking her classes. read more

I will not return to this dance studio. You pay your money month after month and you never advance. I have dance experience and I've tried to get promoted into a higher level of salsa class and they keep telling me I have to get through their curriculum. The lady in charge of their front desk is just plain MEAN and the owner basically told me if I did not like their rules I could leave. Dance is supposed to be fun and this place is not. The location is convenient to me but the classes are not fun anymore. If you know of another studio in the Pasadena area where I can actually learn something hit me up. read more

Anyone looking for some dance lessons for their wedding or anniversary celebration should not look further because there's only one instructor who can do the job and exceed one's expectations. My husband & I recently hired Francisco Martinez for our 30th wedding anniversary. I looked at two other well- known dance studios in the Pasadena area but wanted to add a 3rd one to our list of potential instructors. Anyone who knows me understands I needed to do a thorough due diligence before paying anyone particularly for such an important event. We met Francisco for the first time at one of his group lessons. He invited us to observe so we can figure out on our own whether we liked his teaching style or not. At the end of that group lesson, we knew it was a "match made in heaven." After meeting the prospective instructors from the other two well-known dance studios, we decided to go with The Dance Family Studio. Francisco, who is also the owner, is very professional, courteous, extremely knowledgeable, very patient, had the best feedback without making you feel inept, supportive, and more importantly a great sense of humor. He's a uniquely skilled teacher who uses interesting and common sense analogies to help his students remember some complex dance moves. It's complex to us because we're novices. We just had our party where we performed the dance Francisco carefully choreographed to our song and everyone at the party was blown away by the elegance, artistry & fluidity of our dance. The dance did tell the story we wanted to tell - 30 wonderful years filled with love and joy. I'm happy the dance was a tremendous success but also sad the weekly meetings with Francisco have ended. My husband who i had to drag into this at the beginning is now talking about taking more ballroom dance lessons for some New Year's Eve Party he's thinking of attending. That's how good Francisco is. I encourage everyone thinking of surprising your guests with a special dance to do what we did - meet with Francisco once and you'll be forever happy you did. read more

My fiancée (at the time) and I found The Dance Family Studio through Yelp. We were impressed with the reviews and thought that we would give it a try. We needed to learn how to dance for our first dance for our wedding reception. We had about three months before our wedding. We met Francisco who was our instructor. We chose the six lesson plan which were about an hour long per session. We spaced it out one lesson per week. From the start, he was very professional and listened carefully as we shared our vision of how we wanted our first dance to look. Neither of use had any dance skills beforehand. Francisco analyzed our chosen first dance song and choreographed a fantastic routine which had a beginning, middle and end. In essence, our first dance would tell our love story to our wedding guests. He gave us valuable insight as to how we can improve stylistically and technically in terms of our holds, posture, pacing and expression. After practicing the choreography that Francisco provided, we grew more confident up to the weeks and days leading up to our wedding. Sure enough when it came time to perform our first dance, it was the best performance that either I or my fiancée had done up to that point. At the end of the reception, many of our guests came up to us to compliment us on our spectacular performance. I even surprised myself of how confident I felt during our dance routine. I highly recommended Francisco for your dance needs as he is well versed in all types of dance. He is a patient man with a wealth of talent in dance and choreography. read more