We loved working with Steps on Toes for our wedding first dance. The lessons were warm, fun, and low-pressure, and our instructor made us feel comfortable from the start. They broke everything down in a way that was easy to follow and helped us feel much more confident for the big day. Highly recommend for any couple preparing for their first dance! read more

My wife and I had an amazing experience with LaurieAnn just last year! She helped prepare us for our wedding's first dance. Neither of us were knowledgeable about dance, but LaurieAnn taught with grace and understanding. We were able to find our way through mental barrier's like counting on the beat. LaurieAnn is a gem of boundless knowledge when it comes to dance, and is very adaptable when it comes to working with people. read more

LaurieAnn was the perfect dance teacher for my husband and I as we prepared for our first dance at our wedding. We found her with only a month to go before the big day, so she didn't have much time to work with us. But she quickly diagnosed our dance abilities and needs and broke down the steps in understandable ways. We were able to comfortably and confidently dance a beautiful first dance - and had a lot of fun in the process! Thank you, LaurieAnn! read more

Steps On Toes - Dance Studios Near Me

We had a lesson with LaurieAnn for our wedding dance and she's awesome. We loved how she applies psychology to how she teaches and how we learn to make things easy. Highly recommend. read more

LaurieAnn is an excellent dance instructor. My now wife and I went to her for Foxtrot lessons before our wedding, and she helped make our first dance something truly amazing. I especially appreciated her teaching approach. She took care to explain how humans actually learn and retain techniques, which was helpful. I highly recommend her to anyone wanting to learn how to dance, especially for your first dance as a married couple. read more

My fiancé and I needed dance lessons for our first dance for our wedding. We are definitely beginners. Laurie Ann helped us choreograph a dance and also learn basic dance principles we will take with us in our future. She was very patient and kind. We highly recommend her! read more

My wife struggles with counting on the beat, so naturally we were uncertain about learning to dance for our wedding, but LaurieAnn was able to help us create a memorable first dance. Her approach to teaching was exactly what we needed - rather than focusing on having us memorize a routine, she leans on fundamentals which allowed us to learn at our own pace, and build on the dance as we were ready to incorporate new moves. Not only was our first dance incredible, but we also left with some dance skills that we can take with us. If you're looking to do something unique for your first dance, LaurieAnn is definitely the right teacher to work with! read more

Laurie Ann is an incredible teacher! We learned so much in our 8 sessions, and had fun doing it. She breaks down every move into simple steps, gives you proper time to practice, and gives specific and constructive feedback when you make mistakes. More than that, she explains why people make the mistakes they make, and her many years of experience mean that she has seen every possible mistake and knows how to help you to avoid them. Her positivity and encouragement always made the lessons fly by, and made something I was dreading into a task that barely felt challenging. We're grateful for her wisdom and experience. You're in great hands! read more

We had 8 weeks before our wedding, and we couldn't have met a better dance teacher than LaurieAnn. Even though neither my wife and I had any prior dance experiences, we never felt like the process was out of reach, and she never made us feel like we lacked the skills or potential to learn our dance. In the end, the dance went off without a hitch. The most common response we got from our friends was that it was "too short", which is much preferred to the much feared "it went on too long." One of the first questions she asked us was "do you want to learn dance just for the wedding, or would you like to use these lessons as a springboard into dance?" The latter! We replied. We hope to take dance classes with Laurie for the foreseeable future :) read more

Steps On Toes - nailed it! - Dance Studios Near Me

She helped me and my husband prepare for our first dance. We had very little experience dancing so we decided to take 3 months of private lessons. She is an incredible teacher and always met us at our skill level. She adapted each lesson to what we wanted to learn and improve on. Each lesson built on one another so that we were never overwhelmed but we were always improving. We found a love of dancing with eachother and a foundational skillet that we can draw from for the rest of our lives. read more

LaurieAnn was so fantastic, she took me and my husband from absolute beginners to feeling excited for our first dance at our wedding! We started off with "easy" steps that still felt complicated to us beginners, and in just a month we were doing twirls and dips around the dance floor. We're really happy with all the progress we were able to make thanks to LaurieAnn. read more

LaurieAnn was so amazing to work with for our first dance. We did a exploration + 3 sessions, starting off with no experience. She was incredibly patient with us, while also making the learning fun and natural. We looked forward to each session, and she taught it in such an intuitive way that allowed us to continue to build on the skillsets we learned in the sessions before. read more

LaurieAnn is a pleasure to work with and an absolute professional. My fiancé and I had a consultation with her for our wedding and learned so much in just 90 minutes. Neither of us are dancers and she did a great job at quickly identifying our learning needs and instructing us in a way that was easy to follow. She's not only a skilled dancer but also a very skilled instructor. Thank you LaurieAnn! read more

She is patient, kind, and knows how to teach movement to folks like me, who do not come by this stuff naturally. It was an honor to learn from her. Much gratitude. read more

LaurieAnn was great to work with. We did a 6 week course right before our wedding and were worried about not having enough time to learn a dance. LaurieAnn helped us pick a style that would work for us. We had a lot of fun practicing our East Coast Swing steps at home, which just adds nice memories to the whole first dance experience. As a teacher, LaurieAnn had excellent pacing and patience with us. She taught us the fundamentals in an easy-to-understand way, and then always checked in with us about how we liked new dance steps, or to see if there were specific things we wanted to learn. Also, since LaurieAnn taught us to social dance and lead/follow, we didn't have to worry about choreography which helped a lot with keeping stress down! Definitely happy we took these lessons for our wedding. read more

LaurieAnn is an incredible instructor and helped us ace our first dance at our wedding! My husband and I wanted to look confident and competent in front of our friends and family and LaurieAnn set us up for success. Neither of us had any experience dancing and in just 5 lessons, LaurieAnn transformed us into swing dancers. She is patient and helps you improve when you mess up without making you feel bad. I left every lesson energized and excited for the wedding. Her passion is evident and I felt comfortable and intrigued to learn more about swing dancing. We highly recommend her if you are interested in learning how to dance for fun or for a special occasion. read more

Steps On Toes - Dance Studios Near Me

My partner and I came to LaurieAnn with just over a month to go before our wedding. We wanted to learn something special for our first dance, and just 5 lessons later, we were confidently dancing and ready to dazzle our guests! LaurieAnn's pacing meant we never felt overwhelmed with new steps each week, but we still learned a diverse set of steps. If you want to learn to dance, especially on a tight timeline, we can't recommend Steps On Toes enough! read more

Laurie Ann is amazing. A wonderful teacher who really asks great questions and honestly it's like marriage counseling and dance lessons in one. Her explanations of how to support each other in learning something new and how best to learn is great and I really appreciate all of that support. Plus I'm excited to learn how to swing dance with my husband! read more

My partner and I learned East Coast Swing and Lindy Hop from LaurieAnn for five months and we loved it! She teaches with a great balance of structured building blocks for the basics while also being open to go off the book to teach you moves you're interested in. Once we had the basics down she would teach us a move and then ask us if it was fun or not. If it wasn't fun we'd move on to something else that we could enjoy more! She helps you build a solid foundation and then gives you room to request moves you've seen others do or she has a whole range of moves that are fun to see her pull out of her hat on the fly. Since building our foundation with her we've started taking upper intermediate group classes and experiencing those has also reminded me that another strength of LaurieAnn's is her ability to identify and explain where you're going wrong. Many group classes answer questions like "just keep working through it till it feels right" which can be very unsatisfying answers when you're not sure why it's feeling wrong. LaurieAnn has great sense in just looking or dancing the move with you where she can pinpoint exactly if your arm isn't giving your partner enough space or if your hand is sending a confusing signal by being placed just too far to the left etc. Having that one on one attention and her natural ability to explain the nuances of the dance is a true gift and hard to find in group classes. Lastly I'll say that her knowledge of the Bay Area dance community and the history of the dances is so valuable! She'll encourage you always to go to social dances, and when you're just getting started that encouragement to go out and dance with strangers sooner rather than later is so key. At the same time she never badgers you or makes you feel bad if life gets in the way and you can't go to as many social dances as you should. She has a firm but gentle teaching style, she's patient, spontaneous, you can really tell she's a master at her craft, and most importantly that she loves spreading the joy of dancing and wants you to love dancing as well. She's not the cheapest if you're just looking to learn a new dance casually, but the foundational skills we both learned from her have helped my partner and I tremendously as we've moved onto more advanced group classes. Thank you LaurieAnn! read more

LaurieAnn was an excellent dance teacher! My wife and I had never danced before and wanted to learn a simple but fun dance for our first dance at our wedding. LaurieAnn talked with us and helped us decide which dance would be right and then broke things into chunks so we could learn step by step and build on as we progressed. She was very welcoming and non-judgmental even though we had never done this before. We had a wonderful time during our first dance thanks to her! Thank you LaurieAnn! read more

My wife and I wanted to dance at our wedding, and not just sway back and forth a bit. However, I felt very anxious. Although we had danced before we met each other, it seemed like forever ago; I could hardly remember anything. So I found LaurieAnn. In our first lesson, she quickly evaluated our abilities, helped us choose a style that we could do well at, and started giving us moves to practice. I liked her direct communication style, and appreciated her briefly explaining why she taught in a certain way. Her understanding of psychology/education is apparent in the results. The 1-2 minute review video at the end of each lesson was very useful, as was her advice on how to get ourselves to actually practice. After 4 lessons (and just a few minutes of practice most days), we were dancing together and keeping it interesting. It was probably fun to watch us dance but we didn't care because we were having fun. read more

My partner and I had the most amazing time learning to dance with LaurieAnn. She helped us learn an amazing first dance for our wedding and we're hoping to learn more soon. Highly recommend dancing with her. Not only will you learn to dance, you'll learn so much more about yourself and your relationship. read more

LaurieAnn is one of the most brilliant and funny teachers we've ever had in and outside of dancing. It is clear that she is not only knowledgeable of the art of dance but also the psychology of dancing with a partner. LaurieAnn takes the time to understand each of our strengths and weaknesses and tailors her teaching accordingly. My fiancé has had experience with lessons and danced when he was younger and I have never danced before, and yet LaurieAnn has a way of making the lessons fit for both of us. My fiance and I have always wanted to take dance lessons before we were ever engaged and are so glad the wedding pushed us to seek out instructors near our area. We are only half way through our lessons and can't wait to continue when we are back in town. Our goal was simply to feel comfortable dancing together without feeling frustrated and learning to let go and have fun. I'm proud to say that with only a few lessons we are already dancing TOGETHER and have never felt more in sync! We highly recommend her for anyone who is looking to start out dancing to the seasoned dancer. read more

Loved working with LaurieAnn! She made dancing a breeze when I took a lesson with my Dad for our "Daddy daughter dance" so I signed up for dance lessons with my fiance for our wedding. We learned how to do the lindy swing, and LaurieAnn was great with taking videos, being super detailed, and making the lessons fun! I highly recommend her! read more

LaurieAnn is an amazing teacher. Her approach to teaching involves the mental aspects and the history of dance as well as learning the steps. My husband and I looked forward to our lessons each week. LaurieAnn invited us to participate with the Lindy in Park group on Sundays. We love it so much it will now become a regular part of our Sunday routine. read more

Laurie Ann was wonderful! My fiance and I needed some dance lessons for our wedding, and we found Steps on Toes online. Dancing can be so intimidating, especially for those who don't feel comfortable doing it, but Steps on Toes looked friendly--friendlier than dance studios. Laurie Ann gives lessons from her home; she has a large room with floor-length mirrors, and a stereo to hook up your music. Laurie Ann was great at teaching. Dancing does not come easily to me and my fiance had almost zero experience. Laurie Ann not only taught us the dance moves, but explained the process from a mental point of view--how the brain learns. She gave us some great tips about practicing the dance steps in our heads to strengthen the brain when we weren't physically dancing. She was also great at finding little shortcuts and manageable moves for us to play with to spice up the routine. She knows how to work within someone's limits and helped us learn a beautiful, fun routine we were proud to show off for our first dance. We had 3 lessons and they helped us get to a point where we could continue practicing on our own before the wedding day. read more

Laurie Ann is much more than a dance instructor. She knows some relationship secrets. Like: "the sexiest thing is the world is a good lead on the dance floor. " My husband and I had a great time in our lessons with Laurie. And the fun continues... read more

LaurieAnn is amazing!!! My wife and I have been together for 12 years but finally decided to get married this past September. We wanted to do a first dance and a dance with our dads, but didn't think about getting lessons until about a month before the wedding. We found LaurieAnn via yelp and she was able to squeeze us in with about five lessons for our first dance and a practice lesson with our dads in the few weeks before our wedding. She is a miracle worker! While my wife is an incredible dancer, I have no rhythm and we had never really slow danced together, other than the slow dance shuffle that anyone who doesn't know how to dance does. In about five sessions, LaurieAnn taught us the Fox Trot, as well as an inside and outside turn and cute intro, which looked so elegant and as if we had danced together for years. The dance with our dads went equally well and everyone loved it. We bought a package of 15 lessons (LaurieAnn offers many different types of packages) and my wife and I have spent the past few months learning salsa. I don't think there's a dance that LaurieAnn doesn't know, and she is such a patient and skilled teacher. Finally, as a same-sex couple, we felt so comfortable with and embraced by LaurieAnn, who had clearly worked with same-sex couples before. LaurieAnn makes learning to dance incredibly fun and easy! read more

Steps On Toes - LaurieAnn is the reason we rocked our first dance! - Dance Studios Near Me

i don't know who decided on the idea of a first dance. on top of everything else, someone had to go "hey, let's do some ballroom dancing before dinner at our wedding!" what a jackass. so, deep down inside, ballroom dancing does NOT seem like our thing. we love gettin' down to "sexyback," but apparently that doesn't really fly in the wedding world... enter steps on toes, laurie ann lepoff's dance school for klutzes and shy people. already, i feel like she got us, and i hadn't even given her a call. fast forward a couple weeks to our first lesson. the rain had stopped for the first time all day, which i took as a sign of good things to come. we walked in the door, and laurie quickly introduced herself and asked about our goals and our music. we handed over two songs, and she quickly identified that we would probably want something like the foxtrot (more rigid), or the nightclub two step (more fluid.) rigid sounds boring to us, so we quickly got into the basic. laurie ann has obviously had a lot of experience in teaching clueless couples, because she was quick to hone in on what we needed, how it needed to be done, and what language of instruction would work best for us. she was great with explanations and a "plan of attack," so to speak. the bottom line is: this woman knows her stuff, and if you need to learn a dance, this might be the best way for you to do it! however, if you don't have the will to learn it, don't bother, because laurie ann will be the first to tell you it's not worth the time, effort or funds to do so. check out her website for more info at http://stepsontoes.com! read more

Laurie Ann is an amazing dance teacher and an amazing person at that. My wife and I wanted to learn a dance for our wedding and chose Laurie Ann based on these reviews on Yelp. She far exceeded our expectations. Neither me nor my wife had any ballroom dance experience and we were pretty nervous about what to expect. Laurie Ann was patient with us, taught us the basics first, gave us homework, and prepped us for dancing the Rumba to the song we chose for our first dance. We had 5 lessons with her and hope to sign up for more in the future just for fun! I should mention that my wife and I are a same-sex couple, and Laurie Ann could not have been more welcoming. We figured out who would follow and lead, and she took it from there. As far as price, it was well worth it, and she gave us a great deal. Our first dance was a hit and we had a blast. Thank you Laurie Ann!! :-) read more

We had a lovely time getting to know LaurieAnn during our first lesson. It's clear from the first 90 minutes of working with her she KNOWS her stuff. She's thorough, spends time talking about your goals, is patient and sweet, breaks down both the moves for the dance but also the thought process behind it all (a very insightful way to help you make sense of it), and makes you feel at ease. read more

We had been planning on doing a swing dance for our wedding in the summer, and wanted to find someone local to teach us who had a flexible schedule. We sent Laurie Ann a YouTube video of a dance we liked to the music we wanted to use. Right off the bat, Laurie Ann gave us a lesson on the differences between lindy hop and the easier east coast swing, with detailed recommendations on how we should proceed in preparing for the dance. We were instantly sold, and booked our first set of 5 lessons. Our first lesson went through the basics, and Laurie Ann gave us an in depth overview of the theory behind east coast swing as well as a solid start regarding the concepts of connection with your partner and such. The first week practicing solo was a struggle, but by the third lesson, we were already dancing! Greg is what many view as unteachable in terms of dancing, and Laurie Ann, the miracle worker, got him dancing and really enjoying himself within 3 weeks! What really impressed us was how Laurie Ann was able to break down the various steps and movements and explain them in a variety of ways, tailored to how each of us learned best. Laurie Ann would use actual demonstration and/or explanation with words as needed, and also weave in some hilarious anecdotes that really helped the corrections stick! We are now at our 7th lesson, and eagerly look forward to working with Laurie Ann each week. She really is an amazing teacher, and has gotten us hooked on social dancing. We can see it being a part of our lives well after the wedding. It has also brought us a lot closer, having to work together to get the push/pull and coordination just right. On the big day, everything went phenomenally! We were confident, poised, and most importantly, relaxed! Super fun dance, which everyone loved! read more

Laurie Ann is a very nice and patient instructor. She taught us some basic lessons because me and my partner won a free lesson. It was very nice and fun. read more

We loved our session with Laurie Ann! Her knowledge and experience is expansive and she introduced us to ideas and techniques that will help us with all our dancing, not just the specific dance we were working on. I really can't say enough about how great Laurie Ann is! read more

Laurie Ann is truly a teacher for klutzes . I am one of them. She has been very patient and supportive of me in learning steps, posture and balance. John Sullivan read more

LaurieAnn helped us look like we actually know how to dance! She suggested a swing dance for us and taught us the basic steps. We ended up taking two private lessons with her and then a social dance class that she suggested. I think the combination of the social class and the private lessons really helped us hone our new skills. Our first dance was so fun and we nailed the dip at the end. Yes! read more

Wow!! I have a wedding in less than 2 weeks...when I took a class from Laurie Ann, I had about 1 month till the wedding day. She was a wonderful teacher and worked with my fiance and I to learn the steps at our pace. We have been practicing and Im sure the wedding dance will turn out just perfect!!! I can now dance something other than 'slow dance'!!! I highly recommend her to anyone looking to learn some new moves! read more

Laurie Ann is a phenomenal dance instructor- doesn't overload you with too much at once and breaks it down so you can really understand the dance. She is one of those dance instructors who loves what she does, knows what she's doing, AND knows how to TEACH dance to others! highly recommended for wedding dance lessons! read more

I'm sorry it has taken me so long to write this review, I thought I did it a year ago. Laurie Ann taught us an amazing first dance for our wedding, which we decided to take lessons for a short 5 weeks before our big day. I was quite nervous to say the least on whether or not we would be wasting out money but she was great. She is a very patient teacher, my husband is a really bad dancer, and with all the wedding stress I can't say I didn't get frustrated with him a lot during our lessons. Laurie Ann was great and keeping the peace and was really able to have both my husband and I looking like pros. Our dance included a lift and a dip and our friends and family were so impressed at our wedding. It was definitely more than I planned to spend on learning a 3 minute dance that I haven't done since my wedding day, but you get what you pay for. Thank you again Laurie Ann! read more

Laurie Ann is a wonderful teacher! It takes me a while to get what I'm supposed to be doing. Laurie Ann is very patient and maintains a great attitude and smile on her face even when I've had to repeat and repeat and repeat one little part of a dance. This makes all the difference to a person with two left feet. She is able to identify the small things I'm doing wrong which are making it hard for me to do the dance. She has great ideas on ways for me to think of something which turn out to be just the right thing to get me to the next step. It's very easy to learn from Laurie Ann. I highly recommend her! read more