I came to SuperShag Dance studio after having several physical challenges and wanted to feel better both in mind and body. My instructor, Imi, has patiently worked with me in how to use my body efficiently and to its maximum in the moment. I have learned how to waltz, tango, foxtrot, vienesse waltz, Argentine tango and many night club social dances. I have tried other studios to see where I would learn the most and grow, and hands down I found SuperShag to offer the most for me. SuperShag has the best instructors around - I would even say in the country. They consistently rank as one of the top 3 studios in the US at competitions - winning many local and regional events as Top Studio. This is because they focus on what they do best - teaching students how to dance. The instructors work tirelessly to find ways to work at each individual's level in regard to their goals to dance their own bodies. SuperShag is one of the few studios that faithfully offers a Friday night social dance - with fun upbeat music and lots of personal attention from the teachers. This is the place to be for practice, practice, practice. And to have lots of fun and sweat! I recommend SuperShag Dance Studios to anyone interested in truly learning how to ballroom dance. Personalized attention is what they do best. Try them, and tell them what you are looking for....they will meet your needs. read more

SuperShag Dance Studios - Something magical about ballroom competitions! - Performing Arts Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

First time- we came for the open lesson and dance party. It was so fun! I highly recommend.

We came into Supershag to get help with our first dance for our wedding. We were very clear about what we were looking for - some simple and fun wanted simple choreography. We were promised curated lessons but the instructor gave us a very cookie cutter routine that didn't fit our music at all. When we arrived for our second lesson, he didn't have any recollection of our song, nor what he taught us the week before so we ended up spending another $113 on a lesson where we learned nothing new. Our instructor was very nice but it was very apparent that we were not a priority and were getting "one-size-fits-all" lesson even though it didn't suit us work with us or the song. If you're not interested in formal lessons I would recommend going somewhere else! Before starting, we purchased a 5 lesson package, discontinued after 2, and weren't even refunded half of what we paid - even though we didn't take the remaining three lessons which I think is really unfair. read more

Have been taking ballroom lessons with Tibor for the past 8 months, and having a blast! They have been great exercise for both the body and mind! I look forward to attending the Friday night dance parties!! read more

Ugh. I tried this place, I really did. I came in person during their open hours, I waited patiently to speak to an instructor, and even though the place was pretty much empty (it was Monday), it took the guy five minutes to either notice I was there or finish contemplating his navel and come over. He said he was too busy (?) to answer my questions, but told me to call tomorrow after noon and speak to 'any of the managers'. Tuesday afternoon I called and left a message. I called the Charlestown studio and left a message. I called the main line just for the hell of it. Nothing. Now the rest of the story- I was surprising a friend of mine with a dance lesson, and she had no idea what was going on, but she had agreed to meet me at a mysterious place and found some time in her schedule to do it, and it had to be Tuesday PM, so I had to schedule it in that window. At 4:00 PM I called Arthur Murray Dance Studios, and a human answered, scheduled us for a free private lesson that evening, and answered all of my questions with candor and politeness. Now was that that hard? So Wednesday I get FOUR calls from an instructor at Supershag (apparently it takes them 24 hours to check their voicemail) when I'm in a client meeting. When I call the number he keeps leaving in my voicemail and leave him a message to stop calling me, his answering machine hangs up on me. When i finally was able to answer his repeated annoying calls, I explained to him that my time was valuable and I didn't have time to play phone-tag, they lost my business, and to please stop calling me. Who knows, maybe they're a great studio. But their business practices suck. AMDS may be expensive, but at least they don't waste my time. read more

I really wanted to learn how to dance which then lead me to Supershag Dance Studios. Unfortunately my experience wasn't what I expected it to be. I came in for a free introductory lesson and felt thinking that I'll probably never go back because of it. I don't want to name any names but my private instructor wasn't that friendly and seemed frustrated with me when I would get things wrong. I'm a headstrong female that likes to take the lead and I can't help it if that also shows when I dance with a partner. Another thing was that at the end my instructor sat down with me and gave me a critique which wasn't very encouraging. He basically told me that everything "needs work" but also slightly rolled his eyes every time he said "needs work." Well there's a reason why I wanted to take lessons! Dancing is suppose to be fun, not a life commitment. Edit - 10/26/07 I added a star because I received a message from the owner of Supershag saying that he was sorry to hear that I had a bad experience. He also offered another free introductory lesson in place of the previous one I had. Two thumbs up to an owner who is being proactive! read more

I started taking ballroom dancing lessons here several years ago and got hooked! The instructors here are top notch and the studio wins best studio awards at almost all their national competitions. With them I have progressively reached new levels of performance and, lest I get comfortable, my instructor makes sure I get challenged every time I return. There is a real family atmosphere here and they have regular shows and parties. I have made so many great friends through this studio because we all have a major thing in common....we all love to dance! For the longest time I thought my instructor, Dave, was the best, but it seems they keep getting new instructors, all of them great dancers and fun personalities. Eric, not my instructor but always there working when I go in for classes, is a top-notch guy....really nice and such a great instructor! (he taught a couple of group lessons when he first started). Tibor, another instructor, is a crazy, fun guy but also very serious when it comes to taking care of his students and teaching others about ballroom and competitions. They have Friday night parties with mixers that ensure that every person gets to dance. There is usually a show or more on Friday nights to allow competitors to have a trial run on their routines. Then they turn on the lounge in the back room and the crowd really starts to let loose. Free food and beverage and you realize what a great time you can have for short cash. They recently renovated the studio and it looks great! The dressing rooms are bigger and they have competitions playing constantly on the big screen tvs. I took lessons at a very well-known ballroom studio before dancing with Supershag and I have to say that the Bronze level students here dance better than the gold level dancers there, so, if you love ballroom, this is the place to be in Boston!!! read more

They are simply amazing. I hadn't taken lessons in ages and had never done partner dancing-they made me comfortable and helped me learn a totally new style of dance. It may be expensive, but you get what you pay for and they are COMPLETELY worth the expense. If you want to learn ballroom they are the best there is. Period. read more

My review is of the Waltham facility where we took a total of 30 private lessons. They are a good marketing machine, but they fall short in a number of areas: - My wife and I signed up for a ten lesson. We knew nothing about what we were doing and the instructor recommended that we learn a few steps of eight different dance styles. Net result is at the end of ten lessons, we didn't know enough of any dance style to be able to dance to anything (you need 8-10 moves to be able to dance to anything). I would have preferred if the dance instructor had offered us the option to focus on one single dance style, but then again the goal is to have you keep signing up for lessons and not to have you become self sufficient. - No effort was made to teach us the names of the various moves making it more difficult for us to practice on our own and create our own routine. Again, I suspect the goal is to sell you more lessons. - They have only two rooms: a large one and an attached smaller one with no door between the two. That means whenever you have multiple lessons being given you hear everyone else's music. Not good when you are just starting. - They have a limited number of instructors and very few female instructors. - They had no availability for private lessons on weekends. My wife and I both work and we are raising a family so getting away weeknights was tough. On the plus side: - we liked our instructor Daniel who taught us lessons 20-30. - there are a lot of restaurants in the area so you can dinner following your lessons. Dancing is fantastic couples activity and excellent exercise. I recommend: 1) that you and your partner agree on a single dance style and focus on that until you have enough moves to be able to dance to a 3-4 minute song. 2) that the guy to take the initial lessons by himself until he is proficient as he will need to lead. If your wife/girlfriend starts at the same time as the guy she will invariably try to lead and tell you what you are doing wrong even though she is learning herself. The guy needs to know more than the gal for this to go well. 3) Learn either chachacha, hustle, or east coast swing (in that order). At least 50% of pop tunes today are to a chachacha beat so you will be able to dance all night at clubs. Hustle and swing beats are prevalent in music from the 80s and 90s. If you are into Latin, learn salsa & meringue. Have fun! read more

I went here with some friends on friday night and we had a blast. Everyone was so friendly, sharing dance partners and such. The owners were really nice too, taking time to meet us newbies and talk up the studio, making an effort to remember our names and such. The beginner class before hand was easy to follow and a nice help for the next two hours. Well worth the $15 for the night (8:30 to 11+). Oh, and they serve free refreshments on fridays, too. read more

I've been taking ballroom lessons at SuperShag for about 5 months, sometimes at the Charlestown location, sometimes here. This spot is a lot bigger which can be good (more space) or bad (not as cozy) - I like both. I was a spaz on the dance floor when I started and the staff went out of their way to make a newby comfortable. The atmosphere is laid back and students are all ages and levels. read more

I love these guys. My first ever private lesson was at Supershag about 12 years ago. There has been a tremendous turnover in instructors from when I first started there, but the place still has a great feel. The owners, Chris and Tibor, are both great guys that are a lot of fun to be around. Over the years I've developed as a dancer, moved on, worked for another studio, and now own my own studio, and I still always feel welcome whenever I go to Waltham for a social dance or to their Saturday night parties at Ryles Jazz Club in Cambridge. I love their DJ, Matt, and their head female instructor, Rachel. My wife and I met at Supershag, and we rented out the studio for our wedding three years ago. That's all that really needs to be said, I love this place and I love their staff! read more

Overall experience for the cost of the lessons.. was a big thumbs down for me. read more

As a newcomer to ballroom dancing, I was prepared for frustration while learning something new. What I didn't expect was Super Shag's lack of respect towards some of its clients. I took lessons for almost a year and observed some subtle but clear put-downs under the guise of being "funny." At one of their Friday night parties, a teacher got down on his knees, making fun of a woman's height. Before a showcase performance, in an on-camera mini-interview, another instructor made retching noises, with his partner standing by. I had one of the newer instructors, and he made some weird comments, ended up talking too much about his personal life, and even forgot a scheduled lesson. Some of the teachers are helpful and consistently professional. There are also a couple of female instructors, who according to the male students I talked with, are very nice and professional, as well. Super Shag is nationally ranked and throws lively parties, but the overall tone is of an Old Boys Club with varying degrees of professionalism. I've had lessons with various teachers at other local dance studios, where the focus is on consistently high teaching standards and a genuine commitment to each and every student. read more

I took private lessons for a few months here. My instructor, who probably figured he was just being friendly, asked me all sorts of personal questions...then told me more about his personal life than I wanted to know! Not very professional! The other thing that wasn't helpful was that we hardly ever danced to music, because there were so many other instructors giving lessons at the same time (the room is pretty big.) So when I went to a club, it was really hard because I didn't have much practice doing the steps to music. It's easier taking lessons at smaller places with one or two smaller rooms. read more

I have been dancing here for about a month and a half now. I decided to write a review because I felt that the older, negative reviews were unfairly dragging down the overall rating for this location. David S.' review in particular concerned me, for while he had a bad experience attempting to get started and that is of course no good, it also sounded like he never got past that to actually dance at the studio itself - and that's no good basis for a review, either. In comparison to David S.' review, I called once, left a message, and received a callback the same day. Initially, they will invite you in for a single, free lesson, to help you get an idea of the location and what they offer. I scheduled mine for two weeks later. Upon arrival, I was given a brief tour of the studio and introduced to an instructor, then we began dancing immediately. To be honest, the Waltham studio is difficult to find at first, as they have no outdoor signage. I don't know if this is due to the building's policy or what. If you call in, however, they are more than happy to give you directions to help you find it. The gal who answered the phone when I called was able to describe (in detail) the sequence of stores on Moody Street between where I was standing and where the entrance of the studio was. After your first lesson, there will be an introductory period in which they will teach you an assortment of moves from different dances. This is in no way intended to make you a decent dancer by the end of it. It's more to give you an idea of the different styles of dance, and to allow you to see if there's one style you like more than another. If you are slow at picking up steps, this foundation alone will not be enough for you to feel proficient. The style of instruction seems more of a partnership than an autocratic teacher forcing students to do the same move in endless repetition. You need to know what you want, and you have to communicate that to the instructor. He or she will then adjust accordingly. They aren't mind readers, but they are skilled professionals who know how to dance and want to share that knowledge with others. Providing feedback to the instructor right then and there on the floor is essential to feeling satisfied with this beginning stage. If you want to focus on one thing instead of trying many, say it! They will do just that! The studio itself, as mentioned in another review, has two main "areas," separated by a hallway of sorts. One section is large, and it's where most classes are taught. If you are taking private lessons, you will sometimes be out on this main floor, but you may also find yourself in the smaller area if you are working on a dance that does not require a lot of space. It's designed to have an open flow, so these areas are not separated by doors or walls, and sound can travel. If you have difficulty focusing on immediate sounds vs. distant ones, this could prove challenging. Still, given that this is social dancing, or possibly competitive dancing where you are one of many couples on the floor, this sort of open setup should not be a surprise. Should you consider continuing after this stage, they have several different price structures. Keep in mind that no matter where you go, ballroom dancing is not a hobby you get into on the cheap. Importantly, I never got the feeling that the pressure was on the instructor or the studio to sell more classes. Yes, they are a business, and continuing their business requires continued enrollment. My instructor, however, presented me with three different plans, was more than happy to answer questions, and did not push one plan above another. If you are like me and NOT going because of a wedding, subsequent lessons are generally tailored around a set goal. This is often creating a short dance routine from a particular style that you and the instructor decide on over the first month or so. Your input is valued, so if you have a favorite song you want to dance to, bring it up. They will create choreography for you, and you can choose to perform it at one of their seasonal showcases - this is not a requirement. SuperShag does have regular Friday night social dances. The more you dance and the more people you dance with, the more comfortable you feel. I was extremely nervous the first time I attended one, as I only knew my instructor and one or two other people. Everyone there was very pleasant, however, and people will ask you to dance with them. In addition, my instructor kept an eye out for me during the night to make sure I danced at least a few times and wasn't overwhelmed. There are "mixer" dances, in which you end up dancing with several people you may not know. So far, though I am not very skilled, everyone I have danced with has been quite polite and helped me stumble across the floor as gracefully as possible. read more

I began dancing here with the Brandeis Ballroom Dance Team about three years ago and have no intention of switching to another studio. I have taken group lessons, private lessons, and had a pseudo-business partnership with the studio and all experiences have been amazing. Just as a warning, this will be a long review, with some close looks at the people that I've interacted with the most. I began with Brandeis' group bronze lessons with Danielle, who breaks down all the steps and makes sure every student understands the choreography before moving on. She (and other instructors) are more than happy to add to the dance or begin another one if asked. Erik, who teaches the group silver lessons for Brandeis has a unique sense of humor that takes a bit getting used to (only he sees the humor. You learn to just laugh at how amused he is) but is an excellent teacher as well. He moves at a faster pace and focuses more on technique than Danielle does, but that could also be because he's teaching a higher level class. I have also taken formation lessons with Aaron, which were a key part of my falling in love with ballroom dancing. He always picked fun songs to dance to and was always aware of the dancers' levels (the Brandeis formation team has a mix of levels ranging from beginner to champ at times) and patiently explained the more advanced steps to beginners while emphasizing technique for more advanced dancers. Formation lessons with Krisztian were similar, though he wanted the dancers to pick the music and theme. He likes to challenge the dancers and often adjusts the choreography as they become more advanced. At the 2012 Harvard Invitational, the formation team was actually praised for its choreography and most people didn't believe it when they were told that more than half the dancers had been dancing for less than a year. This past year, I've been taking private lessons with Krisztian. My partner began dancing after I did and we were on completely different levels, both of which were lower than 2 years of dance should have put us (our fault. Not enough practice), but Krisztian somehow magically shrank the gap between us and bring us up to a level expected of us. Besides being full-time students and running our ballroom team (more on that later), we both saw significant improvement in our technique, repertoire of steps, and partner-connection. When there was some inevitable team drama, Krisztian encouraged us to continue dancing and work out our differences and our dancing has only gotten better since. We look forward to the studio-hosted Boston Ballroom Conference and Competition in September! Now on to the pseudo-business aspect; as competitive captain, formation captain, and occasional acting vp of the Brandeis Ballroom Dance Team, I got to know several of the staff and other instructors that I did not have the opportunity to take lessons with. First off, Andy, the manager, is magical. There were several times when the team was in financial trouble and he went above and beyond what he and the studio were asked to do including prize donations, event sponsership, and other services. He, and other members of the studio, are very understanding when it comes to financial difficulty and usually a serious conversation with either him, your instructor, and/or the receptionist results in fair accommodations. Also, don't underestimate how important the receptionist is. Of the three I know best, I won't speak of two of them because they were members of the team and that would be extremely biased, but Carrie is wonderful. She truly cares about the studio, its staff, and its students, and always takes the time to follow up on lesson time-changes, answer questions, etc. Everybody at the studio makes an effort to get to know you and help you improve. I've had instructors watching me and the formation team practice and practically give a free group lesson (thanks Jess!) and everybody says hello to everybody else on a regular basis, even the students! The environment is extremely friendly and the Friday night parties encourage interaction, with people switching partners and dancing with people that they've never met before. I brought a friend with no dance experience once and when asked if she wanted to go again a year later, she suggested that we bring a big group of people. All the members of the RPI ballroom team who came to compete at Brandeis' competition attended the Friday night Supershag party the night before and they left with glowing reviews. I highly recommend trying group lessons and going to the Friday party (in which there's free food and beverages) to start so you can get to know more people and begin to incorporate into the community. Whether you want to dance competitively or socially, Supershag is a great place to not only dance, but get to know some great people that you may otherwise never meet. read more

I had never tried ballroom dancing, and I ended up at this studio through the recommendation of friends. That was probably the best advice I've ever gotten from anyone! The instructors are the best, and even I like the parties (and I generally can't stand crowds or anything resembling a club.) Most important to me, because I work a crazy schedule, they always were understanding about accomodating my scheduling needs. And the more into dance I get, the more I realize how much I lucked out in terms of quality of instruction. There simply isn't any studio that compares if you want to seriously learn ballroom dancing and learn it correctly. And the price is more than fair, plus the range of options available--you aren't locked into a package and your progress isn't based on what package of lessons you buy, either, like at the chain studios. Also unlike your average chain, you don't have to be a member to come to the socials. read more