Full disclosure: before setting foot in the studio I wasn't sold. I'm pretty confident, but this…read morenew experience had me a little uneasy - and it had my husband REALLY uneasy:). It took about 1 minute after we'd arrived to feel completely comfortable and like we'd been coming there for years. The instructors really know their stuff and are super easy going. I never felt judged or put on the spot, and every time we're there we always have a really fun time - even my husband loves it! There's something nice about forgetting everything else that's happening in life and just dancing with people you really like. I've heard horror stories about other dance studios in Chicago, but all of the BDC locations are really nice and convenient to get to. Super clean, comfortable, and welcoming - you can't go wrong. I've made friends here and will continue to send friends to BDC knowing full well it's the best in Chicago and that they will get their money's worth (and more)! Totally recommended to get moving a little bit, laugh a LOT, meet some great people, learn some sweet dance moves, and be apart of an establishment that is clearly well run. So glad we took a chance on BDC!

Ballroom Dance Chicago is a MUST for your first dance. We learned custom choreography in 7…read more45-minute lessons that made our first dance unforgettable - all of our guests were blown away! I was honestly shocked at what we accomplished in that amount of time (neither of us have major dancing experience). Our first dance was one of my favorite parts of the wedding day and the lessons made for incredibly fun date nights. Angela was our teacher and she was fantastic to work with. Their multiple locations and online scheduling are also extremely convenient. The owner, Matt, goes above and beyond as well. I cannot recommend this company enough!!

I did a work team building activity in the Chicagoland area hosted by Parties That Cook. I'll admit…read moreI seldom cook for myself (if anything I enjoy baking more), but this looked like something fun and I was looking forward to getting to know my colleagues a bit more. From what I can gather, Parties that Cook is a mobile cooking company that goes to different venues in a certain geographic area and hosts cooking classes for groups. Our event was at a community center in one of the Chicago suburbs. The first 30 minutes acted as kind of a mixer; they had an open bar and some cheese and crackers for us to nom on - they also had some music playing which added to the mingling atmosphere. There were a total of six cooking stations, each laid out with a recipe and the ingredients you needed to make the dish. Before we began, chef David went through each station with us, giving an overview of each dish and some hot tips in order for us to be successful. He was great - he had an awesome personality, great sense of humor, and was really helpful. We were split into an even number of groups to cover each station. While the staff did prep some of the more time consuming things for us, most of the work was done by my group and I. We were in charge of making onion, apple, and cheddar tarts topped with honey. The recipe was a great catalyst to get to know one each other better and work as a team - plus the finished product tasted good too. At the end we all got to sit and enjoy the dishes made by all the groups. Overall I had a great time - Parties That Cook definitely was a fun way to work together, get to know each other a bit more, and enjoy tasty food.

Excellent, well-executed and fun team-building experience. I admit being skeptical of this…read more"cooking school" dinner event at a recent business meeting. But it was arguably the most beneficial part of the day. Turns out, folks who have known each other for years or just minutes will make new connections when working together over a cutting board or cooking pot. And the staff at Parties that Cook did an excellent job organizing, structuring and coaching us through a fun, high-energy evening (and keeping our wine glasses filled). And yes, we prepared our entire meal, from appetizers to dessert. And this was not mac and cheese. The menu was innovative and appropriately challenging. (When was the last time you prepared persimmons?) Bottom line, this is far better than the typical post-meeting reception/dinner experience, especially for groups that could use an interactive spark. Highly recommended as an out-of-the-ordinary team building activity.

We came here with a couples deal for a 90-minute Surfset class, but it happened to have just been…read morethe two of us that night - yay private session! The Surfset workout was really fun. Definitely worth a try! Even if you work out regularly, doing all those familiar exercises while balancing on the Surfset is a whole new challenge and really good way to mix it up. I wouldn't call my lifestyle completely "active" - if anything, my love for food and indulgence is basically the opposite, but Kimberly was encouraging and understanding, willing to tailor it up or down to our needs with each exercise we were doing. I felt challeneged in a very positive way without feeling like I was put down. Her dedication to fitness is an inspiration. I really wish that we could have this equipment to use without her instruction ALL the time or have it always be in a class setting, but the first time you'd definitely need someone to tell you what you can do with the thing. Go give it a try! This is pretty much the only place in the area you can do it, and I wholeheartedly recommend Kimberly for the experience. Looks like she's also running groupon deals.... so you should go buy one.

Kimberley is a very supportive and experienced trainer that gets results…read more Ever time I leave my sessions with her I feel stronger and more toned....but I never feel injured and like she compromises me body in any way. She teaches surf set classes as well as one on one training. She competes in many different sports and fitness things and if you are training for something like that, she can get you were you want to be. Excellent disposition and caring attitude. With hardcore fitness goals in mind!

It's NOT the "book read" training. I took some Pro/E training there, and was quite impressed…read more The instructors are in demand as speakers at the various Pro/E user group conferences. They Maya/Alias/Photoshop instructor really knows his material, as well. You learn by DOING, as opposed to killing time, fumbling through pages in a text book. This school is a real find. They keep their class sizes very small, so it's good to book your training in advance, to get the dates that work for you!

I attended a Pro Engineer level 1 class in October of 2012. After 1 week I was amazed at the wealth…read moreof information that was taught and then applied to Pro Engineer. It is now almost 6 months later and I am completely confident using Pro Engineer and have been able surpass people in the office that have been using Pro Engineer for over 10 years.

I love this studio! The instructors spend time with each student during the class ensuring everyone…read morecontinues to excel. I've made many friends here as well. I appreciate the positive fun atmosphere.

This is a special place. Every instructor is talented & welcoming. If I had more time, I would be…read morehere almost every day. Big shout out to Jorge Alvarez who teaches super fun cha cha, salsa & shines classes that I look forward to every week!!

100% recommend. All I can say is WOW. This was a service I never knew I wanted or needed so…read moregreatly. Robin was an angel and a confidant. Real and trustworthy. She was there for me, my son, and my husband before, during, and after birth. Having her as part of my birth story will be something I'm forever grateful for and if I'm blessed enough to have another child, I'll want her on my team again. Ps: She offered to snap photos of when I gave birth, capturing moments I would never have had without her. What a gift.

I really wanted a great doula for a complicated pregnancy. But Robin slept through my son's birth,…read moreeven after I told her at 5 pm I was checking into the hospital the week of my due date. When I talked to Robin, she said she was at an event and didn't have a car with her so she couldn't leave to come to the hospital at that time, because she was dependant on someone else for a ride. She assured me she would come and said she'd never slept through a birth. She also told me most mothers labor for 12+ hours and not to worry since I wasn't dilated at all. I was given Cervidil. In the middle of the night my son's heart rate started dropping. Cervidil was removed, my son's heart rate stabilized and I was given two options: Do a more controlled C-section or try to labor longer and then likely have an emergency C-section. I tried to get ahold of Robin. She slept through the text and phone call. So I opted to do a more controlled C-section which took a while since I couldn't have an epidural and it took more than 30 minutes for the spinal to take. Robin never showed up to the hospital and it took weeks, months, to get a partial refund. I never got a full refund. She also didn't call a back-up doula. She made a really frustrating situation -- of sleeping through my son's birth -- even worse by having to spent weeks of back and forth emails (and my son was a NICU baby) trying to get some of my money back. More troubling she also sent an NDA to me -- which I didn't sign -- to try and make sure this wasn't disclosed. Accidents happen but the follow-up was more problematic. Yes, her father died in the weeks after my son's birth and that is awful, but sending an NDA to try and cover-up the situation of sleeping through a birth was really awful and weeks of emails to get a partial refund difficult as I was recovering from a difficult pregnancy and delivery was troublesome. This happened in the summer of 2017. It's taken me a long time to process everything. I'm sure most births aren't like this, but other expectant moms need to be aware. I would hate for anyone else to go through something like this.