Austin Uptown Dance

I love this place! My husband and I had a date here where we took lessons and practiced afterwards. It was clean. The people were very nice. You do have to be a little forward and ask for what you want so they will direct you about what you need to do. And just because no one is there 10 minutes before, this does not mean whatever you came for is not going to happen. People show up at the last minute. Though there is usually an employee or 2 around.
Experience #2. We sent our teen to the teen dance. It was awesome. Lessons before hand and he did bring a partner. And a dance to practice with all sorts of styles afterwards. All at a reasonable rate. It is clean, no alcohol and plenty of staff around. So a safe place for kids to dance!

Had a great time learning jitterbug swing here. I recommend the group lessons as switching partners keeps you from being dependant on a single partner’s style. All the instructors are friendly and fun to learn under.

First and foremost, I’ve danced all over this city and I haven’t found a single studio that has the simple, perfect combination of quality and excellence in instruction along with a supportive, friendly atmosphere.
Truly, Uptown will always be my preference and as it happens, it is starting to feel like a home away from home.

I’m very critical about dance schools since I grew up dancing competitively. I came here on the Austin Free Day of Dance in January 2015 and was thoroughly impressed by all of the instructors and ballroom/​Latin classes!
What really exemplifies their ability to teach is the degree to which the men progress throughout a class. I know you men have a lot of responsibility to lead us and really know your stuff and many guys have a difficult time living up to the task, which is mighty painful for a woman who knows how to dance. The men here noticeably improved within the hour because of the instructors’ eye and ability to teach details about the frame and connection I seldom have seen taught so well. I learned an important way to hold the leader’s hand which has already transformed my following technique. Someone last week said I was so easy to lead!
Take the Cha Cha here as well as the Salsa. They teach very unique combos in a very understandable manner. ¡Bailamos!

Uptown is great! Not only do they have some of the best instructors in town, they also have the best dance floor in Central Texas. What more could you ask for?

Our daughter gave us one month unlimited classes a few years back… and let’s just say, we had NEVER danced a step before in our lives. We immediately got hooked on all the different styles of dances and started venturing out to social dance. Now we have a whole new family of friends… our dance friends!
The instructors at Austin Uptown Dance are so good at making everyone feel comfortable. If you are missing out on enjoying the events where you sit on the sidelines and watch everyone else have fun, trust me… Austin Uptown Dance can turn you into the person who burns up the dance floor!
Hope to see you there!

I went yesterday with my boyfriend to try the walk in special which included the jitterbug swing and the east coast swing. I truly did love the class it was fun, the instructor was very nice and helpful and it couldn’t have been better. Definaty will be back!

The instructors at Uptown Dance have made a dancer out of me. Whether it is Travis, Sherry, Robbie or anyone else — the instructors are great. It is a great experience and also a great place to meet new people! Their showcase each year is fantastic, and it gives opportunities for the students to show off what they have learned. Try it — you will love it!

My boyfriend and I tried the couples’ package and private lessons with Tehya. We were preparing for a formal event, and my boyfriend was a total beginner. We started off with some of the group classes, though they give a lot of information in each and we needed some time to let that soak in. So a note to beginners, you might get excited and try to take four classes in a row, but you’ll probably get them all mixed up by the day’s end :)
If you can afford it, the private lessons are really worth it. We were free to ask questions, break down moves, and go at our own pace. Tehya was even accommodating one night when I was running late, and I really appreciate her kindness.
Unlike other dance studios I’ve attended, I did not feel like I had the screws turned on me once the introductory pricing ends. The studio is honest and upfront about their pricing, and they aren’t pushy. I plan on going back. They hold a lot of social dance events every weekend, and it looks like a good time.
Oh, and finally, my boyfriend did a really good job at this with only 3 private lessons and a few group lessons. We learned a lot, and it was a really fun thing to do as a couple.

I can’t speak for the other teachers here or the group classes, but we had 2 private lessons with Jess/​j Jessica. She was terrific! We learned so much in those two lessons and she was very willing to teach us what we wanted to learn rather than follow a one-​size-​fits-​all approach which is what you get with classes and which can be frustrating.
In two lessons we really learned a lot– more than we expected and enough to «dance in public».
She sometimes runs an ad on Craigslist where you can get an otherwise unpublished, lower price for your first two lessons. We’ll be back for more!

Been going to Uptown since I moved here a couple of years ago… I enjoy still taking lessons… to keep sharp and learn new steps. I have seen friends start from scratch and become accomplished dancers within a short period of time, mostly due to the excellent instruction they received from all of the instructors.
They don’t just train you to «Dance with the Stars»…they teach you how to dance for fun on a crowded dancefloor with your friends! What an awesome experience!
To the instructors (who are all friends now, by the way)…Thank you!!!

This is quick, because I’m super busy and getting married in 3 days but I seriously had to stop and write a recommendation because I was blown away imprese. My fiancé called yesterday to set up one private lesson to get comfortable with our first dance song. They fit us in today for an hour long private lesson. Kylie was our instructor and she was awesome! She taught us a few simple moves (neither of us are very good dancers) and practiced with us until we were comfortable and knew the steps. I seriously couldn’t be happier, and now we’re planning to come back for the group lessons after our honeymoon. Oh, and to top it all off– the lesson was free! We’re hoping to fit another one in tomorrow to practice with my wedding dress, but even if we end up getting too busy to make it, we feel confident that we won’t be totally embarrassed with 140 people watching us on the dance floor. Thanks Kylie!

This is a great place to learn to dance. My wife and I have been coming here for about 6 months and we love it. The instructors are all very nice and patient with the students. The place is also very clean. Definitely recommend the place for anyone with aspirations to learn how to dance.

I recently got married and we wanted to choreograph our first dance so we decided to take private lessons at Uptown Dance. I’m not sure what their definition of a «private lesson» is but to me it is not:
1) Sharing a room with 3 other couples so that you barely have room to move or dance to the music you want
2) Not doing absolutely jack for the first 30 minutes because the instructor «forgot» the dance and has to re-​learn it all over again! Also, keep in mind that the lessons are ONLY 1 hour
3) The instructor not even looking at us when we are practicing our dance because he is too busy cutting the music that he already did last week but forgot to save! Talk about not coming to class prepared.
I’ve taken A LOT of private lessons in my life (I’m Asian, what do you expect?), so I definitely know what I should expect and this is definitely not it. Shame on you Uptown Dance for charging an arm and a leg for a half-​ass private lesson that you can’t even accurately keep track of in your computer that has software probably dated back to 1990. If I wasn’t a Unilocaler, I would ask for my money back but I think a bad review is the ultimate revenge.

If you’re reading this, you have probably decided to go to a dance studio for some lessons. Maybe you took free lessons in dance halls or just imitated other dancers like I did for a while, but you have now decided that you want to become noticeably improved. Perhaps you want to lead better or follow better, or know the correct footwork without stepping on your partner’s feet. Maybe you want to know some cool moves or styling that doesn’t look like what everyone else is doing. On further thought, you think it just might be fun! Well, Austin Uptown Dance is the place for you!
I have been attending Uptown since mid 2008. Some of my dance friends and I started trying out some of the studios in Austin. I started by buying a class card to attend some classes taught by one of the instructors, Sherry Reynolds, an award winning dancer and masters level dance judge. Sherry is very knowledgeable and has a very unique way of explaining dance that seems to make «sense» to me. If ever I have a question about a specific move or uncertainty from attending an out-​of– town dance workshop, Sherry is the one who can make me understand.
After taking several of Sherry’s classes and some from the other knowledgeable instructors, I moved up to the unlimited monthly group class program. Trying a lot of the different class offered, from Salsa and Latin to Country and Ballroom, has helped me take my dancing to a higher level and improve my overall ability. Last year I started competing on the County Western Pro/​Am circuit as a Newcomer with Kristy Watson. She is a wonderfully personable and cheery teacher who has really improved my Two Step, Triple Two, Waltz, Cha Cha, West Coast and Nightclub dancing through private lessons. Her Group classes are just plain fun with great explanation, technique and useful social patterns. All of the ladies seem to want to mimic her styling.
While Kristy and Sherry are the heart and soul of the Uptown, there are many other great instructors, and I cannot mention them all. However I should note some of the male instructors that have made an impact upon me for footwork and styling: Danny Davila for Latin and East Coast, Dennis Generalov for Ballroom, and Carson Watson for his lead and follow in all the dances. And yes, the ladies very much enjoy dancing with them all!
If you decide to try the classes at Uptown, be sure to say hi or ask me to dance.

This review pertains to the 6-​private-​lesson package (instructor: Danny Davila). I’ve never tried the group classes.
As a non-​dancer, I needed help. «Non-​dancer» doesn’t really cover it: some of my most embarrassing experiences were dance-​related. Think of that scene in «The Karate Kid» with Ralph Macchio on the floor covered in spaghetti: I don’t think that happened to me as a teen, but it may have; I feel like it did. So I avoid even seeing dance — I look away or leave the area. It was with some trepidation that I agreed to take lessons, but you have to get over these things somehow.
I can’t say that 6 lessons have made me «a dancer», but the outcome exceeded expectations: I learned a slightly complicated, fairly quick dance and performed it reasonably well.
My partner gets a huge share of the credit, but Danny Davila at Austin Uptown Dance gets the rest. I doubt you could find anyone more effective in coaching a non-​dancer: he moved at a practical pace, not asking more than I could do, so his encouragement felt genuine and his confidence was sincere. He didn’t over-​promise, and he did deliver: after a consultation and six private evening lessons, we had an impressive yet do-​able routine with some nice flourishes. At one or two points, the crowd broke into spontaneous applause. Not bad!
Danny did share with us the advantages of starting early. If you give him 5 – 6 weeks, he can get you to something creative, interesting, and fun, but even if you’ve waited until the last minute, he can still get help.
I would actually feel ok about continuing dance lessons here with him, which, considering where I started, says a lot. I feel like we have a sincere friend and supporter in Danny. So keep him booked up, guys: he is as good as it gets.

I’m both a dancer and a dance teacher. I’ve taught dance for dozens of studios, dance clubs, and organizations in Austin for the past thirty years, so I know a thing or two. Some are good, some are great, and some not so good.
Here’s the good about Uptown:
1 The atmosphere is friendly, inviting, and professional.
2 Same goes for the teachers.
3 Lots of classes to choose from and very affordable rates.
4 Great location with easy access.
The downside:
1 The classes are often small (you may see this as a plus though).
2 The only location is north, again this may be a plus for you.
3 No afternoon classes, at least not yet.

Ok, for starters let me just say that i have at least 2 left feet. My wife and i have been talking about taking ballroom dance lessons for years. We mentioned to a couple of friends that had been talking about it at the same time we were. so we took that as a sign and the wives ran with it. Next thing ya know, i’m on the dance floor learning to tango. I loved it. the owners Kristy (or Christy) not sure of the spelling and Carson, are some of the most awesome people i’ve met. Not only them but their entire staff as well as «the regulars» are all awesome. we felt very welcomed from the moment we walked in the door. part of being a great teacher is patience. Which they definitely have tons of. (i ask alot of questions)
anyway, we are now signed up for formal classes and will be there for at least the next month and i’m sure we will continue fro there. I’ve got the bug! i want to get great! and i want to be on dancing with the stars. (LOL)
Thanks gang for making dreams come true.

Joel W. and I got married in October, and we wanted to learn how to dance so we didn’t look like complete rejects during our first dance. We did the 1 month all you can take classes and enjoyed the heck out of them. We did salsa, west coast swing, and I took zumba on the weekends. The instructors were patient and good with beginners, and by the end of the month in both classes, we felt like we could actually get up and socially dance together. Not like Fred and GInger, but enough that we can get up with some confidence and boogie down.
We haven’t been able to do another month since, but that’s mostly due to being broke and not having time. I hope to take some more classes soon, but for now, we just hit up the wednesday night west coast swing nights for 5 bucks a person.
They do free beginner classes around the end of each month, so keep an eye on the website if you want to try it out. Everyone is friendly and it feels accessible, even if you have 2 left feet.
Our first dance at the wedding? Well, we were too frazzled to do the fun steps we planned but we were able to look pretty calm and collected doing the basic east coast swing we learned. Can’t wait to get some time and some money and be able to do another full month!