May I Have This Dance

I just got married. My spouse and I took private lessons here for the better part of a year in order to learn to dance as a couple and to prepare for our first dance. We wanted it to be more than a 30 second sway.
We had some trepidations because neither of us are trained dancers, because I am lead but shorter than my spouse, and because we’re both women. Any anxiety about lessons was immediately banished thanks to Stephanie. From the moment we walked in, Stephanie was encouraging, fun, and kind. Her teaching is so clear and well thought out.
We spent months learning basic technique and then eventually started to work on our first dance. Stephanie – being the expert – choreographed it, but was open to some input about the choreography. She also worked with my crew of family and friends on a flashmob to surprise my spouse. There were people of all ages and abilities in my crew and she was great with all.
Both the first dance and the flashmob were a great success. We can’t thank Stephanie enough for all of her expertise, encouragement, and kindness!

Very professional, friendly, and will definitely be coming here again!

I have tried a few dance studios but nothing feels like home as May I Have This Dance Studio. A friend introduced me to the studio a few years back and I became a regular immediately. The studio offers a large variety of classes which kept me interested in learning more and more. The teachers and staff are so friendly. They remembered your names and even what you learned from their classes. They kept each class size small and personable. I didn’t know anyone else and was quite intimidated by many great dancers but the students and teachers both made me feel welcomed and even asked me for dances during social dancing.
I love this place and highly recommended for newbees as well as pros.

Really wished I could have taken wedding dance lessons at this place. It came recommended from a friend who actually hosts dancing competitions.
Stephanie was great and really prompt on communication. Had some medical issues came up where we had to cancel and her patience and customer service skills were off the charts. Highly recommend this place.

My husband and I took private lessons with Jenny to learn how to ballroom dance for our wedding. Jenny was patient with us and with our four left feet. She helped us choreograph a simple, creative and elegant first dance. By the end of our last lesson we felt confident about our dance. When our wedding song came on, I was a bit nervous that somehow we would forget all of our careful instruction from Jenny, but we didn’t. We danced the song away and had a great time! My dad also took a couple lessons for our father daughter dance and thanks to the wonderful lessons with Jenny, my dad and I had a fun dance together. My husband and I are so happy with our experience at May I Have This Dance that we are signing up for more lessons. Time to put on our dancing shoes back on!

This place is run on a higher level than most aircraft dealerships. I have never worked with a company that is so concerned with customer service. I have personally worked with three different instructors all of whom were very skilled and clearly enjoyed what they do.

A great dance studio with the most affordable prices in Chicago. Nino and his team are at the top of their game. I will be returning soon! I could not recommend May I Have This Dance any higher for the beginning or the advanced dancer.

Great place to take all kinds of dance lessons. Facilities are clean, bright and nice. Staff is friendly and instructors are great. I think it is primarily a swing dance location but I have taken Texas (Country) two-​step lessons that were very fun. I’ll be back and would recommend.

I started taking lessons here two years ago. I am a pretty shy person. It was a big step for me just to talk myself into trying the place out. When I finally did, I never wanted to leave. You will simply fall in love with this place, and if you never danced a day in your life, they will have you falling in love with dance as well.
This is the place to go to if you want to learn a variety of social dances and have fun doing it. Everyone there, from the instructors and staff, to the other attending dancers, will make you feel welcome.
This place is not like other dance studios. No one is walking around trying to sell you private lessons. They are big on doing group lessons here, and you don’t have to have a dance partner to come here. Everybody rotates partners here. It’s the greatest way to have fun with and meet a lot of new interesting people.
On Fridays and Sundays they have dance parties where you can learn a couple of steps in a dance or two, followed by a few hours of dancing to your heart’s content.
They teach pretty much every social dance that you can think of (salsa, bachata, west coast swing, hustle, foxtrot, waltz, tango, rumba, cha cha, samba, quickstep, lindy hop, east coast swing/​jitterbug, etc etc). They even touch some fun things like line dances, zumba and Thriller at Halloween. They offer one hour workshops, 4 hour month long ‘series’ and sampler classes. They make it easy to try new dances without being stuck forever in a class that you end up not liking. Personally, there hasn’t been a class there that I haven’t liked yet. Even if you end up not enjoying a specific dance that you may try, you will enjoy the people and the experience.

I’ve been going to MayI for a few months now for lessons and Friday parties, and I love it. I’ve met a lot of people, I’m learning a lot, and having a great time. The people and the staff are really friendly and welcoming. The 4-​week classes are great for busy professionals who don’t want to commit to a 8-​week or 10-​week class. Every month there are opportunities for beginners to get started with at least 2 – 3 dances. I look at some dance studio schedules, and they have long series where you pay up front and they start on some arbitrary date, so if you’re thinking, «Gee, I’d like to start dancing» you might find out that you have to wait 6 or 8 weeks for an opportunity to start a beginner group class! Not so at MayI. The prices are nice, too, it’s actually cheaper than most yoga studios (where I would be if I weren’t dancing). The one thing I will say about this place is that it’s very social. By that I mean, most people who go there can dance a lot of different dances ok, which is enough to get you by in a social environment where a variety of music is being played. But if you want to develop competition-​level skills in one specific dance, you may find that discussions of technique and styling drills are a little scarce in the group classes, especially at the beginner level.
Trixie is right about the Friday parties being about dancing and not drinking or picking people up (which is not to say you won’t meet anyone interesting– it just means they are unlikely to be creepy!). It’s a very safe environment for single women.

I give «May I.» five stars. I’ve been taking classes there for the better part of two months and it is massively outside my comfort zone (dancing, in public where I mess up more than not), but the staff there is absolutely lovely. They are great about answering questions and they clearly have a passion for what they do. Seriously try this place out and you will be in for a treat.

as an incoming President of a non-​profit organization, the owner of a printing shop asked me if I dance, I said not in to it because first, I don’t have somebody to dance with and second I have not tried it because I am so embarrass to do it and i don’t know if I can do it. I got an email from either You Swoop or Groupons about (I am an avid fan of email deals) May I have This Dance offering a series for I believe $ 25. I was hesitant at first but then I said If I will not have the courage to try it it will only cost me $ 25, so I hold on to the coupon till I only have one week to the expiration date, so I went to the studio not knowing what to expect. It was Chris and this young lady in the front desk assisting me asking me what lesson do I want. I said what do you think? Chris said try Hustle, I said what is hustle? Chris stood up and show it to me. I said to myself OMG, I don’t know if I can do this. I asked them, do you think a 60 year old lady can still learn how to dance? They both laughed at me, they said there is an 80 yr old here and dancing so well. I said, really? So I decided to sign up: west coast swing, hustle, cha cha and chi girl on Sundays. I know I can do Chi girl because I always go to the gym doing Zumba, Yoga and cardio kick boxing besides using the machines and weights.
I really have no idea what WCS, Hustle, Foxtrot, Lindy all these different dances when I signed up, I was worried that I don’t know anybody at the studio but on my first day of class, it was Nino who was teaching basic WCS and everybody was so happy to see him. I asked one of the guy, who is this instructor? what’s the big deal? He said first of all he is one of the best here beside being the owner of the studio, second he normally don’t teach, he takes private lesson beside being expensive you have to wait in line for him to accommodate you. I said wow, the more I got scared. but unexpectedly, he made it look so easy and really made me so comfortable that I started to enjoy the class.
Sine then, I have been coming everyday Sunday to Thursday for classes. I even signed up for the monthly pass, that’s why you will see me Mon — Thurs from 7−10pm taking everything in the menu. I ended up terminating my Gym membership because I don’t have time to go. I feel that dancing is also giving me the workout that I can get from the gym.
I joined MIHTD in October of 2010, in December Showcase I was one of the performer… HOW ABOUT THAT? I am not embarrassed anymore, I am just having fun… and also I forgot that I am 60 !!!
I made friends who are in their 20’s.30’s all ages. everybody are pleasant and accommodating especially the staff.
Before I forget, during the annual student appreciation day, I won an AWARD as one of the friendliest student… again… HOW ABOUT THAT? FUN… FUN…FUN… If my girls can’t get hold of me they know Im in the studio that I call my second home… that’s why the rating should be 10 stars… everybody is very friendly here like one happy family… I can’t stop writing. but this is real !!! i am not getting paid to this … it came from my heart… true story… Linda CS…

Nino has cultivated a really nice atmosphere here. The instructors are all very professional, helpful, open, and friendly, and there isn’t the kind of snobbery you sometimes encounter in ballroom dance situations.
They have the most affordable private lessons around, and the private lesson packages are definitely worth the money. The group classes are fun too, but you’ll learn more quickly doing privates.
The space is wonderful. As a swing dancer, most other dances I attend are awfully hot and crowded; dancing at this place is a luxury, with lots of space and really fantastic air-​conditioning (even if it feels like a meat locker when you first arrive!)
The location is a bit out of the way for me, but overall it has been really worthwhile taking lessons here.
I’ve taken classes with Blake (swing, lindy) and Nicole (salsa), and they are both awesome. Highly recommended.

LOVE it. Lesley says it all, but I’d like to add a couple of things… specifically about their TGIF Dance Parties, that are held on the 1^st, 3^rd, and if there is one, 5^th Friday of each month, at the Elston location.
In my opinion, the real beauty of these TGIF dance parties (and I’m sure the other get-​togethers they have, but I’ve only attended TGIF) is that everybody and everything is all about DANCING. It’s not a bar, it’s not a pick-​up joint, no one is drinking or worse yet, drunk. Everyone is friendly and cordial, the staff is SO helpful, and the atmosphere is always one of respect, no matter if you are advanced or just beginning. And everyone gets a name tag, so no introductions are necessary!
I recently went with two of my girlfriends — we are all married, but we went without our husbands, who really don’t like to dance — and we all felt very comfortable there. In fact, we had a blast, and we’re making plans to go back in a month.
Price can’t be beat for TGIF — $ 15 for the lessons (two 30-​minute sessions) and the party itself. Lots of free parking in the neighborhood, with no meters and no permits necessary. There’s also a lot, but you’ve got to get there early to get a spot.
The new location for the TGIF parties is far superior to the original studio location in Edison Park. Bright and well-​lit, spacious, and with cranked air conditioning that kicks butt in the summer!
As a woman who is tired of leading… I LOVE TGIF! The woman to man ratio is still a little out of sync, I’d say about 3 to 1… But the men there really do like to dance and dance well, so most are available and willing to get on the floor (it’s OK ladies to ask a guy to dance), and the staff always makes the rounds to invite any women holding up the wall to dance. And it’s a treat to just watch too — so many fantastic dancers on the floor at all times. Personally, I learn a lot just from watching.
They throw the occasional «theme» party… The night we went, it was wedding, and it was so fun! Staff was dressed up as the wedding party, they had wedding cake and some snacks, and we did a lot of «wedding”-type dancing (the Electric slide, «snowball») and that was a nice change of pace.
Just a few tips for TGIF — bring a bottle of water and a towel in a bag, because you WILL dance a lot, and it’s almost like being in an aerobics class. Bring comfortable dance shoes for the studio, and an extra pair of comfy flats, for walking to the car or in case your feet get a little sore. A sweater doesn’t hurt, as it can be a little cool in between dances. I also make sure I have a «dance purse» — a small thing with the essentials that I can sling over me… Not that people can’t be trusted, but I always like to have my purse near me.
If you like to dance, don’t miss out on ANY of «May I Have This Dance» special outings and offerings! And by the way… someone in the staff said that KIDS have attended the dance and are welcome to come. It IS a little more adult oriented, but if the child is mature and likes to dance, he or she is welcome! He said there was one family in particular that made it a family outing and went to it on a regular basis. Hence the reason I am saying this is «Good for Kids» — not all kids, but I think teens 14 years and up who are serious about dancing would love it as well.

Cha cha, country two-​step, east coast swing, foxtrot, hustle, merengue, night club two-​step, salsa, tango, waltz, west coast swing — are the dances I can at least do a basic step to thanks to May I Have This Dance. I still need to learn quickstep, bachata, bolero, lindy, jitterbug, Argentine tango and polka from this dance studio! Oh, and I missed the «Single Ladies» dance workshop, YES, to learn Beyonce’s «Single Ladies» dance!
If you’ve ever been to Chicago’s Summerdance festival, or any major local dance competition, you’ve probably met the great instructors and students of May I Have This Dance. OR… if you’ve passed by the grade school by Holy Name cathedral on your way to the Chicago red line stop, on a Monday night, you might have peered into the windows to see people dancing. That’s us!!!
May I offers classes at Holy Name Cathedral on Monday nights, classes at the Willowbrook ballroom and Beverly Arts Center, and will soon be offering classes in various Chicago Park Districts. Of course, May I offers classes almost everyday at their easily accessible studio on Foster and Elston (they have a free parking lot and ample street parking. It’s also right by a Metra stop). Basically, you have very little reason not to come to this studio!
But here are more reasons:
— Knowing how to dance is HOTTT!!!
— It’s a great form of exercise. Why do you think I’m not obese despite all of my eating?! Btw, one of May I’s most beloved dancers recently celebrated his 80^th birthday! Oh, and just because someone on the dance floor is old enough to be your grandpa doesn’t mean that they can’t SCHOOL YOU on the dance floor! (I’ve learned this personally!)
— Great lessons for a great price. May I offers great pricing structures that give you discounts for taking multiple 4-​week (for once a week) series classes, or for signing up 5 days in advance. Can’t make a series class? No worries! There are one-​day workshops too! Also, once a year, May I has a «Student Appreciation Night» — a fun-​filled night of open dancing at their studio where they offer great discounts on classes and merchandise. Private lessons are also available.
— Great instructors. These instructors are professional dancers, and some have post-​bachelor degrees in education. Even just learning the basic step from them has gotten me whirled around the dance floor. My friend started off as a complete ballroom amateur with May I, and thanks to what she’s learned, she now wins competitions! I’ve taken hustle, west coast swing and waltz classes so far. I’ve loved them! I’m signed up for two classes in February! (west coast swing 102 and basic night club 2-​step)
— Everyone’s really friendly!!! Classes are built so that you rotate and dance with a lot of different people — which improves your technique markedly. At the dance parties, no one is shy about asking you to dance, and if you’re having trouble, people are willing to teach you new moves or show you how to improve. I’ve learned a lot of new moves through this! Also, last Friday, a group from Rockford, IL came down to dance. You’ll meet people from all over the Midwest who come out to this studio!
— Dance parties! Every first, third and fifth Friday of the month are TGIFs, the nights when you can dance just about any type of ballroom dance (see the list I mentioned at the top). Every second and fourth Friday are Strictly Ballroom nights where you do waltz, foxtrot, quickstep, tango and salsa. You also can’t wear jeans for Strictly Ballroom nights. Sunday nights are Swing on Sunday (SOS) nights where it’s all hustle and west coast swing. The first hour of each night is devoted to dance lessons, then the rest of the night is open dance.
— Perks. After our four-​week series at Holy Name, our group tends to go to Blues Chicago to dance west coast swing to a live blues band. It feels SO GOOD to dance in front of all the bar patrons!
Five stars isn’t enough for May I. I love the studio and I just CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF DANCING!!!
Also, tune in on 2÷1÷2010 to the Unilocal talk threads. I’ll be auctioning off a one month, once a week, beginner dance lesson as part of the Unilocal Charity Date Auction. PM me if you want more info!
Keep dancing! And let me know if you decide to show up to May I. I’d be more than happy to dance with you! :-D

I love May I have this dance and I’ll give you my top 3 reasons why :
!. Great instructors and staff… these guys are so encouraging and helpful you will never be intimidated on the dance floor… they dance you through those nerves !
2. Great group of students… you are the company keep. May i have this dance has attracted students that inspire even the most seasoned dancers to continue learning and growing ! I’ve never met a more wonderful group of people to spend my time with.
3.Great Times. Attend a social at the studio or a class at one of their locations throughout Chicago and you will be gauranteed a good time. The music is always awesome and the lessons are super fun!

The new studio on Elston has great floors. Wonderful staff, always happy to help you out with the move or two.
TGIF Friday nights are wonderful, any of the classes you want to try are taught on a very professional level.
Many choices for ANY type of ballroom and social dance.

I have danced swing with many studios but my favorite is May I have This Dance on Elston just north of Foster.
Sunday is my favorite night. At 6 PM there is a west coast swing lesson. At 6:30 there is a hustle lesson. Open dancing begins at 7 PM. The lessons and the dance are $ 10. If you skip the lessons the dance is just $ 5. Occasionally there is a guest instructor. Then the lessons & dance are $ 15. I love this studio! If swing isn’t your thing they have all ballroom dances on Friday night. They teach at the studio & other venues on weekdays. Please check the site for the schedule. I am all about swing so I only know Swing on Sunday!

May I Have This Dance is a dance studio for all social dances: Swing (primarily West Coast Swing), Hustle, Latin (Bachata, Cumbia, Cha Cha), Salsa, Ballroom (Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot), Steppin’ and Hip Hop.
Nino, the primary instructor, is an amazing teacher. Have two left feet? Not a problem here! He and his staff can help you turn that around in no time. Trust me — I’ve watched it happen on a number of occasions! They teach both group courses and privates, which are held not only at their main studio but also at satellite locations, such as Holy Name Cathedral and Willowbrook Ballroom.
Don’t have a date? That’s not a problem either. Rotation is a key part of their classes; giving you a chance to be social (hence, Social dancing) and get to know your fellow dancers’ styles. Just another step in making you a better dancer.
Nino also offers open dance nights on Friday (T.G.I.F.) and Sunday (S.O.S./Swing on Sunday) nights. These, I would say, are the best attributes of the studio. Once you start learning the dances, you can get out there and start showing off what you know! The dance parties, as the studio calls them, are an excellent way to improve your already stellar dance moves, get to know others in the dance community, and dance with the (choke!) experienced dancers.
Tired of the bar scene and looking for a cheap, fun, and active night? This is it!