Society Hill Dance Academy

It should be made immediately clear that this review applies to only the dance social and 45 minute beginner lesson only I have not taken any private lessons from society Hill ballroom academy.
I can’t speak much to the dance lessons as I just dropped in yesterday to attend the Friday night dance social and the open beginner Latin class.
I had about three years previous experience dancing ballroom so the Latin class was more or less basic technique for those who had never danced before.
After the beginner lesson the dance social was from 830 to 10 o’clock at night. It was a slightly older mid 30s and up professional crowd as would be expected at the dance studio.
The dance space is small making it more suitable for social Latin dancing than anything else. During such dances as the foxtrot and waltz it was difficult to utilize the space effectively especially given the crowd of people on the dance floor and the one narrow point where you have to fit through a 5 foot or so hallway to get to the next part of the dance floor.
That being said the quality of the dancers was about bronze/​silver level if you are judging it based on the collegiate rating system. The big bonus is that almost all of the dance instructors attend the socials and you can easily single them out for dances which is a good time. Kathleen was an excellent dancer.
It is a very low cost event and there is food and drink provided at the stand in the back which is great for struggling college or graduate students.

Great Talent!!! Very Diverse!!! Good Music! Good Fun!!!

We have always wanted to take dance classes but we weren’t able to make it a priority until we got engaged. Society Hill Dance Studio is in an amazing location for us since we both work in center city, but there is also a garage and lots of meter parking nearby when we drive there from the burbs. Yesterday we walked out of dance class and right into an outdoor beer garden, which was a great way to end a great lesson.
When you walk into the studio everyone knows your name! It is a gem of customer service in a city with a spotty record. The studio is always full of fun & friendly people (both staff and other clientele) who are all willing to give advice ranging from dance shoes to the best local fare. The big bright windows and friendly pets make it a homey place, which is great considering dancing can be stressful to many. Shana does an amazing job of always being upbeat and energetic through every lesson. We have also had a few lessons with Nodari who is so great to work with. All of the teachers are fabulous!
My only piece of advice is to not wait until a few months before your wedding. We started classes 7 months before our wedding, and not only were we comfortable with our wedding dance, but we had the time to learn other dances that we can incorporate into our lives — as well as into the wedding dance to make it seem less rehearsed and rigid. We view the first dance not as a big performance, but ideally of us just dancing (well) together! The investment you make here will surely enhance every dancing experience you have from here on out.

I took lessons at Society Hill Dance Academy for a year before I moved across the country, and by the time I moved, I had gotten to love this studio so much that it was one of the main things I was sad about leaving in Philly! Going to this studio one thing stands out — it’s got heart. Shana, who runs the dance studio, is both an excellent dancer and instructor, but also a really great person. She even helps run a non-​profit to bring dancing to disadvantaged kids.
I decided to write a review when I saw some of the negative reviews based on the studio’s prices and dancing packages. I’ve been to several other dance studios — a few in Philly, a few in Seattle, and even one in Los Angeles, and SHDA is actually a little less expensive than other places. News flash for people wanting to take dance — dance lessons are pricey. I’m not sure why, but expect to pay much more than you would if you were playing an instrument. That’s just the going rate at studios (Arthur Murray, the most ubiquitous dance program in the US, is priced even higher).
As for feeling like someone is trying to sell you a dance package, well, sure. This isn’t the grocery store — you’re not necessarily going to come back when you run out of dance moves. Maybe it depends on the teacher, but I found myself eager to buy the next package of dance lessons because I was having such a great time and my dancing was improving so much.
Ultimately, the studio is about learning and loving to dance, and I’ve never seen a studio that does it with so much passion. If you’re not sure, come to one of their parties — there are themes, snacks, tons of people dancing, and a few times a year they have a live band playing. See for yourself! They have a lot of long-​time students who are regulars at the Friday night dance parties, and they keep coming back for a reason.
Thanks SHDA for teaching me to dance, but moreover, for making me love dancing! Open a studio in Seattle. :)

I am an experienced dancer that has been doing it for the better part of five years now and my disappointment in SHDA was laughable.
I found this studio, quite by accident, and was literally pulled in off the street during one of the socials that they held there. It was very fun and I enjoyed dancing with some of the students there. But when it cam time to work with a teacher the following week, I felt that I knew more than her, and I am really not that good. I began to quickly feel like I was being sold, which is to be expected since they need to sell lessons, but what they are charging and what they are offering do not match up.
I am in a school now that is comparable in price to SHDA, but far more advanced instruction. I would not recommend this studio to anyone. Not even a beginner since a beginner will get better, and at this school, they will get better than the staff in a short amount of time.

Crooks and scam artists. They only want your money! Unilocal has been plagued by their phony good reviews. My fiancé and I were scammed by them after we signed up for one private lesson that ended up being a huge waste of time and money. The lesson lasted only 40 minutes instead of the paid «hour». The instructor was hung over, late, impersonable and did not remember anything we discussed from our first meeting. On top of this, my fiancé has a terrible cat allergy and they promised to take the cats out of the studio for our lesson, but when we showed up they were running everywhere! I’m still itchy! Please please do not waste your money.

I learned more on YouTube. My fiancé and I came here for a lesson to learn a first dance for our wedding. It was a total rip off… all they care about is your money. At the first meeting, our instructor pushed a $ 1000 package for only 8 private lessons. We explained to her that we did not have the time for 8 lessons; we wanted to learn something quick and simple with no high expectations of becoming contestants on ‘dancing with the stars.’ We just wanted to learn a few basic steps. We agreed to pay lesson-​by-​lesson, and gave her $ 150 to pre-​schedule 45-​minute lesson for the following day. The next day, we arrived at the studio 10 minutes early and no one was there. We waited outside for another person to let us into the building. Our instructor showed up 5 minutes late. She was completely aloof and forgot that she even had the appointment. Her lesson with us was off the wall and nothing what we wanted to learn for our dance. She ended the lesson 10 minutes early (after not being able to work the stereo for an additional 5 minutes). So that puts us at $ 150 for 25 minute lesson instead of 45 minutes… DON’T WASTE YOUR TIME AND MONEY!!!

I was literally led here with my hands over my eyes. Not because I was afraid of my dance steps but because it was my birthday surprise. Immediately, I noticed they have some resident cats hanging around. I was surprised that any cat would want to be around strangers coming in and out of their space, playing music and moving all about. Thankfully, they were there because my significant other had to sort out a slight reservation glitch (he had reserved a private dance lesson in the back room and they initially thought it would take place in the open concept area) and I was able to «pretend» to be distracted. Once our dance lesson was underway, balloons were delivered and we had a glass of champagne. I’m not sure of the details of how this was all planned but they seem open to working with their clients.
Anyway, our instructor, Tim, taught us the basics of the foxtrot. He immediately recognized that my boyfriend was athletic and explained how that influenced how he moved. He was able to jokingly explain that although I desperately want to lead, I have to let him do that. He was great at explaining the steps, pointing out mistakes without scolding us and redirecting us. The reality is I’m not sure when we’ll use the foxtrot or that we can even recreate a couple steps but I am so happy to have had the experience.

I started at SHDA 4 yrs ago, and have since moved out of state. Every time I’m back in Philly, I always come here. I’ve tried other studios before, and nothing comes close to this place. Nodari is an absolutely amazing instructor! Shana and her staff are wonderful… they’re like family. The space is also beautiful, perfect for parties. Love this place!!!

Depends on what you use it for. I am someone who was there for 10 months. Thought it was a great place when I started, now I run away from the place (even though I think some of the staff people are good people and not at all dishonest.)
If you are a beginner, it does offer something nice and welcome. I guess married couples (most of the school’s clientele) get a good deal as well. But if you are someone serious beyond taking a few lessons and not using it to practice your wedding dance, be AFRAID, VERY AFRAID!!!
Once Shana and at least 1 of the instructors see a potential loyal customer, in their eyes, you are their cash cow and they will look to milk you any way you can. I made the mistake of signing up for Social Ease program. After seeing I was willing to sign up and pay for a series of prepaid lessons over a couple of months, what did my instructor and Shana do? They exaggerated my dance abilities, tried to encourage me to do a recital (without telling me that the practice for the recital I will have to pay for is extra bucks in addition to my lessons), encourage me to sign into contracts for other programs that can go on for years. The only pay as you go system is $ 130 per lesson (that $ 130 per 45 mins). To make lessons more afforadable, you have to purchase a program and/​or sign contract to get lessons here. (Incidentally, since my Unilocal review, I found the contract purchase of prepaid lessons that goes on for months or years is illegal in some states, sadly it’s not here in PA) They even encourage me to sign up for competitions (one which is very expensive and costs $ 10 000). The lets «make a sale and some $$$» mentality becomes very apparent here and any admirable qualities that Shana and some instructors had have left the building.
To outsiders and people casually passing by, this will look like an admirable place. But look closer and get to observe Society Hill Dance Academy more sharply, you will see a racket instead. There are other dance studios that do not issue contracts to take lessons and have a pay as you go system that’s much less than $ 130. Like Society Hill, these studios will teach you dancing. Unlike Society Hill, these studios have respect for you as a customer and show sensitivity to your financial situation.

I had my wedding reception at the Society Hill Dance Academy! All the guests really enjoyed the unique set up and atmosphere. Plus you can’t beat the location. SHDA was really great to work with and very accommodating.
We had 110 guests sit down for dinner and dance the night away!
It was such a great experience!!!

Great reception place. Awesome reception place. God. It. Was. Awesome.
This review is for their facilities. We rented them out for our wedding and it was totally kick ass. Shana was wonderful and very accommodating. The sound in the place is nice, the décor is nice, and location, location, location. We looked at a few places and found this place to be the most unique. Our wedding was more cocktail party than actual reception and this place was PERFECT for it.
Thank you SHDA for helping to make out wedding day as awesome as it was.

The Thursday night social continues– $ 10 for general admission which includes random beverages and some snack platters (usually a fruit plate, a veggie+dip plate, sometimes cheese/​salumi, sometimes salsa). A few more specifics– dance styles are geared slightly more towards American than International, and there is always a mid point break where Shana (the owner) makes some announcements, some of the students or wedding couples might do a mini showcase, and they run birthday dances.
I think two adolescent sized cats have also joined the studio (or maybe it’s the same one just running around a lot).

One of the few dance studios in Philadelphia that offers ballroom and Latin dance classes for gay and lesbian couples! My partner and I will be taking dance classes here, probably salsa… That way if we can ever legally get coupled in the state of Pennsylvania we can dance to one of our favorite Brazilian songs together — Magdalena! The studio is beautiful and dancing is a great workout!

A perfect spot for anyone who always wanted to try ballroom dancing and never dared. The staff is friendly, the atmosphere very social and the variety of dance taught pretty large.
A few very talented instructors for more advanced dancers who will keep an expert eye on your technique and footwork. And, at the contrary of certain dance studios in the city Society Hill Dance Academy offers group lessons that allow people to dip their toe into ballroom dancing without spending a fortune.

Intermediate Latin and Ballroom dancers should try out Society Hill’s social dance on Thursday nights. Advanced dancers may end up teaching more than dancing all night, unless they come with a group of friends. Beginners will have more trouble because of the odd floor, the line of dance obstructions, and the lack of lesson. The students at Society Hill – who are the biggest patrons of the Thursday dances – are good, but the music variety, coupled with all the above will challenge all but the most precocious new dancers. Food is usually served at the social dance, and the admission price is reasonable.
Dance lessons are available there also. Beginners who are interested in trying out Ballroom, and who aren’t closer to another venue, should consider trying out dance here.

I just posted this as a response to someone on the Talk section and realized I should post it as a review too!
I rented out Society Hill Dance Academy for my best friend’s bachelorette party. The cost was $ 20 per person with a 12 person minimum. I only had 10 and couldn’t afford the rental on my own so I asked everyone to pay $ 25 and that covered the cost of 12 people for an hour and a half. So here’s how the night went:
We got there at 8:30pm and set up our own drinks and appetizers. The first 45 minutes were our own to mingle and eat and drink. I made it a lingerie party so the bride also opened presents during this time. The second 45 minutes one of the instructors gave us a private dance lesson. You can pick any style of dance you want, but we learned a burlesque style striptease, which was a BLAST! The owner’s name is Shana and she was very helpful while I was planning everything.
The studio is beautiful and Shana and the instructors were all very welcoming and energetic. It’s also a perfect location to hop in a cab and go out after the dance lesson ends or even walk if the weather is nice. We parked our cars at a nearby garage ($ 4 all night parking if you get your ticket validated at the studio) and came back for them after we went out dancing. We had such a great time and I could not have asked for a more perfect party for my best friend.