Dance With Me Studios is a national ballroom dance studio chain with locations across the United States. If you’ve searched for dance lessons and seen their name, you’re probably wondering how they compare to Arthur Murray or Fred Astaire — and whether they’re the right fit before you walk in the door. This guide covers what Dance With Me is, what to expect from their lessons, how their pricing and contract model works, and who they serve best.
What Is Dance With Me?
Dance With Me Studios was founded in 2008 by Maksim Chmerkovskiy and his brother Valentin Chmerkovskiy, both of whom competed internationally and became well-known through Dancing with the Stars. The chain grew from a single New York City location into a national franchise with studios in major metros including New York, New Jersey, Florida, California, and Texas.
Unlike some older franchise chains, Dance With Me has a contemporary identity. Their marketing leans heavily on the Chmerkovskiy name recognition and a modern aesthetic — studios tend to be well-designed, with polished interiors and a social-media-friendly environment. The brand targets a younger, aspirational demographic alongside the traditional adult ballroom market.
Dance With Me offers instruction in ballroom, Latin, swing, and other partner dance styles. Most locations offer private lessons, group classes, and social practice nights (often called “dance parties”). Some locations also specialize in wedding dance preparation, which has become one of their primary revenue streams.
What to Expect From Your First Visit
Like most full-service ballroom studios, Dance With Me typically begins with a complimentary or discounted introductory lesson. This serves two purposes: it gives you a genuine taste of what lessons feel like, and it gives the studio an opportunity to pitch you on a lesson package.
The introductory lesson usually runs 45 minutes to an hour. An instructor will assess where you are as a dancer, teach you a few basic steps, and then walk you through your options for continuing. How this conversation goes — whether it feels like helpful guidance or a sales pitch — varies significantly by location and instructor.
Prospective students often report that the quality of the intro lesson experience depends almost entirely on the individual instructor. Dance With Me has produced a number of accomplished teachers, but franchise quality is not uniform across all locations. Reading Google reviews for the specific location you’re considering is worth the five minutes before you go in.
Expect the studio to be social and upbeat. Dance With Me locations tend to have an energetic atmosphere, with music playing, mirrors on the walls, and multiple lessons happening simultaneously on a large floor. If you’re looking for a quiet, one-on-one environment, some people find large franchise studios overwhelming at first. If you enjoy an active, social energy, Dance With Me can feel immediately welcoming.
Dance With Me Pricing: What You’ll Pay for Lessons
Dance With Me does not publish standard pricing on their website — rates are set at the individual franchise level and often depend on your goals and the package you’re quoted. Based on reported figures from students across multiple locations, here is a general picture of what to expect:
- Private lessons: Typically $100–$175 per 45-minute lesson, depending on the instructor’s experience level and location. Senior instructors and competitive coaches at flagship locations charge more.
- Group classes: Usually $20–$40 per class, sometimes sold as monthly packages or class-pass bundles.
- Program packages: Studios often offer multi-lesson packages at a per-lesson discount. These range from 10-lesson introductory packages (approximately $800–$1,200) to longer-term programs (30–50 lessons) at a higher total investment.
- Wedding packages: Wedding dance preparation packages are common and typically include a set number of private lessons plus a “final run-through” session. Prices vary widely by market and scope.
Pricing at ballroom franchise studios is inherently negotiable. The figures quoted at your first visit are not final. It is entirely normal — and expected — to ask for a different package size, a lower per-lesson rate, or time to think before committing. Reputable instructors will not pressure you to decide on the day of your intro lesson.
Dance With Me vs Arthur Murray vs Fred Astaire
If you’re weighing your options among the major ballroom studio chains, here is how Dance With Me compares to Arthur Murray and Fred Astaire on the factors that matter most to students:
History and scale. Arthur Murray has been in operation since 1912 and has over 250 franchise locations worldwide. Fred Astaire Dance Studios has been operating since 1947 with over 100 US locations. Dance With Me, founded in 2008, is the youngest and smallest of the three chains, with a more limited geographic footprint. If you live outside a major metro, Arthur Murray or Fred Astaire is more likely to have a convenient location.
Syllabus and competition training. Arthur Murray and Fred Astaire both have proprietary syllabus systems built over decades, with well-defined Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels that lead naturally into NDCA or USA Dance competition pathways. Dance With Me has produced competitive dancers and the Chmerkovskiy lineage includes serious competitive credentials, but the chain’s overall competitive infrastructure is less uniform than the older franchises.
Aesthetic and culture. This is where Dance With Me genuinely differentiates itself. The studios tend to feel more modern, more social, and more pop-culture connected than the older chains. Students who find Arthur Murray or Fred Astaire too formal or old-fashioned often feel more comfortable at Dance With Me.
Instructor quality. All three chains vary significantly by location. The franchise model means that instructor quality depends on who is running and staffing a specific studio, not just the brand name. At any chain, ask about the lead instructor’s training background and how long they’ve been teaching before committing to a package.
The Contract Question: What to Watch Before You Sign
This section applies to Dance With Me and to every major ballroom studio chain equally — it is not a criticism specific to Dance With Me. Understanding how lesson packages work at franchise ballroom studios protects you regardless of which chain you choose.
Multi-lesson packages are the norm, not contracts in the traditional sense. When a studio asks you to commit to 10, 20, or 30 lessons, they are selling you a bundle at a per-lesson discount — not typically locking you into an ongoing subscription. Most studios will not require a signed multi-year contract for standard lesson packages.
Read the refund and transfer policy before you pay. What happens if you move, get injured, or simply decide you want to stop? Policies vary by franchise owner. Some offer full lesson-credit transfers; others are more restrictive. Ask directly: “If I need to stop lessons, what is the refund policy for unused lessons in my package?”
Start with a smaller commitment. If you enjoyed your intro lesson at Dance With Me and want to continue, there is no obligation to buy the largest package they offer on day one. A 10-lesson package is a reasonable starting point to evaluate the instructor, the studio, and your own interest before investing in a larger program.
Never feel pressured to decide immediately. Any legitimate dance studio will allow you 24–48 hours to think before purchasing. If the conversation has an urgency to it — “this price is only available today” — that is a warning sign worth heeding.
Who Dance With Me Is Right For
Dance With Me is a good fit for students who:
- Want a modern, social studio environment — Dance With Me locations tend to have a younger, more energetic feel than some of the older chains.
- Are preparing for a wedding first dance — Wedding dance preparation is one of Dance With Me’s clear strengths. Their instructors are experienced at producing a polished, presentable first dance under a tight timeline.
- Are casually interested in social dancing — Their group classes and dance parties are well-suited to people who want to dance socially without committing heavily to a competitive track.
- Live near a Dance With Me location — The chain is geographically limited compared to Arthur Murray or Fred Astaire. If there’s a location near you and the reviews are strong, that convenience matters more than brand preference.
Dance With Me may be less ideal for students who are seeking serious competition training, who prefer a quieter teaching environment, or who are price-sensitive and comparing against independent certified instructors, who typically charge less per lesson than major franchise chains.
How to Find a Dance With Me Studio Near You
Dance With Me has locations in New York (multiple), New Jersey, Florida, Texas, California, Georgia, and several other states. When evaluating any Dance With Me location — or any ballroom studio in general — these steps will save you time and money: read Google reviews from the past 12 months, call ahead and ask how long the studio has been open and who the lead instructors are, take the intro lesson before making any financial commitment, ask about the refund policy for lesson packages before you purchase, and compare at least two studios in your area before deciding.
Finding the right ballroom studio is ultimately about finding the right instructor and environment for you — the brand name matters less than the quality of the person teaching your lessons. Use the directory on this site to browse verified ballroom studios in your city, read real ratings, and find a teacher whose background matches your goals.