The Fun Part of The Wedding!
NYC/Westchester/Long Island/NJ/CT
Travel area: Within 50 miles See details
Jacqueline Babek
OWNER
Typically responds within 24h
AWARD WINNER (3X)
Thanks to recommendations from couples on The Knot
Serving all of NYC/Westchester/Long Island/CT/NJ
Jacqueline offers private dance lessons + group services to all ages, styles, and events. If you want to learn how to feel good, look good, connect with your partner, and do it in the most fun way-you've come to the right place! Jacqueline and her team are ready to get you the tools you'll need in your tool box to succeed!
Owner Jacqueline Babek has been dancing all her life. Eventually, along with performing as a dance professional in NYC (off broadway, commercials, and music videos), Jacqueline found a passion for teaching. Specifically to NON-DANCERS. Being a professional ballroom dancer and instructor, it opened up Jacqueline to the Wedding Industry. Where she learned that she absolutely loves teaching non-dancers how to connect with each other and feel confident together out on the dance floor. As well as getting to be a part of their special day in a way in which they can use those skills forever throughout their life, not just the wedding!
Jacqueline offers groups, wedding privates, and ballroom/latin private classes. Both in person and over Zoom.
We have a private studio spaces throughout NYC/Westchester/Long Island/and NJ. We also make home visits!
Each lesson is personalized and catered to exactly what YOU want. Whatever you envision for your wedding, whether it's a few sways and a simple turn, or if you want Dancing With The Stars- Jacqueline can make it happen! Jacqueline will always listen to a couple's input and accommodate anything as best as she can!
In addition to first dances, she also does parent dances, bachelorette parties, and corporate team bonding dance lessons!
If you're interested in working together, inquire to see how you can schedule and get started with your dance journey!
Details
Music Genres
Dance
Awards and Affiliations
3-Time 'Best of Weddings'
2026.2025.2024.
Best of Weddings
The Knot independently assesses vendors for this award—it’s never self-reported. We base it on firsthand experiences from real couples and guests, and they must have a 4.5-star average across 7+ reviews in the qualifying year.
Join couples who chose award-winning vendors for their wedding
Meet the team
Jacqueline Babek
Owner
Hi everyone!
Congratulations on your special day. I started specializing teaching wedding couples in 2016 at Arthur Murray and FELL IN LOVE with the process. Teaching non dancers how to connect with each other on one of the most special days of their lives is a magical feeling. I since have ventured out on my own and started my own small business of private lessons. Thank you so much for checking out my profile and hope to work together soon!
Reviews
5.0
out of 5.0118 reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help
you make those big decisions with ease.
Review Summary
This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.
Jackie is a patient, fun, and skilled instructor who quickly creates personalized first-dance routines tailored to each couple’s comfort. Beginners felt relaxed and confident after just 1–3 sessions, with flexible in-person or online lessons and helpful practice videos. Couples said their dances looked elegant, guests were impressed, and they highly recommend her.Review photos
Showing slide number 1 out of 5
Louis D
Highlighted review.
5.0
5/27/2024
We HIGHLY recommend Jackie for dance lessons! Jackie made us feel comfortable immediately and gave us a great baseline and direction for how to go through our first dance at our we...
dding. She listened to what we were envisioning and delivered perfectly without making it too much or too little. She’s very responsive and easy to work with. If you’re looking for a great instructor, look no further!
Cristina L
5.0
5/16/2026
Jackie was a great instructor! She helped us nail down our first dance perfectly and helped us cut the music we wanted into a single track. I definitely recommend Jackie for any d...
ance level—she has an expert eye for choreographing to your level.
Any questions?
Jillian S
5.0
5/16/2026
THIS IS YOUR SIGN TO BOOK WITH JACKIE!
She is the #1 thing I was so thankful we booked for our wedding!
We have no expense dancing and really wanted to make sure we had cool casua...
l not too planned our moves for our first dance!
Within minutes of meeting Jackie we knew she was the best!
She listened to our first dance song and within minutes we had the best moves! We were also thankful she really listened to us and found out 8 counts would not work for us (lol) so she was so good at using our music as cues for us to remember!
Jackie is down to earth, fun, and a true artist!
Fiona C
5.0
5/15/2026
Jackie was great! Felt really at ease with her and she was able to put together a beautiful (and manageable) dance for me and my fiance!
Jackie R
5.0
5/15/2026
Jackie was fantastic to work with!! We came in with 0 dance experience and she choreographed something beautiful for us that was easy to learn and tailored to what we envisioned fo...
r our wedding day. Highly recommend working with her!
Jenna H
5.0
5/15/2026
Jacqueline was amazing ! My fiancé and I felt so comfortable, she made the whole experience so fun and enjoyable! We learned such great dance moves for our upcoming wedding!
Sara G
5.0
5/15/2026
Jacqueline was such a great dance teacher! She was able to teach us our whole first dance song in two lessons, and was very easy to work with. She made the whole process stress fre...
e and we felt so comfortable with her. She also shared videos of us practicing the dance so we could practice at home - so helpful!
Henry L
5.0
5/15/2026
Jackie was so awesome as an instructor for me and my fiancée. She was very patient and allowed us to move at our own pace. It also took her no time at all to come up with a routine...
for our first dance that exemplifies who we are as a couple. We highly recommend her!
Olivier S
5.0
5/15/2026
Jacqueline helped us plan the perfect routine for our wedding day. She was patient while teaching, offering multiple explanations and taking our feedback as we worked together to c...
reate the perfect dance.
We left feeling confident and ready for our wedding!
Caroline R
5.0
5/15/2026
Jackie was absolutely amazing to work with for our first dance! My husband and I had little to no dance experience, and she made us feel so comfortable and confident from day one. ...
She was patient, fun, encouraging, and created a dance that felt natural and truly fit us as a couple. We actually looked forward to every lesson! We’re so grateful for her help in making such a special moment feel so perfect. Highly recommend her to any couple getting married!
Sera E
5.0
5/13/2026
Jackie is amazing! Easy to communicate with, flexible with timing and made us feel so comfortable. Highly recommend!
Jada W
5.0
5/06/2026
We had such a great experience with our wedding dance lessons! Jackie helped us get our choreography down quickly and made everything feel natural and fun. Super patient, encouragi...
ng, and efficient!
Michael L
5.0
2/14/2026
Fantastic instructor who was easy to work with and willing to create a unique dance routine out of our ideas. Highly recommend going to Jacqueline, especially if you have as little...
experience as I did.
Ally D
5.0
2/09/2026
Jackie was incredible! I booked her for a private lesson for my 28th birthday with my girlfriends and we had the best time. She was so patient and made the entire experience feel l...
ight hearted and approachable. Would definitely recommend her for birthdays!!!
Jon T
5.0
2/06/2026
Jackie is so sweet, so caring, AND made this experience so funnn! I had a good time working with her. The best of the best 10/10!!!
Steven
5.0
2/02/2026
Jacquelin is by far the best dance instructor anyone could hire! In just 2 classes we were able to nail our first dance for our wedding. People couldn’t believe we only did 2 class...
es. The way she created moments in our dance was incredible. She is an artist! Thank you so much !!!
Matthew D
5.0
12/11/2025
Jacqueline was great, very friendly and natural at teaching. Me and My fiance aren't dancers at all and she worked up a good routine for us on the spot to the song we wanted. If ce...
rtain steps working working for us she would change them on the fly , catering the perfect dance routine for us.
Ashley W
5.0
12/09/2025
Jacqueline was a pleasure to work with!! .. we didn’t want a lot of steps but wanted something so we didn’t just sway on the dance floor she was so helpful especially with someone ...
with no rhythm lol also loved that as we did steps if she didn’t like the way it looked she just changed it up to make us look better
Highly recommend her! Was very happy with our experience!
Maria F
5.0
11/20/2025
Jackie is simply the best!! She made learning our wedding 1st dance super easy and so fun. We did 3 lessons with Jackie which was just perfect! Will miss working with Jackie and wo...
uld recommend her in a heartbeat.
Chloe M
5.0
11/20/2025
We absolutely loved working with Jackie for our wedding dance! She came up with beautiful choreography on the spot and did such a great job teaching us how to execute it (even tho...
ugh we had no ballroom dance experience) in just 3 sessions. We had so much fun at every lesson and felt completely prepared for our big day. Highly recommend her to any couple looking for an stress-free, enjoyable experience!
Jamie V
5.0
10/07/2025
Jackie was highly professional, patient, kind, knowledgeable, and fun! She made us feel super comfortable and we had a GREAT time! I highly recommend! In person OR online!
Lidiamo D
5.0
9/11/2025
This was me and my fiancé's first time ever taking dance lessons, and having Jacqueline as our instructor was the best decision ever made. She was able to create a choreographed d...
ance that catered to both our comfort levels, and made the overall experience so much fun. She is very well-rounded as an instructor, and we loved how flexible she was with finding a time that best suited our scheduales. I would highly recommend her to anyone. Especially if your looking to do something fun and different for your first dance on your wedding day.
Ayisha B
5.0
9/06/2025
Jacqueline is INCREDIBLE! So patient and talented. We were able to build the most beautiful first dance and had so much fun while doing it! STRONGEST RECOMMENDATION. You won’t regr...
et it!!!
Samantha R
5.0
9/01/2025
My finance and I loved working with Jacqueline! We did three 45 minutes sessions with Jacq and absolutely loved how our first dance turned out! We keep watching the video of our da...
nce from the wedding reception over and over again : ) Jacq tailored it to exactly what we were looking for - something romantic, sweet, and not overly choreographed looking. We'd definitely recommend working with her!
Andrew L
5.0
8/31/2025
Jacqueline was so great to work with. She was personable and patient with my fiancé and I, neither of who have a dance background. We had so much fun during our lessons and apprec...
iated how good of a teacher she is.
Alexis U
5.0
8/28/2025
Dance lessons with Jackie was easily one of the best experiences my fiance and I had in our wedding planning experience. She made things fun & easy - and made us feel so confident ...
in our freshly learned dance skills that we expended our first dance choreography by a full minute! I couldn’t recommend her enough.
Ellie R
5.0
8/28/2025
We had a wonderful experience working with Jacqueline! She choreographed the perfect dance for us and made sure we had it down before the big day. If you are looking to hire someon...
e to help with your first dance, she’s the perfect choice!
Dana S
5.0
8/28/2025
From the moment we met Jackie, we felt completely at ease. She has a gift for making even the most nervous dancers feel comfortable and confident. Her teaching style is so easy to ...
follow, and she broke down the steps in a way that made learning fun and stress-free. Thanks to her, our first dance as husband and wife was absolutely magical. Our guests were blown away, and it's a memory we'll cherish forever. We can't recommend Jackie enough!
Maggie M
5.0
8/27/2025
Jackie was incredible! We really wanted a special first dance even though we're not the most coordinated. She helped us come up with the best dance that we both felt confident abou...
t and felt special! We also had SO much fun at our lessons which made it all extra special!
Quinn S
5.0
8/27/2025
Jackie was incredibly helpful and flexible when it came to choreographing our first dance. My wife and I wanted to do something simple and elegant and she very ably worked around o...
ur song choice to design something we felt thrilled to break out on the day of our wedding. Jackie is incredibly talented and did a great job training the two of us up in very limited time.
Katie D
5.0
8/27/2025
We loved working with Jackie for our wedding dance! She was incredibly thoughtful, professional and efficient - plus a lot of fun to work with. She helped us create a first dance t...
hat was meaningful to us and tailored to our needs. Our first dance is one of our favorite memories from our wedding day and we have Jackie to thank for making it special. Would highly recommend!!
Julia B
5.0
8/26/2025
Jacqueline is such an excellent dance instructor, especially for a couple of extremely beginner dancers. In just one dance lesson, she was able to choreograph a full first dance, g...
ive us pointers, and make up more comfortable! She is patient, innovative and very efficient. Will totally be recommending to my friends!
Alyssa D
5.0
8/26/2025
Jacqueline was super helpful for our wedding dance! We only met twice which was cost effective and great for our busy schedule but we videoed and practiced on our own. She was extr...
emely patient and calm while teaching us (we have little to no experience). She was very accommodating with the dance moves and scheduling and even came to our apartment. Would recommend if you’re looking for some help with a personalized dance. She was great!!
Sarah J
5.0
8/26/2025
We had a great time learning our first dance with Jackie. She not only helped us decide our song but brought our vision to life. Jackie crafted us a first dance that had a good amo...
unt of fun components without feeling overwhelming or over choreographed. She broke down all the steps in a clear and easy way to learn. We would highly recommend her dance classes! The groom has two left feet and she made him feel like a seasoned pro by the end!
Emilia H
5.0
8/25/2025
Jackie was the best!! She helped us make the perfect wedding dance in just 2 sessions. She made everything easy and fun - and EVERYONE loved our dance.
Elizabeth C
5.0
8/25/2025
Working with Jacquline for our wedding dance was one of the best decisions we made! She was patient, creative, and made learning a new dance so easy for us! We love the choreograph...
y she made.
Jacquline was generous enough to squeeze us in for a very last-minute session before our wedding! Thank you Jackie!!
Dwayne B
5.0
8/25/2025
Not only was Jacqueline an amazing dance teacher but she made learning the big waltz dance routine for my sister's quinceañera super easy. She is so patient, even with people who a...
re like both my sister and I, who have two left feet look and feel like we can do Dancing with the Stars. We slayed because of her. We had hired the best professional dance instructor! I have been letting all my family reach out to Jacqueline and recommending her to everyone. I even took some private dance lessons after to learn some salsa too with her. She is your GO TO DANCE PRO!!! Reach out!!!
Giuliana B
5.0
8/23/2025
Could not recommend Jackie enough!!! We had taken countless lessons with countless instructors, and my fiancé hated it time after time. He's a non-dancer/non-performer that really ...
is comfortable with very little. We get married in a WEEK (I do not suggest waiting this long), and Jackie jumped on a Zoom the first moment that worked (I also would recommend in studio for a x100 experience I'm sure). The fact that she could patiently and clearly walk us through new choreography step-by-step, through a screen, shows her expertise ALONE. But being able to create a joyful, confident experience for two non-dancers is a whole other level. Her choreography feels and looks cool, has flare and WOW, while overall being simplistic, classic and FUN. My fiancé, the dancing grinch, literally cannot wait to "perform". It's unbelievable. THANK YOU JACKIE!!!!!!
Eyasha P
5.0
8/22/2025
Jackie is an excellent dance instructor! My husband and I did not have a background in dance at all and she got us to a first dance that we loved and were proud of. We came to Jack...
ie with a medley of three songs and she did a great job putting together moves that worked well and changing vibes for each of the songs. She also suggested some edits on the song to make the dance flow smoother. Thanks to her, we got a great first dance! Both my husband and I loved working with her :)
Marie C
5.0
8/18/2025
Jacqueline was amazing! She made us feel comfortable and confident in our dance skills. She was kind and talented and helped us prepare for our first dance in only two sessions! I’...
d recommend her to any friends. Thank you!!
Karli M
5.0
8/18/2025
Jackie was AWESOME! I went to her for a lesson with my dad for my wedding. We are definitely not the most coordinated but Jackie showed us that with a few simple turns, our dance c...
ould be so special! We had so much fun and are excited for our next lesson. I also am going to be using Jackie for my first dance with my fiancé and am so excited to get started with that!
Lauren S
5.0
5/08/2025
Jackie is an incredible teacher! As two non-dancers, she helped us feel comfortable & relaxed, and most importantly, we had so much fun learning our dance with her. She is flexible...
, patient, and very talented. Our first dance turned out so beautiful! We are so glad we scheduled dance lessons with her and couldn't recommend her more.
Hannah K
5.0
5/04/2025
Jackie was the ideal teacher for our first dance. My husband was a little weary about taking lessons but we knew we wanted to do something special to surprise our families at our w...
edding. Jackie immediately put us at ease with her expertise and friendly demeanor. She gave us the confidence we needed to not only show up for the lessons, but exceed our expectations in ourselves. She’s a pro at understanding each unique couple and curating a routine specific to them. Dance lessons with Jackie ended up being one of our most favorite parts of planning leading up to the wedding. We seriously could not recommend someone more!
Alden S
5.0
2/24/2025
My husband and I worked with Jackie to learn the choreography for our first dance. Jackie came up with a routine that was personalized to the song we selected and taught it to us q...
uickly. We had a lot of fun during the lessons as well! Many of our guests complimented our routine afterwards.
Jackie was so great to work with - professional, positive, communicative, and responsive. She made us feel so comfortable too.
We cannot recommend her enough! She will make your wedding dance perfect and provide the best experience along the way!
Sophia H
5.0
2/02/2025
Jacqueline is UNREAL. One of the most patient, friendly, and sharp vendors I worked with. I made a decision a few months out from my wedding to carve out monthly dance dates with d...
ad for our father daughter dance. We’d do our sessions with Jacqueline and then go out to dinner, which was very sweet and special.
Jaqueline was SO patient with us, so thoughtful, SO FUN. We started with two classes and quickly continued to add on more for fun because we couldn’t get enough. Our last one she even came over to my parents class for a 90 minute session so we could have some fun learning extra salsa steps for fun. She is an absolute workhorse and a pleasure to be around.
After my dad and I danced at the wedding one of the staff from Hudson Horns came up and said it was the most elegant father daughter dance he’d seen. My dad and I will keep these memories forever.
Kevin W
5.0
1/12/2025
My wife and I used Jackie to prepare for our first dance and she was fantastic! She was really helpful in crafting a choreography that was appropriate for our skill level (beginner...
) while still making it look elegant. More importantly, she was a pleasure to work with - really nice, fun, encouraging and upbeat. Highly recommend Jackie for dance lessons of any kind.
Ian B
5.0
12/17/2024
Jackie is THE BEST!! She is so calm and professional and makes any dance easy to learn even for beginners. She choreographed our wedding first dance and it was so perfect and all o...
f our guests were so impressed!! If you are considering taking lessons do it and book her!!!
Ish V
5.0
12/16/2024
We had an incredible experience working with Jackie as our first dance instructor! Despite our busy schedules, Jackie simplified the entire process and helped us learn our routine ...
in just 2-3 sessions. Her teaching style is efficient and clear, making it easy for us to pick up the choreography quickly. Thanks to her expertise and guidance, our first dance turned out absolutely amazing. We couldn’t have asked for a better instructor! Highly recommend her to anyone looking to make their special moment unforgettable.
Alex L
5.0
11/13/2024
Absolutely thrilled with our experience with Jackie! My husband and I came in with zero dance experience, and she managed to transform us into confident dancers in no time. Jackie’...
s teaching style is so encouraging and fun, making each lesson something we looked forward to. She was incredibly patient, breaking down each step so we could learn at our own pace while keeping it enjoyable. By the time our wedding day arrived, we felt like pros! Our first dance was such a hit, and we owe it all to her. If you’re looking for someone who can turn even the most novice dancers into showstoppers, Jackie is the one! Highly recommend!
Jess D
5.0
11/08/2024
Jac was literally the BEST TEACHER. We had ONE sessions 2 weeks before the wedding to lock something down and she got it done for us. She was so sweet & knowledgable & warm - it wa...
s such a fun lesson especially when my husband was a little on the fence about it. He had such a great time. We slayed the routine Jac came up with for us and all of the guests loved it! We are in no way pro dancers - but with Jac's helped she made us into a pair for our first wedding dance! Thanks Jac<3
Service area & Contact info
NYC/Westchester/Long Island/NJ/CT
Typically included in the starting cost
Travel area: Within 50 miles
Additional charges may apply
Want to book a visit?
Start the convo
*=Required
Use this secure form to reach out and share your wedding vision.
Dance With Jacqueline
Jacqueline Babek
|
Owner
Typically responds within 24h
Wedding vendors in New York
Dance With Jacqueline
Why use The Knot to message vendors?
Messaging our verified vendors on The Knot is free, safe and secure. Conveniently track vendor messages and planning details all in one place. Our mobile apps make it easy to stay in touch with vendors while you're on‑the‑go. For personalized pricing and package details, sending the vendor a message is the fastest way to get info.