Lake Shore Dance Academy

Worss cannot describe how amazing Anna at Lake Shore Dance is. We worked with her closely in both learning basic dance steps and learning first dance choreography, and I swear, there was not a day when I did not look forward to lessons. Anna balanced feedback and humor well in the session, and she creates such a welcoming environment. We worked with Alex a few times as well, and he’s also such a fantastic instructor. Anna also was super flexible when I had an untimely family emergency, so I could not be more grateful. If you’re considering this dance studio for your first dance - or tbh any dancing - just call for an appointment. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

We had a wonderful experience taking classes with Lake Shore Dance Academy to choreograph our first dance for our wedding! We had no prior dance experience before our first lesson, and by the time we had our last lesson we felt so confident that our choreographed dance would turn out incredible. We worked closely with Alex and Ania to learn foundational dance steps, and from there we were able to choreograph pieces of our song a week at a time until we had a fully choreographed first dance. Classes were super fun and we always looked forward to the next class - it felt like a date night! We continued to practice outside of class, and by the time our wedding day arrived we couldn’t wait to surprise our guests with our dance to “A moment like this” by Kelly Clarkson. The first dance was incredible and we got so many cheers from our guests, especially during the lifts! We can’t thank Alex and Ania enough for everything they taught us so we could have the perfect first dance for our wedding! Highly recommend!

Anna was my instructor for my mother-son dance for my wedding. She was a great instructor. She taught us multiple types of dance such as the waltz, hustle, and even hip hop. We had a great time and would highly recommend for anyone to have their wedding dance choreographed by her.

We had such a great experience with Anna! Highly recommend for wedding dance lessons!

We did the 10 lesson program with Anna for our first dance and we couldn’t have been happier with the outcome! Both myself and my fiancée were first time dancers and Anna helped us every step of the way. We couldn’t ask for a better teacher and are very grateful for the experience and guidance from her! Anna has the perfect combination of patience and high standards that resulted in a choreographed dance we both loved! If you are looking for a place to learn dance for any occasion this is the place to go!

We worked with Anna at Lake Shore Dance Academy to first learn ballroom dance (both of us were clueless when we first started) as well as learn a choreographed dance for the first dance at our wedding. Anna was absolutely great to work with! She is incredibly knowledgable when it comes to both ballroom dance and teaching. She helped us to learn the perfect dance for our big day as well as develop the skills necessary to perform it well and ensure it photographed well. Anna has very high expectations as she cares just as much as we did about making our first dance perfect! We would highly recommend working with Lake Shore Dance Academy.

My wife and I worked with Anna to choreograph our first dance, and had a great experience. Anna was great at breaking down basic concepts for a complete beginner like me while meeting my much more experienced wife at her level. Would strongly recommend!

We took first dance lessons at Lake Shore Dance Academy for our April 2024 wedding and couldn't be happier! Anna was an excellent teacher who made every class such a fun and enjoyable experience. We are novice dancers at best, but with her help we were able to create a choreographed dance to our song by learning basic waltz moves, timing, positioning, and even a lift! We had so many compliments on our first dance at the wedding! We highly recommend taking lessons here!

Anna and Alex are great instructors and create a fun atmosphere as my wife and I get ready to dance at our son’s wedding.

When we started lessons for our wedding’s first dance I was not excited about it. After our final class though I came out a new man and really enjoyed the time spent at LSD Academy. Highly recommend to anyone thinking of learning something new.

It is what you make of it! How it started: My fiancé and I decided we wanted to do a choreographed first dance, so we reached out to Lake Shore Dance Academy. Ania got back to us immediately and we scheduled our introductory lesson. At first, we were nervous as neither of us had any dance experience and we both considered ourselves to be "lacking rhythm". Ania took the time to listen to our concerns and quickly dispelled them, showing us we each have our own unique rhythm. She also said she could teach anyone to dance, and she is right! At first, we were just hoping to look somewhat put together on the dance floor-- just enough to not embarrass ourselves. After a few months, we have exceeded our own expectations and we are super excited to see the final choreographed dance. How it's going: We fell in love with what we now call our dance date nights! We cannot say enough good things about our instructors, Ania and Alex. We laugh through our mistakes and high-five when we do something right. Dancing turned into something we never imagined. Yes, it's fun to do together, but it also strengthened our trust in one another and taught us other ways to communicate. We love to dance together and ended up signing up for one of their group/social dances (swing and bachata). All in all, it is what you make of it. If you go in with an open mind, you will enjoy the experience! Thank you Ania and Alex!!

Looking for a fun way to connect with your partner while planning your wedding?! Take dance lessons with Anna and Nicolas!!! Through the entire process Anna and Nicolas were patient and explained the moves very well, especially to two people with no rhythm! They kept all of our lessons fun and energetic and we always left smiling, laughing, and even more confident. Our guests are going to be so shocked to see us dance the Rumba, and dance it well! We would not be able to do this dance without Anna's guidance and great choreography. Thank you Anna for the amazing experience and memories!

My (now) husband and I took dance lessons with Anna for our wedding. She was AMAZING!!! I couldn’t have asked for a better instructor - patient, encouraging, and had cute little names for moves to help us remember! She is a beautiful and graceful dancer, and it was inspiring to watch her move. Anna is so funny and kind, and I highly recommend her as an instructor!

This was an incredible experience. I was able to do this class with my dad to create a dance for our father-daughter dance at my wedding. We created many memories together and our instructor, Anna, was a huge part of that. She was educational, patient, flexible, and we plan to take other lessons there. Highly recommend.

My husband and I started taking dance lessons with Lake Shore Dance Academy about 9 months before our wedding. We worked primarily with Anna who did an amazing job teaching us. We went into these lessons with having no experience or rhythm. We started out learning the basics of Waltz, Hustle, Swing, and Rumba. After finding the perfect songs for our dance, Anna put together a mash-up and worked with us to choreograph our wedding dance. Everyone at our wedding loved our dance. Looking back at videos so many people were engaged and entertained. Most people there had no idea we were taking lessons, so it was a great surprise to show them all our hard work we had put into learning the dance. After our wedding we are continuing dance lessons with Anna to learn more social dances so that we can continue dancing at other events. We have been venturing into the Tango, Salsa, and bachata. Depending on what you are looking to learn Anna and Alex have a lot of skill and great personalities that you’ll be sure to have fun! They are extremely funny and personable. Thank you again Anna for being so patient with us and creating the most beautiful wedding dance and we look forward to continuing our dance lessons!

We enjoyed learning our first dance and social dancing with Anna. Taking ballroom dancing lessons at Lake Shore Dance Academy was an excellent way for us to prepare for our wedding reception. The lessons were also a fun date night! We highly recommend Lake Shore Dance Academy!

Any couple looking to have a fun, interesting and unique first dance should stop looking and book with Anna or Alex!! Both are fantastic dancers, teachers and so fun to work with. My fiancé and I loved the light hearted, fun loving environment that they provide for all their dancers. Between their patience, breakdown of choreography and upbeat personalities, we could not be more thrilled with our experience. Our first dance was so special to us and will forever be one of our favorite memories of our wedding days! I loved working with Anna so much that my dad and I ended up coming to her for our father daughter mash up dance as well! Anna put together a masterpiece performance and made sure to keep our dance fun, silly and heartwarming all at the same time. I would highly recommend both Anna and Alex for any of your dance needs, no matter your skill level.

Lakeshore dance academy reviews We bought a 11-lesson package from Anna and Alex and they did a FANTASTIC job for our wedding's first dance. My partner and I both have zero dancing experience and wanted to do an argentine tango for our first dance. Cannot be happier with the finished result. Highly recommend lake shore dance academy!

We booked 10 lessons for our wedding first dance - we had about 7 with Anna and 3 with Alex. Both were fabulous. My fiance and I are so different in our dance abilities, I have danced for years and he is a beginner. Anna was perfect for me for adding nuance in my movement and appreciating the beauty of each dance. Alex worked with my husband well teaching him the elements of moving his body first then applying the dance steps. They were a perfect match for us!

We LOVEEEEE LakeShore Dance Academy! Choosing the perfect choreographer for our first dance was of utmost importance, and after reading countless excellent reviews, we knew Lake Shore Dance Academy was the one. Our decision was confirmed right from the beginning when we met Anna Strojek, who immediately put us at ease, especially my husband, who was a bit nervous about his coordination skills (or lack thereof, as we jokingly believed!). Anna's teaching approach is simply fantastic. She patiently guided us through the basic steps and seamlessly incorporated them into a beautifully choreographed dance, making all the difference. With a few weeks left before our wedding, our dance is now complete, and we can't wait to perfect it. Anna's infectious energy and delightful personality made every lesson a joy, creating a comfortable and stress-free experience amidst the wedding planning chaos. We can confidently say that we would choose Lake Shore Dance Academy again in a heartbeat! If you're looking to make your first dance truly memorable and enjoyable, we highly recommend Lake Shore Dance Academy and the talented choreographer, Anna Strojek. Her expertise and enthusiasm will undoubtedly leave you with a dance that will be the highlight of your special day.

We LOVE Lakeshore Dance Academy! My fiancé and I only started our rumba, tango, and hustle lessons about 3 weeks ago in preparation for our wedding in October, but we are thrilled at what we’ve learner already in just 3 full lessons and the introductory one! Anna is an amazing teacher, filled with spunk, humor, and obvious skill in her craft. She makes the already beautiful studio fun to be in, and we are so excited to keep coming back to learn more!

My dad and I took lessons for the daddy daughter dance for my wedding, and we had the pleasure of working with Anna, who is so knowledgeable, patient and funny. We did the 15 dance class package, as neither of us can dance, and Anna truly transformed us and made us feel comfortable each practice. We successfully completed our lessons, and cannot believe how much Anna has taught us in so little time! Anna has such great abilities and knowledge in dance and to teach dance. She made each practice fun, made us laugh, and taught us how to cha-cha and ramba. Highly recommend to anyone considering taking lessons!

We had a great experience with Anna! She choreographed our first dance for our wedding, it was exactly what we wanted and we had so much fun at each lesson! Great pricing as well.

I'm thrilled to write a glowing review for Anna, our dance teacher! When I accidentally booked a dance studio that was 45 minutes away, I was hesitant to keep the reservation. However, after our first visit with Anna, I knew that we had to continue coming back. Anna's teaching style is truly remarkable. She's an amazing teacher, professional, and has come to be a good friend. She knows how to make every student feel comfortable, regardless of their level of experience. She's patient, kind, and incredibly skilled at breaking down complex dance moves into manageable steps. Under her guidance, my partner and I were able to learn our first dance routine flawlessly. Our first dance was so good that the artist who wrote the song we danced to even commented on our video! That's a testament to just how amazing Anna is at what she does. She helped us create a memorable moment that we'll cherish for a lifetime. Anna's expertise and professionalism make her a top-notch teacher, but what truly sets her apart is her warm and welcoming personality. She has a gift for connecting with her students and making them feel like family. It's no surprise that we've already purchased 15 more classes with Anna to learn the salsa and swing. I'm confident that with her guidance, we'll master these new dance styles in no time. If you're looking for a dance teacher who is professional, passionate, and personable, look no further than Anna. She is the perfect choice for anyone who wants to learn how to dance and have fun while doing it. You won't regret choosing Anna as your teacher!

Anna is a lot of fun to work with. My partner and I were gifted sessions to work on our first dance for our wedding. We had so much fun learning how to dance together in an a very easy going environment. We are super excited to be able to dance together on our wedding night and show off what we’ve practiced!

Anna was just amazing. We went to the studio with the idea to learn couple of steps as our wedding was approaching and my fiancee did not dance. Anna was able to get him out of his shell and actually make him enjoy dancing. This was the best money we ever spent and it was well worth it. All our wedding guests were impressed with our first dance and could not believe my fiancee did not dance before that. Thank you Anna! You did miracles. Don't think twice...try Anna and her studio!!! She is really professional and knows the best way to make you enjoy dancing. Corina and Kenny

Cannot recommend this place or this teacher enough. Anna was fun, patient, and incredibly creative as she worked with my fiance and I. Our first dance song is quirky, and doesn’t fit easily into a genre, but Anna took it as a challenge and helped us make something beautiful for our first dance as husband and wife.

Anna is so amazing! The studio is easy to locate and so beautiful. She is such a professional and was so patient with us. She took time to dream up a beautiful dance for us! We planned out what we wanted and she created a super sweet dance that is completely doable for us! We had the best time seeing her and dancing together before our big day. I would HIGHLY recommend investing in Anna and time together on the dance floor as a couple. We loved it! Thanks Anna!

Outside of recommendation, the experience of a lifetime awaits you. Listen to your heart and passion and let Anna dovetail your passions into reality. She has brought a sense of unity and enjoyment to a pass time of dancing with my wife to be. She is witty and exceptional with her teachings and welcomes your participation while having fun at the same time. The time is priceless.

We decided to go with Anna because we enjoyed her professionalism, enthusiasm, and her knowledge of social dancing was superior to other dance instructors in Chicagoland. From the beginning she ascertained we understood the dance styles of rumba, hustle, waltz, and a whole lot more. Anna taught us the basics of each move and progressively more complicated moves and eventually an entire dance sequence for our wedding’s choreographed first dance. Lake Shore Dance Academy (LSDA) has playlists of songs to choose from if we did not have one already. Anna keeps the mood light by engaging in conversations and jokes throughout the lessons while also firm when we are learning new moves. She tells us, “the woman is always right!” reminding us that the female partner’s first step is the right foot and also implying my soon to be wife will always be correct in the relationship! The dance studio of LSDA is elegant, clean, and inviting. My then-fiancée/now-wife wanted to incorporate a tiktok dance and Anna refined that too! The day before the wedding, we realized we didn't receive the final version of the song mix to send to our DJ and Anna being away from the work computer, saved the day through iCloud sending us the file on the day of the wedding! What a relief! Lake Shore Dance Academy has been previously nominated in The Knot. We highly recommend Anna and the LSDA team in the Chicagoland and Lake County area.

I don't know how Anna does it but she does! My fiance and I came here for our first dance with zero experience in dancing. If she can teach us, she can definitely teach you! Let me also say that my fiance has a distinctive personality which many find hard to handle, but Anna handle him like a champ! If she can handle him she can handle anyone!

Where to begin….we LOVED this place! My fiancé and I had the best experience learning our first dance and can’t wait to return to learn more! Wedding guests were so impressed with our first dance. The instructors are so kind and creative! I can’t say enough good things! Thank you Lake Shore Dance Academy!

Anna is the best! I was referred to her for dance lessons which I ended up taking lessons for my first dance and my father-daughter dance at my wedding recently. I highly recommend for either occasion! My husband and I had so much fun with the lessons and in some ways that was more special than the dance itself. The dance Anna choreographed for us was perfect! Also had a blast taking lessons with my dad and gave us time to spend with each other prior to the wedding. Hands down recommend Anna for any of your dancing needs :)

Wether you’re a pro or a beginner, Anna’s dance school is the way to go! We went to Anna’s studio to learn our wedding dance! After trying out other dance studios we knew Anna was the teacher to go with! She made us feel at home, was attentive, and patient, and spent a lot of time in the beginning learning what our vision for our wedding was. She asked questions about my wedding dress and the reason behind our chosen song and choreographed a custom dance based on all that. And let me tell you, our “vision” wasn’t a simple one. Anna made it happen! She’s an exceptional teacher and never gave up. Our dance was a classical Walz - it was perfect! leaving our families and friends speechless at our special day. We still have a few lessons that we’re taking to learn other types of dances now and are looking forward to each one! Thank you Anna, for all of your patience, Energy, and passion. It’s obvious that you love what you do and we are so grateful to have had you as our teacher!

Working with Anna has been so fun. Both my fiancé and I had no previous experience in dance, and were very nervous when we first began. Anna helped us coordinate and learn our first dance for our wedding step by step and always kept it light hearted. She has a hilarious sense of humor which made every lesson so fun and entertaining. I would love to return to this venue for future lessons!

I can only say Wow! Lake Shore Dance Academy top notch! Anna is the best! I just want to say to any fellow Dad’s that want that special dance with there daughter at her wedding Anna is your teacher. Best advice is to listen and let her do her thing and teach. It took me a couple lessons but she is the best! Tony

We worked with Anna to learn the rumba for our first dance at our wedding reception on 7/18/2022. She was absolutely amazing! Very professional and communicative throughout the entire booking and planning process. We purchased a package of 7 lessons and learned 6 different steps/dance moves, which Anna taught us how to put together for a beautiful first dance.

We worked with Anna, who is a wonderful instructor. My fiancé and I took lessons for our first dance, and despite having no experience with ballroom dancing (I had none, my fiancé took dance lessons growing up) we had so much fun. Anna is patient, positive, encouraging, and has a great sense of humor. We would highly recommend Lake Shore Dance Academy!

Anna has been very patient with my fiancé and I as we learned to dance. She provided insightful tips that helped us understand what we were supposed to do, and worked with us on our choice of music! When we want to learn a new style of dance, we're definitely coming back to this studio!

We love Anna!! She has helped this (47 years) married couple learn to dance and have fun. She is so patient, kind, funny and talented. At our daughter's wedding we will be able to Swing, Hustle and Waltz the night away. We are so happy we found Lake Shore Dance Academy and Anna! Update!! The wedding was beautiful.. Father/Daughter Swing and Mother/Daughter Waltz. Thank you, Anna 2nd Update--We took dance lessons for Jenna's wedding and the special dances we were asked to do with her. Well, we decided to continue the lessons. The best social decision we ever made!! Here is Keith going solo while I recuperate from Total Knee Replacement. Doesn't he look great!! Thank you our dance instructor Ania and Lake Shore Dance Academy of Mundelein!!!

My partner and I agreed to do dance lessons ahead of our wedding, but I waited longer than I probably should have to sign up for classes--in part because I was so busy, and in part because I was nervous about how expensive they might be as our other wedding expenses were also adding up. As it got down to the wire, I decided that it would be a fun date activity if nothing else, so, after reading many reviews and weighing my options, I reached out to Lake Shore Dance Academy. Anna followed up promptly and got us in for an initial class. We loved our first lesson and signed up for the 10-pack, which came with full choreography, and we couldn't have been happier! Anna is an amazing instructor, working well with both myself (who can be hard on myself when I make mistakes) and my partner (who does not take himself that seriously, enjoys chatting and joking, and will be the first to say he is not very coordinated). We had such a great time laughing and learning from her. She made it fun for both of us and taught us steps for both East Coast Swing and Rumba since we were doing a mashup. In the end, our wedding guests were delighted with the dance, and--more importantly--we enjoyed the whole process and had lots of sweet memories from both the lessons and practice at home. We thought every lesson was well-worth the 2-hour round-trip drive up from Evanston--which is saying something! We hope to take more classes just for fun in the fall/winter, which is not something I expected my partner to be excited about!

My husband and I wanted to do something special for our first dance at our wedding (January 2022) and reached out to LSDA in October 2021. The entire experience was a blast from start to finish. Not only did Anna choreograph a fabulous dance for us, but she also made sure to accommodate our vision while also keeping things practical. Anna did such a great job teaching and preparing us that by the time our wedding day arrived, we executed our dance perfectly and had a ton of fun. Our friends and family were impressed especially since neither one of us had any prior dancing experience. We highly recommend Anna and LSDA!

Anna was AMAZING - she was patient, fun, and an excellent teacher. We loved prepping for our daughter's wedding with Anna and highly recommend her and the entire team at LSDA!

Anna is absolutely amazing! She choreographed both my husband and I's first dance and my father-daughter dance. She was able to meet us at the level we wanted to be at (my husband and I love to dance, but my father, not so much!) and we learned so much from her that we'll be using for the rest of our lives. Her personality made lessons a blast! We have also not stopped getting compliments - our wedding band said that it was the best first dance he had ever seen, and he's played hundreds of weddings. I could not recommend Anna more highly! She was incredible.

I couldn't recommend Anna any more enthusiastically. Not only is she knowledgable and efficient, but she really has a gift for teaching the fundamentals, and then using them as building blocks to make a great dance that fits what you're looking for. Not only was she a great dance teacher, but going to dance class made for a fun date night as well. Her partner is also a great teacher from what I could tell, although he didn't personally teach us. Thanks, Anna!

Our first dance blew all of our guests away! Anna was thorough, creative and efficient. She took our first dance song, which is a bit obscure, and came up with an amazing, elaborate, and beautiful first dance. You can tell that Anna is experienced in dance and really knows what she’s doing. The transitions flowed with the music and beats, yet the dance was not too complicated, as long as you practice, practice, practice! Which we did and enjoyed. I highly recommend Lake Shore Dance Academy.

Anna was phenomenal to work with! My now husband and I took dance lessons for our first dance for our wedding. It was a somewhat last-minute decision (2 months before our wedding) but Anna was able to fit us in. Neither of us had ever ballroom danced before but Anna taught us the rumba, choreographed our first dance and even taught us some salsa within those two months. Our first dance was PERFECT and people still tell us how amazing it was! Not to mention we had so much fun during our lessons. It might be the only part of wedding planning/prep I truly enjoyed! Anna is a great teacher for any skill level. We learned so many steps and tricks that we’ve even used while dancing at other weddings since ours. We hope to take more classes with her in the future! She’s the best!

Anna worked with us for our first dance at our wedding. She was so sweet, personable and funny. She made us feel so comfortable and we loved the dance she put together for us. All of our guests did too. She made it fun. Highly recommend!!

My husband and I signed up with Lakeshore Dance Academy to prepare a fun choreography for our first dance. From the first day we met with Anna we knew she would be the one we would select to help us create a mashup dance. Anna, was professional, fun and very knowledgeable. She helped guide us in our song selection and was a great help in helping us form what ultimately was a dance that we loved and most importantly enjoyed so much! She made the whole experience fun to the point where now as a couple we enjoy dancing more than before and are considering to continue taking classes to learn all the different styles. I would highly recommend Anna and her team as they truly care about their students and make it a super fun learning experience!

We had an excellent time working with Anna at Lake Shore Dance Academy. She was extremely professional, encouraging, and patient as she taught us a beautifully choreographed dance that will make our wedding first dance extremely special. Also, Anna did such a great job of calming our stress, explaining each step and getting us to a comfortable place where we felt confident in performing our dance. She took her time to create enough different moves into our 4-minute song and it turned out AMAZING! She listened to our ideas and included some of suggested moves into our routine, too. The place itself is very clean and specious. Since, we had to travel a bit of distance, Anna was very flexible in making our schedule. She kept communicating and reminding us of every lesson. In addition, she would record our practice on our phones so we could have something to look at just in case we forgot the moves. We were also invited to LSDA social party where we performed our dance and experienced the feeling of being in the center of attention. We recommend this place and promise you will not regret it! Aga & Daniel

My fiancé and I had a wonderful time with our wedding lessons package at Lakeshore Dance Academy. Our instructor, Anna, was super sweet, fun and motivating. The studio was also very clean. We look forward to ‘killin it’ in our first dance and continuing to learn and grow with additional lessons!

What an amazing experience we had at Lake Shore Dance Academy!! My dad and I wanted to do a fun, choreographed dance for my wedding and we couldn’t have been luckier to find Anna to teach us for 8 weeks. Anna was challenged with an upbeat country song, but choreographed a perfect dance with ballroom dancing stto match the song. My very optimistic dad has no dance skills but Anna taught him privately for 6 sessions and made it so much fun! She is so patient, funny, and outgoing. The space was clean and beautifully remodeled. If you are looking for dance lessons we highly recommend Lake Shore Dance Academy!

I truly cannot say enough wonderful things about Lake Shore Dance Academy and working with Anna. We thought we’d go for 3 classes and learn a few steps, but Anna took it to a different level. We ended up taking 6-7 classes and I can’t imagine taking any less. The first two classes we spent learning basic steps. By the third lesson, we took the steps and turned it into a BEAUTIFUL dance. Our guests could not believe how clean and put together our first dance was. Not only did we nail it, but we got some pretty amazing photos of us doing dips and turns. These are all things Anna thinks about when she’s choreographing your dance - she puts plenty of photo opportunities in the dance. The one piece of advice I’d give any couple learning a first dance is to practice…a lot. It will make everything much more enjoyable! Also, Anna gave us the wise advice on cutting down our dance from 3 minutes to 2 minutes - listen to her!!!! Those 2 minutes felt like 5 minutes when doing it in front of our guests. She was able to cut the music for us, which was very helpful! We’d highly recommend working with Anna…even if it’s just to learn a dance for fun! I know we’ll be back in the future!!! Thank you SOO much Anna!!!!!

Our wedding dance lessons with Anna Strojek were wonderful! Anna made it simple and fun to learn the Rhumba and Hustle for our son’s wedding. The joy and laughter while taking lessons will be a life-long favorite memory. I will rave about Anna to anyone who needs lessons, she is the best!

We are taking polka and waltz lessons to prepare for our Oktoberfest themed wedding. LSDA is an awesome place to learn to dance. Anna, our instructor, knows exactly how to motivate us and keep us learning. We were not dancers and she had us doing combined polka steps by our second lesson. They make learning to dance a very fun experience. We highly recommend them and will be continuing lessons on additional dances.

Lake Shore Dance Academy is everything we dreamed of and then some! We began taking lessons to learn to socially dance as well as to prepare for our wedding. Take it from a couple with two left feet, Anna is a miracle worker! She has a kind, patient demeanor and makes dancing fun. We truly enjoy our weekly lessons and began seeing progress after the very first lesson. We cannot recommend Anna enough!

Anna is an amazing dance instructor. We started taking private couple’s lessons in November for our wedding later this year and because we enjoy her instruction so much we plan to continue with our ballroom dance lessons after we are married. She has packages for all levels, you should really consider Lake Shore Dance Academy if you’re looking to sharpen your dance skills or start from scratch. She’s patient, kind, funny, and so knowledgeable! We love her! Xoxo, Andrea & Alberto

In a few short months, I went from a non-dancer to dancing with my youngest daughter at her wedding. And I will do the same with my older daughter next year. Anna is an excellent teacher and motivator and gave me the basic tools to build my confidence on the dance floor. That has led to trying more dances. My wife has always danced and Anna not only helped her learn some new steps, she gave her a dance partner! Bill B.

My (now) husband and I hired Anna around end of May-June to help us with our first dance for our August wedding to the song 'Perfect' by Ed Sheeran. We barely had any experience dancing, but by our wedding day she not only created beautiful choreography for our first dance song but also managed to teach us the dance from the movie, Dirty Dancing as a surprise to our families. Overall Anna was absolutely incredible to work with. She was very informative and it was easy to learn through her. My husband and I definitely plan on hiring her again to teach us other dance styles in the future. We cannot recommend her enough!

My fiance and I started dancing with Anna so that we would have a little more flair on the dance floor during our first dance at our wedding. Let me tell you in no uncertain terms that Anna was born to teach! Even though she is already a very accomplished professional dancer, she has not forgotten how it feels to be stepping out on the dance floor for the very first time, which is the quality that truly makes for a stellar instructor. My fiance and I use our practice time before our weekly classes as little date nights! We have a glass of wine, practice, and exercise our minds as we look forward to our wedding. To get the most out of Anna in your lessons, I do recommend you practice. What's more is Anna will incorporate moves that will show off both partners' outfits. If applicable, she will ask the bride what their wedding dress looks like, so it can be both properly maneuvered in and shown off! I cannot recommend Anna enough. She is driven, talented, and she GENUINELY cares about all of her students.

My wife and I took private dance lessons with Anna to learn the choreography for our wedding dance. We loved the process (10 1-hour sessions) and the final product was so amazing. We had so many people complimenting us at our wedding. My wife is a long time dancer, but even for myself, I was pleasantly surprised by how well I did. Anna will make you feel at ease and can choreograph some amazing moves for all skill levels. Don’t be hesitant for the challenge, it is a great bonding experience for couple preparing for a wedding or just wanting a fun routine. Now we have a dance we can watch, cherish, and rehearse for the rest of our lives. Worth every penny :)

Anna is amazing. My fiance and I had no prior dance experience, and Anna taught us four styles of ballroom dancing: Rumba, Hustle, Swing, and Salsa. When it came time to choreograph our first dance, we had a lot of material to choose from! Anna effortlessly sequenced the steps and the timing; she was very precise and knew just what would fit within the framework of the songs we had chosen. She made us feel so comfortable and improved our dancing skills immensely--we really looked forward to the lesson every week. We can't wait to show off our dance on the big day!

Bought 2 lessons for my nephew and his fiancé. They had such a great experience they decided to continue dancing after their wedding Their wedding dance was so sweet and a highlight of the wedding Giving the gift of dance made me so happy and they could not stop smiling

Working with Anna has been one of the highlights of our wedding planning. From the orientation lesson, we could tell that teaching dance was something she loved doing. Every lesson since has been filled with an energy that made learning comfortable and fun. Our lessons were filled with laughter and progress. Anna was always willing to revisit moves we had forgotten or found particularly tricky. The dance she choreographed for us is beautiful and flows with the music well. We can’t wait to surprise our friends and family on our big day later this month! Thanks, Anna, for your lessons, wedding tips, and making each lesson feel as if we were working with a friend.

Anna is amazing! My husband and I were so lucky enough to have her choreograph our first dance at our wedding. We were so nervous we didn’t know what to expect because neither of us had danced before,but Anna knew exactly what we needed. She made us laugh, made us feel comfortable, but most of all she really cared. It was like she had known us for years and put her heart into getting us ready for the big day. Thanks to her we wowed our friends, family, and even ourselves. Anna sparked a love for dance neither of us knew we had. We live in the city and happily drive an hour each week to learn from Anna. We highly recommend Anna and the Lake Shore Dance Academy. Five stars!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ -Kelly Ann & Marco Martinez

If you do not want to look like 2 middle school kids at their first dance, Anna is amazing on helping us with our first dance at our wedding. We danced to “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You” the Lauryn Hill version and she knew exactly the dance we should do. She showed us the best steps to show off my dress to picturesque poses on the dance floor. My husband is not a dancer but I have to say he had a good time with our lesson. Anna was definitely worth investing for our wedding because it was important that we did not look like 2 swaying kids on the dance floor but a bride and groom enjoying their first dance.

Anna was an amazing instructor and a joy to work with as we prepared for the first dance at our wedding. She really took the time to understand what we wanted and provided helpful guidance each week to get us there. I am so glad we decided to choreograph our first dance as a surprise for our guests, and can't imagine doing it with anyone but Anna!

My husband and I just got married and we were taking lessons with Anna for a year and a half to prepare for our wedding dance so we weren't just swaying back and forth for our first dance. About the last month to two months of our lessons we focused on our first dance. She asked us how comfortable we were...and how unique/fun we wanted to go with our dance and we allowed her full reign to make it a very fun dance. We had a blast! We received so many compliments on our first dance...while we realized when we made mistakes, the audience couldnt, and i definitely credit that to Anna helping us be as comfortable as we could with our dancing abilities. We had fun with it, and let go. It was an amazing first dance, and we greatly enjoyed our experience with Anna.

Anna is an amazing dancer and teacher. My daughter wanted to create a special dance with me for her wedding day. Anna was so patient and encouraging as I stubbled about the dance floor. We had a lot of laughs and practiced a lot. The big day was beautiful and very memorable. I will never forget that dance with my beautiful daughter on her wedding day. Thanks Anna!

Ever since my son and daughter-in-law to be announced their engagement it’s been my dream to do a special, fun and memorable mother/son dance. His work schedule made it very difficult to get together for any lessons. When he got a different job with better hours I thought “here’s my chance”!! We came to Anna with zero experience and very little time. I gave her the songs we wanted to use and she choreographed a fantastic routine. She was so patient with us, and made us believe in ourselves. I can honestly say this was one of the best experiences of my life. Now my son and I, and the surprised wedding guests, have something unforgettable. Thank you, Anna, so much!!

Anna is amazing!!! My dad and I had the absolute best experience with our dance lessons for my wedding that my fiancé and I went for our lessons. It greatly prepared us for the big day and has since helped us at weddings we have been to since! We are so grateful for her patience and humor through the entire process.

Anna is the absolute best dance teacher! I have taken many dance classes (when I was much younger!) and I have never felt so comfortable, confident or at ease than I do when Anna is teaching. We came to Anna looking for Beginner dance lessons for our upcoming wedding. From our first meeting with Anna, I knew our first dance was going to be special. She made us an individualized plan based on our songs, goals and the amount of time before the wedding. We started out learning the basics of a few different dances and we started getting excited and looking forward to our dance classes and our time with Anna each week. Anna makes learning dance so much fun! We are excited to continue classes with her after the wedding. We are so grateful to have met Anna and are completely confident in our new dance skills!

Anna helped my husband and I choreograph our first dance for our wedding. She was patient, helpful and most of all eased our anxieties and made it fun! We had a vision and she helped us fulfill it in our own way making it “us.” I would highly recommend Anna to any couple looking to choreograph a dance or even just to learn how to dance. We learned many valuable steps and tips that we will forever remember! We’re so thankful for how flexible and accommodating Anna was with our busy schedules. Thank you, Anna + Lake Shore Dance Academy!”

I was absolutely terrified by even the thought of having a first dance at our wedding with 100+ people watching. My fiance and I met with Anna to explain our fears, utter lack of dancing skills, and ask her to keep us from embarrassing ourselves. Anna was super amazing and made us feel very comfortable right away. She had also listened to our first dance song before that first meeting and chose the type of dance (rumba). We ended up having 10 lessons total, with the first ~5 spent learning basic steps and the next ~5 putting everything together into a choreographed dance. Our first dance turned out SO MUCH better than we ever could have imagined! Even my mom was shocked! In short, you can't go wrong by choosing Anna! She's so good at teaching, and kept each class feeling fun

My husband and I had our wedding danced choreographed by Anna. She is a great instructor that made the process easy and fun. I had a little dance background while my husband did not. Our first dance was a mix of two different dance styles. Anna blended the two different dance styles so well! Her teaching process made sure we learned the steps before the dance itself. I thought it was helpful that she tailored our dance to my wedding gown. I informed her of the style and showed her a picture from the beginning. I did not feel much of a difference in my gown than during our lessons. Our guests loved our first dance and were surprised at the merengue at the end. Thank you for the wonderful memories Anna! We are looking forward to future lessons for date nights.

My husband and I learned a rhumba from Anna and it was honestly the best experience! My husband has absolutely no dance experience and I don't have any ballroom dance experience and Anna managed to make us look absolutely stunning! She did such a wonderful job putting us at ease, she listened to us and tried to make sure we felt so comfortable for our dance. Anna was flexible and worked with our schedules and seriously choreographed such a beautiful dance for us! We can't wait to go back and learn more dances!

Anna is the best! She is an amazing dancer and teacher and can create a dance to suit any couple or individual. And the lessons are incredibly fun!

Loved working with Anna! She helped my dad and I creat a very fun and beautiful father daughter dance for my wedding. We had a blast learning the moves and showing it off to our guests. I’m going to start taking my husband to some of her classes!

My fiancé and I didn’t plan on doing a choreographed dance, but after meeting Anna at a bridal expo and taking a class with her, we are so excited that we decided to. She is such a good teacher and very patient with us. She was a blast to learn with. We can’t wait to show our friends and family our beautiful dance!

My fiance and I were looking for a dance intructor to coordinate a routine for our 1st dance. We found Anna and she is the best! She works from the heart. Such an inspirational instructor. She makes you feel welcomed and at ease. She takes time to go through different options for your routine. She is very flexible with scheduling too. We really enjoyed it and highly recommend her.

Anna was amazing to work with! We were so happy with her and she taught so much in a short time before the wedding.. highly recommended and we can’t wait for the wedding to show our moves!

Empowering lives through Dance I’ve thought about that line at the top of Anna’s page many times as she has enthusiastically corrected my attempts at dancing. It has been a life long desire for me to learn to dance, and I think I can say with some confidence that I have achieved toddler status. That is not to mock what Anna has accomplished, because thanks to her excellent teaching, I have accomplished a couple of things in addition to the basics. I had the joy of a choreographed dance with my daughter at her wedding, and I was able to go onto the dance floor after the ceremony and have a great time. In addition to that Anna challenged me to learn a choreographed dance routine that she created for a regional showcase. I had the privilege of dancing with her in front of a crowd, as did several other of my fellow students, and it was very challenging and rewarding. Anna seems tirelessly creative, and impossibly patient. I wanted to say thank you this holiday season for the way she has changed my life with dance, and came up with a simple acrostic that speaks to some of the tools she’s taught