About this vendor
Choose our ballroom dance studio, or a FREE UPGRADE on lessons at our award winning "FIRST DANCE VENUE" on Rittenhouse Sq. Click and read "About this vendor" to compare. Call 215-665-8411 or email info@movingimagedanceacademy.com for details. If using Knot email, you must specify either option 1 or 2, it will impact your results. Our FIRST DANCE VENUE is the only true wedding vendor for dance in Phila. You'll learn your first dance exactly as you'll do it on your wedding day, in a huge private space! We GUARANTEE 25% OFF if you can find this offered elsewhere at any price. First dance, mother/son, father/daughter dance is taught exclusively. It's not social like dance studios, so you won't share the dance floor with others like studio private lessons. It's the only one of it's kind on the Knot.
If you'd prefer, we also have our dance studio on Sansom St. There are many types of dance studios on the Knot, they teach everyone! It's not just singles taking private lessons, it's wedding couples too. Private lessons are taught on a shared dance floor in a high energy environment. Studios provide a fun social life and are best for learning dance curriculum. If you'd rather avoid busy studios, choose our First Dance Venue on Rittenhouse Sq instead.
Our FIRST DANCE VENUE is the only one in Philadelphia and it's a free upgrade. It's totally different than all dance studios so we can prioritize your first dance. Dance lessons are at a reduced rate plus a huge private space for free. Engaged couples have different needs than all the singles who take private lessons in dance studios. Read our reviews from couples who called for a free upgrade! Our 2 locations are totally different. If emailing, you must specify which one you want. Dance teachers on the Knot aren't all trained to teach the same dances so choose one who can teach the right dance to your special song. Calling makes it easy, 215-665-8411.
Details
Music Genres
- Country
- Dance
- Disco
- Latin
- Pop
Awards and Affiliations
8-Time 'Best of Weddings'
2024.2022.2021.+5 more.
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.
Hall of Fame
Earned by winning 'Best of Weddings' four or more times.
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Reviews
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4.9
out of 5.0125 reviews
Review photos
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My husband and I are so grateful we took first dance lessons with Ken for our wedding! Ken is by far the most experienced ballroom dance instructor in Philadelphia. He teaches more...
than just steps to a routine. Ken specializes in teaching non-dancers how to understand the dance moves and feel confident on the dance floor. The space he teaches in is wide open which gave us the ability to rehearse exactly how it would be on our wedding day. All of our guests were so impressed and we will always be grateful for Ken's help!
Ken’s lessons were fun and full of learning each week. He was flexible around our schedule and spent the time with us to make sure we learned the fundamentals. He is a the perfect ...
choice for couples looking to learn to dance for life! He focuses on how to dance well not just how to take steps according to your first dance song!
The best option for couples looking to learn a life-long skill that will impress wedding guests while having a fun, shared experience with your future spouse. Ken is an excellent t...
eacher with decades of experience. Ken is looking to actually teach couples how to dance rather than just get through the lesson and collect a paycheck. The rate he offers is very competitive especially for the one-on-one attention provided in a large space. I would suggest Ken and Moving Image Dance Academy to any couple looking to learn choreography and a new skill for their first dance together.
When we started dance lessons, we knew nothing about dancing together or dancing in general. Ken is true professional who has been dancing for decades and his experience really sho...
ws. We expected to just learn choreography, but Ken taught us how to truly dance together and the fundamentals of dance. Because Ken taught us the fundamentals and basics so well, our first dance at our wedding was so fun because we felt so comfortable with the dance moves. In addition, the space that Ken holds dance lessons at was also great preparation for the wedding venue. Our practices were in a large ballroom right in Rittenhouse which helped us be comfortable with dancing in a similar venue.
Ken holds himself to a very high standard and will similarly hold you to a high standard. If you want a dance teacher to truly teach you how to dance together and who is as invested in your dance as you are, Ken is the right person. If you are looking for someone to just help with choreography and only take a few lessons, this may not be the right fit.
I had never danced in my life before our wedding, so I was quite nervous about our first dance. But I truly couldn’t have done it without Ken. From the very beginning, he was incre...
dibly patient and guided us from the absolute basics to the choreography we envisioned. Ken is professional, very encouraging, and a super nice guy! Whenever I felt like I was struggling with a move, he was quick to encourage and support me. What really stood out was how he walked us through the choreography step by step explaining not just the moves, but the reasons behind them, based on the music. It felt like a true collaboration, and that made the whole process really special. Thanks to Ken, our first dance turned out amazing. After the wedding, so many people came up to us asking, “How did you learn that? Have you danced before?” It’s all thanks to Ken! Also, the First Dance Venue on Rittenhouse Square is spacious and perfect for practice. The location made a big difference. We looked forward to each lesson. Thank you again, Ken! For anyone reading this, I highly recommend him.
We had an amazing experience working with Ken for our first dance! He made the entire learning process fun, approachable, and stress-free. Ken is incredibly patient, clear in his t...
eaching, and made sure we understood the basics and also helping us nail the details so we could feel confident on the dance floor. He choreographed a routine to our favorite song that felt elegant, natural, and perfectly tailored to us. One huge bonus was getting a free upgrade to the beautiful ballroom at the Rittenhouse Square First Dance Venue — having the huge space to ourselves for private 1:1 lessons made a big difference. Our guests were so impressed with the dance, and we’re so thankful to Ken for helping us pull it off. We highly recommend him to any couple preparing for their big day!
Look no further if you are in need of dance lessons in Center City! My husband and I took dance lessons for our first dance at our wedding, and we are so glad we did it with Ken. W...
e worked together for just a few weeks before the wedding, and our guests (and other vendors!) could NOT stop talking about what such good dancers we were. What I especially love about Ken's instruction - among so many things - is that he teaches you different steps and gives recommendations on how to start and finish the dance. The dance was not overly choreographed, but we were comfortable enough with the different steps to have fun while dancing at our wedding. We practiced and learned in a large space (in a very convenient location) with Ken's undivided attention. We cannot thank him enough for making our first dance a fun and memorable moment.
We had a fantastic experience with Ken! Starting just 6 weeks out from our wedding, we went from zero dance skills to pulling off an impressive first dance that wowed our wedding g...
uests. We had twice weekly lessons with Ken and through his patience and encouragement, we created a memorable and polished first dance. The private 1:1 lessons and ballroom space made all the difference. We definitely recommend him if you are serious about having an awesome first dance!
Ken was great, taught us a simple but impressive dance routine for our wedding which wowed all of our guests. He was patient with us, which we appreciated as we had limited prior d...
ance experience. Our lessons included a free upgrade to the beautiful first dance venue on Rittenhouse Square with a giant ballroom all to ourselves. 10/10 would recommend.
It was absolutely wonderful to work with Ken. He choreographed a beautiful routine for us to our choice song for our first dance. He was kind and patient, and took into account our...
experience level when teaching us the various steps to our routine. He is clearly an expert in his field. Everyone at our wedding was blown away by our first dance. Also, as an added bonus, we received a free upgrade and were able to take private dance lessons at the beautiful Rittenhouse Square First Dance Venue, with no other couples or students sharing the floor with us. If you're looking for someone to teach you a first dance routine, search no further than Ken!
We had an incredible experience with Ken at the Moving Image Dance Academy. We called about a month before our wedding and Ken gave us a free upgrade to learn at the First Dance Ve...
nue in Rittenhouse Square. We were able to get private lessons at a very reasonable price. Ken was extremely flexible with his timing and schedule, which was invaluable as we did not have much time before the wedding! Ken made the lessons accessible and fun. We loved how our first dance turned out and highly recommend Ken and Moving Image Dance Academy for all of your dance lesson needs.
We had the pleasure of working with Ken as our ballroom dance instructor for three months leading up to our wedding, and we couldn't be more thrilled with the experience. Ken chore...
ographed an incredible dance to "Only Wanna Be With You" by Hootie and the Blowfish, perfectly capturing the energy and joy of our special song.
Ken's approach was both patient and thorough, starting from the basics and ensuring we were comfortable with each step before progressing. He was attentive to our feedback, making adjustments to the choreography to address moves we were less confident about. His flexibility and understanding made the learning process enjoyable & fun!
Our dance performance was a highlight of our wedding, and it's a memory we will cherish forever. A huge thank you to Ken for his dedication, creativity, and exceptional teaching. We highly recommend him to anyone looking to make their special occasion truly memorable!
Absolutely amazing to work with Ken for our wedding dance. I'm a ballroom dance and my partner had never danced before - Ken whipped him into shape! I was truly amazed at the impac...
t that Ken had on our waltz. I felt like my partner was a true competitive dancer by the end of our practices. We worked with us to determine the song, the dance, and was flexible to changes. If you want a true waltz with beautiful execution for your wedding dance - he's the one to go to!
I got married a few weeks ago, and my husband and I nailed our first dance - it was a big moment and our family and friends were flabbergasted. My grandma said it was the best firs...
t dance she's ever seen, and let me tell you that we both have zero dance experience in the style we learned, and maybe 1.5 left feet. Most importantly, we had so much fun together and learned a new way to communicate and partner through dance thanks to Ken.
If you are considering formal dance instruction for your wedding, don't want to waste time going at the pace of a large group with a generic dance, and are also open to a style or song you haven't considered that is forgiving for inexperienced dancers, this is a great option. I called Moving Image Dance Academy with a little over a month to go before our wedding date (recommend giving yourself more time) and got a free upgrade from Ken to learn at the First Dance Venue at the Ethical Society on Rittenhouse Square. The space is huge, private, and we could go at our own pace to learn technique and choreography. Also, Ken can be long-winded at times, but knows his craft and takes so much pride in it.
Big thank you to Ken!
We loved working with Ken and the Moving Image Dance Academy! We feel so fortunate to have been gotten the free upgrade to dance in the private, First Dance Venue. Working with Ke...
n, we didn't have to share space or music and we were able to totally focus on learning our dance. Ken is an expert ballroom dance instructor, and we appreciated his patience. We highly recommend working with Ken at the Moving Image Dance Academy!
Ken worked with my husband and I to design a simple waltz for our first dance. We were able to take private lessons in a spacious ballroom without having to share space with other ...
couples. He is a wonderful, experienced, and patient teacher. We really appreciate him explaining to us how to move our bodies properly instead of merely choreograph and ask us to memorize the moves. We highly recommend taking lessons with Ken.
Ken worked with us on a first dance for my husband and daughter. He was very accommodating with scheduling lessons and imparting his knowledge of many years of dance expertise.
I just got off the phone with the Moving Image Dance Academy and I am very happy with their advice. The staff and dance instructors are helpful, friendly and responsive to your nee...
ds. The conversation was very good and I can really recommend the dance school!!
We worked with Moving Image Dance Academy for 3-4 months leading up to our wedding. Ken was really good to work with. He was flexible in timing, which was critical since my husba...
nd and I both have time-intensive jobs. He was patient, which was necessary because neither of us are natural dancers. He created a space very conducive to learning, upgrading us to his dedicated ballroom dancing space. He truly cared about us and it was evident he was highly invested in us being successful on our big day. Thank you Ken!!
Neither of us are dancers and Ken did an amazing job meeting us where we were so we didn't feel overwhelmed or discouraged. We called to book our first lesson and he upgraded us to...
the First Dance Venue, which meant we had the space to ourselves for all of our lessons. Ken is great at teaching ballroom dance and he helped us figure out which type of dance worked best with our song.
We are so happy with how it turned out and with how confident we felt doing our first dance. It was so much fun!
My husband and I had a great experience working with Ken at the Moving Image Dance Academy. We called with just a month before our wedding to get a dance together (would recommend ...
more time!). Ken upgraded us to the beautiful first dance venue in the ethical society where we had totally private and custom lessons based on the song we chose. Neither of us had any ballroom dance experience and ken made it accessible and fun. Our dance was a hit at our wedding and we felt very accomplished for learning so much in such a short time. Highly recommend lessons with Ken!
Ken is the REAL DEAL!!!! He was patient and took his time making sure my fiancé and I were really getting the steps so our first dance at our wedding was perfect! We had the whole ...
room to ourselves which was a plus and Ken didn’t charge us extra for the private lessons. Thank you Ken!
Ken is a great ballroom dance teacher, very knowledgeable and experienced! I called Moving Image Dance Academy and he gave us a free upgrade for dance lessons at his Rittenhouse Sq...
First Dance Venue. He choreographed a really beautiful Waltz routine for us on a large dance floor and we always had the space to ourselves. It was so much better than learning in a dance studio which we tried before. If you want lessons for your wedding, Ken is the one to call!
If you want to learn a wedding first dance call Moving Image Dance Academy. They also have a huge First Dance Venue on Rittenhouse Sq. I highly recommend getting their free upgrade...
!
It was nice to have the space to learn a specific routine. Ken was great
Kenny was very knowledgeable, friendly and professional! He treated us like we knew each other for years! He is an amazing teacher and ballroom dancer!!!! We had a private lesson w...
ith him. I would give 100 stars if I could!!!! Definitely the REAL DEAL!!!! Thank you Kenny!
We are so happy with how our first dance turned out after working with Ken at Moving Image Dance Academy! As beginners, we appreciated Ken's focus on the basics and fundamentals of...
movement, and the one on one individual instruction was really helpful putting together the dance.
Loved learning the Waltz with Moving Image. Ken is a great ballroom dance teacher with decades of experience. He gave us a free upgrade to the private dance studio so we had our ow...
n space. He was very flexible with scheduling and easy to work with. Highly recommend!
Ken is a very talented teacher. He offers a reasonable rate with The First Dance venue and individualized attention, which you cannot get anywhere else. He taught us a great deal ...
of the fundamentals as we were beginners, but are feeling more and more confident each week.
My fiancé and I were lucky enough to find this place when looking for some dance lessons in preparation for our wedding. We called Moving Image Dance Academy and got a free upgrade...
to use the First Dance Venue on Rittenhouse Sq. It makes a HUGE difference to have your own private area to dance in without having to bump into other couples while you're practicing. Ken is an incredible instructor and truly made us better dancers in a matter of weeks. We've since continued taking lessons with him after the wedding as a weekly date night since we've enjoyed it so much. :)
We had our wedding on 7/16/22, and I am so glad we worked with Ken at Moving Image Dance Academy for our first dance! We called and received a free upgrade to the first dance venue...
, which was convenient for us in Rittenhouse Square and offered a large dance floor for private lessons. This is a perk, because you aren’t learning the same routine as other couples.
Going into the lessons, we wanted to learn classical dance and have a routine unique us and our song, and Ken delivered! As we had no prior dance experience and wanted a more elaborate dance, we started in late February for weekly lessons for our July wedding. Ken doesn’t just choreograph a routine with you, but truly teaches you the foundational steps so you know how to move around the dance floor using different steps without choreography first. At first you don’t even realize how much you are learning, but your skill set grows exponentially. We had so much fun at the lessons, and it helped us build a life skill we can break out at future weddings! Eventually, we moved into the choreography, which was a traditional foxtrot to Sinatra’s “Fly Me to the Moon” with special surprises at the high points in the song!
On our wedding day, we weren’t even nervous because we were so prepared, and Ken had us gliding across the dance floor! Our guests can’t stop talking about our dance and how they’d never seen anything like it. A few family members took video, and I keep watching it over and over—I can’t wait to see how our videographer captured it. If you are looking for a first dance to truly wow your friends and family, I highly recommend giving yourself adequate practice time (you need more than you think if you haven’t danced before), have FUN, and trust the process. Thank you Ken for all that you did to help us with the perfect first dance!
Ken was great! He strives for excellence and truly wants you to be the best and prepared for your wedding day or event. He is direct, honest and passionate. He makes the most of t...
he lesson and values your time and money. If you are looking for a honest instructor and a lesson worth your money, sign up with Ken.
Ken is way too much. It takes him 10 minutes to answer a question that should take 30 seconds. I eventually had to hang up on him because he wouldn’t stop talking. He started going...
on a long rant against anti vaxxers. I’m very pro vaccines but I did not have the patience to listen to his rants when my purpose is to inquire about prices for dance classes. I’m skeptical of his knot reviews. His yelp reviews are more consistent with the interactions I’ve had.
Fantastic Experience learning our first dance with Ken! I have two left feet and have never been a good dancer. Ken not only taught us a dance for our first dance, but actually rea...
lly taught us how to dance. Our waltz was a surprise to all of our wedding guests as everyone knew I cannot dance. It was a highlight for us as well as our guests as it was truly a beautiful dance, fully choreographed. Even our DJ noted how incredible it was. If Ken can teach me to dance and wow a crowd, he can teach anyone. We looked forward to our weekly lessons in Rittenhouse with Ken. Now that our wedding is over we look forward to continuing dance lessons and learning a new dance!
FANTASTIC EXPERIENCE!! Professional, skilled, and a great joy to work with, Moving Image Dance Academy exceeded all of our expectations. We hired Ken for private dance lessons last...
minute in hopes of learning a few proper dance moves for our first dance at our wedding (we have never taken lessons before). Not only did he teach us how to waltz, but he managed to put together an entire dance routine for us in less than 3 weeks time! We could not be more pleased with the results or more impressed with Ken and his ability. Thank you Moving Image for making our first dance a fairytale to remember. We will definitely be back to learn more!!
We've been working with Ken in preparation for our first dance at the Rittenhouse Square location. He's been really wonderful and a font of dance knowledge. If you're looking to ...
learn how to wow someone with dance skills you never knew you had, he's the one to teach you.
Ken is amazing. He taught me and my fiance international and american rhumba for our first dance to Ed Sheeran's Thinking out loud. We called him and received an upgrade for first ...
dance lessons and have taken over 20 lessons and we'll continue to after our wedding in October! I'm confident we'll look amazing on the floor on our wedding day. Highly recommend!
My husband and I worked with Ken to make our first dance vision come to life! We had zero experience ballroom dancing, but with Ken's tutelage we looked like old pros on our weddin...
g day! We also had so much fun going to lessons with him and-to this day-when our wedding song comes on, we will stop everything to dance to it like he taught us! Thank you, Ken! Cannot recommend him enough to couples looking to have a magical first dance as a married couple!
My father and I worked with Ken at the First Dance Venue on Rittenhouse Sq for our father/daughter dance and had a great experience! This is the only place I could find in Philadel...
phia that would give true one on one time and we did not have to share the space. We needed this because neither my dad nor I knew how to dance at all! Ken was patient with us and our hard work showed on my wedding day – people could not believe how great our dance was! We were lucky to complete our classes just before the COVID-19 shut down but, while you are searching for a more intimate setting to learn as a response to this pandemic, this is definitely the only place in the area that has real experience with teaching one on one. Highly recommend!
My husband and I were very happy with Ken Kalowy, who we used for our First Dance lessons leading up to our wedding. We called Moving Image and were offered a free upgrade to their...
First Dance Venue, located in Rittenhouse Square. This location was great because we didn't have to share space with other couples during our lesson. Instead, we got very personalized lessons where it was just us and Ken and our First Dance song playing in the room! We didn't want to be in a crowded large group lesson for our first dance classes, so what he offered was very unique. The lessons were a great value because every minute of the lesson was focused just on us and really helped us feel prepared by our wedding day. Ken has decades of experience and was such a helpful teacher, plus he was so affordable compared to other options. We got so many compliments on our wedding day about our dance, and had such a wonderful time during it. We are so grateful to Ken!
We've been dancing with Ken as our instructor for our wedding. We have progressed enough where my future husband and I were able to dance at his school gala. We’ve enjoyed it so mu...
ch that we go every week. Ken is very forthcoming with how he thinks we can improve and when implementing these techniques we see really great results. Best part is that we were offered the upgrade of the private studio on Rittenhouse Square. Our dance is looking better than I could have imagined.
My fiancé and I were looking for private dance lessons and found Moving Image Dance Academy. We really liked how Ken Kalowy offered us a free upgrade to their First Dance Venue on ...
Rittenhouse Sq. It has given us the privacy we needed to feel comfortable learning how to dance to the song we chose. The way ken has taught us has made it possible to dance to other songs as well. We didn’t want to learn just choreographed steps, but how to use what we learned for other songs too. Bottomline, my fiancé and I are extremely happy to learn from Ken.
We worked with Moving Image Dance Academy on our first dance for our wedding and really enjoyed the experience. My mother-in-law arranged the private lessons and when she called sh...
e was offered a free upgrade to their venue on Rittenhouse Square where we didn't have to share space. By having 1:1 instruction we were really able to produce a quality dance with Ken that was choreographed perfectly to our song choice - there was no distraction with other couples there. We had fun learning and would recommend Moving Image Dance Academy for your first dance needs!
A friend recommended wedding lessons with Ken at Moving Image Dance Academy. I called and was offered a totally free upgrade to their award winning First Dance Venue on Rittenhouse...
Sq. We didn't have to share space and music like people do when taking private lessons in a dance studio. Instead, we learned in a huge room with complete control of music so we could focus on learning to our song. If you are looking for great instruction, a talented dancer and a true coach who will guarantee great results, I strongly recommend Ken Kalowy. Ken is the real deal. I'll be going back!
I called Moving Image Dance Academy on Sansom St. and was offered a TOTALLY FREE upgrade to their huge FIRST DANCE VENUE on Rittenhouse Sq. Ken provides an excellent ballroom dance...
learning experience. The first dance venue is the perfect place to learn and practice your first dance in a exclusive full sized ballroom with just your fiancé and instructor. Ken brings decades of teaching experience to each lesson and provides an individualized professional approach. We started three months ago and had no dance experience. Now we have a full choreographed first dance. We would highly recommend that you give him a call and ask about the first dance venue and lessons.
Just finished lessons for our first dance and my fiancé are both pleased with the lessons we received from Moving Image Dance Academy. When we called, Ken was very helpful and prov...
ided us with a lot of information, and offered us the use of the first dance venue in Rittenhouse Square for a free upgrade. This really helped us practice in the short amount of time we had, as we didn’t have to share the space with anyone! Ken’s schedule was really easy to work with and we were able to double up on lessons, which really helped us! We would definitely recommend Moving Image Dance Academy to everyone!
My Dad and I were recommended to Moving Image Dance Academy by a family friend. Back in August, I called the Dance Academy on Sansom St. and was offered a free upgrade to the First...
Dance Venue on Rittenhouse Sq. It has been an ideal space to work on our Father/Daughter Dance since we don't have to share the space. It's also a very large space which allowed us to recreate our dance floor from the venue. Ken has been great to work with and has taught us a couple of different dances to make our Father/Daughter Dance very special. His schedule is easy to work with and my Dad and I have really enjoyed spending the forty-five minutes together each lesson. We are excited for my big day in just a few weeks !
My husband and I went to Ken on very short notice before our wedding, and Ken was kind enough to work with us. It was really nice having a whole studio to ourselves and helped give...
us a feel for what it would be like on our wedding day. Ken is obviously a very experienced dancer and was a wonderful teacher.
5 stars highly recommend Moving Image Dance Academy with instructor Ken Kalowy! I called the studio and we were offered a free upgrade to their huge First Dance Venue on Rittenhous...
e Sq. where we didn't have to share a space. This has been so much better for my fiance and I to really be able to spread out, learn the moves, and not be cramped with other couples. No other dance studio in Philly offers this! Ken is great at teaching and he knew how to make our more unusual song choice work for a first dance. He has a flexible schedule as well making it easier with my and my fiance's more difficult schedules! Open on Saturdays which many studios are not. Definitely work with Ken and call Moving Image for your wedding first dance.
My fiance and I needed help learning to dance in advance of our wedding so we called Moving Image Dance Academy on Sansom St. and Ken upgraded us to their large First Dance Venue o...
n Rittenhouse Sq. for all our dance lessons. My understanding is private lessons at most dance studios require you to share space with other couples/instructors. Given we were newbies we much preferred this space! Ken was a huge help in advising us on the best dance technique for the song we picked out and helping us get up to speed quickly. Would definitely recommend!
Contact
2030 Sansom St, phila, PA | PA
Moving Image Dance Academy & "FIRST DANCE VENUE"