Schedule Now for the Most Memorable First Dance!
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Chantel Martin
OWNER
AWARD WINNER (3X)
Thanks to recommendations from couples on The Knot
Winner of the Best of the Knot 3 years in a row! Based in Meriden, CT, Miss Chantel's Star Dance Academy can choreograph and teach you the first dance of your dreams. Whether you're a complete beginner or an experienced dancer, she'll create the perfect dance to fit your skill level, personality, and style for the most memorable day! We want everyone to be able to have this opportunity which is why we have the best prices around! Our unique approach includes two instructors demonstrating which makes learning faster, easier, and more enjoyable than at most studios. We promise you will enjoy your rehearsals and look forward to more!
Having a choreographed first dance is incredibly important because it transforms a beautiful moment into an unforgettable experience. As a wedding choreography expert, I’ve seen firsthand how a well-rehearsed dance can elevate the entire wedding celebration. Here’s why it’s worth investing in:
Memorable Moments: A choreographed dance adds a personal touch and creates a lasting memory not just for the couple, but for all their guests.
Confidence Boost: Knowing you have a planned routine helps alleviate pre-dance jitters. With practice, couples feel more confident and relaxed, allowing them to fully enjoy their special moment without the stress of improvisation.
Visual Impact: A choreographed dance looks polished and professional. It’s a highlight of the evening that can be beautifully captured in photos and videos, preserving a stunning visual keepsake of your wedding.
Shared Experience: Dancing together in a choreographed routine can deepen your connection and create a meaningful experience that you’ll cherish forever. Most couples say it’s their favorite part of wedding planning!
Customization: As a top-rated wedding choreographer, I’m dedicated to crafting routines that reflect your personal story and style. With competitive pricing and a passion for teaching, I make it my mission to ensure every couple can enjoy this special experience.
By investing in a choreographed first dance, you’re not just planning a performance—you’re creating a cherished moment that you and your guests will remember for years to come. Let me help you make that vision a reality!
Even if you've struggled with dance before, Miss Chantel's signature teaching methods help everyone to find their confidence. The tradition of a first wedding dance is significant and the moment is magical. As well as first dances, she can also choreograph mother-son, father-daughter, and wedding party dances. Simply contact the friendly team at Miss Chantel's Star Dance Academy to discuss your ideas, and they'll help you bring them to life. With friendly, professional teachers and a spacious, newly-renovated studio, they're committed to helping all of their dancers to reach their highest potential. They'd love to help you create a magical memory on your special day with their wedding dance classes. Contact us today for more information!
Woman-owned Business
Details
Music Genres
Dance
Awards and Affiliations
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Meet the team
Chantel Martin
Owner
Miss Chantel's passion for dance began at the age of three and she is endlessly grateful to continue living her dream as the Studio Director of Star Dance Academy. As an award winning dancer, instructor and choreographer, she has over twenty years of dance experience and over ten years of teaching a variety of dance genres. She is a devoted teacher whose greatest joy is sharing her passion and inspiring her students to reach their fullest potential. Miss Chantel’s proudest 2022-2023 awards include the "Heart and Soul" award from TRDC & "Best Dance Studio" from the Record Journal.
Reviews
5.0
out of 5.033 reviews
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Review Summary
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Couples highly recommend this dance studio for first-dance and father–daughter routines, noting fast progress and memorable outcomes. Instructors are patient, encouraging, and flexible, tailoring choreography for beginners and recording rehearsals for practice. Lessons were fun, affordable, and gave couples confidence and photo-ready, wow-worthy performances.Review photos
Showing slide number 1 out of 9
MacKenzie P
5.0
2/04/2026
If you’re looking for a first dance wedding choreographer, go with Miss Chantel’s Star Dance Academy! Learning this dance was truly a top highlight of our wedding process! Neither ...
of us had experience with a choreographed dance, but Chantel & Mike made us feel comfortable and confident. They crafted a beautiful, personalized dance that perfectly fit our wedding song. I was worried our song was too slow of a tempo, but they assured me that it would be beautiful. They gave us multiple options to parts of the song that really made us feel like we were part of the creative process! The studio time with both of them was naturally stress-free among the wedding craziness and tough year that we had. Chantel & Mike made us feel like old friends that had our backs! We loved the way the dance turned out on our wedding day! The choreography felt adventurous, tender, and beautiful. We will always cherish the memories of learning to dance together, laughing with them, and having that slice of “weight lifted off your shoulders” when you’re in the deep end of wedding planning! So fun & we highly highly recommends them!
Marianna S
5.0
1/18/2026
Where do I start there are so many wonderful things I can say about Miss Chantel who choreographed our first dance. It came out absolutely amazing! We received so many compliments ...
from our guest about how beautiful the dance was. We have so many beautiful photos from our first dance. To be honest they are my favorite photos from our wedding day.
The rehearsals were the absolute best part of the wedding process! With all the stress of planning the wedding learning this dance was so much fun! It helped us recenter and focus on us!
Miss Chantel is very nice and kept us laughing too! She was also flexible with your very busy work schedules. I would 100% recommend!
Any questions?
Shannon P
5.0
1/12/2026
We could not recommend Miss Chantel enough! Her and her husband were incredible to work with. My husband and i had no dance experience at all and my husband was rather reluctant to...
even go to lessons. Miss Chantel not only made it enjoyable but our guests were shocked when they saw our dance. 100/10!
Danielle S
5.0
1/09/2026
We’re so glad we decided to take wedding dance lessons with Chantel and Mike. Going in, we were honestly a little hesitant and not sure what to expect—but it ended up being such a ...
fun experience for us. Chantel and Mike made everything feel comfortable, relaxed, and totally doable, even for beginners. The lessons quickly became something we actually looked forward to, and we felt so much more confident for our wedding day because of them. We can’t recommend them enough to any couple on the fence—you’ll be so glad you did it.
Bryan A
5.0
12/19/2025
Miss Chantel and her fiancée Michael are top notch when it comes to creating your dream wedding dance!! With me having no dance experience, they made every rehearsal fun, easy and ...
catered to my skill. Each week they sent us a video so we could practice at home. Then we would come back to the next rehearsal and they were always open to our feedback. It was great having both of them there every rehearsal to follow and understand what exactly me and my wife should be doing and how to move together. This really was a great experience! They were supportive, communicative and cheered us on the entire way!! We couldn’t have asked for a better first dance experience!
Jack O
5.0
11/19/2025
Miss Chantel and her husband Michael were outstanding wedding dance instructors. They choreographed 5 lessons for us, helping us achieve the first dance of our dreams. Each lesson ...
was filmed, so we could take home what we learned and practice. The attention to detail, expertise, and personal touch were phenomenal. We had a lot of fun connecting during lessons and learning a new skill to show off to our friends and family on our wedding day. The value for the price was unmatched, and it was one of our favorite memories from our wedding day. We would recommend Miss Chantel to anyone!
Analiese E
5.0
11/10/2025
I can’t put into words how highly I would speak about Miss Chantel’s dance academy! They were beyond nice, and made us feel so comfortable (especially with my now husband who’s nev...
er danced before). They took the time to make sure we got every little step down including even where my hands should go when we turn! They recorded every rehearsal so we could practice with it at home, and our last rehearsal Chantel let the person singing our first dance song come to rehearsal so we could practice with her. She took pictures of all the “photo” moments we had in our dance so we had an idea of where they would be! They were AMAZING I 1000% recommend using them for your first dance, and any of dance you’re thinking about getting choreographed!!
Sydney L
5.0
10/06/2025
THANK YOU CHANTEL AND MIKE! We were so thrilled with our decision to go with Miss Chantel’s Star Dance Academy for our wedding dance lessons. We appreciated how friendly and transp...
arent Chantel was during our inquiry process - something we did not experience talking to other studios. We had very little previous dance experience but Chantel and Mike came very prepared for each lesson, and made the choreography SO easy for us to pick up. It was so helpful to have 2 instructors so we could each follow along. Some of the dip and twirl techniques they taught us helped during our photography moves as well, and ended up with some of our favorite shots of the night!
We could not have ever imagined all the more advanced moves we ended up in our dance after just 4 lessons. This was NOT just simple stand and swaying, and everyone was SO impressed with the final product at our wedding.
This was some of the most fun we had during the entire wedding planning process, as each lesson became a date night, and were so happy to have made some friends along the way :) If you’re looking to do a choreographed dance for your wedding, do not hesitate to book Chantel!!
Yanitza R
5.0
10/02/2025
Chantel and Michael were an amazing team who helped my husband and me create our wedding dance. I’m so grateful I found this studio, they were not only incredibly supportive and we...
lcoming, but also taught us some beautiful moves we never thought we had in us! And the picture-perfect poses were the icing on the cake. We truly miss dancing with them! 10000% recommend!
Carlos M
5.0
9/28/2025
We would not have chosen anyone but Chantel to choreograph our first dance. Chantel is talented, experienced, professional, flexible and patient. She adapted movement to our (poor)...
abilities and always made sure we were comfortable. Having both Chantel and Michael/Qusie during rehearsals was a huge benefit, as it allowed us to each follow one specific instructor. Lesson times flew by and after just 3 rehearsals, we were ready to go! The audience absolutely loved the dance! We cannot recommend Chantel and her team enough. Thank you SDA!
Olivia K
5.0
9/27/2025
Our experience with Chantel was our favorite thing leading up to our wedding! After the first class, we never thought that our day of wedding dance would turn out as amazing as it ...
did. Chantel is such a patient person, but also made classes so much fun. She wouldn’t let us leave if we had any outstanding questions or if there was a step or two we felt we needed assistance with. She truly puts you first, and that’s what makes her and her studio amazing! I would recommend Chantel over & over again.
Brittany L
5.0
9/23/2025
Once we got engaged, we knew we were having Chantel choreograph our first dance! It truly was the best experience and we had so much fun during all of the lessons. Chantel and her ...
fiancé Mike were so patient, kind, and fun to work with!! We couldn’t recommend the Star Dance Academy more for your wedding dances! One of our favorite things we did during wedding planning!
Erin M
5.0
8/01/2025
My dad and I had the best experience working with Chantel for our father daughter dance. Everyone was so kind. Each practice we worked with two people so we could see both parts of...
the dance. They completely choreographed for us before the first lesson and cut the music for us. The price for 4 lessons was also so reasonable. This was such a special experience to have with my dad and we are both very thankful!
Sarah R
5.0
7/01/2025
My husband and I booked 5 classes with Star Dance Academy to choreograph our first dance and teach it to us, and it was the best decision! Miss Chantel and Mr. Mike were the epitom...
e of incredible teachers. They were patient, kind, provided constructive feedback, and tailored our dance according to our truly nonexistent dance skills. Miss Chantel asked what key things I wanted incorporated into the dance (twirls, lifts, and a dramatic ending) and she absolutely nailed it. We went from never having had a dance lesson in our lives to executing a perfect first dance in literally just 5 lessons. The last bit of each lesson, where we put together the moves learned, were recorded so we could re-watch and practice at home. This absolutely saved our butts when we forgot steps between practices. Miss Chantel even offered to be available for a video call leading up to the day if we were panicking and needed an emergency lesson, which was a lovely reassurance.
I cannot emphasize enough just how grateful we are for these incredible instructors and all the work they put into helping us create a truly magical first dance.
Patrice L
5.0
6/18/2025
Chantal was fantastic! She worked with Michael and they choreographed a perfect dance to our song, Aerosmith’s I don’t want to miss a thing. Each week we learned a new part and th...
e 4th week we polished it.
They were so fun to work with and created a dance that was right for us. We performed it perfectly at our wedding.
Having both Chantal and Michael was great so both my partner and I had a person to follow when learning.
I can’t recommend Chantal enough! Wonderful experience and a lot of fun too.
Samanthalyn D
5.0
1/28/2025
Deciding to book our dance lessons with Miss Chantel’s Star Dance Academy, was the best choice that we made during the entire wedding planning process. I have no experience with ch...
oreographed dancing and my husband had even less, so it would be an understatement to say that we were very nervous about learning our first dance for the wedding. Chantel and her wonderful assistant Mike made us feel comfortable and confident within minutes of our first lesson. She did an amazing job guiding us through the choreography in bit size parts, taking the time to make sure that we had the movements perfect before moving onto the next steps as well as even gave us choices for endings or even to add more to make the dance longer! On the day of our wedding, the DJ made a mistake and played the full version of our first dance song instead of the cut version that fit to our dance routine. Luckily thanks to Chantel, my husband and I felt so confident with the dance she taught us that we were able to nail it even without the music cues! I would highly recommend Chantel’s studio and her wonderful staff to any bride and groom looking to feel confident and comfortable in those first dance moments!
Brooke G
5.0
1/17/2025
Chantelle & Mike were fabulous to work with and made the whole experience so fun!! We looked forward to going to our lessons every week! We got so many complements on our first dan...
ce at our wedding and we were so happy with how it came out and all the great photos we got from it. Highly recommend!!
Daniel A
5.0
1/02/2025
We had such an amazing time learning our first dance with Chantel! We were surprised with how fast we were able to learn the choreography. We are not dancers, but she made us comfo...
rtable and it was easy to learn. She is upbeat, full of energy. The classes were really fun too. We did 4 classes and our first dance looked beautiful. Highly recommend!
Sarah C
5.0
10/08/2024
Chantel is amazing!!! 1000/10 recommend her for dance lessons! My husband and I both have left feet when it comes to dancing but Chantel created the perfect routine for our first d...
ance and made us look like pros out on the dance floor. She also created a beautiful routine for my father daughter dance. I had the best time dancing with my husband and my dad and will cherish these memories forever. Chantel is so caring and down to earth and truly pours her heart and soul into every routine she creates. We are so grateful for her 💕🤍
Ryan C
5.0
9/11/2024
I have never left a review before but we had to let everyone know how amazing Miss Chantel's Star Dance Academy was for our wedding dance. My wife used to be a competitive dancer w...
hen she was younger and I had no experience. From the first day, Chantel was so excited to meet us and be apart of our special day. She really made the sessions fun and made us feel comfortable. They cut the music to get the parts of the song that we wanted like the beginning and the end within 2 minutes. Once she saw that my wife could dance, she added some more advanced stuff which really elevated our dance. Our guests were in awe with it and there were so many moments in the dance that created amazing pictures. The best part about this was there were only 4 sessions where we learned sections of the dance. She recorded us at the end of every session and sent it over so that we could follow along and practice at home. If you are looking for an affordable, fun and stress-free wedding dance, I couldn't recommend Chantel enough.
Jessica C
5.0
9/04/2024
Miss Chantel was beyond 5 stars! She and her staff (Mr Mike and Miss Q) were beyond kind for two non dancers. Their ability to easily explain the steps and model them was perfect. ...
I even love the visuals on the floor. Miss Chantel listened to our vision and made it even better! She gave us choices during the practices and made sure we were comfortable with the dance. If you have a wedding dance- father/daughter, mother/son or bride and groom please see Miss Chantel! It will make your dance even more magical than you can even imagine.
Laura S
5.0
8/18/2024
Chantel choreographed the most perfect and fun dance for me and my husband! We had the best time learning and dancing with both Chantel and Mike. They made us feel confident and re...
ally catered the dance to our abilities. In only three dance classes, we knew our entire dance and by the fourth class we were pro! There are not enough words to describe how grateful we are for their hard work and support as we got close to the wedding. We cannot recommend Miss Chantels Star Dance Academy enough for choreographing the perfect first dance!
Kirsten P
5.0
8/04/2024
Highly recommend Chantel for your first dance! Nothing like the other wedding dance studios that require 15+ classes (all brides know we don’t have the time or money for that) My f...
iancée was hesitant to do this with me since he’s never danced before and I’ve danced my whole life. He actually dreaded doing this before we started, but then he kept saying how much he enjoyed the classes and how fun it was to get to dance together! It really distracted us from all the wedding stress and was by far our favorite part of planning! They choreograph it and give you options, and demonstrate clearly what to do! Super friendly and if we have a daughter she’ll be dancing here!
Jessica R
5.0
7/25/2024
Chantel and Qusie were amazing to work with!! My dad and I were looking to do something fun for our father / daughter dance. Chantel and Qusie not only helped us put together a sup...
er fun surprise dance, they also did the full music mix for us based on our preferences. We did around 5 lessons and they were always super positive and gave great feedback for us to go home to practice with. Doing a surprise father daughter dance was definitely one of the highlights of our wedding day and our guest still talk about it! Reach out to them, they are the best and super affordable!!
Olivia C
5.0
7/02/2024
If you're on the fence at all about getting dance lessons for your wedding don't hesitate to reach out to Chantel! My now husband and I are both horrendous dancers with two left fe...
et and no rhythm but you would have never known for our first dance! She was extremely positive, encouraging, and energetic for all of our practices. Even when we took 100 tries to get it quite right, there was never any judgement. Her patience and cheeriness make each lesson enjoyable and by the end we were dancing with confidence! Could not recommend any one else more!
Megan C
5.0
10/17/2023
Chantel was absolutely amazing and incredibly helpful! Going to Star Dance Academy for dance lessons was our favorite part of wedding planning. Chantel and her team provided so man...
y words of encouragement and created an environment that was unmatchable.
Not only is Chantel a talented choreographer, but her commitment and attention to detail makes her a great wedding coordinator! After dance lessons, she would carve out time to check in with us on where we were with the planning process. She helped us create a timeline, communicate with our vendors, put together check lists, and ensured we had thought about all the small details (which we hadn’t). Chantel also coordinated our rehearsal dinner and helped set everything up for our big day. She made our vision come to life!
We received so many compliments from our vendors and guests regarding how smoothly everything went. My husband and I were able to enjoy the day with very little stress, which is something we cannot thank Chantel enough for!
Chantel, we couldn’t have done it without you!!
Erica G
5.0
10/15/2023
YOU MUST HIRE HER!!! Chantel was amazing. She came up with beautiful choreography and was patient with us. It was the best decision I made while wedding planning. Don't think twice...
about hiring her!
Devonne P
5.0
10/01/2023
When we asked Chantel to choreograph our first dance, we told her that neither of us were good dancers so we wanted something easy and fun. The dance she came up with was perfectly...
“us”! She broke down each step and made it so easy to learn. It added such a special touch to our perfect day! We highly recommend Chantel to help you come up with the perfect dance for your wedding
Michelle B
5.0
9/19/2023
I contacted Chantel for a choreographed first dance, and she did not disappoint. Scheduling was easy, pricing was fair, and one-on-one lessons were a blast! We were worried about o...
ur dance abilities, but she broke up each step in a way we could easily understand and follow. On our wedding day we were confident and absolutely nailed our first dance. We received so many compliments from our guests. Without hesitation, I recommend SDA.
Emily D
5.0
5/31/2023
“I don’t dance” was our wedding song which accurately described my husband and my skills in dancing. Chantel went above and beyond to help us learn and make us feel confident for ...
our big day! 💖 I cannot recommend her enough! BOOK NOW!!!
Laura R
5.0
5/31/2023
Chantel was amazing helping me and my husband with our first dance! She knew exactly how to choreograph to hit all the best marks for perfect wedding dance photos! (Our photographe...
r was also very grateful) We decided to not have a videographer, so we wanted to make sure we got great pictures of our first dance and Chantel knew that and she did not disappoint. The dance was fairly easy to learn as well and she was so patient with us when we had any difficulty. She can choreograph as difficult or as easy as you need/want. I would absolutely recommend her to anyone who wants to add a little spice to their first dance as spouses!
Ashley B
5.0
5/15/2023
Chantel is so wonderful to work with! When we asked her to choreograph our first dance, all we knew was our wedding song and she came up with a beautiful and easy dance for us to l...
earn! She added such a special touch to our wedding day and hands down would recommend her time and time again!
Meghan C
5.0
5/11/2023
Miss Chantel was so helpful in choreographing and teaching us our first dance. We wanted something easy enough for my not-so-coordinated husband to learn so that we looked polished...
on the dance floor. Miss Chantel provided just that, making it easy and fun for my husband while looking professional.
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Miss Chantel's Star Dance Academy
Chantel Martin
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Owner
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Miss Chantel's Star Dance Academy
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