Arthur Murray Dance Studio

Amar, Mark, Karen and Misty are the best! I’ve taken private lessons, group lessons and attended dance parties. They have a huge range of moves and are patient, compassionate, but powerful teachers. They prepped me for a high school reunion last year and I killed it! I never danced in high school or college but perfect strangers were raving about my dancing and I owe it all to the Walnut Creek crew. Tonight, I went to the Valentine’s Day couples’ lesson and dance party. It’s a bargain and they throw in a free lesson. I had a ball and learned lots of new steps as I danced with the instructors while my date was resting. Don’t miss out on this local gem. The WC studio is tucked behind Trader Joe’s at the end of the little shopping center with Saigon Bistro. It’s small but a whole lot happens there. Fun, fun, fun!

This is updated to all previous reviewed. I started at the studio August 1, 2014 after my husband Albert who was 26 years older than me died May 26,2014 I met him dancing and up to nine years before he died we would go to dinner and dance. At the Elegant Farmer in Jack London Square the Claremont Hotel and other places. I missed that I started was going every day and for a while to two other locations. It has got me to move on date again and have met 2 friends there. My reviews were moments of grief or a memory you never know when it will come.
I just wanted to say that I was upset at the loss and that triggered the previous reviews. I am now taking a break not going everyday so it did help

I had 2 years of ballroom dancing lessons as a teenager and my husband just loves to dance — so he gave me a gift certificate for Christmas to try this place out. It is close to work (bonus). First impression: very professional — clean, the teachers are very capable, pleasant and polite. I agree that the first lessons felt a bit disjointed. Many dances were introduced, which completely confused my husband, and I felt I wasn’t learning anything new (since our levels were so different). However, we wanted this to be our new joint activity, as my husband is quite limited what he can do nowadays due to former football injuries (arthritis in all joints, bad back etc). So, I sat down with the new student coordinator, Madison, and explained to her what we wanted and needed in order to keep going. She was more than understanding and they tailored their «standard» program for us. My husband’s memory is quite bad, so we do 2 dances at the most each session. When his back got really bad, we switched from traveling dances (e.g. Tango) to Latin dances like Salsa, which stay in place. When he gets frustrated with himself (typical former superior athlete), they are extremely kind and patient with him. They take his off the cuff humor well. They play music he connects with. And they let us choose the dances we want to do (no need to learn all of them — do what you love). There is a system at Arthur Murray, and I feel it can be a bit constrictive unless you speak up (I really encourage everyone to do so). To get your money’s worth, do attend the group classes. This is where you will definitely learn new stuff which you can then perfect in your private lessons. I also like the fact you can drop in any time to practice. Madison is an incredible teacher — she breaks each new dance combo into small steps until you have learned the complete set. I knew I was going to enjoy dancing with my husband, but the wonderful surprise is that he too, loves the time we spend there. He is moving, strengthening his back, he is around people, he is working on his memory — there are frankly too many health benefits to mention — and we are having fun! Yes, it is a pricey investment, but there are few activities that combine so many aspects — and to us, to finally be able to do something «athletic» together, is well worth it.

With a family wedding coming up and no dance experience I decided to give Arthur Murray Dance Studio in Walnut Creek a try. I was pleasantly surprised. It’s true they really have you dancing within 10 minutes! All the teachers are strictly professional, positive and love to teach dance. They have an entire curriculum on how to teach dancing that is simple to follow and fun! I really enjoy the individual attention but also the practice «dance parties» that gives you the exposure, experience and opportunity to begin to feel comfortable dancing with other people and teachers. They also offer group instruction. The studio has beautiful wood floors and décor. Not only am I learning to dance but I have met some wonderful people too!

I recently posted a one-​star review about this company and had outlined my bad customer service experience. I truly thought that would be the end of it; I would vent my frustration and would receive nothing in response from them. I was wrong. The owner, Chris, sent me a very kind apology, which is all i wanted to begin with. So I’m changing my review, because even though my intial experience was poor, this owner showed me he truly cares and at the end of the day that is all you can ask for. Thank you!

Absolute ripoff! I signed up for private lessons. You get charged triple digits for a «45» minute lesson. You basically just sample each dance and don’t go in very much depth, even though I clearly said I wanted to learn to be able to compete in the future. It just felt like going to a club for fun and dancing with someone good. You feel great but learn nothing. You don’t even dance the whole time you pay for. The last 5 minutes is spent sitting down with the instructor for him/​her to write stuff down, which is a waste of my time and money, rather than more time dancing and perfecting the technique. Furthermore, you don’t build on what you’ve learned the previous week.

My husband and I found Arthur Murray in late 2012 when we were looking to take some lessons before our wedding. We were paired with Patrick, who is fabulous and through a few lessons, helped us come up with a great little routine that was a hit at our wedding!
We were so happy with our wedding dance lessons, that we decided to continue and now take once a week lessons. We also take advantage of the group classes that they offer throughout the week, so sometimes we’re there 2 or even 3 times in a week ! All of the instructors are so much fun, and they get to know you personally throughout your time. Through our lessons, we’ve learned to dance all different styles, but our favorites are Tango, Rumba, Bachata, and Foxtrot. We’ve also learned Hustle, Country-​Western, Salsa, and Merengue.
Dancing is lots of fun, and it’s even more fun when you learn with these guys. Definitely recommend :)

I love this place. Finally getting back into dance after years! Walter is incredible. Yes, the classes are pricey, but you get what you pay for! If you are committed to dance, then this place is for you.
The other reviews about the wedding dance classes… Obviously their hearts aren’t into the art of dance, but rather just one event. I could see how the rates would seem expensive from that perspective.
The instructors are fun and friendly. Nobody ever «pressured» me to buy anything.

We had a distressful experience here around the time of our wedding and ended up having to teach ourselves our first dance. Incidentally, it went just fine– but we were very disappointed in the customer service and lack of empathy from the manager, Madison, at Arthur Murray Dance Studio.
We had a wonderful first session with Walter who was very helpful and friendly! My fiancé and I at the time were in a long distance (overseas) relationship and a very brief time to come up with a dance in between visits. (I should mention that although it was a year until our wedding and my fiancé and I were only to have a few short days left together, we felt very pressured from the front desk management to schedule more sessions immediately… we really had to put our foot down in the end and tell them no). However, we agreed to schedule a brief, «brush-​up» lesson a year from our first lesson, when my fiancé would return to the States again just in time for our wedding. That made more sense anyways. We were promised to have Walter as our instructor again.
The day before our year-​long awaited follow-​up lesson, we got a call from Madison that they had to schedule us with a different instructor and were to charge us $ 140 for a 40-​minute brush up lesson. Due to our unique circumstances– there was just no way I could afford it. Although they were with us through our immigration process and understood our situation, there was really nothing they were able to do for us as much as I pleaded. In the end, it’s not their fault I couldn’t afford it. But after all was said and done, money absolutely seemed like their first priority… not their customers.

We LOVE taking dancing lessons at Arthur Murray in Walnut Creek! It is often the highlight of our day!
The instructors and staff are amazing. There is not one person in the studio who does not meet the description of: professional, friendly, respectful, warm and caring.
For us, it all started over a year ago when I decided to give a birthday gift of dancing lessons to my partner.
I recall how impressed I was when I walked into the studio one afternoon in December 2011 to buy the gift lessons and I met Madisen and Karen who were so warm and friendly that I could hardly wait for the beginning of our dancing journey.
That was the beginning of a beautiful thing! Dancing at Arthur Murray has become part of our lives… an exhilarating experience.
Soon after our begging at Arthur Murray, joint surgery forced me to take a long break but the wonderful members of Arthur Murray did not forget about us, as flowers and get well wishes abounded, followed by «we hope to see you soon again» periodical messages.
Patrick has been our main instructor form the inception of our training and he, as well as others who have taught us along the way, have been most accommodating to our «steep» learning curve as well as our individual learning styles.
We take several private classes per week and each day we look forward to our lessons with great anticipation. It is food for our soul. Dancing decreases our levels of accumulated daily life stress and makes us feel energized and renewed.
But beyond the marvels of dancing, I believe credit is to be given to the people who are the ones who make this experience something worth repeating over and over again. My partner and I did not know how to ballroom dance at all, and for us learning how to dance was an unfulfilled wish… until now… thanks to Patrick, Walter, Karen and Madisen we are DANCING!!! Yeah! They are awesome!

A year ago today I decided to change my life as I stepped into Arthur Murray Dance Studio in Walnut Creek for my first ballroom dance lesson. Dancing was always something I had admired from afar, loved in movies, and secretly dreamed of doing but I never thought I’d be brave enough or capable of making it a reality. Thanks to the encouragement of my dad who took lessons from an Arthur Murray studio while he was in the Navy I gave it a try. After my first lesson I was hooked and now a year later it’s crazy to say that something I used to be so afraid of has now become such an essential part of my day that I cannot imagine my life without it! I’ve come so far and am so excited about how much more I will continue to learn. This is in no small part to my amazingly talented, patient and fun teachers (Patrick and Alexis), the wonderful staff, and the other incredibly lovely students you meet and have the pleasure of dancing with. If music moves you like it does me and you have any desire at all to dance I would highly recommend that you take the time to come by!

Whether a novice like me or advanced, Arthur Murray in Walnut Creek is a great place to learn to dance! After deciding to learn the basics of social dancing, I met with the folks at Arthur Murray to chart a plan. It’s been 2 months and I couldn’t have picked a better place to go. I’ve become much more confident on the dance floor and and my instructor Erin couldn’t be more supportive and upbeat!
Everytime I go to the studio, the staff including Madison and Karen are welcoming and everyone is having fun. The vibe is very positive and there are people of all ages. Though I may never be on DWTS, I am definitely going to continue to sharpen my skills with Arthur Murray!

I am not a dancer by any means, but my wifey got us some lessons for our anniversary present. She knew I wouldn’t be over the moon about it, so she didn’t tell me and took me out for a surprise «dinner date». We arrived at Arthur Murray and I had absolutely no idea who or what Arthur Murray was. Perhaps some new cool bar I thought…
Jump ahead an hour and I can honestly say we had a fantastic experience. Our instructor, Erin, was extremely nice, very knowledgeable and whole lot of fun. I didn’t expect to, but after our 4 introductory lessons, we plonked down the money to keep going. It is a wonderful thing to dance with your wife again after being married for 9 years and doing the whole «home» thing.
We are into our third month of dance and have learnt a great deal. We can dance elements of the Tango, Foxtrot, Salsa, Cha Cha Cha, Waltz, Swing… not professionally by any means. We wouldn’t win dancing with the stars, but competent enough that if a Tango came on at the next function we’re at we’ll hit the dance floor and strut our stuff.
I wanted to address a few of the negative comments by other posters:
— Yes, its pretty expensive. I wish it were a little cheaper. But, a private instructor, the ballroom, the music and the administration all cost money. I’m ok to pay good money for a good experience though. And yes, you will get a sales pitch when you are done with your first set of 4 lessons! Did you expect anything less? Good new is that I have found with these people, «no» is perfectly ok answer. We couldn’t go to a Showcase event due to time/​money/​childcare problems. I could tell Erin really wanted us to be a part of it, but we said no and that was that.
— I agree that sometimes the room is a little crowded with other private lessons going on. This is something you get used to. You don’t always get the right song for the dance you are practicing, and dancing a waltz to a salsa song at first can be difficult. However our instructor, and it seems the others, endeavor to get the right song on when after a bit of practice you are about to try and ‘put it all together”. If you need some extra time dancing your wedding waltz just talk to Madison. She is very accommodating and I reckon they’d work something out for you.
So I recommend if you ever felt that you might like to give ballroom dancing a try, if you ever wanted to Tango like James Bond, or if you want to look like you know how to Waltz on your wedding day, you should give Arthur Murray Dance Studio in Walnut Creek some thought. Ask for Erin, she’s great, even though she and wifey gang up on me occasionally! :P

Sorry for long review but it has to be said;
It’s in a beautiful setting compared to other dance studios. HOWEVER, I did not like this place. While the staff is great, knowledgeable and patient, the concept is all wrong.
— First; it has a high pressure sales pitch. And is way overpriced compared to some other studios. Strike one.
***** Second; private lessons, don’t seem too private. Yes you are getting one on one attention but you are in a large ballroom w/​other people taking «private lessons» to all different types of dance. For example, four couples are taking their «private lessons» all trying to learn completely different style dance. One has to try to learn the waltz while listening to salsa music or vice versa. Not conducive at all. The instructor leaves you multiple times to switch the music so it’s very much a broken up hour private lesson. They do have separate rooms but seemed as if they are reluctant to let you use them for your lesson. Strike two.
— Third; This company, although repeatable and has been around for over a century, is in it JUST for the money it feels. I prefer to drive a little bit further and dance at a studio that’s focus is on dance and not the bottom line. Strike three.
I will not be returning to this place.
Positives; The space is elegant and all the people are pretty (from ages 20 – 90), the instructors really know how to dance and teach.

Plainly said, I walk out with a smile every time I come to this studio.
Arthur Murray has a long-​standing reputation as the best in the business, but it’s the staff and students in Walnut Creek that make this studio really exceptional. From the moment you walk in the door, it’s clear that everyone is committed to excellent service — by the second visit, I already felt at home.
For those who aren’t familiar with it, the Arthur Murray program pairs individual students or couples with a private teacher. I’ve found this one-​on-​one instruction method much more effective than the one-​size-​fits-​all drop-​in group class format that I’d been to a few times before. The teachers are each exceptionally talented and clearly dedicated to their craft and careers. My lesson plan is personalized for each visit, and I look forward to every lesson.
The studio also hosts experience-​based group classes and social ballroom dance parties almost every day, which are open to all students. These social dances build a unique camaraderie among the students. It’s common to see students who maybe met just days before, hanging out in the studio, dancing, laughing and catching up on the news of the day. Students encourage one another in dance performances and enjoy formal events around the Bay Area together.
I have been a student for roughly four months and can honestly say that there isn’t any business that I think more highly of than Arthur Murray, Walnut Creek.

I have never thought I would be back doing what I love. I decided to start taking baby steps to get back in to latin dancing. The staff here is amazing with getting me back in to all the basics and working from there. They are all so supportive and so friendly! They really want you to succeed!!! I never thought that a month later I would be planning my first competition! So excited!!! Thanks AM Team! GO ZEBRAS!