Dance FX Studios...How it All Began

A Note From Nicole, Co-founder of Dance FX Studios...

It feels like just yesterday that we sat down to come up with an alternative to the then several traditional ballroom dance studios that were in the Phoenix metro area when we were "in the business". We knew what needed to change from the experiences that we had, but how? For those of you who don't know, the ballroom dance community is a very tight-knit one. Lots of competition, ego and "rules" to follow. They were unspoken, but you learned quickly what the pecking order was, who was in charge and why. Re-inventing the wheel was not even an option among this group. "Stick with what works" is what we were taught growing up in the business of ballroom dancing. But there were so many things that we wanted to make better. For example, wouldn't it be great to have a social dance syllabus that students could actually use in the "real world"? This is where we really struggled with "going along to get along". It was almost a curse, and very ironic, to be a free thinker in this so-called creative industry.

As everyone's time seems to come to an end, oftentimes abruptly in this crazy world of dance, so did ours at one of the popular national dance franchises in 1999. Mine because of lack of confidence in the way the product was being delivered to our students (to put it kindly) and Adam's due to a build up of resentment and frustration with management (to put it even more kindly). Upon leaving separately, we had no plans to reunite as friends and open a studio of our own. In fact, we didn't see each other for a year.

It was actually in 2001 that the concept for Dance FXStudios was born-12 short years ago. How time flies when you're having as much fun as we do on a daily basis! After running into each other while driving on the freeway (not literally) in early 2001, Adam and I exchanged phone numbers, began hanging out and discussing our futures and the rest is history. Over the years, we saw many of our friends try to make it on their own as ballroom dancers unsuccessfully. Who were we to think that we could do it better? We knew what we were about to take on would be thinking out of the box in a big way, but we had a vision that we knew we had to share.

Dance FX Studios was incorporated in July of 2001. Without even a physical location yet, we built a clientele out of a local ballroom that we rented on an hourly basis. From there, we moved into our own location several months later in Tempe, AZ. Our mission: to empower the everyday person to get on any social dance floor with confidence and ease. Would we be outcasts in the Phoenix ballroom dance scene? Would we be embraced by the community? Would potential students give us a try as a no-name ballroom dance studio that just popped out of nowhere? It turned out that we we spent the better part of the first 3 years fine-tuning our product as we grew a student body, one person at a time. We were so excited to introduce a new and useful social dance syllabus, created by Adam, to the community. He modified everything that we were taught to fit onto a small dance floor rather than a competitive ballroom dance floor. Students loved the concept and we grew quickly from there.

Today we are in a beautiful 5,000 sq. ft. dance studio in Mesa, AZ. We are proud to offer an even better quality dance product to the community as we continue to evolve. Now, Dance FX Studios offers more than just private dance lessons. We have Latin and Country group dance classes for both singles and couples, Zumba fitness classes and dance parties with live Salsa, Swing and Country bands. We even take our students out dancing to show them how to use our syllabus on any dance floor. 

Learn your favorite, popular social dances like salsa, swing, Country two step and Argentine tango right here at Dance FX Studios in Mesa, AZ. We will show you how to be a confident dancer in no time and while having fun on every visit. We encourage a fun and relaxed learning atmosphere so that you can let go of any insecurities and embrace the joy of social ballroom dancing!

You can find out more about Dance FX Studios on our website. Try out our introductory offer for a great gauge of how we teach and more about our concept. It is our mission to spread the enjoyment of dance with as many people as possible as we continue our journey as studio owners and operators. We hope you want to join in the fun with us at Dance FX Studios. See YOU on the dance floor!