Santana’s Dance Academy

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Introduction: I am a full time ballroom dancer, certified, and highly trained for over six years. I offer all of my students a structured plan and curriculum, where I keep track of our continuous progress throughout our lessons. The first thing I do with my students is we establish a goal and create a plan of action with a set timeline. All my lessons are personalized to cater to the specific needs of all my students. I understand the need for organization and continuity so I make it a point to ensure all my students know where their programs are going. My high level of work ethic has allowed me to accomplish milestones with all types of students from wedding couples, social dancers, and gold level competitive students. High quality instruction, great customer service is what I ensure to provide to all my students. With my experience in education and my strong ability to communicate information clearly, I can guarantee that all my students will leave my lessons with a vision to where their dancing will lead and a feeling of accomplishment. I take great pride in my work and I strive to always provide the highest quality of service. Dancing has allowed me to overcome the social insecurities we may feel and allowed me to blossom into the confident woman I am today. Being able to help others find their inner strength, or even simply prepare for a big day, using dance is big passion of mine. Its what I live for.

Overview

Hired 1 time

11 years in business

Payment methods

This pro accepts payments via Cash and Check.

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Reviews

Customers rated this pro highly for work quality, professionalism, and punctuality.

Exceptional 5.0

5 reviews

100%

Joseph L.

Sep 15, 2018

Prior to being a student of Monica Santana, never in my life would I step foot on a dance floor. Apprehensively, I scheduled my first class. With the warmest and most sincere of smiles, Monica made her introduction. I pulled out my phone, showed her a salsa video I had found on YouTube, "Monica please, that...that's what I want to do. That's what I want to be." She laughed and assured me, "we'll get you there! Let's practice!" Within moments of meeting, I was entrusting her with the momentous task of turning my clumsy, uncoordinated, anxiety-ridden self into something that might resemble a dancer. To be sure, that's exactly what she did. From our very first lesson Monica encouraged me to get out and dance socially, but I was incredibly timid, and my long history with social anxiety had me convinced I just was not ready. She helped me to work through that anxiety; in the most sincere and painless way possible. It was detailed instruction, confidence, and immense passion for dance that she delivered with each and every lesson. Weeks turned to months and my confidence on the dance floor grew. I approached each and every lesson with the same great enthusiasm for dance that Monica radiates with. I decided one night that I would go out and dance socially. I went to a club in Mountain View where I danced salsa and bachata all night. After the last dance of the evening, I was approached by a few of the ladies that I had danced with that evening. My dance partners that evening complimented my ability to lead and expressed their gratitude, and a few that I hadn't danced with approached to ask me how I learned to dance so well. In my following lesson with Monica, I don't know which of us was more excited for my progress. With each lesson Monica introduced new techniques, patterns and styling movements that complimented the last. Never did I get a feeling of stagnation or that our time was without structure or purpose. We would begin each lesson reviewing to different songs before elaborating upon something or moving on to something more challenging. Monica is very talented at recognizing just when to slow things down and incredibly receptive to requests. I thank her endlessly for her patience. I've since moved hours away and continuing my lessons with Monica is unfortunately, impractical. Yet everywhere I go dancing I've been complimented, "you lead that really smooth!", "I really enjoy dancing with you! I felt like I learned a lot!", and my favorite from another instructor, "wow, you have such a great frame!" I realize that this has been an unapologetically glowing review, and that is because I have every confidence that Monica will deliver the learning experience you're looking for. Her knowledge is rivaled only by her passion for teaching. I can say with confidence there is not another instructor to deliver the same value in terms of professionalism and progressive development. With her encouragement, I've taken lessons with other instructors. While yes, there's something new to be learned from everyone - I never once felt like I'd ever come close to skill ceiling I might attain by continued lessons with Monica.

Steven b.

Sep 11, 2018

Monica Santana was fantastic. We requested a lesson for our wedding dance and she promptly followed up, had listened to our wedding song before, and gave us a great lesson. She also followed up with written instructions that helped us a ton. I would recommend her to anyone looking for dance lessons. Such a great teacher.

Tim M.

Sep 14, 2018

Monica has everything a dance teacher should have: high energy, a winning personality, patience, professionalism, and a high level of dancing skill. I've learned so much from her. She's supportive and fun to work with. She's the best!

Ingrid & Jorge B.

Sep 19, 2018

Always a fun time while learning a lot! We improved so much and appreciate how much energy she brings to the lessons. She is the best!

Brian K.

Sep 15, 2018

I can not say enough about Monica’s teaching abilities. I have been a student of Monica’s for 4 + years. She is very intuitive at figuring out what helps her students to achieve their dance goals. I am proud to tell anyone who enquirers that Monica Santana is my instructor and would be a good choice for them also. Sincerely Brian Kettler - Ballroom Dancer

FAQs

What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
New Students/ Wedding: 30-min Introductory Lesson- $55 Introductory First Time Student 4 Lesson Package - $340 ($85 per Lesson) A la Cart: One Lesson purchase- $100 One Lesson a Week - $95 per Lesson Two Lessons a Week - $85 per Lesson *Package prices and/ or payments may be negotiable depending on circumstances.
What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
For new customers, the 30-minute introductory lesson allows me to asses your learning style, your personal goals, and vision. I will make sure to have you dancing within the first minutes of your lesson. Overall, my aim is to help students accomplish their immediate goals and help them see what goals we can accomplish in the long run. I make it a point to track my student’s progress every step of the way.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I received my degree from UCSC in health science and education. My background in education has allowed me to develop personalized lesson plans to cater to all my students individual needs. I also continue to expand my dance education by training with nationally acclaimed coaches on a weekly basis. I strongly believe in the importance of furthering my dance abilities and knowledge so I can better serve my students at all levels.

Santana’s Dance Academy

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