Ssqq Dance Studio

06/19/09

You get what you pay for

by MickHouston at Citysearch

took the beginning salsa class with my girlfriend. class was so big that you could not hear the instructor if you happened to be at the end of the line which was often as the men would rotate (the loud music from the other rooms made it difficult to hear the instructor as well). In fact, I don't believe the rotation helped at all; I would have preferred to stay with one woman as the rotation was a serious distraction and deterrent to the learning process. I left after a couple of classes and will use videos from youtube to learn the salsa. Oh ya, the woman instructor seemed to border on bi-polar; her mood was up and down showing some anger ever so often scolding the men however the male instructor actually showed some patience with the female students. go figure.

• Pros: price
• Cons: large classes; impatient instructor

06/15/09

Very disappointed with Salsa lesson

by SalseraSL at Citysearch

I recently took the intermmediate Salsa crash course. I was disappointed throughout the course for the following reasons:

1) Instructors didn't know how to find the 1 beat with music! A fundamental mistake that stuck out like a sore thumb. It's sad that we are being taught bad habits from the instructors. Half the time we started on3 and on5. Maybe they need to take the basic course again..... (side note: their off-beat dancing wasn't because I was mistaken and it was me who was off-beat. Others in the class also picked this mistake out)

2) While practicing the moves without music, the instructors didn't count. They would just say the name of the moves. Therefore, you heard heels hitting the ground in no unison. I've never been to a salsa class where they didn't count "1,2,3-5,6,7" while dancing without music.

3) Instructors arguing during class. There was 1 guy and 1 girl teaching. Throughout the class they disagreed on teaching style and this was unprofessional.

4) Poor description of moves. Some movements were called "this weird thingy" or had no title at all. Most people in the intermmediate class will know what "cross body lead" or "open break" is. Yet they didn't use these words to help us understand the moves.

I felt like a worse dancer after leaving the class. The instructors were good people, but they shouldn't be instructors. I don't think anyone should be teaching salsa that can't dance on timing.

• Pros: Not too expensive
• Cons: Poor instruction

09/25/07

Great teachers and great people make for fabulous dancing

by elioxia at Citysearch

If you are interested in learing how to dance socially and want to learn in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere, then SSQQ is the place to go. I've been dancing there weekly for almost 2 years straight and I can say going to class is one of the highlights of my week! SSQQ is great for absolute beginners who just want to learn how to dance (which is where I started), but it's also great if you want to build technique and add to your list of moves to whip out on a local dance floor. The teachers there are very nice and approachable. Never did I feel dumb for not getting a move or intimidated into not asking for another demo. Class sizes do vary by dance and level and sometimes can be a bit crowded due to popularity, but in my experience SSQQ has always tried to move bigger classes to larger rooms to accomodate. I've never walked away feeling that I wasn't getting my money's worth. I don't know where else you can get 8 hrs of dance instruction for $50. All SSQQ classes are group classes. Many couples often complain about not getting to dance with their partner. However, I've discovered that in social dancing, especially when you are learning, it is important to dance with many different people. Dancing is about leading (for men) and following (for women). Sure I enjoy dancing with my partner, but I've found that if we only dance with each other, we end up developing bad dancing habits to "adjust" for each other's mistakes. There is no faster way to realize you are doing something wrong in leading or following than by dancing with someone you usually do not dance with. Trust me, by the end of one group rotation, usually both my partner and I somehow "miraculously" fix the problem that we had at the begining of the rotation (without either of us having to torture each other to do it!) Then when we go out and dance together, we dance more smoothly with each other and enjoy ourselves even more. Hats off to SSQQ for bringing great teachers and nice people together to dance!

• Pros: Congenial atmosphere, good dance instruction, receptive teachers, fun crowd
• Cons: So popular it can sometimes be crowded, parking

08/30/07

SSQQ Responds

by richardjarcher at Citysearch

My name is Rick Archer. I am the owner of SSQQ. I would like to point out that several comments posted by Katklaw in one of the SSQQ Reviews on City Search are deeply inaccurate.

The following 3 allegations have no merit whatsoever:

1. (unless you agree to buy the big package)

2. pressure filled environment

3. high pressure sell

Everybody has a right to express their opinion, but they do not have the right to speak incorrectly.

Anyone who is familiar with SSQQ knows we do not have any "big packages" to sell. This false statement alone compromises the integrity of the entire complaint. The truth is that our classes sell for $40 and $50 for a month of group dance lessons.

Furthermore, SSQQ absolutely refuses to pressure its customers into taking any classes.

Quite the contrary, we pride ourselves in being the least commercial dance studio that has ever existed.

Furthermore, I defy Katklaw to identify anyone at SSQQ who is involved in high-pressure sales.

In truth, we try to make our classes fun and hope our customers will return of their own free will. There is no arm-twisting at SSQQ Dance Studio, of that I can assure everyone. 30 years of business indicates that our low key philosophy is effective.

As for Katklaw's curious assertion about our "unusual clientele", consider the source. Besides, our students would probably take that as a compliment.

04/25/07

Least Recommended dance studio

by katklaw at Citysearch

I have taken numerous lessons through the years in Houston to keep my dancing skills up to date and would never send a friend to SSQQ. The management, as well as the staff that works there regularly, are unusually snippy and sarcastic (unless you agree to buy the big package) and the pressure to buy is their biggest priority. I would like to go to their studios (they are in close proximity to my house) but since I have yet to have one pleasant experience with them , and since my last dance experience with them was so negative, I am going to keep going to other places in town. I appreciate that they have been in business for quite a while in Houston, but there are too many other dance studios in the city that have a friendlier and less pressure filled environment. Definitely try somewhere else first.

• Pros: Been in business for a while, larger studio
• Cons: Surly service, unusual clientele, parking, high pressure sell

12/10/06

Too much switching of partners

by amymcafee at Citysearch

My husband and I, along with two other couples, took the Rumba, Cha Cha, and Tango class. When we arrived at our first class, the Rumba had been replaced with swing. Although swing is fun, it was not what we signed up for. This would have been fine without the constant switching of partners. There were twice as many women as men in the class, and I was only able to dance with my husband 3 times throughout the two-hour class. We took a dance class in hopes of improving our dancing as a couple. The other two couples had similar complaints. In the future we will pay the extra money to take semi-private lessons at another studio.

12/17/05

User review by chart

by chart at Citysearch

A friend and I left after half a class. They give you all kinds of reasons why mandatory switching is good, but when you get stuck with the big greasy sweaty guy for 20 minuts, no reason is reason enough.

I really just wanted to dance with my friend, and that's not possible at SSQQ.

08/16/05

Highly recommended

by guessoush at Citysearch

The ambiance is great. The instructors are very friendly and helpful. I recommand the crash courses for a quick fix, it's a couple of hours, fun, and very helpful. Make sure you get there 30 minutes early to find a parking space.

Teaching swing to salsa under one roof.

by Contributor at Citysearch

The Skinny
Dance lessons are what SSQQ is all about, and they're given in a wide range of styles, from mambo to swing to C&W. Couples are, of course, welcome to participate; however, classmates get to know each other through mandatory switching of partners every 16-or-so counts. In the hour after class, preferred partners may be chosen for a practice spin or two. Male/female ratio varies but evens out at 50/50, including persons of age 20 to 70 and the median in the late 30s.

Cost
Women pay $36 while men pay $44 for classes that usually last four weeks. Some classes are additional; call for details.