Ssqq Dance Studio

First of all, the old reviews need to be dropped because SSQQ, with its new owners and new location is one of the best kept secrets in town. Right now I'm taking urban 2-step classes which is taught be Susan of High Steppers Dance Troupe. SSQQ really did a good thing adding this to their list of offerings. Susan is a great teacher and I love the dance which I had never seen before. It makes me feel sexy (not raunchy) and romantic. As usuall the other dancers at SSQQ are a lot of fun as are the dances they regularly host. more

I've taught at SSQQ for over 16 years! So have been there through all the good and the bad! I walked in to learn to dance as a tribute to my brother who passed away, we had always said we'd take dance classes. more

The comments written on the S S Q Q Dance Studio were made BEFORE the NEW Dance studio opened at 1431 20th Street, which is near Ella and Loop 610 N. There is a new owners too. Things are pretty cool there with a club-like atmosphere. The place is newly built out and it is very clean and roomy. I took lessons at the old dance studio location for 15 years, and obviously I enjoyed the music, the lessons, the dancing, meeting people, the parties, and getting exercise. And, I always learned something new after so many years. My husband and I met there--the first best thing. The second best thing about old dance studio is I never felt lonely there. more

I joined SSQQ after my husband of 32 years passed away. I always loved to dance - he didn't - so I never learned any. It helped me get back into the social settings of being single once again. I love changing partners, it helped to teach me how to dance with ANY man, not just one. I can follow any man who can lead! I met many, many new and great friends there and am looking forward to beginning again at the new studio (closer to home actually) in May. Being widowed, I am NOT a rich widow that can afford more than $40-$45 per month - much less per lesson or per hour. Pros: Great Instructors, very friendly people. Cons: Parking was one, but new studio on the way! more

I began taking lessons at SSQQ a year and a half ago. I was at a crossroad in life where it could have gone on the same as it had been (lonely) or to learn to overcome the shyness that goes along with being an introvert. I chose to overcome the shyness. Pros: Great Instructors, Cost, Wonderful for forming Friendships Cons: Cannot think of any more

I see people complain about switching partners all the time. This is why I do it. I decided to take lessons so I can get out of this box I put myself in. I like to dance, but I have some fears so I'm very uncomfortable out on the dance floors. It's nice to see other people feel the same. Look into their eyes, your new dance partner for a few seconds, and you see it. It's finally nice to be around some people that feel the same. Pros: Great interaction. Cons: Kind of crowded, the parking not the studios. more

Want to belong, improve, control weight, and have fun ? consider dance lessons. For some that decision becomes a way of life enhanced by caring instructors with a knack for sharing knowledge and skill to gently nudge students to their goals in a fun experience. For others it is a self inflicted hell with intimidation, criticism, obnoxious partners, new faulty muscle memory, up selling to ?private? lessons, etc. N.B., when you buy a private lesson, always know how many other students there will be. Five students to me is NOT a private lesson. Pros: Lots of wonderful instructors and students Cons: An opportunity to create a self-inflicted hell more

When going as a couple, it would be nice to know that your other half isn't being hit on by every low class male in the class. It would appear that this is where some guys go to pick up women. The instruction isn't too bad, but being forced to dance with every single person in the class ruins everything.? Pros: cheap. Cons: low class and dirty. more

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 more

I recently took the intermmediate Salsa crash course. I was disappointed throughout the course for the following reasons: Pros: Not too expensive Cons: Poor instruction more

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 more

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. more

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 more

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. more

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. more

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. more