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CLI Studios Review

Monday, February 10th

2025 Ballroom Dancing Lesson Reviews

CLI Studios Review 4 Star Rating

CLI Studios

4 Star Rating
  • $199 for a yearly subscription
  • Pre-recorded video lessons
  • Video rewind, mirror, and pause tools
  • Covers beginner to advanced materials
  • 7-day free trial
  • In-person conservatory classes offered
  • 4.7-star average across review sites

CLI Studios is an online dance platform that is designed for students with busy schedules, allowing you to level up your dancing and meet your goals at your own pace. With classes ranging from dance basics to advanced choreography and training, there's something for every dancer. Along with ballroom lessons, you'll find jazz, hip-hop, and even contemporary classes. You can pick your level and choose an instructor from over 300 world-renowned professionals, such as Brian Friedman, Ysabelle Capitulé, Nika Kljun, and The Kinjaz, to take classes from. The program is modern and fresh, offering current professionals and CLI's impressive conservatory staff for you even at a distance.

Video format with on-site teaching tools

The studio classes are all offered online. With CLI Studios, you have 24/7 access to a massive library of dance content, including warm-ups, technique classes, and combinations. This on-demand library allows you to train at your own pace, whenever and wherever you want. The video player gives you complete control over the playback experience. You can pause the video to take a break, change the speed, or rewind and rewatch a section as many times as you want. The stop, rewind, and mirror controls enable you to jump ahead to a specific part or repeat a section until you master it. This level of flexibility and customization makes it easy for you to learn and practice dance moves at your own speed. There are five instructors for the ballroom program at CLI Studios, and most are award-winning ballroom competitors. Plus, you get a 7-day free trial to test out the program and styles to see if it's right for you.

From beginner to advanced learning

With CLI Studios, you can take your ballroom dancing to the next level. If you're new to ballroom, you can start with the beginner courses to learn the fundamentals of international ballroom styles, and then "dance it out" with fun combinations that you can perform on your own or with a partner. As you progress, intermediate courses will help you perfect your alignment, master fast footwork like the quick step, and work on articulation to make every performance explosive. For more experienced dancers, advanced courses offer bold choreography, opportunities to layer in textures, and training in performance skills. CLI Studios is a place where you can grow as a dancer even after you master beginner-level content.

Costs $199 per year

When you sign up with CLI Studios, you can start with a 7-day free trial to get a feel for their dance classes. After your trial period ends, you can become an annual member by paying $199. As a member, you'll have unlimited access to over 1,000 live and on-demand classes, with new classes being added every week. Considering that some in-person courses cost between $150 to $300 per month, this is still a highly competitive price for ballroom dance lessons.

Best Ballroom Dancing Lessons

Offers in-person conservatory classes

One of the main features of CLI Studios is its emphasis on professional opportunities. If you're interested in going pro in ballroom or any of their other dance styles, you can switch over to the CLI Conservatory page where options for auditions and in-person lessons are available. You can even sign up for their summer intensive if you really want to dig into your technique.

Popular with students, but not the BBB

While CLI currently holds an "F” rating from the Better Business Bureau, it's due to 6 complaints 1-3 years ago, which may be a little behind its current reputation. So, we suggest checking out the other third-party reviews. For example, the CLI app that you'll use for your courses has an impressive 4.6-star rating out of 5 on the Apple Store. The CLI courses also show a 4.8-star average rating from reviewers on Facebook. Students love how CLI blends technique with fun choreography, and some students who have been dancing for multiple years noted they learned tons from CLI Studios. So, no matter your level, they have something to offer you.

Impressive courses and techniques

Due to the massive discrepancy between the BBB and other third-party reviews, we're inclined to trust the feedback from actual students. While the price is a little higher and you do need to commit for a year, CLI Studios is set up to help you succeed at your ballroom dancing dreams. Whether you're a beginner, intermediate, or advanced, you can learn new techniques and polish up your ballroom dancing with CLI Studios' helpful videos and tools. For this reason, CLI Studios earns a high score despite the rating from the BBB, and we highly recommend you check out their 7-day free trial.

Where Can You Find the Best Ballroom Dancing Lessons?

Whether you're looking for a new way to get fit, enjoy socializing while tapping your toes, or are a pro ballroom dancer looking to improve your skills, ballroom dancing lessons are a great way to get your groove on. Known for being one of the most social dance styles, ballroom encompasses many different styles and offers you both fitness and fun in one place. Unlike other styles of dance (like ballet), there isn't any expensive gear to get started. You just need yourself.

Ballroom dance has a rich history that spans hundreds of years, and its popularity continues to grow as more people discover its many benefits. While competitive ballroom dancing, also known as Dancesport, is one aspect of this art form, ballroom dance is accessible to everyone, regardless of age, gender, or experience level. You can choose to compete no matter how late you start, or you can focus on social events like live-music dancing meetups or masterclasses in the Viennese Waltz.

The Best Ballroom Dancing Lessons Compare Ballroom Dancing Lessons Compare Ballroom Dancing Lesson Reviews What are the best Ballroom Dancing Lessons Best Ballroom Dancing Lesson Reviews

Ballroom Dancing Lesson FAQ

Excellent question! There are 12 types of ballroom dancing. The 5 most popular ballroom dances are the Foxtrot, Waltz, Rumba, Cha Cha, and Swing. Once you have skilled these 5 dances, you can dance with partners from all over the world. The other types of dance include the Jive, Lindy Hop, Mambo, Pasodoble, Quickstep, Samba, and Tango.
Ballroom dancing is a partnership type of dance where couples move rhythmically using two step patterns while expressing the characteristics of the music being played. Ballroom dancing consists of two styles among the 12 types, Smooth and Rhythm. Smooth, also known as standard, is a style of dance that focuses on the grace, elegance, and fluidity of the movement. Rhythm, also known as Latin, is a style of dance that focuses on the display of vibrant energy, and personal flair. The main difference between these two styles is that standard dancing consists of the couple constantly moving on the dance floor in a fixed pattern. Whereas Latin style the couple usually dances in one spot of the dance floor throughout the dance.
When it comes to learning a dance, you will be learning the steps in as little as one or two lessons. But to become a refined and more precise dancer takes longer due to two main factors. The factors include how often you take the lessons and how often you practice. Most beginner students can feel confident on the dance floor anywhere from 6 months to a year.
No! You don't need a partner to take dance lessons. Online classes allow you to learn both the lead and follow steps along with technique, patterns, and the experience of rotating with partners throughout the class.
Both have great benefits; it all depends on what you are looking for, but an ideal choice is a mixture of both. Group classes are more affordable, teach you the step patterns, basic technique, vocabulary, and experience different partners. Private lessons allow you to work on your technique and partnership at your own pace. The only con for private lessons is that they tend to be more expensive.
Ballroom dancing is not for everyone but getting started with learning is easy to do and just takes practice. Like learning a new language, learning a new dance might feel intimidating at first, yet all you need is to start of easy and slowly work your way up to something more. Over time it will feel almost natural to move with the music on the dance floor. It is recommended to start with the waltz when you have not had any prior ballroom experience.
Of course, this is what instructors are there to help you with. With guidance from an instructor, you will learn to hear the rhythm in the music. Being able to hear the rhythm allows you to move, which means you can dance. If you have any doubts just remember that dancing is just like any other physical activity, it requires practice, patience, and learning within your own comfort zone.
When you start ballroom dancing it is recommended to take one or two lessons per week. Taking this frequency of lessons allows you to continuously build upon what you learned during the previous week. This also allows you to integrate new moves into previously learned steps. Practicing frequently will help you improve, build your confidence, and dance without doubts on the dance floor. Practicing allows you to learn your areas of improvement and challenge yourself every week.
Compare the Best Reviews

Continued from above...

Ballroom dancing is often associated with the Waltz, but there are many other styles to explore, each with its unique characteristics and rhythms. From the smooth, elegant foxtrot to the spicy tango and cha-cha, rumba, swing, bolero, mambo, and quickstep, there's a ballroom style that fits your music preferences and fitness level. With the rise of online learning platforms, you can now learn ballroom dancing from the comfort of your own home, eliminating the need to travel to a physical studio. Whether you're a complete beginner or looking to improve your skills, there's a ballroom dancing option available for you.

Finding the perfect ballroom dancing lessons can be a daunting task, especially with the numerous options available. However, with a little guidance, you can discover the joy of dancing and make it a part of your social and physical routine. For those who feel the urge to move to the rhythm of big band music or swing, ballroom dancing is an excellent way to express yourself and get some exercise at the same time.

So, how do you choose the best ballroom dancing lessons for you? If you're not sure where to start your tango or swing, here are a few things to help you decide:

  • Location. Are you looking for something that's online only? Do you want to have classes in person? Do you need someone who comes to your home? Make sure that the course you're looking at is convenient for where you want to learn.
  • Price. Are you looking for a subscription or something you can pay for one time? Make sure that you're getting what you want for the right price. Whether you just want one or two refresher lessons or a full course, the price can be a competitive factor.
  • Learning modality. Think about how you learn best. Do you want synchronous live lessons (even online)? Or are you okay with DVD and CD dance-alongs? Or are you someone who needs a teacher for in-person corrections? There are plenty of courses out there that offer all modalities. So find the one that creates the right balance of convenience and supportive teaching style.
  • Dancer level. Are you a beginner, intermediate, or advanced dancer? What kind of support do you need from your ballroom dance course? Some courses only cover the basics while others will offer more advanced, competition-focused complexity. Make sure the course you choose suits your current and goal levels.
  • Teachers. Are you looking for award-winning instructors or just someone who can teach you the steps? There are tons of options out there and teachers are incredibly important to the learning process. You may prefer a teacher with a more friendly style as a beginner, and then someone more connected to ballroom dance (like a former or current competitor) as you get more advanced.

To help you find the right ballroom dance course to exercise those tapping toes, the dance experts at Top Consumer Reviews have evaluated and ranked today's most popular ballroom dancing lessons out there today. We hope these reviews will make it easy to enjoy waltzing into the new (or familiar) world of dance!

Compare Ballroom Dancing Lessons

Select any 2 Ballroom Dancing Lessons to compare them head to head

best-ballroom-dancing-lessons
  • Dance Vision
  • Liberero's Ballroom Dance 101
  • Superprof
  • CLI Studios
  • Passion 4 Dancing
  • Learn and Master
  • iDance
  • Take Lessons
  • Learn to Dance
  • Udemy
Dance Vision vs Liberero's Ballroom Dance 101 Dance Vision vs Superprof Dance Vision vs CLI Studios Dance Vision vs Passion 4 Dancing Dance Vision vs Learn and Master Dance Vision vs iDance Dance Vision vs Take Lessons Dance Vision vs Learn to Dance Dance Vision vs Udemy Liberero's Ballroom Dance 101 vs Superprof Liberero's Ballroom Dance 101 vs CLI Studios Liberero's Ballroom Dance 101 vs Passion 4 Dancing Liberero's Ballroom Dance 101 vs Learn and Master Liberero's Ballroom Dance 101 vs iDance Liberero's Ballroom Dance 101 vs Take Lessons Liberero's Ballroom Dance 101 vs Learn to Dance Liberero's Ballroom Dance 101 vs Udemy Superprof vs CLI Studios Superprof vs Passion 4 Dancing Superprof vs Learn and Master Superprof vs iDance Superprof vs Take Lessons Superprof vs Learn to Dance Superprof vs Udemy CLI Studios vs Passion 4 Dancing CLI Studios vs Learn and Master CLI Studios vs iDance CLI Studios vs Take Lessons CLI Studios vs Learn to Dance CLI Studios vs Udemy Passion 4 Dancing vs Learn and Master Passion 4 Dancing vs iDance Passion 4 Dancing vs Take Lessons Passion 4 Dancing vs Learn to Dance Passion 4 Dancing vs Udemy Learn and Master vs iDance Learn and Master vs Take Lessons Learn and Master vs Learn to Dance Learn and Master vs Udemy iDance vs Take Lessons iDance vs Learn to Dance iDance vs Udemy Take Lessons vs Learn to Dance Take Lessons vs Udemy Learn to Dance vs Udemy
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