Lessons With Vanessa

•Ratings include Zola and Google reviews

Pricing

Prices start at $330

Packages

Prices start at $330

About Lessons With Vanessa

Lessons With Vanessa

Owner

Lessons with Vanessa is a boutique wedding dance instruction company in Austin, Texas, helping couples feel confident, connected, and at ease as they prepare for their first dance. Specializing in beginners, Lessons with Vanessa offers private lessons that are warm, personalized, and genuinely fun. Sessions are available both in person at a private studio and virtually for couples anywhere in the world. The focus isn’t just on choreography—it’s on creating a joyful, memorable experience that brings couples closer together and leaves them excited to step onto the dance floor.

Founder Vanessa Shields combines a warm, beginner-friendly approach with over 20 years of teaching experience and a degree in Education. She’s known for helping self-proclaimed “non-dancers” feel confident, comfortable, and excited to learn. Unlike large dance studios, every lesson is truly private and customized. With nearly 200 five-star reviews and multiple Best of Weddings awards, Lessons with Vanessa has become one of the most highly rated wedding dance instruction services in the Austin area.

In three words: Fun, Positive, Supportive

Best of Zola 2026

Services

  • Dance classes

Lessons With Vanessa packages

"The Pro" Dance Package

Description

Transform your first dance into an unforgettable highlight of your wedding with Vanessa’s ultimate first dance experience. Fully customizable and designed for those who want to look as effortless as a pro, this package offers full choreography, polished details, and eye-catching moments for a truly elevated dance that will wow your guests. All levels welcome, beginner to advanced!

What’s included
  • Custom Choreography - Tailored to you + your song
  • Reception Ready - Tips to help you dance all night
  • Technique Essentials - Build a strong foundation
  • Long-Term Skills- Gain skills that last a lifetime
  • Confidence Boost - Dance with ease and joy
  • Multiple Dances Option - Parent dances, last dance
  • Pro Coaching - Expert guidance, with video recaps

"The Natural" Dance Package

Description

This beginner-friendly package is perfect for couples who want to look confident and natural without feeling like their dance is “too choreographed”. During the course of five lessons Vanessa will put you at ease and help you master a simple, yet beautiful dance from beginning to end that will impress your guests and create stunning photo moments.

What’s included
  • Custom Choreography - Tailored to you + your song
  • Pro Coaching - Expert guidance, with video recaps
  • Confidence Boost - Dance with ease and joy
  • Technique Essentials - Build a foundation
  • Photo-Ready - Get the best photos from your dance

"The Essentials" Dance Package

Description

Designed for couples who are looking for focused, efficient preparation for their first dance. This package is perfect if you're short on time but still want to feel comfortable, confident and prepared for your moment in the spotlight. This package caters to all levels of dance experience.

What’s included
  • Time-Sensitive Focus - For those short on time
  • Simple and Complete Dance Plan - Cover the basics
  • Video Recaps - For at-home practice
  • Photo Tips - A few quick tips to help you shine

"First Dance Express" Dance Package

Description

Vanessa is a true magician when it comes to working with limited time. Within this one hour crash course, she will work wonders to make sure you’re prepared with a basic plan for your first dance.

What’s included
  • Simple and Streamlined - Entrance, turn, and dip
  • Priority Scheduling - Get booked quickly
  • Video Recap - For at-home practice

Reviews

Write a review
Rating: 5.0

5.0 out of 5

79 reviews

  • D

    Daniel

    Rating: 5
    •Zola
    •Nov 16, 2025

    Life-Changing Dance Lessons with Vanessa

    Vanessa Shields is pure magic. My wife and I took ten lessons, and she transformed how we move, lead, and connect. Her warm, commanding voice and calm teaching style made learning fun, intimate, and powerful. We laughed, bonded, and grew closer every session. She even invited us to real swing and two-stepping events so we could practice in the wild. Vanessa doesn’t just teach dancing, she teaches connection, confidence, and love through movement. Worth every penny and every step.

    Vanessa Shields•Nov 17, 2025

    Daniel, thank you so much for sharing this! Watching you both grow together was such a joy. I’m so glad the lessons brought laughter, confidence, and connection into your journey. :)

  • CT

    Camila & T.

    Rating: 5
    •Zola
    •May 1, 2025

    Everything we wanted for wedding dance lessons

    My partner and I were looking for a dance instructor in Austin to help us with our first dance and some general dance tips ahead of our wedding and we are so glad we found Vanessa! Vanessa choreographed our dance and was an amazing instructor. Classes were always fun and well-structured, feedback was constructive and super helpful. We learned a lot along the way and really looked forward to days we had class. Vanessa was also very accommodating with timing and scheduling, which was great with busy wedding planning and work schedules. We would definitely come back for other classes and highly recommend!

  • MD

    Michelle D.

    Rating: 5
    •Zola
    •Apr 16, 2025

    Amazing time!

    Lessons With Vanessa was an absolute pleasure to work with for our wedding dance lessons. Vanessa's communication style was prompt, responsive, and respectful throughout the entire process. The quality of her work and the value she provided was exceptional - she was precise, engaging, professional, and incredibly patient as she taught us a simple but elegant dance to go with our song of choice. As a couple that didn't dance well and would often be off-step or stepping on each other's feet, Vanessa made us feel so calm and comfortable learning the routine. She was a joy to work with and truly contributed to making our special day even more memorable.

  • SS

    Sy Snedeker

    Rating: 5
    •Google
    •Aug 27

    My fiance and I were were in the search for an instructor for our first dance at our wedding, and we are so happy that we found Vanessa. The full process was easy, personal, and worth while. I couldn’t recommend her more.

    Lessons With Vanessa•Aug 29, 2026

    Sy, thank you so much! I’m so happy you both found me, too! 😊 It means a lot to hear that you enjoyed not just the lesson itself, but the whole experience from start to finish. I really enjoyed getting to know you both and helping you put together a first dance that felt right for the two of you. Thank you for trusting me with such a special part of your wedding!

  • BR

    Bella Rose

    Rating: 5
    •Google
    •Aug 27

    My experience with Vanessa was wonderful. The 1:1 environment helped keep us intentional with what felt like “us” when it came to piecing together the dance. Learning our dance was a unique scenario due to us living in different states before the wedding. After only one lesson with Vanessa, she was able to teach us focus points and simplify the moves for the both of us who are “non-dancers” to understand. Overall, such a warm, peaceful, and intentional lesson. Thank you Vanessa!!

    Lessons With Vanessa•Aug 29, 2026

    Bella, thank you so much for this sweet review! I’m so glad we were able to make the most of the time we had together, especially with you two living in different states leading up to the wedding. Helping couples create a first dance that feels natural and genuinely like them is always my goal, so it means a lot to hear that our lesson helped simplify everything and gave you clear things to focus on and practice together. It was such a pleasure working with you both! 💛

The number of wedding dance lessons you need depends on your goals and timeline. The 5-lesson package is the most popular choice and recommended minimum starting point. For couples who want the most complete experience, Vanessa recommends the 10-lesson package. With 10 lessons, there’s room to do it all — more time to refine and perfect your first dance, build social dancing skills you’ll use all night at the reception, and even work in honor dances if needed. It’s also the best value, with the lowest per-lesson rate of any package. Read the package descriptions to find the best match, or Reach out to Vanessa if you’d like help choosing.
Absolutely not! No dance experience needed. Vanessa specializes in teaching complete beginners. Most of her couples have never danced before, and they walk away with a choreographed first dance they are proud of.
We recommend booking at least 2–3 months before your wedding, and planning to complete your final lesson about three to four weeks out. That buffer is intentional: the last stretch before a wedding gets hectic, and by then your choreography should already be set — leaving nothing new to learn, just easy practice runs together that build polish and confidence. Vanessa works with tighter timelines too, so reach out regardless of when your wedding is.
The dance style is dictated by the song you choose. From there, Vanessa choreographs accordingly. Popular styles include foxy (a modernized version of the foxtrot), two-step, salsa, swing, and waltz, among others. If your song calls for a blend of styles or something unexpected, even better.
Yes! It is truly a private, dedicated, and climate controlled space. Every lesson takes place in Vanessa’s private boutique studio in North Austin, reserved exclusively for you and your partner. There are no other couples in the room, no shared sound system, and no instructor splitting their attention between multiple students. From the moment you arrive to the moment you leave, the space and Vanessa’s full focus are entirely yours.
Plan to wear comfortable clothing that allows you to move freely. For shoes, if you already have the pair you’ll be wearing on your wedding day, feel free to bring them to class. If you’re not ready to wear them yet, sneakers work perfectly for the first lesson or two. If you haven’t picked out your bridal shoes yet, Vanessa recommends checking out: LunaSol Dance for bridal shoes built with the features of a dance shoe -https://www.lunasoldance.com For $50 off, use code: LESSONSWITHVANESSA50 Full transparency: LunaSol is a partner brand — Vanessa earns a small commission when you use her code, at no extra cost to you.

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