“tangible, actionable adjustments while encouraging their vastly different personal styles”
My first experience with Aris was as a dance doll for friends. Watching him tailor the lessons for my two very different friends was inspiring. He focused on very tangible, actionable adjustments while encouraging their vastly different personal styles of both learning and artistry. I immediately booked a lesson for myself. I was so thrilled with the instant feeling of progress after the lesson. He set clear goals and worked to fit the desired results to my body and artistic expression. I have hyper mobile joints, which can make coaching me a bit more challenging, but Aris's personal training experience allowed him to create immediate and safe adjustments for my body. I can't recommend his lessons enough!
“Aris embodies the rare blend of expertise and empathy”
Starting my dance journey as a complete novice, I was initially overwhelmed by the prospect of couple dancing without any background. The leap from knowing nothing to stepping onto the dance floor felt immense, but Aris transformed that daunting gap into a bridge of confidence and skill for me.
Aris embodies the rare blend of expertise and empathy, demonstrating not just a deep understanding of dance but an exceptional ability to impart that knowledge. His approach is rooted in a profound body awareness, a testament to his background as a fitness trainer, enabling him to pinpoint and address the nuances of movement and posture with remarkable precision.
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“Aris is genuine and cares beyond the lesson”
My private dance lessons with Aris have been indisputably first-rate! He legit understands technique and body movement. Aris is genuine and cares beyond the lesson when it comes to my dance journey. Don't miss out!
“he's given me the skills to insert more of my own movement dialogue into my dance”
I'm lucky to have been working with Aris for the past couple months. He's given me the skills to insert more of my own movement dialogue into my dance <3 As someone who has done quite a few different dance styles it feels freeing to incorporate them into this medium.
“a caring and compassionate and funny wizard”
Aris somehow always knows what to say when I am lost in dance angst (dangst ™️) to redirect my spiraling toward optimism, productive critique, focus, sometimes humor. While ALSO reminding me that the dance journey is mine and i can’t look for someone to tell me I should keep going. Idk how this combination works he is a wizard. A caring and compassionate and funny wizard.
“helped me to feel empowered to be in control of my dance”
Aris is a phenomenal instructor. Aris has a level of attention to detail that is remarkable. He has helped me fine tune my anchor, connection and step mechanics. He breaks a complicated concept into easily digestible steps and then moves at your pace. He will quickly pivot his approach to best help the learner. Aris encouraged me to set what I wanted for level, amount and type of feedback, which helped me to feel empowered to be in control of my dance and get the most out of the lesson. I can't say enough how beneficial his video critiques were while I was at TAP. I went from not making it out of prelims in intermediate to taking 5th place in Strictlys, competing against the finalists of intermediate JnJ.
I'm beyond thrilled and honored to have Aris in our local community, as a friend and instructor. If you've considered taking a lesson stop considering and make the commitment because he is more than worth it!
“the video critiques with Aris DeMarco are absolute fire”
In terms of video critique, the video critiques with Aris DeMarco are absolute fire. No seriously, you can send him one of your worst comp videos that you strongly disliked and he will break down everything you did right, and everything you can improve on..but he will do it in a kind way that makes you dislike your dancing less and appreciate the dance you gave him to critique more. He also gives feedback insanely fast. I was not expecting a response in weeks. He gave me feedback in less than a day (technically in my case – instant feedback like less than an hour) and that’s insane.
As a dancer, I think it’s very easy to be self-deprecating and dislike your dancing. Aris is very invested in you both as a dancer and person. Aris’s advice is very technical but it’s also again…. very kind, because he does remind you that yeah your dancing isn’t all that bad. You don’t walk away from your critique self loathing all your flaws. If anything, working with him makes you want to incrementally work on your own dance at any given time.
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“he's always willing to have a discussion about the ‘why’”
Take dance lessons with Aris! He is an excellent instructor and human. Whether I need a mindset shift, drills for technique, empowerment for artistic expression, he's there with quality knowledge and a welcoming presence. He's always willing to have a discussion about the "why" behind the movement and his personal experience in the industry. I emphasize quality again because of his observant nature. He notices minute details about my body movement and helps explain/adjust feedback I have received from other instructors. Aris's instruction is digestible and helpful; I find that I can apply it to my dance and practice the concepts outside our lessons. Additionally, Aris is an excellent cheerleader! You can tell he is passionate about his art as well as mine. In the community, he is always up for a dance, a chat, or a quick question. I am fortunate to be able to call him an instructor, a local asset to the Denver community, and a friend.
“his background in athletics and strength training is also incredibly helpful”
Aris is a fantastic dance teacher—knowledgeable, kind, and intuitive. He listens and helps you hone in on what you want from the lessons then observes and gives thoughtful and focused feedback to help you improve quickly. He has a knack for explaining things clearly. His background in athletics and strength training is also incredibly helpful if you're dealing with injury (as I am) to help make the movements safer and more accessible. My partner and I highly recommend Aris as a dance teacher!
“most informative private lessons I've had from a pro”
I just had an insane private lesson with Aris - his metaphors/analogies and way of explaining concepts is enjoyable and clear, and he has such an eye for pointing out details and skills that can help a dancer elevate. One of the highest quality and most informative private lessons I've had from a pro to date.
“feel more stable, controlled, and connected”
Aris is one of my favorite WCS instructors because of the way he provides feedback, his background and passion for west coast, and his dynamic approach to teaching.
His approach is thorough and insightful, providing clear, specific feedback that makes a real, immediate difference. He encourages me by drawing my attention to what I do well, which boosts my confidence, but he also offers practical improvements in a way that feels constructive and motivating.
As a teacher by day, I know how important it is to make your students feel safe enough to make mistakes and Aris does that exceptionally well. He helps me practice each adjustment until I can recognize what doing it right feels like which helps my retention and solo practice.
His background in physical training is a huge advantage—he explains which muscle groups to engage, helping me feel more stable, controlled, and connected in my movements. He’s great at working with dancers of all levels, so you feel comfortable and see remarkable improvements no matter where you’re starting from. I really can’t recommend him enough!