My husband and I had been taking salsa lessons at Symbolic Dance & Fitness for years prior to our wedding. When we decided to tie the knot, we had no doubt that we’d work with Ava & Rodolfo to help us create a memorable dance routine for our big day. We LOVE their dance style, clear communication and creativity when it comes to choreography. In our case, they even helped us to come up with some cool lift and tricks –– patiently walking us through technique, styling and posture. At the end of each class, the instructors recorded portions of the routine learned on that specific day so that my partner and I could continue practicing at home. Ava & Rodolfo both are very punctual instructors, which we appreciated, and were very flexible with our busy schedules. I also like the studio location, which is just a couple minutes walk from the 16th and Mission BART station in San Francisco. I loved working with these instructors and highly recommend their lessons for beginners through advanced dancers who, like me and my husband, desire to shine on their big day! Debora S.
Wedding Dance Services
We are currently offering in-person private lessons by appointment, at several locations throughout S.F. Please note we are no longer located at 672 So. Van Ness. Email us at [email protected] to schedule
COMING SUNDAY MARCH 9TH – Wedding Dance Workshop with Ava Apple
2-3:30pm at RAE Studios info and registration HERE
Getting married soon? FABULOUS!!!!
Let us help you make your first dance something memorable for both you and your guests. Whether your goal is to simply do more than the High School prom sway or you want something more flashy and fun, our goal is for you to look and feel confident on your special day.
Check out the compliment we got from one of our couples (and see more reviews below):
“Thank you again for all your help and creativity in making our first dance a spectacular one that went above our expectations!”
K.L.
We recommend starting 3-4 months in advance for your first dance, although it’s never too early – or too late – to get started. We have even helped couples that had time for only one lesson, booked less than a week before their big day, so don’t worry – it can be done!
Please fill out the form on this page or contact us at symbolicdanceandfitness@gmail.
Wedding Dance Preparation/First Dance Choreography
Wedding dance lessons with Ava or Rodolfo are available by appointment and are 50 minutes.
Lessons with Ava or Rodolfo are available by appointment and are 50 minutes.
New pricing effective February 12, 2025
$115 for one lesson
$330 for 3 lessons – save $15
$525 for 5 lessons – save $50
$900 for 9 lessons – save $135
My wife and I had an incredible experience working with Ava on our first dance choreography and practice sessions. We booked 5 sessions over the course of 2.5 months, and Ava was incredibly patient and adaptable to our learning styles. My wife has a background in dance, while I do not. Ava made sure to tailor her teaching to our individual needs. We practiced independently between sessions, which helped us improve the dance significantly in the later sessions. We’ve already recommended Ava to close friends who are getting married this year, and we highly suggest her to anyone reading this who’s planning a wedding!
Emilio D.
Ava and Rodolfo were both really amazing to work with! We learned some basics with Rodolfo as well as choreographed our first dance with Ava. She was very patient, kind and really good at incorporating the moves I wanted and making everything flow together. I would definitely recommend dancing with them!
Yesharah & Isaac
Ava is an absolutely talented, professional, and wonderful instructor to learn from! My wife and I were absolute beginners who’ve never had dance lessons before. We had four private lessons to the song of our choice, and Ava choreographed an awesome dance for us. The lessons were also so fun and enjoyable, they essentially doubled as date dates. 😂 Our first dance at our wedding ended up being way better than what we could’ve imagined – thank you so much, Ava!!! ✨
Justin O.
My fiancé and I took 5 virtual lessons with Ava for our upcoming wedding. We were skeptical at first as we originally planned to do these classes in person, but if anything 2020 has taught us, it’s how to be flexible! We were so happy we decided to do the virtual classes because it worked out perfect! Ava was responsive, timely and an excellent teacher. She was able to choreograph our first dance to two songs and teach us leading and following, two lifts, dips, and turns, with ease. We cannot wait to show off our moves to our friends and family! If you have any doubts about taking virtual lesson, go for it, you won’t be disappointed!
Lisa P. & Travis S.
We worked with Ava in preparation of our micro-wedding last year and absolutely LOVED it. We took a few lessons via Zoom right in our kitchen. It was super easy and we had a blast. We simply propped a computer up high and angled the screen down so she could see us and our feet. We even recorded the last session, so we could practice the moves a couple more times in those final days. Of course we expected to have lessons in person, in a studio, but nothing went as expected last year (wedding included) and we wouldn’t have wanted it any other way! Ava was great, thank you so much. I even nailed the dip! …well, kinda – but I didn’t drop her 🙂
Rob V.
“Ava is a transformational dance instructor and one of the best around. After researching dance lessons in San Francisco, my wife and I arrived at her studio with a few ideas and limited dance moves. Her process was straight forward and fun. She identified our strengths on the dance floor, incorporated some traditional moves and helped to highlight our own individual personalities weaving them beautifully into our “first-dance” song. This was a top highlight from our wedding and set the tone for a incredible evening for all on the dance floor. We highly recommend Ava!”
Francis R.
To start off, I knew I wanted to have a special first dance at our reception, but I also knew this would make my future husband very nervous since he had no dance experience and performing for the first time in front of all our guests was daunting. I knew of Ava Apple from all her years in the Bay Area dance scene and I hoped she would be willing to choreograph for us. Turns out she specializes in “first dance” choreography much to my pleasant surprise! Not only was she able to teach my husband to dance, but she taught him how to confidently take the lead as my partner. It was amazing for me to see his dance skills and confidence in choreography blooming, which really made him feel good by the way!! She choreographed at our level, and within our short two-month time frame for rehearsing. Watching the various videos that our guests took of our dance, I can see how everyone is practically mesmerized; no one is eating or talking, they are watching and loving our dance. People were cheering and clapping during all our spins and poses, and our “hammer lock” and finale were a huge hit with the crowd. It was exactly the special moment I had hoped it would be. My husband’s dad even commented on it in his speech, that he had no idea his son could dance like that! Thank you Ava for all your patience, you ensured we would get our unforgettable dance!