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Shana Vitoff is whirling her way to success with leap of faith, a spin of good luck and a kick of determination. She’s just opened a second Philadelphia-area location of Society Hill Dance Academy. By offering fun classes in a variety of dances, including hip hop, ballroom and Latin dance from expert instructors, Society Hill Dance Academy has proven itself a top studio. 

Vitoff took years of experience in the industry, combined her love of spreading joy to others, and opened the first location in Center City just a few years ago. Seven years later, she is bringing her vision of fun dance instruction to Manayunk. “Everything happens to me in sevens,” she said with a laugh.

Her bubbly personality shines through in her business. Vitoff leaps into new challenges and overcomes the struggles of entrepreneurship with determination and a come-what-may attitude.

“I didn’t know I was going to be a dance instructor all my life. I have a degree in interior design,” she said. Vitoff, originally from Minneapolis, was going down a different path when she stumbled onto dancing. What started as a teenager’s prank ended up a blessing. “I was underage and had a fake ID. I was sneaking into a Country and Western bar and I fell in love with the dancing,” she said. After spending evenings kicking up her boots and catching on to dance moves quickly, she knew she wanted to be a dance instructor. She applied to be dance instructor at a franchise studio. Because she had no experience they turned her down, again and again. “I knocked on their door everyday for weeks and finally they gave up and took me in,” she said. Within one year she was the top instructor and sales person in a five-state area. They eventually transferred her to the Philadelphia area, where she set out on her own.

“It’s interesting and fun to teach people how to dance,” she said. Dancing is a fun way to exercise, make new friends and get to know people better. “You don’t need a partner either. That’s probably the biggest myth behind dancing. In fact, it’s a great way to meet someone special,” Vitoff said.

Attending a dance lesson is a great way to impress a date. Dancing is a great icebreaker between two people, and it’s fun. “This is a great first date. You’ll score brownie points with women, and if there’s a connection, you can go out for dinner, but if it didn’t work out, just go home afterwards,” she said.

Society Hill Dance Academy teaches all the dances that involve a partner, so the sky is the limit with possibilities. They offer group and private lessons, and the first lesson is complimentary. From sexy tangos to dramatic waltzes, couples or friends can have a ball on the dance floor.

She’s always trying new things at the studio, from offering new styles of dance to organizing new classes for different age groups. Vitoff tries to accommodate everyone at the studio, and she makes it fun.

The instructors focus on social dancing. “We are qualified to teach students who want to compete and we do have some, but we want to share the joy of social dancing with everyone,” she said. Vitoff wants her students to have fun. She said always envisioned a studio where students would feel comfortable. She didn’t want her dance academy to be stuffy or snobby. “Our motto is merriment and dance instruction,” she said.

Society Hill Dance Academy is such a fun place, it also the perfect spot to have a reunion. The wide-open spaces and gorgeous surroundings make it a great facility for any party, especially one where mingling, dancing and fun is on the schedule. “You’re on the dance floor whether you like or not, so you’ve got to have fun,” she said.