New Jersey’s Top Rated Local® Dance Schools and Studios Award Winner: Umoja Dance Company

Top Rated Local® is pleased to announce that Umoja Dance Company is a 2019 award winner for dance schools and studios in New Jersey!

With a wide selection of programs for people of all ages, Umoja Dance Company in Newark has something for everyone.

Umoja Dance Company has received dozens of reviews with an average rating of 4.92 stars, earning them a phenomenal Rating Score™ of 93.24 and a 2019 Top Rated local award for ranking among the top 10 dance schools and studios in all of New Jersey!

Here’s just one of their many five-star reviews:

“Awesome place to bring your children! Excellent, quality teachers. My daughter is enrolled in the Creative Movement and Children’s African Dance. We also have done the Children’s Modern class. The teachers really take time to teach all the students, and larger classes have helpers for the younger and/or less experienced students.”- M.H.

Not Your Average Dance Studio

We took a few minutes to talk with Karen Love, founder and Artistic Director at Umoja Dance Company, to learn a little more about the business and how they managed to build such an impressive online reputation.

The first thing we wanted to know was what sets Umoja Dance Company apart from the many other dance studios in New Jersey. Here’s what Karen had to say:

“We offer a variety of classes — you can take a dance class or a fitness class or capoeira martial arts or drumming class. We are not a recital-based school (we do have an end-of-the-year performance) but a studio-based school for students to learn the techniques and practice their craft.”

We also wanted to know what their mission is at Umoja Dance Company and how they work to make the world a better place. Here’s Karen’s response:

“It takes a village to raise a child — not just the one instructor but everyone at the school will help each student and will help with anything — not just dance but math and everything else. We strive to make the studio a home and a family for our students.”

Building Success With Great Teachers

Karen credits Umoja Dance Company’s strong online reputation to their teachers, who always do such a great job, as well as to their students who are internet savvy and who share their experience. They also try to share information that makes a positive impact in their community.

Outside of building a powerful online reputation, Umoja Dance Company has grown through their website and the emails they send out to stay in touch with current clients, as well as through their fliers, brochures, posters, open houses and word-of-mouth that helps them stay connected with their community.

Karen told us that she is proud that Umoja Dance Company has been able to say open and bring dance to the community since 2012, and they still have new people coming in.

There are so many other business owners out there looking to grow their business and build their online reputation. Here’s Karen’s expert advice for those business owners:

“Keep doing what you’re doing, and keep asking questions. Involve the young people as much as possible — especially for anything online. Ask them when they’re searching, what catches their eye, and then, try to incorporate those things.”


Congratulations to the team at Umoja Dance Company for being a 2019 Top Rated Local award winner, and thank you so much, Karen, for taking the time to speak with us!

Whether you’re looking for a dance program for yourself or your child, we highly recommend Umoja Dance Company in Newark. Visit their website today!

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