Tanzschule Joy Bern

What it is

Tanzschule Joy Bern is a partner-dance school whose contact page gives its address as Tanzschule Joy Bern/Fribourg, Evelyn Lerch, Stinisacherstrasse 32, 3184 Wünnewil-Flamatt. It names its locations as Bern and Wünnewil, with some courses also in Murten and Niederwangen (Bern). The school teaches ballroom and Latin, rock'n'roll, boogie-woogie, Discofox, West Coast Swing and Argentine tango, and it has a dedicated wedding dance course (Hochzeitstanzkurs) with a published price.

For a couple, the attraction is a short, fixed-price format: the school says a couple can learn the most important dances for their wedding within three weeks, or work one-to-one with a teacher on their own dance instead.

The wedding course

The wedding page opens by saying the wedding dance should not be missing on the most beautiful day of a couple's life, "Ob traditioneller Walzer oder eigene Choreografie" (whether a traditional waltz or your own choreography). The school then gives the couple a choice between two routes.

The wedding course. Two 60-minute group lessons and one 60-minute private lesson. The page lists what it covers:

• suggestions for music
• a choreography to the couple's own music
• tips around the wedding celebration ("Tipps rund um's Hochzeitsfest")

The price page lists it as "Hochzeitstanzkurse pro Person 2 x 60 Min. und 1 Privatstunde" at CHF 127 per person. The wedding page links to current course dates.

Private lessons for wedding couples. For couples who want to learn their dance entirely one-to-one with a teacher. The wedding page says there is a special price from 5 hours ("Ab 5 Stunden Spezialpreis") and asks couples to write for it. The general price page lists private lessons at CHF 129 per couple for 60 minutes, which gives a reference point; the reduced rate for 5 hours or more is quoted on request.

The course format suits couples who want a structured start and a clear cost. A couple with a specific song or a more ambitious routine can combine it with extra private lessons.

The teachers

The team page lists four teachers, with their competition records:

• Evelyn Lerch, the named contact on the contact page, has teaching experience across all areas of social dancing and has competed in rock'n'roll (including acrobatics), Plausch rock'n'roll, Discofox/DiscoSwing, West Coast Swing J&J and Standard at the highest class (SEN I). She won the Standard Supaleague annual ranking in 2009, holds a J+S qualification in rock'n'roll and is a member of the Rock n' Roll Club Bern-Buchsi.
• Ronald Liechti is a partner-dance teacher with a Swiss federal certificate (eidgenössischer Fachausweis), competed in Standard at SEN I and won the same 2009 Standard Supaleague ranking. He specializes in Standard and Latin.
• Andreas Hartwig specializes in Argentine tango, with Standard and Latin.
• Dirk Gärtner specializes in DiscoSwing (Discofox), with Standard and Latin.

For a couple choosing a first-dance style, that spread matters: a classic waltz, a Discofox, a jive or rock'n'roll number and an Argentine tango are all covered by someone on the team. The team page also carries a note looking for advanced male dancers to partner women in class.

Prices for other courses

The price page is detailed and useful for couples who want to keep dancing after the wedding course:

• Basic, follow-on and dancing courses: CHF 155 per person for 6 x 60 or 4 x 90 minutes, or CHF 177 for 7 x 60 minutes.
• Special courses (for example Discofox, boogie-woogie, West Coast Swing): CHF 177 per person for 7 x 60 minutes.
• Solo courses (Good night Dance, Solo Latin Dance) and Cool slow Dance: CHF 144 per person.
• Workshops: CHF 111 per person for 180 minutes, including a break and a drink.
• Wake up dance, every Wednesday: CHF 20 per person and lesson for up to 6 participants, CHF 15 for 7 to 12.

Discounts: 10% on courses for pupils, apprentices and students with ID; a CHF 20 bonus when friends start another course of at least 6 lessons; a reduced price for the hobby club (12%).

The school also runs a dance and wellness weekend at Schwarzsee. The registration page (for the 2025 edition) lists a full pass at CHF 189 with six workshop lessons, a Saturday party with a show and a special dessert, and discounted rooms at the Hostellerie am Schwarzsee. Its workshops require the basic step, five basic figures and one to two years of dance experience, so they are for couples who already dance. The weekend's teachers are guest couples listed in the menu (Benedetta & Federico, Nastia & Daric, Alfred & Ewa, Monika) with DJ Tom. The hotel offer on that page was a night in a chalet-style suite with half board at CHF 140 per person instead of CHF 225, with a limit on the number of rooms. For a couple who dance already, it is an option for a weekend away after the wedding.

The site's menu also has pages for the course venue (Kurslokal), current news, photos, tips and places to go out dancing (Tanzen im Ausgang), which suits couples who want to keep dancing socially once the wedding is over.

Contact and access

Phone +41 78 648 40 40, from 16.00, or email info@tanzschule-joy.ch; there is also a contact form. The contact page says the Wünnewil location is "Nur 7 Autominuten von Bern Bümpliz" (only 7 minutes by car from Bern Bümpliz) and that detailed directions come with course registration. It does not mention public transport.

What the site does not settle

• Language. The site is in German and no page mentions teaching in English. Ask before booking.
• The private-lesson special rate. The rate from 5 hours is on request.
• Which location. With classes in Wünnewil, Bern, Murten and Niederwangen, a couple should confirm where their wedding lessons take place.
• Timing. Course dates are linked from the wedding page, but no lead time before the wedding is suggested.

Who it suits

Tanzschule Joy Bern suits couples in Bern, Fribourg or the Murten area who want a short, fixed-price wedding course with a private lesson included, taught by experienced competition dancers. The published prices, down to discounts, make budgeting straightforward.

It is less suited to couples who need English-language teaching confirmed in advance, who have no car to reach Wünnewil, or who want an elaborate performance routine within the three-week course alone; that calls for the private-lesson route.