We Can't Dance If We Want To (Yet)

March 26, 2008 9:03 AM

WeddingDance Filter: Need recommendations for a place to take dance lessons in NYC. Bonus points if it's close or convenient to Park Slope.

The lady and I are getting married. I like dancing, and can fake my way through ballroom and swing stuff. She's not a big dancer, and is very hard to lead (she always tried to guess where she'll be lead, and invariably guesses wrong). We need a good place to learn social ballroom basics. And as much as I'd love to learn salsa, mambo, or merengue, I guarantee our first song won't be in one of those styles, so no places that teach exclusively Latin dances.

posted by blapst to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (7 answers total)

There's a place on 4th Ave, a few blocks from the Atlantic/Pacific station, I walked by last night and there were a ton of couples in there taking salsa lessons. Can't vouch for it, and don't know what else they teach, but it looked like people were having fun.
posted by dubitable at 9:28 AM on March 26, 2008

Yeah, the place Dubitable is talking about is on 4th btw Dean and Bergen.
Another place just just opened on 4th and Pacific, one block before. I haven't been to either but I was considering the newest one because they advertise pilates in addition to dance.
posted by rmless at 10:13 AM on March 26, 2008

Dance Times Square does ballroom and first dance lessons (in addition to the Latin dancing!). Not in Park Slope though, it's at Broadway and West 44th Street according to the site.
posted by ml98tu at 12:14 PM on March 26, 2008

My lady and I are currently taking Swing classes at Sandra Cameron Dance Studios which is down on Lafayette. They've been great - affordable, wide range of styles offered, etc. If you take Swing or Lindy make sure you take it with Roddy - he's the absolute coolest teacher. Good luck.
posted by nomad73 at 1:57 PM on March 26, 2008

Response by poster: these are good leads. thanks. i'll check them out and post another comment here if any of them prove particularly awesome.
posted by blapst at 10:47 AM on March 28, 2008

Response by poster: we ended up taking classes from Laurie Shayler at Dance Connection NYC. and so far, it's been pretty great. she's very patient, encouraging, and fun.

they have 4 locations (but not every kind of class is available at every location):

310 Atlantic Avenue (between Smith & Hoyt Sts.)
Boerum Hill, Brooklyn

Creative Arts Studio II
119 Union St. (between Columbia St. and Van Brunt St.)
Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn

Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture
53 Prospect Park West (between 1st & 2nd Sts)
Park Slope, Brooklyn

The Dance Studio of Park Slope
630 Sackett Street (between 3rd & 4th Ave.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn
posted by blapst at 8:52 AM on June 7, 2008

Response by poster: one final follow-up: we had the wedding, and the dance went over like gangbusters. i definitely recommend laurie if you're in the area.
posted by blapst at 8:28 AM on September 10, 2008