Get Your Body Moving With Ballroom Dancing
Tango is one of the dances taught at these local studios.
Image: Shutterstock/ArtemBurek
It's no doubt that dance is a great and fun workout—especially ballroom dance. This style of dance can take many forms, from the formal and majestic waltz to intimate and spicy Argentinian tango. Check out these local dance studios that welcome newbies, and make two left feet move to the beat. And while it takes time to become Fred Astaire, you're sure to make friends while getting there.
Group ballroom lesson at SaraDance Center
Image: Courtesy Photo
SaraDance Center
2821 Cattlemen Road, Sarasota, (941) 812-7311, saradancecenter.com
Kickstart your dance workout with SaraDance Center’s full roster of different dance styles, from Bachata to Argentinian Tango. If you're new to the ballroom community, come try it out, and “by the end of the night you'll know everyone,” says Carole Wildes, a SaraDance student.
As a former ICU nurse, Michele Garden has a passion for helping people feel better, and what better way than through dance? Garden has owned SaraDance Center for two years and welcomes everyone to join the journey of wellness with folks who dance it out. “You can do it if you really want to learn,” says Karen Bridegam, a SaraDance instructor.
The Ballroom of Sarasota
5660 Swift Road, Sarasota, (941) 925-2411, theballroomofsarasota.com
Put on your dance shoes and get ready to step into “quick, quick, slow,” says John Moldthan, who has owned of The Ballroom of Sarasota for 29 years.
No dance partner? No problem—dancers take turns. You'll shake your tail feathers with one, then rotate to the next. It's a relaxed and welcoming space. “You'll learn a lot and the steps come naturally,” says George Molder, a student there.
Dynasty Dance Clubs
2272 Main Street, Sarasota, (941) 955-8558, dynastydanceclubs.com
Sarah and Maks Lotoskyy have owned Dynasty Dance Clubs since 2014. Everyone from three-year-olds and teens to adults with special needs and seniors with physical challenges are welcome. “All of our instructors will take you by the hand,” says Lotoskyy.
Introductory group lessons teach the fundamentals of the most popular social dances like salsa, waltz, swing, tango, cha-cha and rumba. “The students learn to communicate with each other using their bodies,” says Rachel Uneberg, a Dynasty Dance Club instructor.
