According to some, a day without dancing is not a day worth living. Luckily, the Upper West Side is home to many renowned dance studios that will teach you how to embrace life by moving to the rhythm of the beat. From salsa to ballet, and even hip-hop, the dance studios below offer something for everyone. Learn how to dance like the star that you are!
Steps on Broadway
Founded in 1979, Steps on Broadway is an internationally recognized dance studio that some of the world’s best dancers have the privilege of calling it their home. When taking a class here, you’ll find that the teachers are experts in what they do and provide valuable feedback to each and every one of their students.
The classes are split according to experience level and vary across music genres from classical ballet and jazz to theater dance and even hip-hop. There are also professional training programs available that consist of dedicated dancers who want to perfect their craft before the time they perform professionally onstage. A new morning class called Morning Fit has been added to their schedule for those who want to work out and get some cardio dance in early to get the day going in their favor.
Manhattan Movement & Arts Center
The Manhattan Movement & Arts Center is far more than a conventional dancing studio. In fact, it’s not unusual to find students dangling upside down in mid-air during an aerial silk class.
The one-of-a-kind lessons taught here give students an enjoyable full-body work out without the burden associated with lifting weights. The Arts Center was originally developed to be the home for the Manhattan Youth Ballet and was modeled after European academies. There are still many ballet classes available for children that end with a spectacular showcase finale event in which they get to display their newly acquired skills to parents and friends onstage. The environment is intimate and provides students with the comfort necessary to learn and grow as a person without the fear of being left behind.
Blood, Sweat, And Tease
Blood, Sweat, and Tease is a dance studio dedicated to empowering women and helping them love themselves through the magic of dance. The classes taught here combine your traditional boot camp experience with a sleek dancing and burlesque routine. All women, no matter the shape or fitness level, are more than welcome to join certified instructor Spicy L’Amour in one of her reinvigorating classes.
Students will first start off by engaging in a series of light exercises and will end performing some seriously sexy moves burlesque style. The one-hour lessons also teach women how to celebrate their natural beauty while also increasing their stamina. Raise your confidence level and learn to love your own reflection by taking a class with Spicy at Blood, Sweat, and Tease!
Karisma Dance Studio
Renowned director Victor Mayovanex has performed at the city’s most prestigious venues such as The Waldorf Astoria and the United Nations. He decided to establish Karisma Dance Company to teach students how to move the body to the frantic beats of salsa music. His classes are divided according to experience level and cover the basics of salsa dancing such as footwork, partner synchronicity, and musical expression.
Karisma also offers a special class for women in which they can learn how to add an extra dose of “spiciness” to their routines (shoulder movements and head rolls included!). Classes are small in size and Victor is excellent in giving feedback and tips that will help improve your moves. Let’s salsa!
Are you interested in MAKING people dance? Then check out this Upper West Side music school!
