Where are the best places dance Ballroom socially in your town.

[Linda J Schlensker]

One of the most frequent questions I get from my own students and visitors is: "Where can I go dance Waltz, Foxtrot and have enough room to move." They want something different from the studio dance experience. What's in your city and do you have events worth traveling to? My students travel to dance. I would love to be able to suggest ideas.

[fascination]

well goodness in ashville, for starters, there is a live band every night at the Grove Park Inn during the dinner hour at Heritage classic in march...

as to my local area...my studio has the best and largest floor I have ever danced on socially ....starlite...indianapolis

as for up by my house...there is a large floor in crown point in called "the Ranch" that was all country dance but is now hosting ballroom social on sundays

and there is an Elks club with a great floor in Hobart as well...

[Linda J Schlensker]

well goodness in ashville, for starters, there is a live band every night at the Grove Park Inn during the dinner hour at Heritage classic in march...

as to my local area...my studio has the best and largest floor I have ever danced on socially ....starlite...indianapolis

as for up by my house...there is a large floor in crown point in called "the Ranch" that was all country dance but is now hosting ballroom social on sundays

and there is an Elks club with a great floor in Hobart as well...
Thank you. Asheville has great city wide communications about what is going on for local people. Grove Park for example is hosting a Swing Weekend and a Jazz Weekend this month. This is something I should have shared. We close the school during the week of Heritage so students can attend. Many are not interested in competitions. I am looking for places we could travel to as a group that would be fun to put the time and expense of a weekend that includes dancing where we would be welcome. Outside of USABDA events, competitions and studio parties is there anything special in your town? I think there are, and I think others would like to know.

[Zhena]

One of the most frequent questions I get from my own students and visitors is: "Where can I go dance Waltz, Foxtrot and have enough room to move." They want something different from the studio dance experience. What's in your city and do you have events worth traveling to? My students travel to dance. I would love to be able to suggest ideas.

The thread title is "... best places to dance Ballroom Socially ..." but the details in the post are much more specific: "... dance Waltz, Foxtrot and have room enough to move." Other people may have different criteria for "best".

For example, DH and I have recently decided that the Ballroom socials we have been attending for the last year may not meet our needs. They may be great for others, including your students, using your definintion. The socials are held in a large gymnasium; large meaning "bigger than two regulation basketball courts." They play a variety of music, including quickstep and VW in addition to waltz, foxtrot, cha cha, rumba, ECS, WCS, NC2S, salsa, etc. If you go with your own partner, that's great. I can even get a reasonable number of dances with other partners, if I make myself available or I ask the leaders.

But something is missing for us. The group is actually TOO large for our comfort (I don't estimate numbers well, but I'm sure it's usually well over 100). I came to recognize a few people, but I don't feel that we have joined a community. I admit that I could be doing more to reach out to other people, but I don't have to work as hard to make connections in my other dance communities. So we're looking around in our area for other options, and I've been considering the question of what makes a good social.

Looking at the physical aspects first ... how large is the space? What shape is it (taking into account odd corners, pillars, etc.)? Is there a single floor, or are there multiple rooms/spaces? Where is the seating for non-dancers or people who are sitting out? How comfortable is the seating? Where are the restrooms? Are they adequate for the number of people attending the social? Are there any other amenities such as snacks or drinks, and are they included in the price of the social or provided for a separate charge?

Looking at the social aspect ... how many people attend? Is the number a good fit for the space, so there is enough room to dance? What is the skill level of the majority of the attendees? What is the skill level of the best dancers? What is the skill level of the teachers (if there is a class before the social)? How friendly are the organizers? How outgoing are the other attendees? Do people dance primarily with the people they know, or do they reach out to strangers/visitors?

Looking at the music ... what is the mix of dances usually played? Do they play more "street" dances or more "Ballroom"? Does the DJ pace the music based on a pre-determined list, or does he/she respond to the energy in the room?


You also ask about events worth travelling to. This is also very subjective. Do you mean great teaching: exploration of great basic technique / styling / musicality / a variety of classes in one place (congress/workshops)? Great music: DJ or live band / street or ballroom?

So it might be helpful if the responses were to include information on at least the size (physical and usual number of attendees), mix of dance types, and, for lack of a better word, "friendliness" of the organizers/regulars to visitors.

[Chris Stratton]

One of the most frequent questions I get from my own students and visitors is: "Where can I go dance Waltz, Foxtrot and have enough room to move."

Sad truth is I tend to feel its getting crowded a bit before the attendance level at which the studio feels they are making money.

However, with a crowd willing to take turns dancing and sitting out and not use disruptive choreography you can fit in enough people to pay the rent.

Or if you find a space that wouldnt otherwise be generating any revenue that night and the run staff are volunteers, you can make it work with few enough that everyone can dance at once.

hey want something different from the studio dance experience.


Thinking out of the box... there are always competitions, which in some cases can come down to the mc inviting a reasonable number of dancers to share the floor for a dance at a time. But then it could also be an unreasonable number and not worth the stress.

[fascination]

Thank you. Asheville has great city wide communications about what is going on for local people. Grove Park for example is hosting a Swing Weekend and a Jazz Weekend this month. This is something I should have shared. We close the school during the week of Heritage so students can attend. Many are not interested in competitions. I am looking for places we could travel to as a group that would be fun to put the time and expense of a weekend that includes dancing where we would be welcome. Outside of USABDA events, competitions and studio parties is there anything special in your town? I think there are, and I think others would like to know.ah....thanks for the clarification...it helps a great deal

[Linda J Schlensker]

Thank you all for your responses. In it's own way, the responses have been very valuable. We are talking about what's in the dance industry or how we could do it ourselves. I am probably older than many of you. (I hate to make assumptions.) But I can remember a time when I could travel somewhere and go to a dance that wasn't connected to the dance industry. Maybe a hotel was hosting it or a big charity did regular dances as a ongoing fundraiser. It was free from the dance politics. People just went out to have a good time but they knew the basics and could move around the floor. I am currently working in my own locale to bring some of this back here. I don't think that I'm that original and still believe that there are big dances to go to somewhere that are targeted to the ballroom dancer. The problem with us is that we do need more room and less density. We don't drink a lot. Outside businesses can make more from a young, hungry, high energy crowd. I host studio dances, there is another big ballroom that hosts dances and still I talk to students who wish they could more outside the studio/competition, dance environment. They have these skills, they want to use them. It there is someone out there making it work and it's a win/win for everyone, I want to see what they are doing. And I want to thank them. Giving people an opportunity to dance is one of the greatest gifts out there.

[Linda J Schlensker]

I realized that when I used the words "valuable in it's own way" I might have sounded dismissive when my intent was just the opposite. We are now talking about the things a dance has to have to make it good for us. I have seen a few attempts by an outside business or charity to host a dance. They don't know what our needs are so they guess. They have to guess because they don't know. I now have a voice other than mine to point to. So when I said Thank you. I meant it.

[klyns01]

I live in Maryland in a Washington DC suburb. For me, I want to go somewhere that has a good floor, good music, and has a friendly atmosphere. As a single dancer, I have found that most studio social dance parties are very clique-y and not as open to single dancers or people who do not take lessons at that particular studio. So, based on that, I haven't found studio social parties to be that great. The one exception is Now & Then dance studio. Their Sat. night parties are open to everyone and everyone dances with each other, couples even split up which I find very welcoming. It's a nice big space with enough space to do waltzes and foxtrots and is also not super crowded. The music played is a mix of traditional and contemporary songs (ie Frank Sinatra to Katy Perry). They provide light snacks and the price is very reasonable ($10). I am a regular there and have made several friends. So for me, this is the best place to dance ballroom socially in my area.

[Linda J Schlensker]

Thanks. I have family in Washington and go there regularly. I'll check it out my next trip. I found some interesting events in England. http://www.warnerleisurehotels.co.uk/strictly-come-dancing/nidd-hall-hotel/index.aspx

[klyns01]

Thanks. I have family in Washington and go there regularly. I'll check it out my next trip. I found some interesting events in England. http://www.warnerleisurehotels.co.uk/strictly-come-dancing/nidd-hall-hotel/index.aspx
Since you do come up to this area, another place that I've found that is okay is Dance Factory in Arlington, VA. It's a little more crowded but still a decent place to go. Now & Then only has about 20 or so people attend, but since everyone mixes up and is friendly, you rarely, if ever, sit down for even one dance which I absolutely love. They usually have 3 male instructors and 1 female instructor in attendance so level is always good. The downside is that they only have dances on the 2nd and 4th Sat. nights.

[Linda J Schlensker]

Since you do come up to this area, another place that I've found that is okay is Dance Factory in Arlington, VA. It's a little more crowded but still a decent place to go. Now & Then only has about 20 or so people attend, but since everyone mixes up and is friendly, you rarely, if ever, sit down for even one dance which I absolutely love. They usually have 3 male instructors and 1 female instructor in attendance so level is always good. The downside is that they only have dances on the 2nd and 4th Sat. nights.

I'll check them out too. Thank you.

[Linda J Schlensker]

I did find one event in Buffalo. Dancing for a Dream is a fundraiser to be held at the Adam's Mark Hotel on January 16. There will be dancing and lessons by Anna Trebunskay from DWTS.

[Casey]

Since you do come up to this area, another place that I've found that is okay is Dance Factory in Arlington, VA. It's a little more crowded but still a decent place to go. Now & Then only has about 20 or so people attend, but since everyone mixes up and is friendly, you rarely, if ever, sit down for even one dance which I absolutely love. They usually have 3 male instructors and 1 female instructor in attendance so level is always good. The downside is that they only have dances on the 2nd and 4th Sat. nights.

Have you tried the Promenade at Exit 17 on 695? What do you think about that? Thanks for the info on Now & Then and Dance Factory. What town is Now & Then in?

[klyns01]

Have you tried the Promenade at Exit 17 on 695? What do you think about that? Thanks for the info on Now & Then and Dance Factory. What town is Now & Then in?
I have tried Promenade a couple of times- but only on Sat. nights and I've heard that is not the best night to go for being a single dancer. I've heard Fri. nights are better but I can't go on Fri. nights. My experience at Promenade has been that I didn't feel they were as open to 'outsiders' there. Maybe if I went more often and got to know more people there....

Now & Then Dance Studio is located in Rockville, MD.

[tsb]

i work on a newsletter that serves LA and orange county in s. ca, geared towards american vs. standard. if anyone comes out this way and has questions, PM me - i check out DF less than once a quarter nowadays.

[Ithink]

Now & Then Dance Studio is located in Rockville, MD.

I live two miles from Now & Then and have always wondered how it is inside. Are you allowed to practice there? How big is the floor and what are the floor fees? Who teaches there?

[FaceTheMusic]

Hi Ithink.

I'm another student at Now & Then and sent you a PM answering your questions.

Regarding the OP, for my part of the DC Metro Region I'm a big fan of The Hollywood Ballroom in Silver Spring (I'm too new to post a url so anyone interested will have to google it.) It's got an enormous dance floor. They host socials on Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays and some Saturdays, preceded by lessons. All levels of dancers attend and the atmosphere is friendly. There's usually enough of a crowd to create energy but not so much that you can't move around. Drinks and snacks are available and there's plenty of seating. I also sometimes make the drive to Dance Factory. (There's overlap among the dancers who go to Dance Factory, Hollywood and Promenade.) Taking into account some cool studios in the area (I like Dance Bethesda, new and lively, with a pretty big floor) a group trip to the DC area would be a guaranteed success, in my opinion.

[danceronice]

I'm going to be in DC for a week in June (unrelated-to-anything vacation and my time's my own). Are any of these studios mentioned easily accessible by Metro (subway only, ideally)? I'm staying in Old Town Alexandria, so I'll be convenient to the blue and yellow lines.

There really isn't anywhere around here that I know of. The only place I've run into a non-dance-community-related kind of thing was when I worked up at Mackinac the Grand Hotel has dances in their tea room on Wednesday nights. I wouldn't advise making a special trip, though, as that's a whole lotta money to get there and stay there! (However if you just want to go on vacation and that's a nice perk, the Island is a nice place to visit.)

[3wishes]

hmmm, well I hope someone knows of a place in So. Calif.

[j_alexandra]

Thx for the reminder. I'm going to be in the DC area this coming wknd and usually go to The Ballroom in Centreville, VA for their class and party on Fridays, when I can get there. Nice people. I've also scheduled a lesson there before, and will again. (Note to self: call and schedule a lesson)

[FaceTheMusic]

I'm going to be in DC for a week in June (unrelated-to-anything vacation and my time's my own). Are any of these studios mentioned easily accessible by Metro (subway only, ideally)? I'm staying in Old Town Alexandria, so I'll be convenient to the blue and yellow lines.

The Dance Factory is right across the street from the Virginia Square Metro stop on the Orange Line. Dance Bethesda is a couple of blocks north of the Bethesda stop on the red line. There's also Chevy Chase Ballroom a few blocks south of the Friendship Heights stop, on the red line. The Chevy Chase space is no-frills but I believe they get a lot of international-style competitors there, mostly from the university teams.

[Ray Sison]

Can't speak for areas where I have not lived (and I have lived in many cities). But I've found that I like the bigger studios and other ballroom places for social dancing, because there is enough people to have a variety of dancers to dance with. That's just me. I also like the lively local Lindy Hop scene...

I don't do a lot of the popular salsa clubs--but people who are into that love 'em. As do the country dance fans that go to the big venues for that...