Options for learning ballroom dancing are around every corner. One dance studio located in Tulsa, Strictly Ballroom, offers a myriad of options for everyone from beginners to experts. Manager and instructor Rachel Morris sums up what the studio offers: “Ballroom dancing is an umbrella for all the types of dance with a partner,” she says. “We teach anything under the umbrella.”
Clients can learn the two-step, swing, foxtrot, tango, rumba and waltz. On average, it takes at least four to six lessons to learn a particular dance. On Friday nights, the studio has group classes with a different weekly theme, and a social dance follows the group class. In the controlled social environment, clients learn what dances go with what music so that when they are out – say for date night – they will be confident when heading to the dance floor. Dancers can enjoy private lessons, group classes and social nights. “It is an all-around experience,” says Morris. Studio owner Yvonne Mears says three, half-hour lessons are offered for $60. This package is described as a “quick intro to the dances.” For more information, contact [email protected] or call 918-493-2623.
In Edmond, Ballroom on Broadway teaches both ballroom and Latin dances, also known as rhythm. When it comes to the basics, co-owner Dadbeh Jabari explains that there are fundamentals to learn first –such as stepping first with the heel or toe, and the difference between swing versus sway. Also, each dance has set patterns. Jabari, who competes regularly, says you “never stop perfecting a dance. Dancing is always a work in progress.”
Ballroom on Broadway has three levels for dancers to reach: bronze, silver and gold. Each level is achieved by a certain number of steps that are learned. The studio, which has been in Edmond for ten years, even has one 90-year-old student. “We have students as young as eight years old,” says Jabari. “The median age is 50 to 60 years old.” Private lessons are $75 for 45 minutes, with a discount at ten lessons. Find them at [email protected] or call 405-314-7827.
