Dance & Performance
Dancing
The first fork: dancing with a partner, or on your own to the music
The first fork among a dozen styles is whether you need a partner. Salsa, tango, swing and ballroom are led and followed by two people, and social nights rotate partners constantly. Hip-hop, ballet, modern and belly dance are learned on your own. The second fork is whether you want social dancing or a stage. Almost every style runs beginner tasters, so try two or three.
First stepDecide on partner or solo first: try a beginner salsa or swing night for social dancing, or a free line dance session or a hip-hop drop-in for solo, and sample two before choosing.
Which way inbold marks where the branches differ
| Cost to start | Going deep | Alone or with people | Effort | Without a teacher? | Where | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Line DancingEveryone in rows doing the same thing, with no partner at all | Free | $50–300 | On your own | You will sweat | Self-taught | A venue |
| Public Square DancingEvening group dancing in a public square, with no barrier at all | Free | $50–300 | Anyone will do | You will sweat | Self-taught | Outdoors, free |
| Hip-hop DanceHit the beat cleanly; there is nobody else to coordinate with | Under $50 | $2k–10k | On your own | Demanding | Best with a class | A venue |
| BalletEvery position has a name, and adult classes begin at the barre | Under $50 | $2k–10k | On your own | Demanding | Best with a class | A venue |
| Modern DanceNo fixed vocabulary: weight and breath are the raw material | Under $50 | $2k–10k | On your own | Demanding | Best with a class | A venue |
| Belly DanceWhat you train is moving one part of the body without the rest | Under $50 | $300–2k | On your own | You will sweat | Best with a class | A venue |
| Pole DancingGrip and core are what hold you on the pole | Under $50 | $300–2k | On your own | Demanding | Best with a class | A venue |
| Chinese Classical DanceThe torso leads the hands and eyes, and everything moves in curves | Under $50 | $2k–10k | On your own | Demanding | Best with a class | A venue |
| K-pop DanceOne song, one choreography, copied down to every hand gesture | Under $50 | $300–2k | On your own | Demanding | Best with a class | A venue |
| Jazz DanceBallet's turns and leaps set to pop music's hits and hips | Under $50 | $300–2k | On your own | Demanding | Best with a class | A venue |
| SalsaSix steps in eight counts, and changing partners is normal | Under $50 | $2k–10k | Anyone will do | You will sweat | Best with a class | A venue |
| Argentine TangoNo fixed sequence: every step is negotiated on the spot | Under $50 | $2k–10k | Anyone will do | You will sweat | Best with a class | A venue |
| Ballroom & LatinA dozen dances inside one system, with graded exams and competitions | Under $50 | $10k–50k | Anyone will do | You will sweat | Best with a class | A venue |
| Swing DancingDanced to old jazz, where the mood outranks the technique | Under $50 | $300–2k | Anyone will do | You will sweat | Best with a class | A venue |
Same on every branch: One session takes 1–2 hours
Why people take it up
Related guides
Keeping the spending in checkStarts at Free, going deep runs $2k–10kSkills
BuildsSense of rhythm