Group Class Information

All of BDASL'S dance classes are group lessons and are taught in monthly or 6-week sessions. Registration and payment for the full session is due a minimum of 24 hours before the first class. We are unable to accept partial payments. 

IMPORTANT: Prior to attending their first class, new dancers need to fill out the
one-time electronic Waiver Form (link).

Dance classes in June:

Adult Dance

Tuesdays - with Andrea

3x2-week session: 6/2 - 6/9 & 6/16 - 6/23 & 6/30 - 7/7
Please note: Summer Shorts classes with Andrea (Sessions 1-3) will be held at Scene Space, 3333 Washington Ave. Look for the colorful flags over the walls off Washington Space; Scene Space is the next door to the east.

Session 1: June 2 & 9 (all Beginner Bronze level; no experience needed)
6-7pm: Samba I & Rumba
7-8pm: Waltz
8-9pm: Dance Basics* - Slow Dance Fundamentals

Session 2: June 16 & 23 (all Beginner Bronze level; no experience needed except for Samba II)
6-7pm: Samba II** & Rumba
7-8pm: American Tango
8-9pm: Dance Basics* - Nightclub-2-step

Session 3: June 30 & July 7 (all Beginner Bronze level; no experience needed)
6-7pm: Merengue & Bachata
7-8pm: Lindy Hop Basics
8-9pm: Dance Basics* - Simple Cha Cha & Simple Swing

*Simplified dance steps to get you onto the dance floor quickly
**Requires completion of Samba I in session 1

Thursdays - with Stacey

2-week session: 7/23 - 7/30/2026
Please note: Summer Shorts classes with Stacey (Session 4) will be held at the Grandel (3610 Grandel Square)

Session 4: July 23 & 30 (all Beginner Bronze level; no experience needed)
6-7pm: East Coast Swing & Foxtrot
7-8pm: Salsa & Bachata

Tuesdays - with Alex

Argentine Tango workshops

June 9
7-8pm: Technique and Connection
8-9pm: All about Barridas

June 23
7-8pm: A brief introduction to "The Big Four"
8-9pm: Enrosques, Enganches and Wraps

July 7
7-8pm: Tango Neuvo - Exploring Elasticity
8-9pm: Mini Colgadas

Thursdays - with Tal

Special one-day workshop on June 25: 7-9pm “Musicality in the Partnership”

6-week sessions: 5/14/2026 - 6/18/2026:
6:30-7:30pm: Argentine Tango 101 (Beginner level; no experience needed)
7:30-8:30pm: Argentine Tango 102 (requires some experience with Argentine Tango)

Children Dance

Tuesdays - with Andrea

currently there are no children’s classes offered

Course descriptions

Summer Shorts - Samba & Rumba: Experience the vibrant world of Latin dancing in this dynamic combo class. Discover the energetic bounce of Brazilian Samba with its distinctive rhythm and joyful character, along with the smooth, controlled movements of Rumba. You will learn fundamental timing, basic patterns, and proper technique for both dances. This introduction will provide you with a perfect foundation for social Latin dancing.

Summer Shorts - Dance Basics Series - Slow Dance Fundamentals: Ever find yourself swaying awkwardly at a wedding or special event? This two-week class gives you the foundational partner dance skills to move gracefully and naturally to any slow song. You'll learn how to lead and follow, find your connection, and navigate the floor with ease — so you can enjoy every special moment with confidence.

Summer Shorts - Dance Basics Series - Night Club Two Step: Night Club Two Step is a versatile, flowing partner dance designed for the slow-to-medium tempo songs you hear everywhere — from weddings to date nights to your favorite lounge. In this two-week class, you'll learn the signature gliding footwork, basic turns, and partnering skills that make this dance both elegant and approachable. It's one of the most practical social dances you can learn, and you'll be putting it to use right away.

Summer Shorts - Lindy hop: Lindy Hop is the original American swing dance, born in the ballrooms of 1920s Harlem and built for joyful, high-energy connection. In this two-week intro, you'll learn the essential footwork and basic patterns that make Lindy Hop one of the most fun social dances around. No experience needed — just bring your enthusiasm and comfortable shoes!

Summer Shorts - Bachata: Bachata is a soulful partner dance from the Dominican Republic, known for its smooth hip motion and romantic musicality. Over two weeks, you'll master the basic steps and movement that form the heart of this beloved Latin dance. Whether you're a total beginner or looking to polish your footwork, this class will have you moving with confidence and style.

Argentine Tango Workshop - Technique and Connection: Get ready for an hour of fundamentals. This class breaks down the biomechanics of the walk into individual and partner drills. We will explore drills for biomechanics to learn posture and balance, as well as drills for connection, i.e., how to draw power from the floor and share that power with our partner.

Argentine Tango Workshop - All about Barridas: Turning a simple, innocent step into a playful and creative world. We will look at both leader and follower drags from the simple to the unexpected, and how to give them character and playfulness.

Argentine Tango Workshop - A brief introduction to "The Big Four": An introduction to musicality through the works of Di Sarli, D'Arienzo, Pugliese, and Troilo. Learn what makes a tango song a tango, yet what distinguishes one orchestra from another, and most importantly, how to dance them.

Argentine Tango Workshop - Enrosques, Enganches and Wraps: This workshop will explore maintaining balance and smooth transitions while our legs do their best Gordion's knot impression. We will learn about following the flow of organic movement to find our way out of complex positions.

Argentine Tango Workshop - Tango Neuvo - Exploring Elasticity: This workshop explores flexibility in the embrace and how to use it for highly elastic, dynamic movements. We will learn how to gently redirect momentum for organic changes of direction and investigate lead and follow when the embrace disappears.

Argentine Tango Workshop - Mini Colgadas: Colgadas need not be big to be elegant and dynamic. Learn how to safely be off-axis, balanced, and stable as a couple. We will practice building trust in the partnership, entering and exiting off-axis positions, and finally adding rotation and pivots while off-axis.

Bronze Beginner Ballroom: This is a ballroom dance class for new dancers and those with limited ballroom dance experience. The different dances taught in this class are: Waltz, American Tango, Foxtrot (great wedding dance!), East Coast Swing (also a great wedding dance), American Rumba, and ChaCha.

Bronze Intermediate Ballroom: This ballroom class requires familiarity with the basics steps and builds upon Bronze-Beginner material, hence students should have attended the Bronze Beginner class (for the same set of dances) for a minimum of 2 months before proceeding to the Bronze Intermediate level.

Wedding & Event Essentials: Get ready for your next special occasion! This practical and fun class focuses on two versatile dances that will have you confidently moving across any dance floor. Learn the Foxy—an elevated approach to slow dancing that adds style and connection to romantic songs—and Simple Social Swing, featuring swing movements you can adapt to a variety of upbeat music styles from classic rock to pop. Whether you're preparing for a wedding, party, or just want to feel comfortable at social events, this class will give you the skills to dance with ease and enjoy the music. Perfect for dancers of all levels who want to expand their social dance toolkit!

Ballroom Drop-in students must have prior ballroom experience and be familiar with Bronze-level basics for intermediate/advanced bronze or beginning silver for silver classes. Drop-in students should understand that the class may already be in the middle of a combination and that the instructor will not reteach previous material during class.

Argentine Tango 101: In this class, students will be introduced to the fundamentals of tango, including movement, connection, walking steps, basic elements of turning and navigation. Students will gain improvisational skills, historical background and social dance etiquette.

Argentine Tango 102: This class will expand on the fundamentals of Argentine Tango 101 and introduce more vocabulary and concepts. There will also be more focus on musicality, technique, styling and embellishments.

Argentine Tango Drop-in: Arentine Tango 101 is designed for students new to tango and does not require any prior knowledge or experience to attend. This introductory session provides a welcoming environment for absolute beginners to learn the basics and get comfortable with the dance. For those looking to advance their skills, Tango 102 is available and requires at least 6 months of prior tango class experience. This ensures that participants in Tango 102 have a solid foundation and are ready to build upon their existing knowledge.

Children's Ballroom Dance (Ages 8-13): Introduce your child to the exciting world of ballroom and partner dancing! This fun class teaches the fundamentals of waltz, foxtrot, swing, and cha-cha, along with social dances that rotate throughout the group. Students will develop coordination, rhythm, musicality, and social skills while learning to move with confidence. No prior dance experience is necessary—just a willingness to learn, have fun, and move to the music! Perfect for children who love to move or are looking to try something new!

Intro to Salsa: This class is appropriate for those who have little to no prior Salsa dance experience. Concepts taught in this class provide the building blocks for social salsa dancing and other classes such as Salsa Rueda. You will be introduced to proper footwork, technique and basic step patterns to give you confidence and a solid dance foundation. Footwork: forward and back basic, side basic, fifth position breaks, right turn, left turn, cross body lead, Miami walk and New York walk. Partnering: basic step, right turn, left turn and cross body lead. [currently not offered]

Beginner Salsa and Salsa Rueda: This class will set you up for dancing salsa either with a partner or Rueda with a group. Each class begins with a warm-up to learn new steps and practice the footwork necessary for partnering. Following the warm-up, the first half of the class focuses on beginning level moves and combinations with a partner. The second half of class focuses on using the steps from the first half of class in Rueda. Rueda is a popular dance where pairs of dancers form a circle and execute dance moves called out by one person. [currently not offered]

Silver Beginner Ballroom: This ballroom class introduces steps from the silver syllabus. Good familiarity with the steps from the bronze syllabus are required (please get instructor approval before registering for this class). [currently not offered]

Silver Intermediate Ballroom: This ballroom class builds upon the foundational silver steps introduced in the Silver Beginner Ballroom class - instructor approval required. [currently not offered]

registration

Students must pre-register (sign up) and pay online (see Class Registration & Payment tab) at least 24 hours prior to the first class of the session. No in-person sign-up or cash/check payments are available. All classes require a minimum of 6 registered students. In the event that a class can not be held due to insufficient enrollment, fees that have been paid will be repaid.

Cost break-down (prices per person, payable by the session):
Bronze Ballroom Levels, Swing 101, and Ballroom Ballet: $13/class
Silver Ballroom Levels: $14/class
Argentine Tango 101, 102: $14/class
Children’s Ballroom: $10/class
Drop-in for adult ballroom (except for beginner bronze level) and Argentine Tango: $20/class

Refund policy
All payments for classes, workshops and events are final and non-refundable. This policy helps us to maintain the highest standard of instruction and a quality dance environment.

Class payments are made in 3-5 week sessions for Tuesday’s ballroom classes, and 6 weeks sessions for Thursday’s Argentine Tango classes. We are unable to accept partial payments. For any concerns, please contact us via email, ballroomdancestl@gmail.com.

do I need a partner?

We typically rotate partners during our dance classes. Of course, couples not comfortable with switching partners are not required to do so.

Why do we even rotate partners? As a "social" dance studio (as opposed to dance studios that focus on competitive dancing), BDASL has highly valued the concept of changing, i.e., rotating partners throughout a dance class. This not only makes class more fun and "social", but also makes everyone a better dancer. Rotating partners is a very common concept in many ballroom dance studios around the country. Instead of coming up with our own list of benefits, here are two great articles on the advantages of rotating:
- https://www.nannettesballroomdance.com/partner-changing/ (a bullet-point list of all the advantages of changing partners during a class)
- https://socialballroom.dance/you-dont-need-a-dance-partner (a blog post by a social ballroom dancer)

What to wear

Clothing:  Wear comfortable clothing that allows movement across the dance floor.        
Shoes:  Do not wear flip flops or backless shoes as you could walk out of them. Wear enclosed shoes with low heels. Spike heels are not allowed. Leather soles are best, rubber soles can make it more challenging (“Tom’s” are also surprisingly good dance shoes).

Location

We are having classes in the Grand Hall at The Grandel Theatre (3610 Grandel Ave, St. Louis, MO 63103). There are dedicated parking lots (e.g. NW of the building, across the street, free for Grandel-users) and ample street parking (meter is free after 7pm). As stated above, the Grandel is generally locked these days. Please arrive 5-10 minutes before the scheduled class time, as you might not be able to enter the building after the class has started since we’re dancing on the 2nd floor and will likely not hear you knocking.