DanceSport Lessons in American Ballroom

The DanceSport program at Ballroom Dance Chicago is designed for dancers who want to dive deeper into the techniques and movements of dance. These lessons are perfect for someone looking to become a hobby dancer. Our studio focuses on the American Smooth and American Rhythm dance styles to promote growth in social dancing, general fitness, and competitive dancing.

We offer DanceSport training in:

  • American Smooth: Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango, and Viennese Waltz.

  • American Rhythm: Cha Cha, Rumba, East Coast Swing, Mambo, and Bolero.

Here is what all DanceSport students can expect in our program:

  • Syllabus-based learning in American Smooth and/or Rhythm alongside a selection of social dances.

  • Structured progressions through bronze, silver, and gold levels.

  • Deeper understanding of the connection between two people for solid leading and following.

  • In-depth breakdown of different points of the body in a variety of patterns.

  • Amalgamations of patterns to aid in retention and usage.

DanceSport Opportunities

  • Mastering The Syllabus: Many students enjoy mastering the dance syllabus and working on their dancing for its own sake. We train those students in high-quality dancing and work on their thorough understanding of DanceSport figures and routines.

  • Understanding The Body: DanceSport is a great way for you to learn the intricacies of movement within the body. More than just stepping through the patterns, we focus on all of the subtle ways to enhance the quality of your dancing.

  • Better Social Dancing: For those wanting to take their dancing out into the world, we offer you the opportunity to strengthen your connection and become a stronger leader and/or follower with anyone.

  • Amateur Competitions: For two student partners who want to compete, our instructors will craft and refine your routines, ensuring you are competition-ready. We also assist in selecting the ideal USA Dance competition for you.

  • Pro-Am Competitions: In Pro-Am competitions, students dance with their instructor at National Dance Council of America (NDCA) events. In these competitions, only the student is judged, so this provides a supportive environment to experience competitive dance with a trusted professional.

Questions? Fill out the form and we will get back to you shortly!

Intro Lesson

If you are new to DanceSport, the best first step is to come in for a DanceSport Intro Lesson. Your instructor will introduce you to general movement and help create a personalized plan for you! The DanceSport intro lesson is $49 per 45 minutes. 

Private Lessons

Private lessons focus on figures, dance theory, movement quality, connection, floor presence, and artistic presentation. Package rates range from $94 - $165 per lesson depending on studio membership and how many lessons you purchase at one time.

Group Classes

Our DanceSport group classes are a great way to get technical dance experience in a focused and fun environment. They’re open to any level. Classes are Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 7:30pm to 8:30pm and Saturdays from 2:00pm to 4:00pm.

DanceSport Class Series

Partner Required?: No | Level: Beg/Int | Location: Lakeview

Drop-In: $60 | 4 Week Smooth OR Rhythm: $165 for full month | 4 Week Smooth AND Rhythm: $300

Every week will focus on specific skills and patterns across multiple dances to help you quickly improve. The classes are not progressive so don’t fret about missing one. Join our weekly email sent Sunday afternoons to see what we will be working on for the upcoming week!

Tuesdays 7:30 to 8:30 PM & Saturdays 2:00 to 3:00 PM

American Smooth Fundamentals:

Learn how to travel elegantly around the floor in a variety of different dance positions. We focus on techniques such as rise and fall, body positioning, footwork, and connection to help you understand how to move fluidly with a partner. Each of these dances offers something to help you build on your movement each visit.

Week 1: Waltz

Week 2: Tango

Week 3: Foxtrot

Week 4: Viennese Waltz

Wednesdays 7:30 to 8:30 PM & Saturdays 3:00 to 4:00 PM

American Rhythm Fundamentals:

Find the natural rhythms in your body through elaborate footwork, hip action, and rib cage isolation. By working on timing, connection, and balance, learn to dance to fun and upbeat music of any kind. Each dance style builds on the techniques that will help strengthen your core muscles and understanding of your body.

Week 1: Cha Cha

Week 2: Rumba

Week 3: East Coast Swing

Week 4: Mambo

Dancesport Lesson FAQ

  • Certainly not! Most of our DanceSport students come solo. Your instructor will act as your partner for your lesson and give you individualized attention to your dancing. 

  • At Ballroom Dance Chicago, we study American Smooth, which includes Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango, and Viennese Waltz, and American Rhythm, which includes Cha Cha, Rumba, East Coast Swing, Mambo, and Bolero. Some choose to specialize in only Smooth or only Rhythm, while others choose to study both. 

  • Nope! Whatever your goals are, we are here to get you there. Some enjoy the learning process but don’t want to perform at all. Some don’t want to compete but just aim to perform in showcases. It’s all up to you.

  • Yes. Pro-Am competitions are a great way to get experience on the dance floor with a professional you can trust. Many dancers actually prefer Pro-Am competitions because it allows them to dance at a higher level with ease.

  • We’re very similar to other ballroom, Latin and swing dance schools in that we have highly trained staff who care deeply about our clients’ success. We’re different from most studios in that we have three branches to our school: competition lessons, social lessons and wedding lessons. While some studios might claim to have a similar setup, they have the same teachers teaching all of these very disparate specialties. At Ballroom Dance Chicago, our teachers focus on one of the three branches and build skills related to that specialty. Only our most experienced teachers teach in more than one branch.

  • You can purchase as many lessons as you wish at a time. The more you purchase, the larger the discount per lesson. Your teacher and the Competition Manager will meet with you to talk about packages and how they relate to your dancing goals.

  • We teach competition lessons only at our Lakeview studio (Lakeview also has social and wedding lessons). Our West Loop studio offers social and wedding lessons only.

  • Any dancer, regardless of gender identity, can choose whichever role they would like to learn. Moreover, anyone is welcome to compete in either role, regardless of their gender identity. We will work to find the competitions that are right for you.