Spartan Dance and Fit Center

This place is amazing! I tried my kids in several other local dance studios that were either too strict or too informal before finally settling on one that strikes the perfect balance. The instructors customize choreography to complement the skills of the dancers in each class, and the owner goes above and beyond to accommodate families, as well as to be a positive influence on young dancers. I’ve heard from others that the Fit Center and adult classes are also phenomenal. It’s a hike for me to take my kids there, but I wouldn’t waste my time or money anywhere else now that I’ve seen what a difference it makes to go somewhere like SDC.

My +1 and I went to the Spartan Dance Center to try their basic Salsa class with instructor David Torres for a date night a couple of weeks ago. We live in Oakland County, but the grandparents in East Lansing were ready and willing to babysit for us. I purchased two adult (age 16+) drop-​in class reservations online for $ 14 each (the spots for the date you want usually open up for access/​reservation about 2 days before). They offer very reasonable discount packages otherwise as 5 and 10 class card groupings (you turn in a card when you show up for a reserved spot in the class). In fact when we showed up, they had 50% off the 5 class card package for the week. Too bad since we live so far away and I just feel lessons like this require regular/​more frequent attendance to catch on. They also offer student and senior discounts. I was hesitant to sign up for one of the other more franchised /​popular dance studios local to me that had a buy one get one free intro class because I’d heard the first lesson was more of a hard sell on getting you to buy a package versus an actual lesson.
From what I saw online and posted in their studio, the Spartan Dance Center offers tons of other classes, but I, of course, can only speak for the salsa lesson. It was a small group when we were there, another single girl who’d had 2 lessons before and another couple that was a little more advanced. So if you are single and/​or don’t have a partner for the night, don’t be afraid to show up. But, yet, I am one of those people who has no fear of that. David was a great teacher for the basics and, while he starts with salsa, he did indicate he adds on the merengue and bachata dances to the lessons. You will usually use all 3 dances when you hit any club or social that plays Latin Caribbean style music. One thing I love about salsa is that the rhythm and moves cut across the cultures. I am actually Latina, but am admittedly a sorry dancer. The instructor and I were the only Latins there. :-) And, a word to the guys: there is nothing sexier than a man who can expertly lead you in a smooth salsa dance. The dance in itself is sexy, stylized and fun. I am not a great salsa dancer by ANY means, and I tend to force a lead, but a good/​take charge partner will always take you in the right direction and tend teach you something along the way. David is one of those guys to learn that from. He started us off with front-​to-​back, side-​to-​side steps and a basic turn (my +1 had ZERO salsa experience prior to this lesson and is probably one of the whitest white guys ever, by the way). David worked with the other more seasoned attendees on an individual basis where needed while me and +1 practiced our basic moves. He would then come back to us to refine the work we were doing and reminding us to keep the ‘quick-​quick-​slow’ tempo. The class was an hour and went by surprisingly fast.
I would suggest for any ladies to wear low-​to-​mid height heels, if not flats. Mine were a 3″+ mistake. I looked good, but had foot pain by the end of the class. David was very encouraging in the male AND female aspect and quite a nice overall. He emphasized practice, practice, practice and was not overbearing in the least in his suggestion to come back for future lessons and getting the great ½ off deal they had going on. If I had lived in the area I definitely would have purchased the 5 lessons to continue. The Spartan Dance Center also has another instructor on another night that teaches the intermediate/​advanced salsa class when you feel ready to upgrade your moves. If you and your significant other (or a few girlfriends) want to try something new, beginner Salsa lessons are a fun and interesting thing to attempt. Even if just to try it out with a single drop-​in class to see how you like it before you commit to a package. Both beginner and advanced classes are held on a weekly basis.
I left off one star because of the slight smell of sweat in the air in the studio. Granted, there was a pilates or yoga class going on prior to when we arrived, but a small touch of Febreze would have been nice. The class started on time and the lady at the registration desk was very friendly. The SDC is located in a strip mall right next to a pizza place (Marco’s, I believe). It’s easy to pass, especially in the evening. There is a small waiting area upon walk-​in divided by a small wall of cubbies to wait at while the prior class finishes up. We did not notice this from the outside and just waited in the car when we didn’t need to. You can also learn more about salsa socials and other lessons in the Detroit Metro area and beyond by looking up YA Salsa on the web to put those new, sexy moves into practice.