Dancing Grounds

⁴⁄₅ great, fun workout — purposeful organization
so this is for some saturday super-​beginner classes i’ve done so far, and some other open house stuff i’ve gone to in the past — first of all the space is great. it’s curious how it’s all packed into this house; makes you wonder what you can make happen inside 4 walls!
the class that i’ve tried a bit on saturdays is this beginners hip-​hop-​ish mix. i say –ish because it has a bit of warm-​up, stretching, slight technique work, and then some light choreo to round it all out. by about 10 minutes in i’ve worked up a sweat and it’s easy to catch on. laura’s great, and i think she’s an attentive instructor to the needs of the entire room. i can’t say how the other classes are, but this saturday one is pretty popular. i stick to the back line where my flailing belongs, but it definitely feels full. maybe it’s not that way during the week/​other sessions. regardless, i always feel like i’m included and learning despite the group’s size — if you’ve always wanted to try might as well give this a go! just check out what’s going on for the week on their website.
there’s unlimited class membership options, but since i’m still figuring stuff out i’m on a pay-​as-​i-​go type thing. once you sign up in their system, they’ll keep track of your card info so it’s just a matter of signing in when you arrive. they have cool swag as well — water bottles, apparel, etc.

While visiting New Orleans, I was searching for a dance studio that was not full of children all the time. I came across Dancing Grounds who offered mostly adult classes. I liked the studio’s website and a couple videos I found online. I did a drop-​in basic belly dancing class and I had so much fun! The studio is nice, clean and small with a comfortable community feel. The instructor was very exciting and helpful with all the steps.
I liked the studio so much, that I decided to try the Salsa hip hop classes as well and I can say it has been my favorite part of my stay in Nola! Super high energy and some new steps for each class but still using the basics. Again the instructor is awesome and loves what they do which flows into the attitude of class. Prepare for a fast pace, fun workout!
Fairly cheap for drop-​in classes and still getting a great experience/​workout.
Also very helpful front desk staff when I called about what to wear to class (differs for each class so best to call if it’s your first time for that dance style).

Woohoo! As good as it gets!
I took a private hip hop class here with the owner Laura for a bachelorette party. The class was really approachable for both the rhythmically challenged and the dance floor divas. The studio itself is great, has a great mission and is affordable!
During the class we learned some basic hip hop positioning/​dance moves and a mini-​group dance that we might perform flash-​mob style at the wedding. I initially was terrified about the idea of doing a choreographed dance at my friend’s wedding, but I was really surprised how easy it was for the whole group to learn the dance.
The class was also tailored to a bachlorette party because in addition to the dance, the instructor taught us a number of entertaining dance moves (like twerking) that were perfect for a bachelorette… and hey, who knows may make an appearance at the wedding.

My favorite place to be on Tuesday nights!

Found this place accidentally on a walk in Bywater during the summer… lucky, lucky me! They offer a variety of classes (hip-​hop, belly dance, contemporary, etc.) taught by a variety of (super-​nice and encouraging) instructors, and you will get both a workout AND a chance to learn some seriously dope-​a$$ choreography. Don’t expect a fancy, pure-​barre-​esque studio or anything; DO expect a quality hour of instruction for a fair price ($ 10/​class).