Every Wednesday, urban cowboys two-step down to the Dark Horse Tavern in hippish Virginia-Highland to learn how to line dance. The next day, a different crowd meets a boot scoot away at Neighbor’s Pub, tackling the kizomba, an African dance that’s becoming popular nationwide.
Across metro Atlanta, adults of all ages are learning how to dance and are discovering it’s a great date night and way to exercise, become more social and acquire a new talent that can come in handy, such as at a wedding. Whether it is at the nearest YMCA, community center or a private studio, Atlantans are putting on their dance shoes (even if they have two left feet) and taking a spin.
Credit: Photo courtesy of Wilder Smith
Credit: Photo courtesy of Wilder Smith
“People are tired of online dating and meeting people digitally,” said Wilder Smith. Smith’s company, Reframed, holds some 20 classes a week in several locations, including the ones at Dark Horse and Neighbor’s Pub, and sells more than 300 tickets a month. “I think people want to go, hang out in person and learn how to dance in a way that’s not a high-pressure ballroom. It’s a way to get out and meet people, which as you get older is more difficult.”
No judgment zone
Dancing4FunATL specializes in Latin dancing such as the salsa and bachata. Classes take place at different locations across metro Atlanta and are often held at metro bars and restaurants such as Tony’s Sports Grill in Johns Creek. After the lessons at Sanctuary Nightclub and Tongue & Grove, both in Buckhead, the group hits the dance floor and practices the new moves.
“We focus obviously on teaching people the technicality of dancing, how to do the turns, but we want them to have fun, relax and connect with the person they’re with,” owner Sean Christopher said. “Here in Atlanta, Latin dancing is popular because there are a lot of younger Latinos in the area. Typically, if you go to a club, you’re nervous because everyone is judging you, but you come here and there’s none of that. You can then go to a club and ask someone to dance and feel good. Dancing is a good way to develop friendly relationships or romantic ones.”
Perhaps the best-known dance studio for the last 75 years has iconic dancer Fred Astaire’s name attached. There are two of those in the metro area, in Midtown and Duluth.
Michelle Grady opened the Midtown studio three years ago and finds that clients come in all ages and are looking for something more than just a few dance steps. “Some don’t really feel confident in themselves or feel like they don’t fit in,” Grady said. “They can find themselves within a ballroom community.
“We have retired couples who’ve had a full life and find it’s a great new hobby,” she added. “We had one single lady who had severe anxiety and gained confidence because we worked with her, without judgment.”
Credit: Photo courtesy of Dance4Fun ATL
Credit: Photo courtesy of Dance4Fun ATL
Relationship boosters
It’s not necessary to have a partner, the instructors say. Many classes switch partners or have teachers work with solo dancers. And while Smith said his classes are not meant to be an avenue for hooking up, “a lot of people go and make friends.” At least 30 couples started their relationships at his classes, he added.
Frances Bullard, whose favorite dance is West Coast Swing, met her boyfriend, Casey Gessaman, at a Reframed class. “I moved to Atlanta in late 2022, got a job, but I didn’t really have a group of friends,” she said. “I saw an ad for a class and decided to go. I met a whole bunch of people who are now close friends.”
Gessaman has a similar story — with a twist. He, too, moved to Atlanta and was looking to meet people. “Well, I went to the classes looking for friends,” Bullard laughed. “He said he was looking for friends — and a girlfriend.”
Grady said some students refer to her classes as being “like a therapy session,” and she believes it can strengthen a relationship. Dance is about “sharing and how to communicate nonverbally. In some cases, the person learns that they need to let go of control and follow the lead.”
Credit: Photo courtesy of Get Up & Dance
Credit: Photo courtesy of Get Up & Dance
Leah Boresow Groover, owner of Get Up & Dance Studio in Smyrna, teaches dances such as the cha-cha and West Coast Swing to students who range in ages from their late 20s to 60s. “Everyone dances with everyone,” she said, “and the age differences disappear.
“It’s a great way for anyone to learn to dance, either as a hobby or a passion,” Groover added. “People spend so much time on their phones and computers, sometimes you just want to be present with people.”
Many of her students discover the joy of dancing later in life. “I’ve had so many people who say they wished they learned this as a kid,” she said. Oftentimes what prompts someone to take a dance lesson is the need to learn a move or two before an upcoming event, like a wedding and, often, the student continues lessons post-event.
“It’s a good catalyst for starting lessons,” Groover said, “and at the end of the day, people enjoy it.”
In fact, Frances Bullard and boyfriend Casey Gessaman recently attended a wedding and cut an impressive rug on the dance floor. “We got a ton of compliments,” she said. “Everyone else was just sort of swaying and twirling around; we were actually doing stuff.”
Credit: Photo courtesy of Wilder Smith
Credit: Photo courtesy of Wilder Smith
DANCE LESSON RESOURCES
Academy Ballroom Atlanta. New student special (five lessons), $65; $95 new couple lessons (five classes). 800 Miami Circle, Suite 140. 404-846-3201, academyballroomatl.com
Atlanta Ballet Centre For Dance Education. Various times: Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays at the Michael C. Carlos Dance Center, 1695 Marietta Blvd. 404-872-5811. Various times: Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, Sundays at Buckhead Centre, 4279 Roswell Road, 404-303-1501. Various times: Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays at Virginia-Highland Centre at Amsterdam Walk, 504 Amsterdam Ave. NE. 404-883-2178. centre.atlantaballet.com/adult-classes/ballet
Dance 101. Various times daily. Single class, $28. New student special, 1-month expiration, $60. Class packages: $99-$680. 855 Emory Point Drive, Suite C-105. 404-545-8048, dance101.org
Dance With Me — Buckhead. Class times vary Mondays-Saturdays. $30 per class, with packages available. 3500 Peachtree Road, Suite 1074-D. 404-400-1121, dancewithmeusa.com
Dancing4FunATL. Various locations and times. $15-$45. 770-855-4396, facebook.com/Dancing4FunATL
Fred Astaire Dance Studios — Duluth. 4317 Abbotts Bridge Road, Suite 2, Duluth. 678-417-7555, fredastaire.com
Fred Astaire Dance Studios — Midtown. Various times. Introductory offer, $55 for a private lesson and party. 887 West Marietta St., Suite J105. 404-897-5556, fredastaire.com
Get Up & Dance Studio. Various times. 60 minutes, $18. 90 minutes, $22. Monthly membership (unlimited classes during a month), $145. 1810 Water Place, Suite 250. 404-964-3210, getupanddanceatlanta.com
TADA, the Atlanta Dance Academy. Various hours, days. Drop-in: $22. Packages range from $99 for five classes to $350 for 20 classes. 2335 Cheshire Bridge Road. 678-827-3737, tadaatlanta.com
Reframed Dance. Various times, various locations. Free-$10, depending on location. 229-942-9560, reframed.market
