Ballroom Dancing Lessons in Eugene, Oregon

Ballroom dancing is making a comeback, especially in Eugene, Oregon. Eugene’s thriving and vibrant ballroom community is growing steadily. With studios and lessons popping up all over the city, dancers can find classes and live dancing experiences in almost any kind of dance category. Group dancing and private lessons for both couples and individuals are offered. If you are looking for international and American styling, you can find both. Most of the instructors in Eugene teach American, but International styling is gaining in popularity. If you are looking for competitions, you still have to drive one and a half hours to Portland. Eugene’s dance community centers around social dancing, but they often bring in professionals from all over for workshops and events, so there is something for the competitive dancer as well.

For the new ballroom enthusiast or the advanced dancer, Eugene is rich in events and classes. Whether you want to have fun or begin preparing for competitions, here are the places to go:

The Oregon Ballroom Dance Club: The Friday night dance at Gerlinger Hall is a great place to go for a general sampling of all dance styles. Hosted by the OBDC Friday from 7:30 p.m. until 11:30 p.m., this dancing opportunity is available to students ($4) and community members ($5) year-round. There is a lesson from 7:30 to 8:PM and the social dancing goes from 8:30 to 11:PM. The lesson is different each week, and they provide both beginning and intermediate classes at the same time in different rooms. It is the best place to start and see if you enjoy ballroom. They have tons of fliers advertising events and lessons all over Eugene, so it’s a great place to go for dance related information as well. http://ballroom.uoregon.edu/

University of Oregon ballroom dance classes: As a student, you can take them for one credit. If you’re a community member, they charge about $40-50 for six week’s worth of lessons, which is incredibly reasonable. They teach waltz, fox trot, tango, salsa, cha cha cha, and more. The instructors are usually very good, and they all teach American style, so you get a great deal. Check out their classes for non majors and community members at http://dance.uoregon.edu/programs/nonmajors.html and http://dance.uoregon.edu/programs.html for students.

StaverDancesport: They are a top-notch local dance company and a gem in the Eugene Ballroom community. They offer private lessons, group lessons, event choreography (weddings, anniversaries, parties, etc.) and certification as a ballroom dance teacher through their teachers college. They instruct children up through adults, and prices vary depending on types of lessons. In addition, they host Friday and Saturday Dance Parties that are quite fun and a great way to practice dancing in a great social atmosphere. To learn more and get pricing information and upcoming schedules, go to http://staverdancesport.com.

Studio B: Another great venue, Studio B offers many choices for the aspiring ballroom dancer. There are a number of youth and adult classes available as well as event choreography options. They teach everything from smooth to Latin dancing and their instructors are very good. Check out the studio at http://www.alexanderdanceonline.com.

LearnBallroomNow: A smaller dance venue, LearnBallroomNow offers semi-private, private, and group dance lessons. With a very good instructor and reasonably priced classes, it is one more great choice. Check out their website at http://www.efn.org/~dolsson.

Eugene Salsa: This is the place to go to find salsa lessons and events in Eugene. With a number of excellent instructors and classes, and links to everything salsa in Eugene, it is the place to check out for Latin dancing. They offer group and private lessons for individuals and couples. No partner is required and there are always plenty of people to dance with. http://EugeneSlasa.com

The Eugene Swing Club: Mostly geared toward West Coast swing, there is a list of classes and venues relating to swing and other dance types of dancing in the Eugene area. There is also a growing Lindy hop community as well. A wide variety of events and classes are sponsored, and again both group and private lessons are available for reasonable prices. Check out the listings and events at http://68swing.com

The Tango Center: An amazing non-profit community center for Tango enthusiasts, this is a great place to go and learn the ever sultry Tango and the passionate Milonga. Only $5 per class, every Friday and Saturday they host events with a one hour lesson previous to the actual dance. For further information go to http://tangocenter.com

As you see, there are a wide variety of dance events and studios to choose from in Eugene, Oregon. A small city, it is nevertheless a pulsing dance community full of excellent instructors who know what they’re doing. And it is growing at a rapid pace. If you live in Eugene or are traveling through and want to go dancing, even if you’ve never been before, check out the opportunities in Eugene. You’ll be hooked in no time, gliding around the floor before you know it and loving every minute.