Celebrate joyous movement at locations across Washington, DC
It’s time to talk about DC’s wondrous and eclectic dancing community. The city features an endless supply of classes, social dancing and breathtaking shows. Whether you want to shake your groove thing, get your plié-relevé on or take in anything from a step show to a musical, the District is the place to do it. Dance’s power is in its expression: its ability to soothe, to shake up and to uplift. In a city so full of love for the arts, dancers are often front and center.
“Dance, dance, otherwise we are lost,” said German choreographer Pina Bausch. Get found in the opportunities for movement and joy listed below – because, truly, you cannot spell dance without DC.
Discover more ways to dance by browsing DC's packed calendar of events, where you can find everything from local gatherings to nationally acclaimed performances.
Gatherings
Visit Dupont Circle on select Wednesdays at 5:45 p.m. for free-to-attend Cuban salsa and street dancing outside near the fountain.
A handful of nights a year, La Gozadera DMV organizes pop-up Latin social dancing at picture-perfect locations like the Lincoln Memorial and Jefferson Memorial.
Latin nights here are a must; there’s live music on Fridays and Saturdays.
This spot in Dupont Circle offers free salsa classes on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. followed by social dancing.
Meridian Hill/Malcolm X Park’s Drum Circle (Sundays at 3 p.m.)
This 40-year tradition is filled with drums, dance and excitement.
Line Dancing: DC Rawhides
Eastern Market offers line dancing on select dates while The Coupe in Columbia Heights also does so on the second Wednesday of each month.
The Kennedy Center © Jati Lindsay
Union Market hosts the Baila Thursdays Salsa Social.
Every Friday night at Glen Echo Park.
You guessed it, swing dancing. On Tuesdays from 8-9 p.m., head to the Josephine Butler Parks Center (located right next to Malcolm X/Meridian Hill Park).
This Dupont Circle favorite hosts Bachata, a partner dance form from the Dominican Republic, on Thursdays. There are lessons followed by open-floor dancing.
Classes
The DC mainstay, open for more than 40 years, offers all kinds of classes and performances centered around dance. Find them at their H Street NE studio connected to the Atlas Performing Arts Center.
The vision of Diana Movius (who also founded MOVEIUS Contemporary Ballet), Dance Loft in Petworth offers classes in multiple studio spaces and performances in its signature black box theater.
A professional ballet and performing arts studio in Tenleytown uses Lilla Séber’s training method, which involves customizing lessons for each student. The Academy also showcases a variety of genres and levels for adult classes. Flamenco is a major focus here.
The Friendship Heights studio provides everything from youth companies and camps to adult drop-ins and weekly or monthly offerings like K-Pop Fridays and Sippin’ with CityDance (iconic choreography learned with a glass of “liquid courage”). You can also find Gyrokinesis here.
The official dance of the District! Don’t get it twisted—Hand Dance is a form of swing and it definitely requires full body participation, along with a smile.
This business offers pop and hip-hop choreography for all levels and all bodies almost every night of the week at studios across town.
Gotta Swing: Go dance crazy by doing the Jitterbug and the Lindy Hop.
Located in Northern Virginia but frequently offering pop-up classes in the District, Ava offers a range of tutorials on dance, including 101-level classes.
Performances
Aside from varied shows throughout their season, DC’s beloved and world-renowned professional ballet company hosts the annual Dance for All, a collection of free shows in every quadrant of the city, the company’s prestigious list of artistic directors includes Julie Kent, American Ballet Theatre’s longest-serving ballerina ever. The current overseer is Edwaard Liang, a previous winner of the Choo San Gogh Award for Choreography. The Ballet also hosts classes for adults and beginners at their two studios in DC.
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
The 35th U.S. President’s vision come to life: a world-famous powerhouse for creative expression.
The non-profit performing arts venue is situated in a uniquely restored 1930s Art Deco movie house. Atlas hosts annual dance festivals and a plethora of shows.
DC is lucky to be the home of the first professional dance company dedicated to the art form of stepping. Step Afrika! performs at venues all over the District, including the Kennedy Center and Arena Stage. The company serves as a cultural ambassador for the U.S. and recently celebrated its 30-year anniversary.
The non-profit center of dance activity in Brookland offers performances, dance classes for adults and kids as well as educational programs for youth.
A studio and performance space uniquely committed to bringing the joy and power of dance to students from underserved communities in DC.
Capital Funk at George Washington University
GWU’s resident hip-hop company hosts electrifying showcases each spring and fall. The beats and the applause will be thunderous. At least once, this showcase has also been the site of a marriage proposal from one company member to another onstage (she said yes).
Groove Theory at Georgetown University
The Hoya’s answer to the above, know that any Groove Theory showcase is sure to delight. Fair warning: these have, in the past, included “twerking” competitions with audience participation.
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