Some of us have, at some point, responded to a dance floor invitation with, “I’m sorry, I don’t dance”, and then slunk back disappointed to the bar counter. Let’s not have that happen again! Toss aside your excuses and get yourself on the dancefloor (or pole) with our body-bumpin’ list of dance schools. Already a seasoned dancer, you say? Well that shouldn’t stop you from signing up for more advanced technical classes and take your dance game up a notch with some crowd-stunning dips and acrobatic manoeuvres.
SLAP Dance Studio
Don’t let the svelte frames twirling around the poles fool you; pole dancing is as much a feat of strength as it is an exercise in grace. While this might seem intimidating, SLAP Dance Studio’s veteran team of dance instructors will get you into pole position, even if you’ve got no dance experience at all. If you’re an experienced dancer who wants to learn more tricky acrobatic techniques, the school offers more advanced courses as well.
SLAP Dance Studio, 155A/157A Telok Ayer Street Singapore 068611. p. 6636 4622.
Pole Dance Academy
Patron of the pole or weekend warrior, Pole Dance Academy will help you find your pole dancing style and teach you with your strengths in mind. While the discipline often requires intense core strength, you’ll also get to focus on some of the more bendy dance moves if flexibility is more your forte. If you’d like to try out more advanced moves, the Yoga 4 Pole classes will help you build the strength and flexibility required.
Pole Dance Academy, 5A/6A Craig Road, Singapore 089665. p. 6225 8268.
Celine Jessandra School of Performing Arts
Founded in 2006 by director, Celine Jessandra Lim, this institution is one of the biggest names in K-pop dance in Singapore. The school made its name cresting the K-pop wave in Singapore with Celine’s handpicked team of dancers and instructors. If you’ve ever had dreams of dancing along to a particular K-pop song, the school offers classes that teach original choreography based on popular music videos. Ever wanted to dance to Hyuna’s “Ice Cream”? Well, here’s your chance!
Celine Jessandra School of Performing Arts, 177 Thomson Road, Singapore 307625. p. 6254 0702.
Step
Another Hallyu-wave studio that’ll help you kick start your K-pop career (hey, we can dream), Step will teach you all the signature moves and MTV-style grooves of your favourite K-pop idols. The intensive eight-week long course culminates in an end-of-term performance, so you’ll get your chance to feel like a star as well. Perfect opportunity to take those solo bedroom dance sessions onto the big stage! G-Dragon would be proud.
Step, #06-36, 71 Ubi Road 1, Oxley Bizhub Singapore 408732. p. 6702 6471.
O School
Break, lock and pop like the stunners in Step Up at O School. The school’s repertoire of dance courses will teach you everything from hip-hop dance to the eclectic reggae dancehall style. In addition to the more structured dance courses, the school also offers open classes that you can jump right into – y’know, if you’re feeling spontaneously footloose like Kevin Bacon.
O School, #04-04, 2 Orchard Link, Singapore 237978. p. 6509 0016.
A slider with the ID of 196 doesn't exist.Jazz Cats
Learn all the fancy footwork and masterful manoeuvres behind the timeless jazz dance – arguably one of the hardest to ace – at Jazz Cats. Artistic Director, Melissa Erez, has over two decades of professional teaching experience, so you know that your feet are in capable hands. If you’d like to take up jazz dancing at a more academic level, the school even offers jazz classes from preliminary to eight grade, as well as Commonwealth Society of Teachers of Dancing (CSTD) exams. Theory’s just as important!
Jazz Cats, 491 River Valley Rd, Singapore 248371. p. 6732 4078.
En Motion Dance
Eager to add a little salsa to your life? Grab a partner and head down to En Motion Dance where you’ll get to learn this sexy, Latin American-influenced dance. Street salsa beginner packages will help you get the hang of the basics, while the dance clinics will teach you a couple of nifty dips and tricks. Not sure if salsa is for you? Sign up for one of their trial classes and see if you can shake it like J.Lo!
En Motion Dance, 8 Craig Rd, Level 1, Singapore 089668. p. 9159 7811.
Two Left Feet Dance School
Being a busy adult with many important things to do is no reason not to take up social dancing! If you’re worried about missing classes due to work commitments, don’t. The school’s free refresher class policy will make sure you won’t miss a single step. In addition to salsa, Two Left Feet also teaches other Latin street dances like Brazilian Zouk and Kizomba. And friends, please ignore the punny irony of its moniker!
Two Left Feet Dance School, 5 Trengganu Street, Singapore 058459. Contact the school here.
Bellydance Discovery
Looking for something a little more exotic than ballroom dancing? This torso-driven Middle Eastern dance will get you into some snazzy outfits and up your feminine mystique. Dive right into the beginner classes at Bellydance Discovery and see if you can stomach its basic techniques and movements. Once you’ve got that down pat, take it up a notch with the advanced classes that teach you how to incorporate props like veils and Isis Wings. You’ll be gyrating your hips like Mata Hari in no time!
Bellydance Discovery. For full list of locations, click here. p. 9879 9960.
Angelina Tay School of Bellydance
Dancing is a great way to keep your body in tip-top shape, but it also does wonders for your confidence! School founder, Angelina Tay, aims to work on fitness, dance technique and the sense of confidence gained from the art of belly dancing. The school also places an emphasis on building friendships and a strong belly dancing community, so you’re bound to make a couple of new mates as well. Bonding through the belly – who would’ve thought?
Angelina Tay School of Bellydance, 44C North Canal Road, Singapore 059300. p. 9002 6104.
Lindy Hop Ensemble
Take a hop, skip and jump back in time to the swingin’ ’30s with Lindy Hop Ensemble. If you’re a fan of the oldies, you’ll be quite familiar with this upbeat jazz dance that’s remained quite popular since its inception in the early ’30s. Here, you’ll learn the basics like the Swing Out, Lindy Turn, Reverse, Back Charleston and more before graduating to more advanced techniques. Wear shoes with proper support because these sessions can get quite spirited!
Lindy Hop Ensemble, 246T Upper Thomson Road, Singapore 915708. p. 9645 4825.
Swingapore
Helmed by Sing Lim, who’s been dancing the Lindy Hop since 1988, Swingapore aims to bring folks together through social dancing. In addition to holding regular Lindy Hop classes, Swingapore also organises “Swing Fling” social dance nights at Timbre Music Rehearsal Hall. After all, why learn to dance when you can’t show off your skills?
Swingapore. Classes held every Thursday at Timbre Music Rehearsal Hall. #02-01, 1 Old Parliament Lane, Singapore 179429. Contact the school here.