However, we do not have a good way to gauge how many people may be interested in such a class. That is what this post is for.

We envision a ten-week class, meeting for 75 minutes each week and costing $125/person, in which the focus will be primarily on partnering, musical interpretation, in-class performances (for the other class participants), movement technique, and unlocking your individual and combined creativity.

We will work in the context of American Style Rhythm (cha cha / rumba / swing / bolero / mambo), though not exclusively. The partnering and interpretation principles are appropriate for every style of partner dancing (Smooth / Standard / Rhythm / Latin).

Past partner dance experience is definitely a good idea. If there is overwhelming demand for an introductory-level class, then only minimal dance experience will be expected. If we offer an advanced-level class, then considerable dance experience will be required.

You should plan to enroll with a partner (a friend / neighbor / roommate / romantic partner / dance partner) as the class material will be heavily geared toward creating interesting dancing with a partner. Leads, if you have no partner, you are encouraged to enroll anyway. Many ballroom dance classes attract more follows than leads. Leads, your enrollment means that individual follows may enroll and have a partner available in class.

This Group Class will meet each Sunday from 7:00 - 8:15 pm, beginning 8 June 2008 and running until 3 August 2008, for a total of eight sessions. There will be no class on Sunday, 22 June.

In this 75-minute class meeting for a total of eight sessions, we will discover how to produce many of the common dance moves you see at nightclubs where people dance Salsa.

We will be working with the Miami or Cubano style of Salsa, featuring many turns and spins for both the leads and the follows. Building on a simple set of common moves, we will continue to explore good lead and follow connections, inventiveness, and fluidity in Salsa dancing.

The class will emphasize creating a solid constant connection between the lead and follow, and how to use that connection throughout the entire dance and in every move that we create! We will use a simple set of common moves to explore good lead and follow connections, inventiveness, and fluidity in Salsa dancing.

Improve your own balance and learn to recognize how each partner influences the balance of the other. Develop an understanding of how you move your own body and how those movements are felt and interpreted by your partner. (Applies to leads and follows alike.) Build the fundamentals for creating good partner connections and for leading and following well. Exercise those fundamentals to invent your own moves!

This class is designed for dancers who have had some experience with Salsa, and will move at an appropriate pace. Enroll to improve your sense of partner connection and refine your body action and basics…and learn some fun new moves!

You do not need to enroll with a partner. Expect frequent partner changes and numerous group activities and exercises.

Please, no Street Shoes on the dance floor. Dance shoes, dance sneakers, or stocking feet are all fine.

Pre-registration is required. Contact the Instructor to reserve space in this class.

This Group Class will meet each Sunday from 5:45 - 7:00 pm, beginning 8 June 2008 and running until 3 August 2008, for a total of eight sessions. There will be no class on Sunday, 22 June.

In this 75-minute class meeting for a total of eight sessions, we will discover how to produce many of the common dance moves you see at nightclubs where people dance Salsa. Many people begin going to Salsa clubs and using their new skills after only two or three sessions! Yes, it is possible to learn enough about Salsa dancing to have a lot of fun very quickly.

We will cover the Miami or Cubano style of Salsa, featuring many turns and spins for both the leads and the follows. We will use a simple set of common moves to explore good lead and follow connections, inventiveness, and fluidity in Salsa dancing.

The class will emphasize creating a solid constant connection between the lead and follow and how to use that connection throughout the entire dance and in every move that we create! We will use a simple set of common moves to explore good lead and follow connections, inventiveness, and fluidity in Salsa dancing.

Improve your own balance and learn to recognize how each partner influences the balance of the other. Develop an understanding of how you move your own body and how those movements are felt and interpreted by your partner. (Applies to leads and follows alike.) Build the fundamentals for creating good partner connections and for leading and following well. Exercise those fundamentals to invent your own moves!

This class is intended for people new to partner dancing or new to Salsa dancing and will move at an appropriate pace. Experienced dancers, enroll to improve your sense of partner connection and to refine your body action and basics!

You do not need to enroll with a partner. Expect frequent partner changes and numerous group activities and exercises.

Please, no Street Shoes on the dance floor. Dance shoes, dance sneakers, or stocking feet are all fine.

Pre-registration is required. Contact the Instructor to reserve space in this class.

This Group Class will meet each Sunday from 5:45 - 7:00 pm, beginning 4 May 2008 and running until 25 May 2008, for a total of four sessions. It is a continuation of Finding a Connection, Part I: West Coast Swing. You can register for one or both sessions. While each Part deals with a different dance, the underlying principles will flow from session to session and inform each other.

In these two 75-minute classes meeting for a total of four sessions each (eight in total), we will discover how to produce a solid lead/follow connection. Do you ever walk out on the dance floor and discover that you’re actually dancing in front of and not with your partner? A strong connection will take new the Rumba moves that we will be learning (including spins, passes, and breaks) and make them look great!

These same principles are portable to all other dances. Discovering how you hold your own body and how it interacts with a partner will change the way you dance forever!

The class will emphasize creating a solid constant connection between the lead and follow and how to use that connection throughout the entire dance and in every move that we create! In addition to new Rumba moves and technique, we will be learning how two bodies create motion together.

Improve your own balance and learn to recognize how each partner influences the balance of the other. Develop an understanding of how you move your own body and how those movements are felt and interpreted by your partner. (Applies to leads and follows alike.) Build the fundamentals for creating good partner connections and for leading and following well. Exercise those fundamentals to invent your own moves!

This class is intended for people with some experience with partner dancing or Rumba and will move at an appropriate pace. Experienced dancers, enroll to improve your sense of partner connection and to refine your body action and basics!

You do not need to enroll with a partner. Expect frequent partner changes and numerous group activities and exercises.

Pre-registration is required. Contact the Instructor to reserve space in this class.

This Group Class will meet each Sunday from 5:45 - 7:00 pm, beginning 30 March 2008 and running until 27 April 2008, for a total of four sessions. There will be no class on Sunday, 20 April. It is continued by Finding a Connection, Part II: Rumba. You can register for one or both sessions. While each Part deals with a different dance, the underlying principles will flow from session to session and inform each other.

In these two 75-minute classes meeting for a total of four sessions each (eight in total), we will discover how to produce a solid lead/follow connection. Do you ever walk out on the dance floor and discover that you’re actually dancing in front of and not with your partner? A strong connection will take new the West Coast Swing moves that we will be learning (including whips, passes, and checks) and make them look great!

These same principles are portable to all other dances. Discovering how you hold your own body and how it interacts with a partner will change the way you dance forever!

The class will emphasize creating a solid constant connection between the lead and follow and how to use that connection throughout the entire dance and in every move that we create! In addition to new West Coast Swing moves and technique, we will be learning how two bodies create motion together.

Improve your own balance and learn to recognize how each partner influences the balance of the other. Develop an understanding of how you move your own body and how those movements are felt and interpreted by your partner. (Applies to leads and follows alike.) Build the fundamentals for creating good partner connections and for leading and following well. Exercise those fundamentals to invent your own moves!

This class is intended for people with some experience with partner dancing or West Coast Swing and will move at an appropriate pace. Experienced dancers, enroll to improve your sense of partner connection and to refine your body action and basics!

You do not need to enroll with a partner. Expect frequent partner changes and numerous group activities and exercises.

Pre-registration is required. Contact the Instructor to reserve space in this class.

This Group Class will meet each Sunday from 7:00-8:15 pm, beginning 30 March 2008 and running until 25 May 2008, for a total of eight sessions. There will be no class on Sunday, 20 April.

In this 75-minute class meeting for a total of eight sessions, we will discover how to produce many of the common dance moves you see at nightclubs where people dance Salsa. Many people begin going to Salsa clubs and using their new skills after only two or three sessions! Yes, it is possible to learn enough about Salsa dancing to have a lot of fun very quickly.

We will cover the Miami or Cubano style of Salsa, featuring many turns and spins for both the leads and the follows. We will use a simple set of common moves to explore good lead and follow connections, inventiveness, and fluidity in Salsa dancing.

The class will emphasize creating a solid constant connection between the lead and follow and how to use that connection throughout the entire dance and in every move that we create! We will use a simple set of common moves to explore good lead and follow connections, inventiveness, and fluidity in Salsa dancing.

Improve your own balance and learn to recognize how each partner influences the balance of the other. Develop an understanding of how you move your own body and how those movements are felt and interpreted by your partner. (Applies to leads and follows alike.) Build the fundamentals for creating good partner connections and for leading and following well. Exercise those fundamentals to invent your own moves!

This class is intended for people new to partner dancing or new to Salsa dancing and will move at an appropriate pace. Experienced dancers, enroll to improve your sense of partner connection and to refine your body action and basics!

You do not need to enroll with a partner. Expect frequent partner changes and numerous group activities and exercises.

Pre-registration is required. Contact the Instructor to reserve space in this class.

If you know the basic West Coast Swing “sugar-push” and a “side-pass”, or you attended the UWMBDA beginning pre-dance lesson on Feb 9th, come to Sarah’s Intermediate lesson to add more flashy moves to your West Coast Swing repertoire. We will be changing partners frequently throughout the lesson, so it is never necessary to bring a partner with you.

You should be a UWMBDA member to attend a Thursday lesson series. However, if you are not a member yet, please feel welcome to attend the first lesson and you can join the club at a weekend dance.

This Group Class will meet each Sunday from 7:00-8:15 pm, beginning 13 January 2008 and running until 9 March 2008, for a total of eight sessions. There will be no class on Sunday, 24 February.

In this 75-minute class meeting for a total of eight sessions, will discover how to produce many of the common dance moves you see at nightclubs where people dance Salsa. Many people begin going to Salsa clubs and using their new skills after only two or three sessions! Yes, it is possible to learn enough about Salsa dancing to have a lot of fun very quickly.

We will cover the Miami or Cubano style of Salsa, featuring many turns and spins for both the leads and the follows. We will use a simple set of common moves to explore good lead and follow connections, inventiveness, and fluidity in Salsa dancing.

The class will emphasize creating a solid constant connection between the lead and follow and how to use that connection throughout the entire dance and in every move that we create! We will use a simple set of common moves to explore good lead and follow connections, inventiveness, and fluidity in Salsa dancing.

Improve your own balance and learn to recognize how each partner influences the balance of the other. Develop an understanding of how you move your own body and how those movements are felt and interpreted by your partner. (Applies to leads and follows alike.) Build the fundamentals for creating good partner connections and for leading and following well. Exercise those fundamentals to invent your own moves!

This class is intended for people new to partner dancing or new to Salsa dancing and will move at an appropriate pace. Experienced dancers, enroll to improve your sense of partner connection and to refine your body action and basics!

You do not need to enroll with a partner. Expect frequent partner changes and numerous group activities and exercises.

Pre-registration is required. Contact the Instructor to reserve space in this class.

This Group Class will meet each Sunday from 5:45-7:00 pm, beginning 13 January 2008 and running until 9 March 2008, for a total of eight sessions. There will be no class on Sunday 24 February.

In this 75-minute class meeting for a total of eight sessions, we will explore how to play with the common WC Swing dance moves you will see at clubs. This energetic, fluid, compact (and sometimes sultry!) swing dancing features many spins, turns, and changes of place. While refining the basics, we will spend time working on syncopation, musicality, and flare.

The class will emphasize creating a solid constant connection between the lead and follow and how to use that connection throughout the entire dance and in every move that we create! We will use a simple set of common moves to explore good lead and follow connections, inventiveness, and fluidity in Swing dancing.

Improve your own balance and learn to recognize how each partner influences the balance of the other. Develop an understanding of how you move your own body and how those movements are felt and interpreted by your partner. (Applies to leads and follows alike.) Build the fundamentals for creating good partner connections and for leading and following well. Exercise those fundamentals to invent your own moves!

This class is intended for people who have had at least some exposure to partner dancing or West Coast Swing dancing and will move at an appropriate pace. Experienced dancers, enroll to improve your sense of partner connection and to refine your body action and basics!

You do not need to enroll with a partner. Expect frequent partner changes and numerous group activities and exercises.

Pre-registration is required. Contact the Instructor to reserve space in this class.

In October, the Art of Dance will no longer have its downtown Madison location. Instead, attend the studio’s classes held at wonderful facilities in the Madison area. See “Held At” (below).

This Group Class will meet each Sunday from 5:45-7:00 pm beginning 21 October 2007 and running until 9 December 2007, for a total of eight sessions.

In this Swing Sampler Class, we will be exploring three styles: East Coast Swing, Lindy Hop, and West Coast Swing. While all three swing styles have their roots in the explosion of Jazz music in the 1920s, they have developed in very different ways and have their own distinct stylings.

In this 75-minute class meeting for a total of eight sessions, you will learn energetic, fluid, compact (and sometimes sultry!) swing dancing in all three styles, featuring many spins, turns, and changes of place. In addition, we will work with musicality and explore ways to play with breaks in the music.

The class will emphasize creating a solid constant connection between the lead and follow and how to use that connection throughout the entire dance and in every move that we create!

This class assumes participants have little to no experince with leading, following, partner dancing in general (swing dancing specifically) and will move at a pace appropriate for New Dancers.

You do not need to enroll with a partner. Expect frequent partner changes and numerous group activities and exercises.

Pre-registration is required. Contact the Instructor to reserve space in this class.