DanceSport Lessons in American Ballroom

The DanceSport program at Ballroom Dance Chicago is designed for dancers who want to dive deeper into the techniques and movements of dance. While it can also lead to competitive dancing, we believe great dancing happens on and off the competition floor. Our program will help you experience the essence of ballroom dance, specifically focusing on the American Smooth and American Rhythm dance styles, to promote growth in social dancing, general fitness, and more!

DanceSport Private Lessons

Private lessons focus on figures, dance theory, movement quality, connection, floor presence, and artistic presentation. If you are new to DanceSport and/or our studio, the best first step is to come in for a DanceSport Intro Lesson.

DanceSport Group Classes

Our DanceSport group classes are a great way to get technical dance experience in a focused and fun environment. Open to any level, classes are held Tuesday and Wednesday night, and Saturday afternoon.

Questions? Fill out the form and we will get back to you shortly!

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DanceSport Private Lessons

Here is what Private DanceSport Lessons can provide you with:

  • Structured progressions through bronze, silver, and gold levels.

  • Deeper understanding of the connection between two people for solid leading and following.

  • Syllabus-based learning in American Smooth and/or Rhythm alongside a selection of social dances.

  • In-depth breakdown of different points of the body in a variety of patterns.

  • Amalgamations and/or routines to aid in retention and usage.

American Smooth: Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango, and Viennese Waltz.

American Rhythm: Cha Cha, Rumba, East Coast Swing, Mambo, and Bolero.

Other Options: Salsa, Argentine Tango, Samba, Lindy Hop, and more!

Looking to compete? Private Lessons at BDC can help you get there!

Amateur Competitions: For two student partners who want to compete, our instructors will craft and refine your routines, ensuring you are competition-ready. We also assist in selecting the ideal USA Dance competition for you.

Pro-Am Competitions: In Pro-Am competitions, students dance with their instructor at National Dance Council of America (NDCA) events. In these competitions, only the student is judged, so this provides a supportive environment to experience competitive dance with a trusted professional.

DanceSport Group Classes

Each month, we focus on a specific Smooth and Rhythm dance style. There are four choreography classes and two technique classes for each style, giving you plenty of opportunities to refine both movement and artistry.

While the classes build on each other for those who attend all 4-6 classes of the course, don’t worry if you miss one—each class is designed to stand on its own. Whether you join for the full series or drop in for a single class, you'll feel confident jumping in at any time.

Partner Required?: No | Level: Beg/Int | Location: Lakeview

Drop-In: $60

Monthly Choreo + Technique (6 classes): $250

Monthly Choreo Only (4 classes): $165

American Smooth Choreo

Tuesdays 7:45 - 8:45 PM

2nd/4th Saturdays 3PM - 4PM

Focusing on elegant traveling dances, you’ll learn exciting choreography to help you traverse the dance floor with your partner. All choreography is Open in nature, meaning we take from our Bronze syllabus and beyond to help you experience the glamour of the Smooth dances- Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, and Viennese Waltz.

We learn around 4 measures weekly. Techniques will focus on getting better movement, holding a solid frame, arm styling, and more!

Example Schedule:

  • Tue Jan 7: Waltz Choreo

  • Tue Jan 14: Waltz Choreo,

  • Sat Jan 18: Waltz Technique

  • Tue Jan 21: Waltz Choreo

  • Tue Jan 28: Waltz Choreo Review

  • Sat Feb 1: Waltz Technique

American Rhythm Choreo

Wednesdays 7:45 - 8:45 PM

1st/3rd Saturdays 3PM - 4PM

Rhythm dances emphasize sharp turns and body action with fancy footwork. They’re sure to get your blood pumping! All choreography is Open in nature, meaning we take from our Bronze syllabus and beyond to help you experience the excitement of the Rhythm dances - Cha Cha, Mambo, Bolero, Rumba, and East Coast Swing.

We learn around 4 measures each week. Techniques will focus on body motion, arm styling, and more!

Example Schedule:

  • Wed Jan 8: Cha Cha Choreo

  • Wed Jan 15: Cha Cha Choreo,

  • Sat Jan 18: Cha Cha Technique

  • Wed Jan 22: Cha Cha Choreo

  • Wed Jan 29: Cha Cha Choreo Review

  • Sat Feb 1: Cha Cha Technique

Explore the full series under “Courses” below, or join a Drop-In class whenever it fits your schedule!

Dancesport Lesson FAQ

  • Certainly not! Most of our DanceSport students come solo. Your instructor will act as your partner for your lesson and give you individualized attention to your dancing. 

  • At Ballroom Dance Chicago, we study American Smooth, which includes Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango, and Viennese Waltz, and American Rhythm, which includes Cha Cha, Rumba, East Coast Swing, Mambo, and Bolero. Some choose to specialize in only Smooth or only Rhythm, while others choose to study both. 

  • Nope! Whatever your goals are, we are here to get you there. Some enjoy the learning process but don’t want to perform at all. Some don’t want to compete but just aim to perform in showcases. It’s all up to you.

  • Yes. Pro-Am competitions are a great way to get experience on the dance floor with a professional you can trust. Many dancers actually prefer Pro-Am competitions because it allows them to dance at a higher level with ease.

  • We’re very similar to other ballroom, Latin and swing dance schools in that we have highly trained staff who care deeply about our clients’ success. We’re different from most studios in that we have three branches to our school: competition lessons, social lessons and wedding lessons. While some studios might claim to have a similar setup, they have the same teachers teaching all of these very disparate specialties. At Ballroom Dance Chicago, our teachers focus on one of the three branches and build skills related to that specialty. Only our most experienced teachers teach in more than one branch.

  • You can purchase as many lessons as you wish at a time. The more you purchase, the larger the discount per lesson. Your teacher and the Competition Manager will meet with you to talk about packages and how they relate to your dancing goals.

  • We teach competition lessons only at our Lakeview studio (Lakeview also has social and wedding lessons). Our West Loop studio offers social and wedding lessons only.

  • Any dancer, regardless of gender identity, can choose whichever role they would like to learn. Moreover, anyone is welcome to compete in either role, regardless of their gender identity. We will work to find the competitions that are right for you.