Dance for fun and fitness: Beginner tips for aspiring adult dancers
Were you ever a dancer? Do you bring your child to the studio every week and wish you had their body awareness and rhythm? Or do you find yourself dancing in the kitchen or car when your favourite song comes on? It’s not too late to inject more dance into your life!
I still can remember my moves to Madonna's Material Girl I learned at age thirteen in my modern dance class. I lacked coordination, flexibility and the confidence I believed I needed to continue with dance, so I never signed up for another class again. As an adult, when my ski friends suggested we take part in a dance and surf retreat, I wasn't sure what to think. I'm not a dancer but a week in Costa Rica with great friends, made me decide to do some research about dancing as exercise. Check out our active retreat in our recent photo blog, Pura Vida: Dance, surf and practice yoga in Costa Rica.
Adult dance classes. No experience necessary.
There are lots of recreational adult dance exercise classes, and you don't need a dance background to participate. I hope what I've found will help you step outside of your comfort zone to try something new or go back to something you once loved.
Six reasons to dance for fitness
Be inspired, have fun and get your creative juices flowing
Enjoy the thrill of learning something new
Meet new friends
Reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease
Exercise your mind and build memory
Build bone and muscle strength
Where to start?
Our Athlete Advisor is your athletic business directory for all things active. Simply search for the type of dance you are interested in and find the studio and class that is right for you.
Be inspired and informed by dance articles and stories on our Dance activity page.
Find a dance group or event in our SWSCD HUB.
Beginner dance tips for dancers from dancers
Check out these great beginner resources by Steezy who shares tips and knowledge. They have a whole section on their website dedicated to helping beginners get comfortable with dancing.
Online Dance Classes for Beginner to Teachers & Everyone In-Between
Get access to 170+ dance classes right from home. Established instructors walk you through the movements to help you perfect technique. Just getting started? Learn the correct basics and understand movement mechanics. Travelling or can't get to the studio in time for class? Dance on your own schedule.
Steezy Blog Resources
How to take a dance class: The ultimate guide to taking a dance class for beginner dancers
How to dance better by understanding body awareness
Which type of dance is right for you?
Zumba:
“Take the ‘work’ out of the workout.” The class mixes low-intensity and high-intensity moves for an interval –style, calorie-burning dance fitness party. It’s a total workout, combining all elements of fitness – cardio, muscle conditioning, balance, and flexibility and boosted energy. The classes range from Zumba Step to toning circuit and more.
Jazzercise Dance Mixx:
It is a high-intensity dance- based class that fuses cardio, strength, Pilates, hip-hop, yoga, and kickboxing together. You can expect to burn up to 800 calories in one class while targeting three major muscle groups: upper body, abs, and legs. The dance moves are basic enough for everyone, and the instructors will guide the class step by step.
Jazzercise Flip Fusion:
This class is a circuit- based class-combining repetitions of muscle work and powerful dance moves. You will burn up to 800 calories, supercharge your metabolism and work on strong, sculpted arms and legs and a tight fit core. The circuits and level changes maximize the intensity and bring the burn.
Barre:
Most classes are set to upbeat music and start with a warm-up and sequence of upper-body exercises using light free weights, push-ups, and plank. It targets the bicep, triceps, shoulder, chest and back muscles. The class moves into a series of ballet barre or floor exercises that focus on the thighs and ends with an invigorating stretch.
Extension Method
More than a Barre class, it’s a complete ballet fitness workout. The Extension Method™ is an innovative program of physical conditioning and rehabilitative techniques based on the fundamentals of classical ballet. It combines classical ballet technique with contemporary athletic conditioning and is designed to give you the strength, posture and sculpted physique of a dancer.
TAB Fitness
Many gyms teach dance-inspired classes such as TAB Fitness offering hip-hop, fusion, ballet, jazz and more. You can also find dance specific studios such as Barre or Extension Method.
Other Adult Dance Class Studios in the GTA
There are many studios offering adult dance classes. You can take ballet at Canada's National Ballet School or at City Dance Corps you can sign up for everything from Tango to Hip Hop to Salsa classes or at Infusion dance studio try classic Indian Dance or Indian Dance fused with elements of Jazz/Ballet, Urban Dance (Hip Hop/House) and Yoga.
Learn More Ways to DO from SWSCD
Interested in learning more about other sports and physical activities? SeeWhatSheCanDo can help you do just that. We invite you to check out the links below.
Auto Racing: The ultimate women's guide to auto racing: Insights from champion racer Amanda Balson
Curling: Must-have tips and resources for beginners to high performance curlers, Curling Fundamentals with Team Brandwood, and Fine tune your curling skills with Team Brandwood
Cycling: Mountain bike racing: From the perspective of a newbie, Lindsey Levin: New to mountain biking and to Pulse Racing's Women's 4 Hour MTB Relay and Ontario Women's Cycling Month: Celebrating IWD 2024 with Ontario Cycling
Dance: Beginner tips for aspiring adult dancers
Dodgeball: You’ve played the game. Meet the sport
Dragon Boat Racing: A great way to experience the spirit of teamwork
Fencing: En-garde: The three weapons of fencing
Fitness: The New Barre in Town: The workout that’s as fun as it is effective
Floor Hockey: Stouffville Ladies Floor Hockey: Delivering Local Floor Hockey Fun
Ice Hockey: Give sledge hockey a try: A guide to a hockey player’s first time in the sled and Learn to play hockey: Its never too late
Ice Skating: Learn to skate – it’s never too late!
Martial Arts: This is how we really ‘roll’: busting myths and learning the (fun!) truth about Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
Outdoor Adventure: How to get started with rock climbing
Ringette: Diary of a ringette first-timer. Why you should give it a try
Rugby: Rugby 101: A quick start guide – Part 1, Rugby 101: A quick start guide – Part 2 and A few reasons why your daughter should give rugby a try
Softball: It's all about the pitching: The three types of softball
Synchronized Swimming: Synchronized Swimming: From Tryouts to Competition Day
SeeWhatSheCanDo
Check out our Athlete Advisor, your online business directory. Find, rate and review dance studios, clinics, and organizations that help you do your thing.
Explore dance events. Start a group. Check out our SWSCD Hub.
Look for dance advice, stories, news and more our Dance activity page.
Be celebrated. Share your dance highlights directly on our Discover blog or by using #seewhatshecando on social media and inspire others to get active.
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