Welcome to

Dance Partners

Adult Social (Ballroom/Latin/Nightclub) Dance Studio

We've been teaching fun-loving adults
social dance classes in Bloomington, Illinois for 12 years.

It's "wedding prep" season, when we often have many brides & grooms, their parents, wedding parties and friends join us for Ballroom and Social Dance basics courses. If you're going to weddings in 2009, please start dance lessons soon.

Whether your style is Slow dancin', swaying to the music ~ or ~ Bailando ~ or ~
Rock & Roll all night ... we'd love to have you join us!

Please click here for all classes starting soon
Please click here for Bloomington Parks & Rec information
Please click here for Heartland Community College information

TIMELY NEWS:

Our Christmas Dance occurs this Sunday,
December 7, 5:30-8:30 at Miller Park Pavilion. $7.
NOTE: Our Pavilion dances will occur on the LAST Sundays of the first few months in 2009.

Starting December 29: Nightclub Cha Cha

Starting in January: Intro to Club; West Coast Swing 1;
Hustle 1; Social Dance 1; Tango 1

Dessert & Dancing - including introductions to several basic dance patterns.
Saturday, January 31. Stay tuned for details.


FAQ: My husband/wife/significant other is a great dancer, but I have two left feet.
Should I take lessons without him/her until I catch up?
A: If you have a "favorite" dance partner in mind, we encourage you both to take our classes,
so you'll know the same patterns and dance styles and can enjoy practicing together.

FAQ: Is dancing a good way to exercise or lose weight?
A: Dancing can burn upwards of 300 calories per hour ... and it's fun ...
so we're willing to keep it up for several hours. It's great exercise.

FAQ: We want to learn to dance for an upcoming wedding. What dances should we learn first?
A: Our Ballroom Dance 1 and 2, and Social Dance 1 and 2 courses
will prepare you to enjoy dancing to a wide variety of rhythms played by bands and DJs.

FAQ: How far in advance of a special occasion should we start dance classes?
A: Ideally: three to five years. At a minimum: 3 - 5 months.

Whether you're looking for a new favorite hobby,
hoping to meet fun and interesting people,
have a big dance event or wedding coming up,
need a more-fun way to exercise,
or just always wanted to be a better dancer, we can help!

Lots of basic social dance classes begin soon.
Please register this week; we'd love to have you join us.

Cathy Hempstead, Owner/Instructor
Bloomington, IL
Phone: (309) 661-0529

Serving the Bloomington / Normal Illinois area since 1996.

Our Mission: We encourage adults to enjoy American-style ballroom, nightclub, and Latin styles of social ("partnered") dance, building confidence while improving leading and following techniques. Utilizing current and recent music releases, we're overcoming the narrow "1940s Big Band" image of ballroom dancing. With several skill levels in many dances, we offer a steady stream of new patterns and challenges to social dancers. We offer both public and private group lessons.
ALL CLASSES REQUIRE REGISTRATION IN ADVANCE.


WHAT DANCES DO WE TEACH? We teach patterns, styling, and leading and following techniques in the following dances:

BALLROOM/SMOOTH: Foxtrot, Quickstep, Tango, Viennese Waltz, and (slow) Waltz.
RHYTHM & LATIN DANCE: Bolero, Cha Cha, Mambo, Rumba, Samba, and Single Swing.
NIGHTCLUB: Ballad, East Coast Swing, Hustle, Nightclub 2-Step, Salsa/Merengue, and West Coast Swing.

Link to classes starting soon

Please visit linked sites, for additional information:
Where to buy Ballroom Shoes?
Dance Descriptions
Characteristics Dancers Seek in a Partner
Wedding Tips for Brides & Grooms
Why do we have to change partners?

Private lessons are currently unavailable as we're very busy with group lessons.

Questions? Comments? Please use our mailform to submit feedback to Dance Partners.
Thanks for visiting!

Site last updated: December 4, 2008.