Ballroom Dance Lessons in South Windsor, CT Taught by Pros
Ballroom dance lessons in South Windsor, CT are taught here by a team led by two championship-winning professionals. You’ll learn the waltz, foxtrot, tango, Viennese waltz and quickstep at Fred Astaire Dance Studios – South Windsor, with or without a partner.
Fred Astaire Dance Studios - South Windsor
Fill out our form or call us via this page to get our New Student Intro Deal:
1x Private Dance Lesson Consultation & Studio Tour No Partner or Experience Needed
All that for just $35! (Can be taken solo or with a partner!!)
Learn Ballroom Dancing From a Master of Sport
Every dance instructor here is certified in the Fred Astaire Dance Studios curriculum. The team comes from around the world, and many of them are award-winning competitors with Fine Arts degrees. You can read each person’s background on our staff page.
Owner Viktor Tkachenko started dancing at eight and graduated from Kharkov’s State Academy of Physical Culture and Sport with a Master of Sport in Ballroom Dance and Choreographic Art. He was a finalist and prize winner at international ballroom tournaments. His partner, Yuliya Lukina, has danced with him since 2005.
Together, the pair has won regional, national and international championships as professionals. If you want to learn ballroom dancing properly, that background shows up in the details your instructor notices, from your posture to the way you hold your frame.
Each ballroom dance instructor here is certified in the Fred Astaire Dance Studios curriculum, so you’re learning one system whoever teaches you.
The Dances in Our Ballroom Dance Lessons
Five dances make up the smooth side of ballroom. Each has its own tempo and character.
Dance | Where It Started | How It Feels |
Waltz | Bavarian country dances; reached English ballrooms in 1812 | Smooth and lilting, with rise and fall and a gentle sway |
Foxtrot | Ragtime-era America, around 1912 | Smooth and sophisticated, with long gliding walks |
Tango | Latin America, descended from the milonga | Dramatic, with staccato footwork and sudden pauses |
Viennese waltz | 19th-century Vienna, in the era of the Strauss family | Fast and turning, with the rise coming from the knees |
Quickstep | 1920s New York; standardized in England in 1927 | Light and quick, built on walks and chassés |
In American Smooth, partners can open out of the hold for turns and side-by-side figures. International Standard keeps them in closed hold from start to finish.
The waltz and the foxtrot each have their own page if you’d like the full story. The cha cha, rumba and other rhythm dances belong to our Latin dance classes.
Private Lessons, Group Classes and Parties Compared
Format | Best For | Partner |
Private lessons | Learning new figures and fixing technique at your own speed | Your instructor, or your own partner |
Group classes | Practicing patterns and style with other students | Partners rotate |
Practice parties | Dancing socially to real music on a full floor | Anyone in the room |
Private lessons come first, and they’re where most of your progress happens. Adult ballroom dance classes in a group add practice time, and practice parties turn ballroom dancing lessons into something you can use at a wedding or a gala. The studio’s method is built on using all three together.
Ballroom Dance Lessons for Beginners and Returning Adults
Ballroom dance lessons for beginners focus on one dance at a time, along with the basic frame you’ll use in all of them. Nothing moves on until you’re comfortable. You’ll learn how to stand, how to hold your partner and how to travel around the room without bumping into anyone, which matters more on a real floor than any fancy figure.
If you danced years ago, your instructor checks what’s still there and builds on it, so ballroom dance lessons for adults pick up where your memory leaves off.
A partner is optional. The introductory offer, $35 per person, covers a studio tour, a consultation and your first private lesson.
How Dance Lessons in South Windsor Are Taught
Our method has three parts. Private lessons are the core: one instructor, working on what you need next.
Group classes add practice with other students at set times. Practice parties are a relaxed floor where you put it all together.
Because private lessons lead the way, these dance lessons for adults move at your speed, not the speed of a class. You can see how the three parts connect in our teaching method.
Dance Socially or Go for Medals
You decide how far to take it. Social dancers work toward confidence on any floor. Students who want more can perform at showcases and spotlights, or compete.
Many of the owners’ students have placed at national and international competitions. Whatever your goal, progress is tracked through the Trophy System.
Ballroom also suits students starting later in life. Our senior dance classes use the same dances at a gentler pace.
Words From the Ballroom Floor
What I love most is that this studio feels like more than just dance lessons—it feels like a community. There is great energy, lots of encouragement, and so many opportunities to learn, improve, and enjoy dancing.
Majority of our lessons were with Yuliya or Jose. They were both really good. They choreographed a dance for us so quickly, based on our skill level and our music choice. We started our lessons pretty early on (April time-frame for a November wedding). So, we completed our 10 private dance lessons well ahead of our wedding. We enjoyed it so much, that we purchased an additional 10 private dance lessons to get us in tip-top shape for our wedding.
Tanya is fantastic! She was my instructor and she just had a way about taking my nervousness away the moment she took my hand. I found out later that she does makeup and they are very reasonably priced for makeup for an event. I did a test run and everyone kept telling me how stunning it was. It was definitely Pro level work and I can't recommend the place enough! If I could do 10 Stars I would.
Begin Ballroom Lessons in South Windsor, CT
You’ll find our ballroom dance studio at 1735 Ellington Road, South Windsor, CT 06074. Call 860-648-4482 or claim the introductory offer, and your first ballroom dance lessons in South Windsor will be a private session at the studio.
What Ballroom Beginners Ask
What's the Difference Between American and International Ballroom?
Both use the same core dances, but in American-style ballroom dancing classes, partners can separate for turns and open figures. International style keeps a closed hold throughout. We teach both, so you can try each and see which one suits you.
Which Ballroom Dance Should I Learn First?
Most people who learn ballroom dancing start with the foxtrot or the waltz. Both have a steady tempo and teach the frame you’ll use in the other ballroom standards. Your instructor will help you choose based on the music you like.
Do Ballroom Dance Teachers Follow a Set Curriculum?
Yes. Every ballroom dance teacher at the studio works from the Fred Astaire Dance Studios curriculum. It covers American, International and exhibition styles, and it’s reviewed by champions on the Fred Astaire International Dance Council.
How Do I Track Progress in My Ballroom Dancing Lessons?
Through the Trophy System. Ballroom dancing lessons move through levels: Social Foundation, then Bronze, Silver and Gold. Bronze is the most popular, and its goal is dancing on any floor, to any music, with any partner.
Can I Take Ballroom Dance Classes Without Competing?
Yes, competing is entirely optional. Plenty of students take ballroom dance classes to dance at weddings, parties and galas, and showcases are there if you ever want to perform.