DancEast Collective
Nashville’s professional dance scene is clearly a force. But what opportunities are there for dance enthusiasts who aren’t willing or able to dedicate professional careers to the art? Plenty. Our city has a bevy of options for those who want to learn the basics, those who want to start competing and everything in between. The Scene talked to local dance instructors for advice on how to navigate it all.
Whatever your niche, you’re likely to find it in Nashville. Apart from the obvious — the dance floors of Lower Broadway bars and nightclubs — you can easily find groups dedicated to all kinds of dance styles. Swing-dancing enthusiasts can check out the Nashville Swing Dance Club, Swing Dance Nashville or STEP Country Swing and Dance Co. The Nashville Country Dancers create space for contra and English country dancing. There’s also the Global Education Center, which provides multicultural dance classes in forms including Bollywood, Latin dance, capoeira and more.
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Those looking for less structured movement can find multiple ecstatic dance sessions around town in any given month. Dance instructor McKay House also hosts bi-weekly contact improvisation classes. The Chrome Bar and Miss Fit offer pole-dancing classes. Plaza Mariachi hosts regular salsa nights on Thursdays. Those who need practice can attend lessons that start at 7 p.m. before the dance floor opens up at 8 p.m. At the American Legion Post 82 in East Nashville, you’ll find folks cutting rugs each week during Honky Tonk Tuesdays. Construct Nashville offers street-style dancing classes like house and break dancing. DancEast Collective, Millennium Dance Complex, TMProductions and the Metro Parks Dance Division offer all kinds of classes. Even professional dance groups such as the Nashville Ballet or New Dialect offer lessons.
“Sometimes we have to shop around for instructors and classes,” says Global Education Center dance instructor Tirra Hargrow. “It’s OK if you go to a class, maybe give it a few times and trust yourself — if it just doesn’t feel right, it more than likely isn’t right. But just keep shopping around until you find the class, the dance final, the dance community that you really like, and it will work for you.”
Hargrow advises beginners to look for instructors who express enthusiasm about teaching new dancers. Likewise, DancEast Collective founder (and District 3 Metro Nashville Public Schools board representative) Emily Masters says to look for phrases like “ beginner,” “open-level” and “welcoming environment.” She also suggests asking if there are ranges of different ages or sizes of participants, or what a class might feel like for beginners.
There’s an overall welcoming and collaborative atmosphere in Nashville’s dance community, but each class is its own microcosm — so don’t be afraid to contact the studio beforehand to discuss different offerings and the crowds they attract. Sometimes beginner or open-level classes may still bring in experienced dancers, and how newer dancers fare in that environment depends on the teacher — some have more experience balancing different skill levels.
DancEast Collective instructor Lindsay Fine Smith tells the Scene she has been disappointed to see environments where newer dancers were ignored and made to feel unwelcome. She tries to avoid that when she’s teaching by maintaining a playful tone in class, providing flexible instruction that caters to multiple skill levels and giving attention to those who need extra help.
“We’re here to have fun,” says Smith. “If you’re not having fun in dance class, what are we doing? … It’s just setting the right tone to let people feel comfortable and then just clocking everyone in class just to make sure that everyone is feeling welcome and feeling OK.”
When you’re ready to show off your dance skills, there are lots of ways to get moving. Maybe you just return to class each week, or start seeking out themed dance nights across town. Some studios train dancers to compete, or host showcases for class participants. Once you insert yourself into the dance scene, these kinds of events won’t be hard to find, and you’ll have a supportive community of people to enjoy them with. It might take some courage to get through your first couple of classes, or some time to find the best fit, but several dance instructors tell the Scene that repetition and practice are what lead to results.
“Life is short,” says Hargrow. “Everyone has a first day. … My first day, I was not good. But it felt so good, though. Even in not really understanding all of the moves, it just made me feel invigorated. Dance is a part of the human experience.”
Looking at Nashville Ballet, the city’s contemporary dance scene and opportunities to learn and practice different styles
