NW Dance offers different types of group classes in many kinds of partner dancing, such as East Coast Swing, Waltz, Salsa, Tango, Nightclub Two-step, Lindy Hop, West Coast Swing, and more. We offer beginning and intermediate levels of most classes and also offer specialty workshops.

We recommend Swing 1 and Waltz 1 as the best choices for beginners, with Swing being the easiest. Northwest Dance Network also offers other entry-level classes (classes with no pre-requisites), including Salsa 1 and Blues 1.

Each six-week class costs $65 per person, and a four-week class is $45 per person. We offer five six-week sessions per year, and three four-week classes per year (during the summer months).

You can call the office (206-781-1238) and register with your Visa, Mastercard, Discover Card or American Express; you can mail your registration to us at 2442 NW Market St., PMB 168, Seattle, WA 98107; you can sign up at classes; or you can sign up here on our website (just click on the "Add to Cart" button after the class or workshop you'd like to take.

Classes are held at the Swedish Cultural Center, 1920 Dexter Ave. N., and the Mount Baker Community Club, 2811 Mt. Rainier Drive South.

There are three free parking lots at the Swedish Cultural Center. One is on the south side of the building, the second is off Newton St. behind the Swedish Cultural Center (down the hill), and the third is diagonally across the street on the west side of Dexter. This third lot looks like a pay lot with numbered slots, but it is free to our students during our classes and events. Parking at the Mt. Baker Community Club is on the street.

Metro bus numbers 26 and 28 go along Dexter Ave. N. The closest cross street is Newton. The Swedish Cultural Center is at the top of the hill at 1920 Dexter Ave. N.

No. Many of our students sign up without partners. We rotate partners frequently in class, so you will have the opportunity to dance with many people. We also balance our classes between leads and follows.

Our students' typical age range is from 25 to 60, with the average age being mid 40s. However, we have had (mature) children as young as 10 in classes and usually have several teens in classes, especially in the summer. Our students come from all walks of life. Half of our students are single and half are couples.

Partner dancing requires two different roles to make the dance happen -- a lead and a follow. Traditionally, men have learned the lead role and women the follow role. Today, people sometimes reverse roles, so we use the terms leads and follows. All our instructors are well-versed in teaching both roles.

We believe classes are a lot more fun when you have a relatively equal number of leads and follows in a class. We use a combination of wait-listing and volunteers to reach a reasonable balance of leads and follows in all our classes.

Our classes last for fifty-five minutes and are a great blend of our instructors showing steps and moves and students practicing what they've observed. Students rotate from partner to partner every few minutes during class; we feel that dancing with many different partners is the best way to learn to dance.

Our instructors have one clear goal: to provide the very best dance instruction in a fun, non-competitive environment. They are not competitive dancers, but trained dance teachers with the students' interests foremost. They teach as a team and both are highly skilled in dancing both the lead and the follow roles.

Students have the chance to practice what they've learned for approximately 10 minutes before and after class.

In most of the beginning (level 1) and the Swing 2 classes, teaching assistants are available to help students before, during and after classes. These assistants have learned both lead and follow roles. The instructors are also available at some points during class, and before and after class for individual questions.

Dress comfortably. We suggest that you dress in layers. The room often feels cool at the beginning of class, but it won't be long before you are warm enough to shed sweaters. Some students come directly from work.

Shoes with leather soles are best in the beginning. If you don't have leather, look for a harder plastic sole that will glide a bit on a wood floor. Avoid any shoes that have a tendency to grip the floor, like basketball shoes, or that leave black marks on the floor. If you dance in street shoes, please scrape the soles before going on to the dance floor to dislodge the dirt, sand, etc. that can harm dance floors. Many people do end up purchasing Dance Shoes.

If cancelling, you will receive a full credit (toward future classes) or a refund, less a $10 processing fee. You must cancel before 5:00 pm the day of your second class. No credits or refunds will be given after that time. Cancellations accepted via telephone only 206.781.1238.

If you are new to NW Dance, we ask that you start with Swing 1, Waltz 1, Salsa 1, or Blues 1. For those already in classes, we ask that you honor the class prerequisites. Before you take a level 2 class, you should have competency with level 1 material. For any exceptions to prerequisites, call the office (206-781-1238) and make arrangements to test-dance with an instructor prior to the class in question.

At the end of the class, ask the instructor to assess your skill level for the class you enrolled in. If you are at the incorrect level, we will move you to the appropriate class if there is space available. Please call the office to arrange this change.

If we offer your class on another night, you can come to the other session in the same week and receive the same lesson. Please let the registrar know that you're making up a class. If you can't attend this class or if we offer your class only once, come to the following week's class 15 minutes early and review what you missed with a teaching assistant or an instructor.

We don't send out confirmations, but you can call us at 206-781-1238 to make sure you are enrolled. If you register for a class that is full, we will place you on a waiting list and call to let you know that you're on the list. We will hold your payment until we have a spot for you in a class.

We encourage you to register early as our classes often fill. Please don't register at the last minute, especially online, and assume you have a place in a class. If the class you wish to take is full, we may not have time to notify you.

If you've waited until right before class to sign up, either call the office (206-781-1238) to register and get a confirmation or go to the first class with the understanding that it might be full.

In extreme weather circumstances we will put an announcement on our website at nwdance.net if a dance, class, party, or any other event is to be cancelled. If weather conditions are adverse, please check our website, or call the office [206-781-1283] before heading out in the cold to attend any of our activities.

Most dances with live music cost $15 for both the dance (8:30 - 12:00) and the pre-dance workshop (7:30 - 8:30).

Occasionally a special event dance, such as a Waltz Ball, costs more.

No, dances are first come, first served, except for special events like Waltz Balls. If we are selling advanced tickets, we will indicate this in the flyer.

Dances are usually held at the Leif Erikson Ballroom, 2245 NW 57th in Ballard.

There is parking available in the bank lot next door (for a minimal fee - $3.00) and there is free parking on the street.

Routes number 17, 18, 44 and 75. Get off at 24th & Market, or 24th and 57th.

The one-hour pre-dance workshops are taught by our instructors and usually aimed at beginning dancers. Occasionally a pre-dance workshop will be for more advanced dancers. Since we rotate partners frequently, taking the workshop is a good way to meet other dancers, to review your dance steps or learn new ones.

In general, dress is casual. Women usually wear skirts or dresses, though pants are fine. Men usually wear nice pants and short-sleeved shirts. Because it is often warm, some people bring a second shirt/top to change into. We have a few events each year where we suggest that people dress up, and occasional theme nights are listed in the flyer.

Many dancers purchase dance shoes or put aside put aside shoes specifically for dancing (never wearing them outdoors). Leather soled shoes work well. You need shoes which will glide a bit on a wood floor, not shoes that grip the floor. Shoes which make black marks on the floor will not be allowed. Test your shoes on a patch of wood flooring. Scrape them along the sides and heels as well as the ball of the shoe. If you are in doubt, bring a spare pair along.