Fitness JesusPick for me
First time? · Dance classes

Your first dance class.

Here is the secret of every beginner dance class: everyone is watching themselves in the mirror, not you. DanceBody says as much on its beginners' page. You will go left while everyone goes right at least once. The teacher will run it again.

What happens at a first session

Look at the level before the style. NYC's big studios label every class, and that label matters more than whether it's jazz or hip hop. Ailey Extension has Intro and Absolute Beginner classes, and its staff will help you pick one. Peridance has Intro classes that need no experience. Mark Morris Dance Center in Fort Greene runs a 6-Week Intro Series that teaches one style from scratch, if you'd rather learn alongside the same people each week.

A technique class usually warms up, works on steps, then teaches a short combination that you dance a few times, often in small groups. Dance cardio is looser: at 305 Fitness it's a warm-up, easy choreography, a toning break and more dancing, with a live DJ. For pole or aerial, start with an intro class; Body & Pole runs them for pole, hoop, hammock and silks.

What to bring and wear

Clothes you can move in that let the teacher see what your body is doing; Peridance suggests leggings or yoga clothes. Shoes depend on the style. Peridance's FAQ says modern and contemporary are usually barefoot, street styles usually sneakers, and you don't need ballet slippers for your first ballet class. For dance cardio, wear supportive sneakers, as DanceBody advises, and bring a full water bottle, as 305 does.

Booking and what it costs to try

Most studios sell single classes and you register online. Gibney in lower Manhattan is $22 a class: make a Mind Body account, register, then sign in when you arrive. Mark Morris is $22 a drop-in, with a cheaper three-class deal for new students. Body & Pole's first class for new clients is $25, Ailey is $26 in the studio (first-timers get a discount it doesn't put a number on), and Peridance is $27.

Arrive early. 305 asks for at least 15 minutes before your first class so they can show you around. Peridance may give your spot to the waitlist if you're more than 15 minutes late, and its teachers generally don't let anyone join after that.

Studio manners

Stand where you can see someone who knows the steps, which usually means not the back corner. When the class goes across the floor in groups, just join one. If you lose the combination, keep moving and pick it up on the next count of eight. Clapping for the teacher at the end is a dance-studio habit, and a nice one.

Easiest places to start

From our list, running now: the ones that say beginners are welcome first, then the free and cheapest. In their own words.

Is this for me?

If you dance in your kitchen, yes. If you're sure you have two left feet, try dance cardio first: 305 says if you can do a jumping jack, you can do its class. Want to actually learn a style? A six-week intro series will get you further than one drop-in.

Ready to try it?

The finder starts from "Dance it out", knows you're new, and puts places that welcome beginners first.

Show me three

We haven't done these ourselves yet.

The specifics come from each place's own website, checked on October 21, 2026. Prices and times change, so each place's page links to its live schedule. How we pick.

Checked at: ailey.org/classes, peridance.com/open-classes, gibneydance.org/class-faqs-policies-and-pricing/, markmorrisdancegroup.org/dance-center/adult-classes/6-week-intro-series/, 305fitness.com/new-to-305, dancebody.com/pages/new-to-dancebody, bodyandpole.com. Checked October 21, 2026.

Other first times