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Dance
The best dance studios in Australia
Keen to try out a dance class? Whether you want to give hip-hop or breaking a go, there’s a studio near you.
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Want to dance? You’re not alone. More and more Australians are discovering the thrill of moving their body to the music. It’s a way to feel truly at home in your skin, tap into a sense of unbridled freedom, stay fit and have a lot of fun to boot.
And you don’t have to be a pro to access the full body liberation that comes with hitting the floor. Whether you’re thinking of trying your very first class – or have been dancing for years and want to sharpen your skills – odds are there’s a great dance studio near you to discover. Most of them offer classes at a variety of levels, from beginners to advanced and ‘open’ (which means open to all levels, but tends to skew to the more experienced dancer).
The hardest part will be deciding what style of dance you want to try. Do you want to do hip-hop, house or breaking? Or what about street styles like popping, locking, waacking or footwork? With stacks of great studios around, anything is possible. You could even try out classes in K-Pop or dancehall; heels or Afro-fusion.
Not sure what you want to try – or even what some of those styles look like? Every street dance style imaginable is on display at Red Bull Dance Your Style, a global, all-styles dance competition, where the best street dancers in the world compete against one another. The dancers have no idea what songs the DJ will choose to spin for their battles. Poppers might have to move to rock music, house dancers might have to groove to rap. The thrill and challenge of it is being ready to freestyle to whatever song the DJ drops. It’s free to be there, so head down to watch and get inspired.
It’s not the only awe-inspiring dance competition going. If it’s breaking you’re into, you’ll want to check out Red Bull BC One, a global competition that sees thousands of B-boys and B-girls compete for the chance to face off at the global finals. Red Bull BC One hits Australia every year and is free to attend, so head on down.
01
Crossover Dance Studio
Where: Sydney (more studios here)
“This ain’t no warehouse,” Crossover Dance Studio declares on their website. Rather, their studios have been designed from the ground up with dance in mind. And with experienced teachers who’ve earned their stripes at battles around the city – think previous Dance Your Style victors Poppin Jack and Koh – they take street dance seriously.
They don’t just offer beginner or open classes – Crossover runs five different class levels, including advanced classes for high level dancers who’ve got over five years of dance in the style under their belt. The place to go if you’re a dedicated dancer looking to up your game.
Check out more details here.
02
DUTI
Where: Sydney (more studios here)
Since 2015, DUTI has been operating what might be Sydney’s coolest dance studio, smack bang in the middle of Enmore Road. DUTI – that’s Dancing Under The Influence – offers a fusion of contemporary, commercial and street styles. Here, you could take classes in hip-hop or dancehall; Brazilian funk or African dance. There’s also popping, house and reggaeton on offer, with beginner levels and open classes.
Check out more details here.
03
02 Dance Studio
Where: Melbourne (more studios here)
Whether you want to learn K-pop or hip-hop, waacking or vogue, 02 Dance Studio on Bourke Street in the CBD has you covered. Arguably Melbourne’s premier street dance studio, 02 offers classes in four levels, from introductory through to advanced. But more than just a dance school, 02 is a beloved hub for the city’s dance community.
It’s also THE place to go for K-pop classes. 02 even runs a K-pop academy, designed to help those aged 10 to 19 prepare for K-idol auditions, so you know they know their stuff.
Check out more details here.
04
GROOV3
Where: Melbourne and Toowoomba (more studios here)
Part dance class, part workout, part party, GROOV3 is a high energy choreography class inspired by a blend of hip-hop and grooves. It’s the perfect welcoming (and extremely fun) space for beginners: music plays the entire time, there’s no talking, and all levels are welcome. It’s all led by renowned dancer Aisha Mary, who has choreographed and danced for artists including Kimbra, Kylie Minogue and Delta Goodrem.
GROOV3 happens seven times a week in Melbourne and every Wednesday in Queensland's Toowoomba. If you’re keen to try out dance but don’t know where to start, this is your perfect match.
Check out more details here.
05
Mad Dance House
Where: Brisbane (more studios here)
We love Mad Dance House – and you will too. This Adelaide Street studio runs over 50 classes a week in just about every street dance style, including hip-hop, popping, locking, waacking and krump. And they’re a studio who cares about the community, regularly giving back by hosting workshops, awarding grants and producing shows and events. Mad House even runs $15 Friday classes to keep things affordable.
There are beginner courses for those just starting out, all of which are designed to give you the perfect grounding in your chosen style, plus plenty of advanced classes for the serious dancers among us.
Check out more details here.
06
The Spot
Where: Perth (more studios here)
It’s not just street dance that Perth’s The Spot offers – they do dance, strength and conditioning and mobility classes all in the one, ahem, “spot” (hence the name).
But if you’re coming to dance, you’ll get to choose from regular breaking, hip-hop, dancehall, locking and house classes. Vogue and krump classes pop up on the weekly schedule, and legends of the scene like Hiro often drop by to take classes. They sometimes even run a special ‘Battle Camp’ – designed to teach students everything you need to know about dance battles, from the culture behind them to the tactics that can help you win.
And away from the street styles, there’s heels, choreography and commercial classes are also offered, so all bases are well and truly covered.
Check out more details here.
Check out the moment when MT Pop broke the internet at the 2024 Red Bull Dance Your Style Finals in Mumbai.
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