ABOUT OUR CLASSES

What kinds of classes do you offer?

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

What class should I start with?

We recommend Swing 1 and Slow 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, Slow Dance 1, and Tango 1.

What does a class cost?

Each six-week class costs $60 per person. We offer seven six-week sessions per year, usually with one week off in between sessions.

How do I sign up for a class?

You can call the office (206-781-1238) and register with your VISA or Mastercard; 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 register on this website.

Where are classes held?

Classes are held at the Swedish Cultural Center(see map), 1920 Dexter Ave. N., Mount Baker Community Club, 2811 Mt. Rainier Drive South, and Sonny Newman's Dance Hall, in Greenwood -- 201 N. 85th Street.

Where can I park?

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 and Sonny's is on the street.

Can I get there by bus?

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.

Do I need a partner?

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.

Who takes your classes?

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.

What do the terms "lead" and "follow" mean?

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.

What does NDN mean when it says it will "balance" a class?

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.

Can you describe a class?

Our classes last for one hour 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.

What if I have trouble learning the steps?

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.

What should I wear?

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.

What shoes are appropriate?

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.

Can I get a refund if I need to drop out of a class?

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 (or 5:00 PM on Friday before your second Sunday class). No credits or refunds will be given after that time.

Cancellations accepted via telephone only (206-781-1238). Cancellations are not official unless you call the office. Note: credits expire one year from date of issue.


I noticed that some of your classes have prerequisites. Please explain.

If you are new to Northwest Dance Network, we ask that you start with Swing 1, Slow Waltz 1, Salsa 1, or Slow Dance 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.

If I feel I'm in the wrong level after the first class, can I change classes?

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.

What happens if I miss a class?

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.

Will you send me a confirmation?

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 on-line, 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. The office is open from 9:30 - 5:00 Monday - Friday.

ABOUT OUR DANCES