Education & Classes in Baileys Crossroads

Today's side deal invites you to party for a good cause—or three good causes—with tickets to the annual Fashion Fights Poverty runway show for $37—half off the normal price. This fashion-forward non-profit is celebrating five years of sustainable style with a fundraising event at the elegant Renaissance Mayflower Hotel on Friday, September 25, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Established in 1998, Cornucopia Cruise Line's three ships transport guests along the New York City harbor or the inland waterways along the New Jersey and Staten Island shorelines. Each ship is appointed with uplit ceilings, brass railings, hardwood dance floors, and glittering lights. During evening cruises, wait staff serve a sit-down dinner of surf-and-turf entrees as the DJ's tunes coax diners onto the dance floor. Excursions on Saturday and Sunday sate guests with buffet-style lunch or brunch, respectively. The ships range in size from the Cornucopia Majesty's vast 1,200-person capacity to the Cornucopia Destiny's intimate 250-person quarters, where guests should wear business-casual attire, eschewing gym shoes on their feet and flip-flops on their hands.

At some point you will be confronted by a shaggy, axe-wielding lunatic who shouts, "Are you ready to ROOOOCK? Please answer me. I'm so sad." Today's Groupon will make sure you're not just ready, but willing. For $49, new students will get six group singing or instrument lessons at the Tysons Corner music-instruction school All Things Rock (a $180 value). Kids can get the musical education that will make them less likely to stick up a convenience store with a bassoon later in life, while adults can fulfill a long-deferred dream to finally impress Amanda Bilecki with their shredding skills.

The graceful ease with which a good bartender mixes drinks masks the difficulty of the job, one that requires knowledge and dexterity—not to mention charisma. The seasoned barkeeps at Bartender of America, a TIPS-certified school, know what it takes to be a good bartender and lead their students through deliberate exercises inside a fully simulated tavern environment. Amid ambient sounds and music, novice bartenders dole out maraschino cherries and shake martinis while refining their conversational skills and learning how to identify underage kids by their mustaches. Fully committed students can opt for the entire Bar 101 curriculum, attaining a bartending license and valuable tricks for managing their resume and acing job interviews, while abbreviated classes offer insight into the fundamentals of the trade.

Boogie in Bethesda's intimate, fun environment, with big windows that flood in natural light, creates a comfy venue for all ages to dust off old shoes, learn new techniques, and meet other beginning toe-tappers. Your Groupon is good for one easy and engaging introductory West Coast Swing lesson. Step on the floating wood floor for a two-part, 90-minute group tutorial, where an experienced instructor will teach basic moves that meld elements of Lindy Hop with methods from contemporary jazz, hip-hop, Latin, and ballroom dance. Come locked arm-in-arm with a mate or alone with appendage unhinged.