Education & Classes in Cincinnati

Arthur Murray Dance Studio has been a leading name in franchise dance since 1912, when the entrepreneur began selling mail-order dance lessons. Expanding his reach, he enlisted teachers to spread his signature dance lessons on first-class steamships and skyrocketed to fame in the '30s after introducing the public to such dances as the Lambeth Walk and the Big Apple. By the 1950s, Arthur and his wife, Kathryn, were hosting their own highly popular TV show on ABC, the Arthur Murray Dance Party, which ran for 12 years. Today, Arthur Murray's team prepares students for rug cutting at special events and weekend nightclub jaunts. Clients who arrive to lessons partnerless will be paired up with other classmates as the instructors assess their current skill level and make recommendations on the most appropriate program. Throughout lessons, instructors teach the foundations of two to four dances from a long list of styles that range from Latin to country-western, helping students to learn basic step patterns, timing, and the ability to lead or follow.

Shannon Campbell specializes in preparing clients for armed self-defense, with an emphasis on safe practices when within the home. At an outdoor range that more closely elicits the feel of a neighborhood backyard than a shooting gallery, Shannon demonstrates proper firearm operation before supervising clients as they apply what they've learned. In addition to this coaching, he leads a Refuse To Be A Victim seminar, which teaches participants how to maintain awareness in threatening situations, such as a world ice-cream shortage, and how to prevent a criminal confrontation. He also hosts Little Sportsman sessions, which educate youths on how to responsibly handle a firearm while building community.

The DVIDA-certified instructors at Always Ballroom Dance Studio believe that dance can benefit anyone, and uphold a policy of total acceptance across experience levels. On the glossy scape of blond hardwood floors, they monitor shimmies in both private and group lessons, prepping couples for their wedding-dance debut or showcasing a stock of nightclub moves. Pupils needn't reserve a spot or have a partner to attend most group sessions—the studio provides everything down to airsickness bags for soaring spins, and accommodates diverse tastes with more than 20 dance styles on its syllabus. Special events such as lock-ins and Salsa Saturdays top off the swinging schedule.

From the welcoming confines of her art studio, Jen Meade calls on more than 35 years of experience as a self-taught artist as she shepherds visitors through their own colorful journeys of self-expression. Group classes for adults instill painters of all levels with new brushing skills, and private lessons give students one-on-one attention to focus on useful techniques, such as disguising mistakes with unobtrusive trees and bobcats wearing sunglasses. During Jen's specialty classes, brushstrokes elude the canvas to instead embellish a variety of creative keepsakes, such as paintable wineglasses and articles of clothing.

Students at Fast Track High Performance Driving School don't need to prove that they can parallel park—they're more concerned about taking a turn at more than 100 miles per hour. Most of them have never even felt the rumble of a 600-horsepower engine before. After plenty of safety debriefing from expert instructors, however, they usually are no longer intimidated by its purr. They'll then hop into the vibrant shell of an ARCA-style stock car, a former racing vehicle that's still capable of rocketing down the track at a blur-inducing speed of 165 miles per hour.

Since 1989, the school has been fulfilling speed-demon fantasies with its courses and ride alongs at racetracks throughout the country. The staff meets with everyday fans and aspiring competitors alike to cover racing protocol, safety, and appropriate postrace dance moves. Depending on the depth of their lesson, pupils might take the wheel during a four-car passing exercise or simply sit back in the passenger seat as a professional flies through three–five laps.

University Admissions Prep Coach's tutors all scored within the 95th percentile of SAT test takers. The whip-smart team shares their test-taking strategies and skills during a six-part program designed to prepare students for the rigors of the SAT with practice tests and 30 hours of in-class instruction. Tutors help guide their students through a battery of mental exercises, familiarizing them with standardized test fundamentals such as math, reading, and pencil anatomy.