Dance Lessons in Michigan City

Big City Swing’s mantra is to be fit, be fun, and be social, and it conquers all three of these goals by teaching dance styles that stem from the social clubs of the Prohibition era. Within the spacious ceilings and exposed brick walls of the studio, instructors delve into swing dance and Lindy Hop styles characterized by twirling, leg kicks, and lightning-fast rhythms.

Courses are taught in a four-week series or single-session workshops that also cover styles such as Balboa, the Charleston, and blues. Students seeking more individualized attention can schedule a private lesson or eschew the tradition of the post-nuptial hokey pokey by enrolling in the wedding-dance program. In addition to studio and onsite instruction, Big City Swing’s professional team also performs choreographed numbers at special events. Free street parking is available near the studio.

The instructors at ACM School of Music pass the torch of musical aptitude with piano lessons and music-theory classes that kindle classical-music appreciation in a new generation. With a focus on teaching students to write their own compositions, experienced musicians explain the rudiments of the form, from a piece's first quarter note to its adolescent experimentation with mixed-meter phrases to its emergence as a full-grown adult arrangement. The school's resident ensemble, Palomar, breathes life into contemporary compositions with an annual concert series. As a nonprofit driven by the goal to expand the cohort of composers and audience members, ACM also facilitates educational initiatives in local schools and offers programming to Boys & Girls Clubs.

Kumu Hula (“Master Teacher of the Hula”) June Yoshiko sometimes wonders if it was the same streak of courage that led both of her grandfathers to leave Japan and start a new life in Hawaii that inspired her to make a similar journey from Hawaii to Chicago. A hula dancer since she was six, she’s honed her craft over three decades while augmenting it with a master’s in public health nutrition, ordination as a Zen Buddhist priest, and certification as a reiki master teacher.

June teaches two types of hula classes: Hula Kahiko, ancient dances accompanied by chanting that emphasize Hawaiian culture, and Hula Auana, or modern hula, set to contemporary Hawaiian songs and instruments such as ukulele and guitar. Her beginner classes focus on footwork and hip motions, and advanced classes merge both Kahiko and Auana with the study of plants, chants, mythology, and history important to hula. June also offers a Gracious Ladies class for mature women and men that incorporates Auana hula to tone bodies, strengthen core muscles, and boost ACT scores.

Jasmin Jahal has an enduring memory of being 8 years old, practicing her pointe moves in a private ballet lesson, and realizing that a large group was peeking through the door to watch her dance. Her stomach fluttered with the thrill of performance—a sensation that persists to this day whenever she takes the stage. Ever since she discovered Egyptian dance at age 18, she’s studied it as an art, becoming one of only a handful of dancers to be dubbed Best Modern Egyptian Dancer by the International Academy of Middle Eastern Dance.

Her school encourages students to explore belly dance’s hypnotizing hip drops and shimmies in a comfortable, fun environment. Beginners wrapped in hip scarves learn to create alluring motions or imitate a sultry flagpole with veils while finger cymbals create their own splashes of rhythm. Regularly scheduled classes escalate to advanced levels that impart expert choreography and Arabic rhythms. Jasmin also offers Belly Aerobics classes focused on stretching and toning muscles with lightweight dumbbells and aerobic moves.