Dance Lessons in Rye

Dance Times Square’s founders and professional Latin ballroom dancers, Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin, corral expert dance instructors into their studio space to teach students of all levels high-energy dance routines. With an impressive roster of celebrity clientele, such as Vanessa Williams, Pierce Brosnan, and Betty Boop, along with decades of experience in the dance and choreography world, Tony and Melanie remain leaders in competitive Latin ballroom dance. The nimble-footed instructors rolls out dynamic group and private lessons, leading participants in shimmying through a wedding dance class or mastering skills for such dances as the salsa, tango, cha-cha, or swing.

Professional dancer Francis Teri knows how to celebrate. He’s danced at Ziegfeld Theater for the party in honor of Dirty Dancing's 20th anniversary and at the 30th anniversary shindig for the iconic Saturday Night Fever. At Dance Fever Studios, he and a team of experienced dance instructors party down everyday, helping students hone specific footwork skills or nail the basics in beginner and intermediate classes. Attendees learn good timing and partner connection in beginner salsa, or how to pull off the waltz and foxtrot in ballroom dancing. During beginner and intermediate hustle classes, students learn how to do the basic dance step without disturbing the goldfish in their shoes.

Focusing on smooth, rhythm, or specialty dance styles, Bet U Can Dance's instructors lead private and group classes amid 13-foot ceilings and 6,000 square feet of hardwood dance floor. As 60-minute group sessions unfold, students meet fellow dancers, trade partners, and learn to lead and follow better than a military horse chasing its own tail. Ushered by professional cabaret and ballroom gurus, one-on-one and couples sessions allow for more personalized lesson plans, helping rug cutters to master dance varieties such as the East Coast swing, waltzes, and the fox trot. Additionally, high-energy Zumba instructors teach calorie-burning moves during a vigorous dance party backed by Latin beats.

Competitive ballroom dancers Martin Ramsauer and Chris Sabourin have been blazing across the dance floor since childhood. After years of experience at Fred Astaire studios—a national franchise cofounded by the legendary toe-tapper—and their competitions, the pair opened their own branch to share their decades' worth of experience with others.

They now helm a team of experienced instructors—including an award-winning Serbian dancer ranked on the World IDSF list of top couples—that shepherds students of all ages and skill levels through lessons that span the dance-style spectrum. Their low-pressure, customized private sessions allow enthusiastic teachers to fine-tune individual students' techniques and form, using their expert eyes and mechanical dancing shoes preprogrammed to do the Charleston. Patrons can learn how to cavort through classic waltz and foxtrot romps or swivel through the modern steps of salsa, swing, or samba. For dancers hoping to hoof it up in a social setting, the group practice parties provide a one-night extravaganza of instruction, demonstrations, and amateur firewalking.

Owner, instructor, and professional dancer Jannelle Cortes dedicates Groovefit Belly Dance Classes' schedule to empowering dance techniques that also ensure an invigorating workout. Originally from the Dominican Republic, Jannelle began exploring ballet in Washington, D.C., at the age of 4 before studying at professional studios in New York and learning about Egyptian cabaret and folkloric dance while in Egypt. Jannelle's experiences living in the cultural mélange of New York inspired her to embrace such nontraditional styles as belly dance, samba, and mambo. Zumba sessions keep tempos high and pulses racing by synchronizing dance-based exercises with Latin-inspired melodies, and belly-dancing classes teach students the abdominal control they need to unbutton a shirt without using their hands.

Zack’s Dance Loft’s founder draws inspiration from the Latin and ballroom dance styles popular in the Big Apple. Back when he worked as a financial analyst at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Zack began teaching Latin dance at the company. Now that he’s founded his own business replete with a 2,000-square-foot studio sporting oversize mirrors on the walls and a floating dance hardwood floor, Zack and his staff train clientele in salsa, wedding dance, pole dance, and more.

Happy hour classes begin with an open bar and provide an hour of dance instruction in salsa, swing, tango, or other styles. The sessions conclude with socializing and drinks, much like ballet recitals or successful heart surgeries. Throughout each workshop, Zack cultivates a casual atmosphere. In 2006, he told New York magazine he often makes friends with his students, and the magazine went on to declare that his “private lessons are as technically sound as anyone’s—and way looser and more fun.”